The Unwilling Aviator (Book 4) (20 page)

Ned's hand slid off her shoulder and he shuffled over to the single window. He looked out on the wide expanse of streets before he shut the clapboard shutters. "There is always that chance and that is why we must remain close beside him, at least for the time being"

At that moment Fred shifted atop the covers and his eyes fluttered open. Pat was relieved to see they were the normal brown color. "What happened?" he whispered.

"We dragged you back here and Ned healed you with soul magic," Pat told him.

Fred furrowed his brow. "Soul magic?"

"It's an ancient skill used to transfer souls, or at least parts of them, from one body to another," Ned explained. He shuffled back to the bed and stood over the young man with his mischievous smile on his lips. "I expect you to make good use of mine."

Fred gingerly touched his chest. "Your soul is inside me?" he asked Ned.

"Only a very small portion. Nothing to worry about," Ned assured him.

Fred tried to sit up, but Pat pushed him back onto the pillows. "I am not letting you up so you can find more trouble," she scolded.

"What about that guy?" Fred wondered.

"Cast off somewhere else which leaves your biggest concern a good night's rest," Ned replied.

"What about the tournament tomorrow?" Ruth reminded them.

"Fred won't be in it," Pat quietly commented.

"We should leave that decision to Fred," Ned scolded her.

Pat whipped her head over to him and her eyes sparked with anger. "He's in no condition to get out of bed, much less fly-"

"I can do it," Fred spoke up. Everyone turned to him in surprise.

Ned furrowed his brow. "Are you sure? You're very weak from the battle, and you might not be recovered come tomorrow afternoon."

"Today's afternoon. It is past midnight," Ruth corrected him.

"I think I can do it, and besides, it won't be just me up there," he reminded them. His eyes fell on Ruth and she smiled. "I think we can do it."

Pat rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth twitched upward in a smile. "Of all the times you have to be brave it would be to get yourself killed in that contraption."

"Now that that's settled, we should be settled for what remains of this night," Ned insisted.

"I'll watch over Fred until he falls asleep," Pat offered.

"And I will assist you," Ruth promised.

Ned smiled, but shook his head. "And deprive an old man of his sleep? You are in my bedroom, also," Ned reminded them. "No, I will attend to him and let you have the sleep." He scooted Pat off the bed and both of the girls over to the door. "We will call you if anything is needed, and scream if there's trouble." Pat glanced over her shoulder and scowled at him. Ned chuckled and opened the door for her. "A joke, my dear Pat. We'll be fine, I assure you."

Pat looked over to Fred and her face softened. "I guess this is goodnight."

"Goodnight," Fred replied.

Pat cast one more glare at Ned, then Ruth accompanied her to their room. Ned shut the door behind her and shuffled over to the chair beside the bed.

Fred watched his slow movements. "Are you all right?" he asked the old castor.

Ned eased himself into the chair and chuckled. "Do you ever concern yourself with your own health?" he wondered.

Fred shrugged. "I feel fine."

"No tenseness or feeling of being stretched?" Ned asked him. Fred shook his head. Ned leaned back in his chair and smiled. "Good. The worst is over."

"What was the worst of it?" Fred asked him.

"A shortening of your life."

Fred's eyes widened and he sat up. "What?" he yelped.

Ned put his hand on one of the young man's shoulders and pushed him back down to the bed. "No good deed goes unpunished, and one or two years off your life is your punishment for saving Pat."

"But how?" he questioned his master.

"Your soul was partially extracted from your body and left hanging in that position. It felt vulnerable and exerted itself as a form of protection," Ned explained to him. "The exertion was a strain on your body and soul, and those years of your life were lost because of it."

Fred lay his head on his pillow and the color drained from his face. "Will it happen again?" he whispered.

"I will ensure it does not," Ned assured him. There was such determination that Fred turned his head toward Ned. The old castor sat partially in the shadows of the dark room with his staff standing in front of him. Ned's hands tightly clenched the wood, but there was a small tremor in them.

It reminded Fred of the castor who attacked him. "That guy who attacked me. He said some things I don't get," he told Ned.

Ned stiffened, and his voice sounded strained. "What did he say?"

"He said something about knowing me, but then he changed his mind," Fred revealed. His eyes widened when he recalled one important bit. "And he could he use my staff, but how? Not even you can do that."

Ned leaned back and sighed. "A skilled castor is capable of learning many things."

"But how'd he learn to do that?" Fred persisted. He grimaced against his aching body and turned his head away. "And how did Martley know I'd have to worry about him?"

Ned's eyebrows shot up. "Martley? What has she to do with this?"

"I saw her at the Senex. The guards told me she was a soothsayer, and she told my fortune. She said to beware of men who wore white," Fred told him.

Ned frowned and pursed his lips. "Most mysterious, this Lady Martley. I can't recall ever having met her, but she seems very interested in you."

Fred furrowed his brow. "Why should you know her?" he asked him.

Any reply from Ned was interrupted when they heard a pair of footsteps come down the hall. There was a knock on their door. "Ned? Fred?" Percy called through the closed entrance.

"Enter," Ned replied.

The door opened, and Percy and Canto strode into the room. Canto pushed past Percy and marched up to the bed. "What are ya two thinking making an earthquake with all those people out there?" he growled. "Half the city's panicking and the other half is starting to panic."

"I regret to say it wasn't us," Ned told him.

"But you know who did it?" Percy guessed.

"Another castor. He attacked Fred and escaped," Ned replied.

Percy and Canto glanced at the young man in the bed. Fred's skin was still pale and his hands trembled atop the sheets. "Attacked why?" Percy asked Ned.

"He wanted my soul," Fred answered him.

