Thief: A Fantasy Hardboiled (Ratcatchers Book 2) (36 page)

The dark elf huddled on the floor like a wounded animal, curled into a fetal position, whimpered.

Heden closed the distance between them, kneeled. Placed a hand on the still smoking flesh, and said a prayer.

The star elf’s skin healed, renewed. The whimpering subsided. Heden took a step back, picked up the sword gingerly. Put it back in his scabbard.
Solaris
raised no objection.

The star elf stood, this time using his arms and legs, like a mortal creature.

“Leave it to him” Aimsley said, shaking his head in disbelief.

“You know not the power contained in that weapon,” the elf said, still afraid.

“That’s true,” Heden said, letting his hand rest lightly on the pommel. “But you do and right now that’s all that matters.”

“It is the Thousand Rays of Morning,” the celestial explained. “A legendary solar who stayed behind to continue his personal war against darkness.”

A Solar Celestial
, Heden thought, his hand gripping the sword tighter. Still on this plane after his brothers joined their god in Arcadia.

What I was before is of no consequence,
the voice spoke in Heden’s mind.
Now I am
Solaris
and I will not permit this one to cause more harm
.

“He’s not going to cause more harm,” Heden said. “He knows that path leads only to pain for all. And it’s time to stop the cycle of death.”

The elf straightened himself. His gaze shifted from Heden’s sword, to Heden. It ignored everyone else in the room.

"I am taught wisdom by a mortal," the elf said, chastised.

“We’ve all learned something today.” Heden said. “It’s not too late to do the right thing.”

“Verily. I see now why the Last Star counted you as a friend. In my anger I lashed out at those who had not wronged me, indeed those who liberated me from my bondage.”

“It was a mistake,” Heden said. “We all make them. Let’s not make it worse.”

The star elf bowed.

“Who bound you?” Heden asked. “Originally. How did you come to be here?”

“A servant of Ket,” the elf said. “I know not his name, he wore a skullcap made of adamantine and served a terran dressed all in metal.”

A servant of Ket
, Heden wondered. Then an image of a man he knew who wore a silver skullcap flashed in his mind.

“Novacula,” Garth said. “Duke Baede’s wizard. He delivered the elf to us.”

The elf looked around the room, at no one. “I know not. You are ephemeral. I was bound, brought somewhere else, and then here.”

“You’ve answered my question,” Heden said, trying not to think of what the answer implied. “You’re free to go. Let us part in weal and not woe.”

The celestial nodded.

"I have already forgotten my rage for vengeance. I no longer wish to destroy you all."

"Good," Aimsley said.

"I have forgotten my fear," Heden said. "And consider myself fortunate to have met you." He knew this to be the proper thing to say.

"The Ray of Morning," the elf said, nodding to Heden's sword, "was wise and I did not heed him. Only one of equal wisdom could wield his power." The elf stuck out his hand.

"I am fortunate to have met such a one."

Heden looked at the extended hand, much larger than his. Inky black and covered with twinkling stars and swirling galaxies.

"This is the custom, yes?" The elf asked. "I cannot say how much time has passed since last I treated with the Terrans, we do not reckon such things," he said.

Heden extended his hand, reaching up to account for the difference in their height.

"This is the custom," he said, and gripped the celestial's hand. It was thin and delicate, but strong.

"Farewell," the celestial said. "This world of yours likes me not."

Heden blinked, and the star elf was gone.

Heden and Aimsley were left alone in the room. Both were shaking now that the crisis was over. Heden wanted to throw up.

“’The Star Emerging?’” Aimsley said.

“What?” Heden asked, still recovering.

“You know a fucking star elf? You’ve been to the World Below?”

“No,” Heden said, shaking his head. “I mean, yes I know a…I knew a star elf.” Heden took a deep breath. “He was an ambassador. He asked Richard for help against the Army of Night. But he’s dead now. I’ve never been to their realm.”

“You could fucking tell me this shit before we…,” he waved his hands around. “I almost shit myself. And you making bell noises and shit.”

Heden ignored Aimsley. Looked for Garth.

“Where’s Garth?” he asked.

“Domnal,” Aimsley said, noticing the watchman was also gone.

They were alone in the room.

“Shit,” Heden said, and ran for the doorway. Aimsley followed.

“You’re here early,” Willem said.

Tomas shrugged. “Where else am I going to go?” The younger man fitted his helmet on.

Willem smiled. “Well you’re young yet,” he said. “You get you a missus, you’ll find better things to do with your time than stand watch.” Willem didn’t bother with a helmet, Tomas noticed.

“Dannec don’t seem too eager to stay home with his missus.” Tom said.

“Wol,” Willem began, all sage-like, “that’s because he’s old. But you got many years between.”

The two men stood before the stairs to the fourth level.

“Been three days since I seen the sun,” Tomas said.

“No excuse for that,” Willem said. “Plenty of time off. You live and work down here, you don’t go out, to the taverns, you go funny in the head. Need some sunlight. Fresh air.”

“Which tavern you lot go to?” Tom asked.

“Black Frog,” Willem said. “Lotta the castellan’s men go there.”

“And where is that?” Tom asked.

Before Willem could answer, they heard a growing patter. A strange sound down here.

Skidding around the corner came a young lady in a torn dress. She stopped when she saw the two guards

Willem and Tomas looked at each other, each confirming that what they saw was real, then looked back at the girl at the far end of the corridor. They each put their hands on the hilts of their weapons.

“Shit.” Vanora said.

“Shit,” Heden said.

