Unicorns' Opal (17 page)

Alex released the man’s hand and returned to the edge of the circle. The man stood dazed for a moment and gazed at the crowd around him. He did notice that the attention was all focused on Tanya and the rage drained out of him. He approached Tanya and saw her stiffen slightly. He halted and bowed slightly to her.

“An impressive display of skill, young lady,” he said. “Where did you learn such prowess with the staff?”

“I have had a good teacher,” Tanya smiled slightly as she realized that Alex must have whispered something to change the man’s attitude. “May I buy you an ale?”

The man cocked his head at Tanya and genuinely smiled. “I would consider it an honor, Milady.”

The crowd roared with approval and parted as Tanya led the man into the inn. Arik and Fredrik followed them closely. Kripp held the door for Alex and then closed and locked it. Others tried to enter, but when they found the door locked, the crowd dispersed. The man and the Rangers gathered at a table and the innkeeper brought ale. Kripp sat down and joined the group. The man looked at Alex and nodded to him.

“Thank you for those words out there,” he said to Alex. “I guess I was making quite a fool of myself. My name is Matt and I guess I get into more trouble than I should. I still cannot help but think the lass got lucky though.”

“It was not luck, Matt,” smiled Alex. “She is very talented. I am glad you saved yourself from further grief. You handled yourself well in front of the crowd. I am curious what started all of this.”

“Again,” frowned Matt, “it was my fault. I was acting foolish and had some friends to back me up. We taunted your young lass and she whipped the four of us. It was very embarrassing and I sought to take my revenge on her. I guess I deserved more of a thrashing than she gave me. I can only say that I am sorry.”

“Apology accepted,” nodded Tanya.

“Thank you,” nodded Matt. “I heard that Alexander Tork was dead. How is it that you are still alive?”

“I guess nobody has killed me yet,” laughed Alex. “There have been times that is was convenient to appear dead. I do not like calling attention to myself.”

“There are a lot of men in Tice that idolize you,” Matt declared. “You could raise their spirits just by being around. It might bring some life to this dreary place.”

“It also might bring hordes of goblins and Black Devils,” responded Alex. “I do not like to spread misery wherever I go.”

“Let them come,” said Matt. “These men would fight to the death for you. As it is now the goblins get closer every year. Two of Damon’s brothers died to them yesterday.”

“I know,” frowned Alex. “We rode in with Damon and Charl.”

“So you are the group that saved them?” questioned Matt. “He acted like a group of Targa Rangers rode in to save them. He said you wiped out twenty goblins in an eye blink. Was the lass involved in that as well?”

“She is a fine archer too,” smiled Alex. “Were you in the Targa Army?”

“Frontier Division,” beamed Matt. “Those were grand days. I would love to see them come again. I feel like I have been wasting my life up here in this wasteland. That is probably why I get into so much trouble. A man needs excitement in his life to get him out of bed in the morning. There is no purpose to life in Tice other than surviving and even that is questionable.”

“Matt was a sergeant in the Frontier Division,” interjected Kripp. “A darn fine one from what I hear until too much ale became a daily ritual. No offense meant, Matt.”

“And none taken, Kripp,” frowned Matt. “I have no one to blame for my sorry state besides myself. I think the young lass has taught me a lesson though. I am through with wasting my life. I think maybe we should organize the army again and take the fight to the goblins instead of them picking us off one by one. We would love to have you with us, Alex.”

“My duty calls me elsewhere,” Alex shook his head. “I do like the idea of reforming the army though. How many of the men here remain loyal to the Crown?”

“All of them,” smiled Matt. “Even the young ones that never served are envious of those who did. Why do you speak of the Crown though? Will Targa rise again?”

“Alcea will,” answered Alex. “The Tice garrison should reform and begin training. Let it be known that the time is fast approaching when the Crown will need their help. Beware though, for once the word is spread, Tice will become a target of attacks.”

“Then we shall be ready for the attacks,” promised Matt.

Matt noticed that Alex had looked at his untouched mug of ale and smiled. He pushed the ale away from himself and rose to leave.

“And Sergeant,” Alex said staring Matt in the eyes, “you should refrain from accosting women. It sets a bad example for the troops.”