Canto's bushy eyebrows crashed low over his eyes. "That's a dangerous thing for a castor to be wanting." He turned to Ned. "Any idea why he was looking to steal Fred's when there's plenty easier ones to be taking?"

"That is a question best answered by the attacker," Ned replied.

"Do you think he will try the attack again?" Percy wondered.

Ned shook his head. "No, I don't believe he will. He risked a great deal revealing himself to us, and won't do it again so soon."

Percy leaned against the end of the bed and his eyes flitted between Ned and Fred. "Any idea who it was?"

"He hid his face under a hood, but I saw he had blue eyes and pale skin," Fred replied.

Canto frowned. "Not much to go on if we're wanting to find him before he finds us again."

"Let us hope he doesn't interrupt us again before the tournament," Ned commented.

"Don't tell me Fred here's still flying in that death trap," Canto wondered.

"Flying and winning," Ned corrected him.

Percy smiled and looked Fred over. "Then we'll wish you well and let you rest."

Percy and Canto left, and Fred leaned back against the pillow and sighed. "I'm getting really tired of waking up in beds. . ." he grumbled.

"Better than a coffin," Ned pointed out.

Fred cringed. "Thanks. That makes me feel a lot better."

Ned grinned. "I try, and if you'll excuse me I'll rest these old bones of mine on the floor." Ned shuffled over to the center of the room and pulled out a half dozen blankets from his robe. He plopped them on the ground, burrowed his way into them, and in a few minutes was snoring in dreamland.

Fred stayed awake a while longer and pondered the stranger's words to him, and the theft of part of his soul. He shuddered when he thought of those thin, bony fingers touching his astral being. "Why me?" he mumbled as he rolled over and closed his eyes. In a few minutes he also was asleep.

CHAPTER 23

There was a knock on the door of Fred and Ned's room in the late afternoon of the next day. "Are you up?" Pat called to them.

Ned sat up with his hat askew and his robe still dirty. "Yes, and decent," Ned replied.

Pat opened the door and looked him over with a frown. "You appear to be neither, and the tournament starts in an hour," she told him.

"Then we had better ready ourselves," Ned agreed. He stood, stuffed the blankets into his robe, and walked over to Fred. The old castor shook his apprentice, who peered over the blankets with hate-filled eyes. "Victory awaits you, my boy."

"Can't it wait ten more minutes?" he groaned.

"I'm afraid not."

Fred grumbled, but sat up and turned to Pat. His eyes were bleary and his hair was pointed in all directions except the ones they were supposed to be. She snorted. "During the tournament you may want to let fall your disguise and scare your opponents," she quipped. Fred shot her an ugly look, but she was unfazed. Rather, a worried expression slipped onto her face. "Are you sure you're able to fly after last night?"

Fred tested his limbs and winced. "A little sore, but I'm fine," he assured her.

Pat sighed, but nodded her head. "All right. We'll meet you downstairs in ten minutes," she told them, and closed the door behind her.

In ten minutes the castors, with Fred disguised as Crash, met Ruth and Pat downstairs. Hugh came from the back room and opened his arms wide. "Crash, you sly dog! Leaving without giving me a chance to wish you well?" he scolded.

"Um, no?" Fred squeaked.

Hugh frowned. "Is something wrong with your voice? You sound sick."

"Mr. Enburn is in top condition," Ned spoke up. His eyes twinkled as he looked over Hugh. "I would wager to say he has a fighting chance to win the tournament."

Hugh laughed and shook his head. "I like you, Crash, but I don't think you'll win."

"Do you care to bet on that?" Ned challenged him.

Hugh's eyebrows shot up and a grin slipped onto his lips. "What do you have in mind?"

"I wager Crash's kite against our room and board," Ned replied.

Pat frowned. "What are you doing?" she hissed. He held up his hand to silence her.

Hugh stroked his chin and narrowed his eyes. "I can't see my way through that. I've seen his kite. It's a piece of junk," he argued.

Ned pulled Fred against him. "And if we lose we will pay Crash's bills, should he have any, though if we win his debt will be paid off."

Hugh's eyes widened. "Deal!" he shouted.

"By the by, how much does his bills total?" Ned asked him.

Hugh smirked. "Not less than one hundred gold pieces," he told them. Pat hung her head and groaned.

Ned coughed, but kept his smile on his face. "Then we have our deal, and will expect prompt payment after the tournament."

Hugh chuckled. "I'll expect the same," he countered.

Ned led the four out into the square where Pat stepped in front of him. "Have you gone mad? We haven't that much money!"

Ned smiled. "Faith, my dear Pat. I'm sure our friends will win the day," he insisted.

Ruth patted Pat on the back and smiled at the angry young woman. "We will try our best," she promised.

Pat sighed and nodded. "I'm sure you will," she agreed.

The four of them traveled through the crowded, rowdy city with the waning sun in the west. The only evidence of the panic and castor battle from the night before was a noticeable increase in guards on the corners of every block and a few cracks in the walls of buildings from the earthquake. Twinners stood on the rooftops and watched the thick crowds belong them. Fred noticed the twinners were the only ones on the roofs.

"Why isn't anyone watching from the roofs?" he asked his friends.

"The roofs are the landing spots for the aviators unlucky enough to need to land," Ned told him. A half hour later they were at the center of the city and Ned guided the small group into a narrow alley. "Here we part. Pat and I to the west, and you fliers to the northeast," he told them.

Pat looked to Fred and Ruth. "Please be careful, and don't do anything foolish," she ordered them.

Fred grinned. "I'll try not to."

"And I will try to keep him from doing anything foolish," Ruth agreed. Fred glared at her, and Ned chuckled.