The Troven (Kingdom of Denall Book 1) (10 page)

When she felt sure that nobody had discovered her hiding place, she made her way quickly to the back of the shops and silently climbed up over the fence at the back of the alley. She moved two blocks down so that she could scale the apartment building across from the jewelry shop. Without making any noise, she climbed up a tree that would allow her to step directly onto the apartment roof. When her eyes reached the level of the roof she saw two men standing guard on the roof, watching over the entrance to her quarters. Their backs were turned toward her as they looked intently down onto the streets below. P climbed a few more branches up until she was able to step directly onto the flat roof. She focused her hearing to learn what she could of their plans.

“I just don't trust her.” It was Derft's voice she first heard. “I think she brought the third knife.”

“That is a stupid argument,” Horse answered. “You brought a knife in with you.”

“That's different, I have worked in this crew for three jobs. Everyone knows where my loyalties lie. Besides, without me, they can’t move the gold,” he added flexing his muscles for emphasis.

P began silently walking toward the two men. She cringed at the slight scraping sound of her boots on the tiles, but Horse and Derft didn’t seem to notice as their conversation continued. “I'll tell you one thing, my loyalty lies with gold. I'm sticking around until I get paid, then I'm leaving.”

Derft turned from the street and looked at Horse, P froze, not daring to move and draw any attention. “Horse, you can do what you like, but I'm telling you, working for Dunkan is about the best chance you'll have to make a go of it in this area. He'll take an extra cut for himself as the brains of the operation, but you can bet he's thought it all through.”

Horse shook his head and they both looked back down at the street. P inched forward until she was standing within striking range of the men. “I'll stick around until I can afford to leave, and as for the girl, well, once the job is done, I think I may find a way to inherit a double portion of the spoils.”

“Really?” P asked. Both men turned suddenly to find P standing practically on top of them with a curved short sword drawn in one hand and a throwing knife in the other.

Before they could sound an alarm, she threw the knife at Derft, hitting him with the blunt handle so that he fell unconscious, then she stabbed Horse through the heart, placing her hand over his mouth to stifle any sound he made.

Hefting Horse’s limp body up to the edge of the roof, P spied over his shoulder, looking down at the two men who were standing by the door of her apartment. She raised his lifeless arm in the air, and they waved back. After making a scan of the adjacent rooftops and feeling confident that they were clear, P dropped back to the street level and casually walked down the street to her apartment.

Closer to her home she greeted Ashley and Ortis. “Hello gentlemen,” she said, while giving them a winning smile. “What brings you out tonight?”

“We're here to deliver a message,” Ashley said as he brought a small club up from the ground. His large arms bulged as he flexed his grip on the club.

“What message could that be?” she asked, giving an innocent, bewildered look that had worked to her advantage many times over the years.

“We only work with the best, and if you couldn't figure out that something was wrong tonight on your way home, you are not fit for our crew.” Ashley stepped closer to P.

“Ashley, wait. What are you going to do to me?” she asked, looking vulnerable and scared. If he had known anything about P, he would have known that vulnerability and fear were two emotions that she rarely felt and never showed. He would have also realized that his answer might be the last words he spoke.

“Let's just put it this way,” he said, with a wave of his hand toward the rooftop. “I don’t think we need a listener to finish this job.”

“You can't make that decision. That is up to Dunkan,” she said, taking a step back to stabilize herself for the forward attack while looking like she was retreating.

“Who do you think sent us?” Those were Ashley's final words in mortality. Before he could even register what was happening, he went from being the bully in charge to the dying man grasping wordlessly at his throat where a throwing knife protruded.

Ortis looked desperately at the roof, then back at P. In a panic he stammered, “What are you going to do with me?”

“Well I want to let you know something before you die.” She slowly drew a second throwing knife. “This little stunt of yours has become
your
test, and you are no longer needed for my crew.”

When P entered her room she saw Dunkan waiting for her, two cups of tea laid out on the table in front of him. He glanced over her blood spattered clothes and unsheathed weapons.

“So, how did it go? I take it you ran into some trouble on the way home?” he asked while sipping some tea.

“Our shares in the operation will be slightly higher,” she replied with a flat look. “The men you selected seem to have unusually strong objections to having a ‘skirt’ on the crew. I kept Derft alive; we’ll need his strength to move the gold, but the others will need to be disposed of. Horse had exceeded his usefulness, Ortis had no courage, and Ashley, well, Ashley had a girl's name.”