Vanora was not in the room where Heden had left her.

In her place was Domnal’s corpse.

“He took the girl and left the watchman,” Aimsley said.

“Garth you fuck,” Heden said, standing up. His prayers hadn’t worked. Was it too late? Did
Apostate
kill a man in such a way as to prevent resurrection? It was possible, given the sword’s purpose.

What was the point having Cavall’s power if he couldn’t use it to save the people he loved?

“Can we find him, before he gets out of here?” Aimsley asked.

“I doubt it,” Heden said, exhausted. Unwilling to try.  He stared at Dom’s corpse. “He planned all this. Planned his escape. Ah, Dom,” he said.

The heavy watchman’s leather breastplate has been neatly punctured. Run through. His eyes stared, unseeing, pupils fully dilated. Heden hated to see that. Hated to see lifeless eyes.

Aimsley looked at the corpse again. “Quick death,” he said. “Clean. Not much pain. Garth was doing you a favor.”

Heden shot a look at the little man, but the polder didn’t appear to notice. It was purely a neutral observation on the thief’s part.

“Let’s get out of here,” Aimsley said. “Garth didn’t kill the girl, let’s find her.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” a rough voice said.

The castellan.

He leaned against the doorway, gestured to someone in the hall beyond.

Two young watchmen in uniform dragged Vanora in and tossed her into the middle of the room. She fell to her knees and immediately sprang back up, seething.

The watchmen looked to their master. He jerked his head toward the hallway, dismissing them.

“Someone want to explain to me what the fuck is going on?” he asked.

Heden ignored him. Put his hands on Vanora’s shoulders. “Are you alright?”

She scowled at the man dressed all in rags sucking smoke before them. “I’m fine,” she said.

Heden was relieved. Garth was not involved. He straightened up. “What did you tell him?” he tilted his head toward the castellan.

Vanora shrugged. “What I knew.”

Heden nodded. “That’s fine,” he said, immensely relieved she was alive. He put a hand around her.

“I’m sorry I ran,” she said, clinging to his arm.

Heden nodded. “I’m sorry I asked you to stay.” Expecting her to stay, the same girl who opened his inn to pass the time while she waited for him, was—he realized—absurd.

“She can go,” the castellan said. “Don’t reckon she’s got anything to do with this. But you two may spend the rest of your lives here.”

“This man just saved your ass,” Aimsley said to the castellan. “Count and Garth doing their dirty work right here, and you too stupid to see it.

The castellan didn’t ignore him, but directed his response to Heden. “You should have come to me,” he said. “You come to me, your man here,” he nudged Domnal’s body with the toe of his boot, “would still be alive.”

Heden frowned, released Vanora who took a step back. “He’s
your
man,” he scowled. “Your watch captain. And he came down here with us knowing he might not make it out alive. Stood up to Garth. To
Garth
.” Heden put his hand on
Solaris
. “You will give him the respect he earned,” and the castellan took a step away from Dom’s corpse, “or I will run you through. King’s man or not.”

The castellan respected Heden’s anger, but did not acknowledge it. Took a drag from his nail, sending smoke curling to the ceiling.

“Count’s dead,” he said. “Garth free. You think all this,” he glanced at Dom’s corpse, “would have happened, you come and talk to me?”

“You want to pin this on me?” Heden growled. “You think that’s a good idea? I lost the abbot. Dom. All because you couldn’t see what was happening under your own nose!”

The ragman considered this.

“What happens when I go to the king and tell him?” Heden demanded. “What happens when Richard finds out all those people died, a war of thieves, all because you couldn’t keep your house in order? What happens to you?”

The castellan looked from Heden to the thief.

“We’re on the same side,” the castellan said to Heden.

“That’s debatable,” Heden spat. “I stand with the king. With Cavall. Whose council do you keep?”

The ragman thought some more. He blew smoke out from his nose. Sniffed.

“Someone goes down for what happened,” he said, but it was tentative. An offer.

“Might as well be you, from where I stand,” Heden challenged. “The count
made
the dust here! His whole campaign! It only worked because
you
were protecting him!”

“You know how many men I lost to the dust?” the castellan said, getting angry. “You want to trade corpses, see who comes out ahead?”

“Because
you
gave Garth the opening!”

“And you come down here and do my job for me? That’s not justice. That’s you goin’ back to being a ratcatcher. Someone gets sent up for this!” the castellan said.

“Me,” the polder said.

Heden turned sharply to look at the polder.

Aimsley looked up at him. “You said it. I killed the abbot.” The little man shrugged, remembering something Hapax Legomenon told him. “Killed a lot of people. I’ll pay for what I did.”

Heden considered this. He could not see any other way. Could see no good reason to argue for Aimsley Pinwhistle to walk out of here.

“You’ll never leave here alive,” Heden said. “You might hang.”

“I don’t mind,” Aimsley said. He walked over to the cot Vanora had slept on for days. “I’ll sleep at night at least. Be able to live with myself maybe.”

Heden was impressed at the polder’s decision. Freed of the drink, at least for now, he seemed a different person.

Heden turned to the castellan. “Justice,” he said.

“Says you,” the ragman said, peering at the polder, but talking to Heden.

Heden extended his arm. Vanora ducked under it.

“We’re leaving,” he said.

“This ain’t over,” the castellan said as Heden walked out. “Figure I know where you live. But you got a lot to answer for, breaking in here. You had help.”

Heden and Vanora were already gone.

“You had help!” the ragman shouted after them.

Aimsley lay back on the cot, looked at the stone ceiling, and said nothing.