“It shall never happen again, Sir,” Matt stated firmly.

“You have a convert,” smiled Kripp after Matt had left.

“I have seen many like him over the years,” nodded Alex. “They are good men at heart, but without a reason for their existence, they descend into something less than themselves.”

“You mean like Tedi’s father?” Arik asked.

“The loss of a loved one can destroy a man,” frowned Alex. “Alan had a hard time of it, but I am sure he is over it now. Sometimes a man just needs to be presented with reason and a helping hand to raise him up out of his misery. Perhaps we should stop in Largo on our way south.”

“That would be great,” beamed Arik. “I must go tell Tedi.”

Arik rose and raced up the stairs. Fredrik followed at a leisurely pace and Tanya rose to leave.

“You were right about trusting your skills,” Alex said. “It is not so much that I doubted you, but rather that I worry about you.”

“Why?” asked Tanya. “I am not one of the chosen.”

“That does not make you any less valuable in my eyes,” responded Alex. “In fact, I would gladly trade you for some of the chosen, as you call them. You have a great deal of skill, Tanya, but it is natural for me to want to protect you. I know you can handle yourself, and now you know that I know. That will not stop me from worrying about you. Please don’t mistake my concern for a lack of belief in you.”

Tanya hugged Alex and kissed his cheek on the way to the stairs. Alex shook his head and took a sip of his ale.

“You have a very interesting group,” Kripp commented. “You also have a nice way of handling problems. I like what you did for Matt Soligan. You have restored his dignity and drive. He really is a good man. He must have been deep in his ale to accost anyone.”

“Or egged on by the others,” nodded Alex. “Pride can be a very painful dagger at times. It has little place in a soldier’s life.”

“So says the man who will allow the world to believe he is dead so that he can continue the mission he was assigned,” smiled Kripp. “There is much to admire in you, Alexander Tork. I can understand why my father talked of you so.”

Alex stared at the table for some time before responding to Kripp. “You remind me that it is not yet time for Alexander Tork to appear in Tagaret. Make sure your manifest is in the names of Mikal and Yolinda Obanik and family. I think that name should get us through the city.”

“It will be as you request,” assured Kripp as he rose to leave. “I did drop by to confirm that the ship will be ready for your departure whenever you arrive. The crew is already aboard and I have instructed them to get a good night’s sleep.”

***

The
Barracuda
slid alongside the wharf in Tagaret and members of the crew threw long lines to men waiting on the shore to tie the ship down. Kripp stood near the helmsman and watched the procedure. A gangplank was lifted to the ship and the men on shore retreated to other duties. Mikal and Yolinda Obanik appeared on deck and proceeded down the gangplank with their horses. Both of the passengers had long black hair, which was tightly bound in a tail down their backs. Mikal scanned the area as he departed the ship for any signs of potential trouble.

As they passed by the warehouses and taverns that lined the wharf, Mikal turned briefly to make sure that Arik, Tedi, and Fredrik were proceeding unmolested. Satisfied that there was no ambush waiting for the Rangers, Mikal and Yolinda walked along the Boulder River until they came to the Grand Boulder Inn. They went around to the stables and deposited their horses and entered the inn. Mikal asked for a room overlooking the street. When they got to the room, Mikal went to the window and peered out. He was just in time to see Arik, Fredrik, and Tedi pass by and head to the rear of the Falcon’s Hood Inn across the street. Mikal leaned out slightly and looked towards the dock and saw Niki and Tanya approaching. He quickly retreated from the window and sat on the bed.

“As soon as Niki and Tanya are settled in,” Mikal said to Yolinda, “I want to check in at the Sword and Shield. Do you want to come with me?”

“Yes,” answered Yolinda. “Why are we not staying there this trip?”

“I don’t like making a habit of anything,” Mikal answered. “We have no reason to sleep there if we can get our information and leave. Besides, I want to be a little closer to the girls this time.”

“Still worried that Tanya went out on her own in Tice?” Yolinda asked.

“I guess I am,” admitted Mikal. “I do not know why that bothers me more than Arik going out on his own, but it does.”

“Well it was a dangerous situation,” stated Yolinda. “She survived it fine, but each time offers a certain risk of failure. I share your concern.”