“The bodies will be taken care of,” Dunkan said as he took another sip of tea. “It's so hard to find good help these days.”

“I was rather impressed with Com today,” P noted as she crossed the room and pushed Dunkan's feet down from resting on her end table. “We now have our visor, four strongarms, one listener, and our brain.” With this last note she gestured toward Dunkan.

“What do you think about Scar?” she asked, not wanting an incompetent fool on their team any longer than necessary.

Dunkan scratched his head for a moment and took a deep breath before responding. “He’s strong as an ox, and easy to fool. He’ll help load the gold, then we’ll dump him off a cliff.”

“If he can remember where he’s supposed to be,” P corrected.

“Just let Flick keep him in line. Imbeciles are the easiest to keep under control.”

P wasn’t sure if she agreed, but there wasn’t time to look for another strongarm for this mission, and she knew he was strong enough to help with loading the gold. “So when are we making our move?”

“We'll see how Derft is feeling in the morning.”

With a final smile Dunkan placed his empty cup on the table, stood up, and left the apartment. P followed him to the door and bolted it shut to ensure there would be no more intrusions, then sat on a chair absentmindedly cleaning and sharpening her knives while she thought through every detail of her plan, and what the acquisition of this gold shipment would mean for the families of Hess.

Chapter 9

Despite the sun rising, Farin remained in the tree, looking nervously into the woods. Through the night he had jumped at every sound, and during his watch, had constantly been looking over his shoulder for drams. A movement on the tree limb made him jerk his head over to look at Kaz, who was pale from loss of blood, but thanks to Garin's stitches, Bendar's supplies, and a night of rest, was half lucid. “I think I can walk on it,” Kaz said as he slowly moved to the edge of the branch, and untied the support strap that had held him in place through the night.

“I highly doubt that,” Farin argued.

Despite the protests of his companions, Kaz gently moved his foot to a lower branch and shifted some pressure onto his right leg and winced in pain. “Yeah, I’m going to need some help getting down from here,” he said, pain clear in his voice. “Maybe I’ll be good to walk with you after lunch.”

Bendar was the first to speak. “We are not convinced.”

“We’ll help you down,” Garin said to Kaz in a no-nonsense voice. He climbed behind Kaz, and with Farin and Bendar holding his legs, the three boys were able to awkwardly lower Kaz down to the ground. “We need to boil some water and check for infection,” Garin said when he was able to look at Kaz’ leg. “The wounds are not too deep, but they need to be kept clean, or he could lose his leg.”

“Lose my leg?” Kaz said in a panic. He struggled to move and bumped his leg on the tree and screamed out in pain.

“Hold still!” Garin said sternly. “You have nothing to worry about if you hold still and let me take a look at you.” He opened the dressing on Kaz’s leg and shook his head when he looked up at his brother.

Farin, knowing what his brother was thinking, looked up at the sun, then east toward Hillside. “It'll be at least a couple of hours before we can get moving today, and we'll be moving very slowly.”

“What else can we do?” Garin asked, looking at Bendar.

“We have to get to the third stash in Hillside. I have arranged for us to have a pack horse that can help with our journey.”

“A Horse! Are you serious?” Kaz was ecstatic. “How did you manage that?”

“That is what I have been working on for the past six months. Now do you understand why I'm so concerned about the third stash not being disturbed?”

With a renewed determination Kaz clenched his teeth and tried to stand. Garin pushed him back down.

“Don’t try it!”

“If I can't walk,” Kaz protested, “It will take a week to get to Hillside with you dragging or carrying me.”

Farin shook his head. “I’m not lugging you around on my back. We’ll just have to give it some time to heal.”

“How long do you think this will take to heal?” Kaz asked as he patted his leg. His eyes watered and he winced slightly.

“I have no idea, I've only ever stitched up animals, and they walk away from it the same day. With a baby like you, it could take months,” Garin replied with a smile. “We also have to think about our supplies. With your leg injured we'll need to double up our packs,” Garin added.

Farin held his head between his hands in concentration, then he looked up as an idea came. “Once we have a horse we could pack it down with these supplies, and go back for our buried supplies.”

“What if you leave me here with the supplies and you go get it and then come back?” Kaz suggested.

“I can stay with you,” Garin offered. “I know how to change your dressings, and together we can defend all of the supplies so you both can travel faster,” he looked to Farin and Bendar as he finished.

Farin chimed in. “We need two people to get Kaz back up in the tree if the drams come back. Why don’t we all stay here a couple of days until Kaz is up to traveling? We can slice some of the meat up and dry it out for jerky, and roast some of it over the fire.

Bendar’s forehead crinkled as his dots darkened. “We can’t stay here while Kaz heals,” Bendar argued, “The dram meat will go bad and attract scavengers, some that can climb trees. It might not even be safe here for one night. We need a clean bed for Kaz to heal properly, not the ground, or tied up in a tree. I can make the trip to Hillside by mid-afternoon. I will collect the horse and come back for all of you. We can spend one final night here together, then move on tomorrow morning to Hillside. I’m sure the animal can carry Kaz as well as some supplies.”

“Bendar’s plan makes sense to me,” Farin agreed, looking around at the others. “I think you should go.”

Kaz nodded without any protest, and then all the boys turned to look at Garin. “It seems like the only way,” he admitted. “You’d better get going.”

Bendar nodded to his companions, and grabbed a walking stick and a light pack with supplies that would get him to Hillside. “I will come back for you soon.”

With Bendar out of sight down the road, Garin looked down at his friends. “We need to take care of that meat. I’ll slice it up, and Kaz, you can dry it by the fire.”

Without saying a word, Farin began walking into the woods. “Where’s he going?” Kaz asked, before he was out of earshot.

“To get more firewood, of course,” Garin answered as if it should have been obvious to anyone. Farin smiled as he passed out of sight. His connection to his brother was so natural that sometimes he felt like Garin could read his mind. He knew Garin wasn’t completely trusting of Bendar, but after the past few days, it seemed like things were improving. He hoped they would all be able to get along long enough for him to get to the capitol.

Farin returned to the campsite a short while later with his arms full of wood for the fire. “You know guys,” Kaz started as he sat turning the dram meat over the coals. “Getting attacked by a dram really makes you think a little, doesn’t it?”

“Sure,” Garin answered. “I thought about home, and my parents, and…”

“Fenn,” Kaz cut in, “We know you were mainly thinking about her.” Garin blushed slightly, but didn’t deny it.

“I was actually a little excited,” Farin said, putting the wood down by the fire. “In all the time we’ve lived on the farm, I’ve never really been in that kind of danger. I’ve thought about life in the King’s army, and now I’m more certain than ever that that is where I belong.” He drew his sword and sliced it through the air.

“So what did it make you think of?” Garin asked as he sat down next to Kaz.

Kaz shrugged his shoulders, then took a deep breath before responding. “I don’t really have any idea what I want in life.” The twins sat silently, not sure how to respond. “I mean, look at you two. Garin is practically married, you know what you want, and Bendar has his own plans, but what about me? I don’t know where I’m going to go, what I’m going to do, or who I’m going to become. It’s all blank.”

Farin finished stacking the fire wood he had brought in to camp, and sat down by the fire. “That sounds like a great adventure to me,” he remarked. “Just going forward, not really knowing what’s in store.”

Kaz nodded and added under his breath more to himself than anyone else, “It’s also kind of empty.” Then he perked his head up and added with a smile, “Well, wherever I end up, I don't envy the other guys there.”

“Garin, is he delirious again?” Farin asked, as he reached for the medical supplies. “I'll check for infection on his leg.”

“I'm fine,” Kaz said, swatting Farin from touching his leg. “I'm just saying that when I get to wherever it is I’m going, I'll have the normal things I've always had – good looks, charm, and a sharp wit—but I'll also have the greatest battle scar ever.”

With a roll of his eyes Garin commented. “Too bad it's so far up your leg that if anyone were to see it you’d be stripped down to your birthday suit. ”

“Which strengthens my point,” Kaz said without missing a beat. “I feel sorry for all the other guys in all of Denall.”

“Now you're sounding a lot more like yourself,” Farin said with a smile.

When Garin finished butchering the first dram, the brothers dragged the carcass out across the field to a larger group of trees a safe distance away. “We’ll need to start a second fire to dry out all that meat,” Farin observed when they were on their way back. “And it’ll take all day to drag the others over here.”

Garin didn’t respond, but just nodded as they walked. Before he took the next dram carcass he used his knife to wedge out a large tooth. The off-white tooth was long and slender, coming to a point at one end. “Want one?” he asked, gesturing to Kaz and Farin.