“It will be even more dangerous here in Tagaret,” frowned Mikal. “I told them all about the papers I was shown in Kantor. There is a description of each of them floating around this city. The sooner we leave Tagaret the better.”

“Then let us get our tasks completed and leave in the morning,” agreed Yolinda.

Mikal heard footsteps in the hall and cracked the door slightly. He saw Tanya and Niki approach the door across the hall and opened his door wide.

“I thought I would let you know which room we are in,” Mikal said softly to Tanya.

Tanya smiled and nodded as she opened the door to her room and disappeared inside. Mikal waited until Niki was also inside and the door was closed before signaling Yolinda to follow him. Mikal and Yolinda went downstairs and exited the inn. They wound their way through the city streets and eventually came to the Sword and Shield. They entered and went straight to the innkeeper.

“I would like a room with a view of the street please,” Mikal stated to the young man.

“Those are all taken, Sir,” answered the young man. “We do have other rooms though. May I have your name for the ledger?”

“Kyle Agrat,” Mikal answered.

“Right this way, Sir,” nodded the young man.

He led them up the stairs and opened a room door for them and left. Mikal and Yolinda entered the room and waited. It was a much longer wait than usual, but after an hour the door opened and Larc entered and sat on the floor.

“You were not expected back so soon,” Larc commented. “Things are not ready yet.”

“We are not staying,” Mikal declared. “Our journey just happens to bring us through the city and I wanted to touch base with you before we moved on. How is the General progressing and where can he be found?”

“Word is being spread quietly,” replied Larc. “It makes the reforming of the army slower, but it also allows it to occur with silence. He has taken over a farm about an hour outside the city. He had to remove some bandits that had taken up residence there, but it is secluded and well protected now. It is going to be difficult to hide that many men for any length of time though. He is concerned about it.”

“I have some thoughts on that I would like to share with him,” Mikal said. “We just came from Tice. Sergeant Soligan is going to reform the garrison there. It might be possible to hide a great number of men up there.”

“An excellent idea,” nodded Larc. “I will see that word gets to the General.”

“I would also recommend outlying towns that are fairly secluded,” continued Mikal. “Lavinda for example. I have not talked to anyone there and it is a fair distance away, but it does offer some possibilities.”

“How large an army are you planning for?” questioned Larc.

“As large as we can get,” responded Mikal. “I also understand you are holding some funds for Oscar?”

“Somebody has too loose a tongue,” frowned Larc. “What if I am?”

“I may need access to some of it,” answered Mikal. “We will need to feed this army and clothe them. I also will need to penetrate the Contest of Power here in the city. That is going to require some funds.”

“I have no authorization to disperse those funds,” Larc declared.

“Does Oscar still live?” asked Mikal.

“I really don’t know,” frowned Larc. “He has not been heard of since the Collapse. I would not even know where to look for him.”

“Then you are duty bound to provide his heir with any funds he may require,” Mikal pointed out. “How much of Oscar’s funds do you have?”

“How can you prove the boy you have is the heir?” retorted Larc.

Mikal’s hand stroked his chin as he pondered the question. The truth was that he had no way of proving the heir had been found. He still wasn’t even sure which one was the heir. He was asking a country to rally to their new king on his word alone. Somehow, he had to find a way to prove the validity of the claim.

“What if Oscar declares the boy his son?” quizzed Mikal.

“That would suffice for me,” replied Larc. “Do you know where Oscar is?”

“I might,” answered Mikal. “It would risk his life to bring him here though. Are you going to demand that before you release the funds?”

Now it was Larc’s turn to think. He had a duty to safeguard the money, but bringing Oscar to Tagaret now would be akin to murder.

“Bring me proof of Oscar’s backing of your efforts and the money will be available to you,” decided Larc.

“What type of proof do you want?” inquired Mikal.

“I want a note in his handwriting specifying the maximum amount to release,” responded Larc, “and the name of Carson’s horse.”

“If Oscar still lives, I will present those items to you,” agreed Mikal. “Now how much money can I have before that?”

“From Oscar’s funds?” quizzed Larc. “Nothing. I have a duty to protect those funds. If you need money though, I can probably lend you what you need.”