“Why would we want one?” Farin asked, confused by his brother’s odd interest in a dram tooth.

“It’s just a little keepsake from my Troven. Something I can show my kids.” Garin placed it in his pocket.

“Nope,” Farin said with a disgusted look on his face. “But thanks for thinking of me.” Kaz just shook his head.

“Suit yourself,” Garin said, grabbing one leg of the dram to drag it away.

“Besides,” Kaz added, looking up from the drying meat. “First he’d need to convince a girl to settle down with him.”

“Now be kind,” Garin said, holding up a hand in protest. “It’s not nice to say things like that. His kids will already be at a disadvantage.”

Sensing an insult coming, Farin cut in, “He’s right. There is at least one thing his kids will have that mine won’t.”

“What’s that?” Kaz asked.

“A good looking uncle.” Farin laughed as he grabbed the dram’s leg and began to pull it out into the field.

With the dead animals far away, the boys organized camp, feasted on dram meat, and waited for Bendar's return. As the afternoon turned to evening and the last rays of sunlight slipped below the horizon, Farin could tell Garin's initial annoyance had turned to frustration as there was no signs of Bendar.

“Where is your friend now?” Garin demanded of Kaz.

“Garin, with all he's done for us, can't you at least give him some benefit of the doubt?” Farin asked, trying to calm his brother down.

“Seriously, Garin.” Kaz added, “We should be worried for his safety, not…”

Garin cut him off, “If you were in his shoes, would you come back for us?” He looked around at the other boys expectantly, but Kaz and Farin remained silent. “He wants to get far away from here, and we’re slowing him down. He thinks of everything in logical terms. He needed us for protection, but now we’re a liability. Maybe it’s time we made up our own plans.”

“Let’s just get the supplies tied up in the trees, and ready to go in the morning. There is still time for him to get back,” Farin countered, but as the moon rose in the sky, Garin's words began to sow seeds of doubt in Farin. One wounded companion would slow down Bendar's travel to Norwell, and he had stayed up in the tree during the dram attack rather than getting down to help the others. While doubts grew in his mind, darkness fell and they all tried to get some sleep in the relative safety of the trees.

“Your shift!” Garin called out to Kaz as he tossed Gran’s necklace at his wounded friend. “I’ll take it back in the morning.”

Kaz grinned and hung the necklace over the end of a tree branch. “I think I’ll let Twiggy here take a shift,” he said patting the branch. “Just don’t forget it in the morning,” he added with a grin.

Garin rolled his eyes, “Now even the branch is doing your work for you,” he joked.

“Be nice,” Kaz insisted while making a pathetic face, “remember, I’m injured, practically on the brink of death.”

“You’d better watch it,” Garin warned, “if you keep making that face, I’ll leave you behind tomorrow and take Twiggy with me.” He jumped down from the tree and made sure their camp was prepared for the night. During the dark hours of the night, Garin and Farin took shifts climbing down to keep the fire stoked and make periodic scans of distant sounds. The restless night was passed with only one alarm, but it turned out to be just a curious squirrel checking out the campsite.

The darkness began to fade away as the growing light gave evidence of the coming day. Farin couldn't remember a time when he felt more sore, tired or miserable, and in his mind he had already spent his gold coin for a night or two at an inn with a bed. Despite the discomfort of the tree digging into his legs and back, he resisted getting up until the sun was fully up in the sky. “Time to get going,” Farin finally said when he couldn’t stand sitting in the tree any longer.

When on the ground, Kaz tried to walk, but it looked more like a pained hobble. Farin climbed back up the tree to where they had slept. “Since you’ve become such great friends,” he said, as he grabbed the branch next to where Kaz had slept, “I think we’ll take Twiggy along with us.” He grabbed Gran’s necklace and tossed it down to Garin, then snapped the branch off for Kaz to use as a crutch. While it helped Kaz take the weight off his leg, he was still only able to move along at a painfully slow pace. After deciding what supplies they could manage to carry, they tied the remaining supplies in their tree and headed toward Hillside.

Through the morning they made their way down the road. It was painfully slow with Kaz grunting in pain every few steps. Farin dropped some supplies from his backpack and walked next to Kaz, allowing his injured friend to lean on him, but the extra weight of his friend pressing down on his shoulder only emphasized the weight of the pack on his back. Farin clamped his jaw tight and kept walking, hoping that around each bend or over each small hill he would see the village they were trying to reach.