Unicorns' Opal (23 page)

“Stop that!” scowled Midge.

Alex halted Kaz and Midge landed on his shoulder.

“You should warn me,” chuckled Alex as he stared straight ahead and instructed Kaz to continue. “How was your trip?”

“Tiring, but very successful,” chirped Midge. “We have fairies in all of the main mansions now. I will brief you later. Arik sent me to warn you that you have one to two hours before the Dark Riders enter Toresh. Probably closer to one.”

“That is not good,” frowned Alex. “I was hoping for more time. I am not sure I can find Konic and Alan that quickly.”

“Are you even sure that they are in Toresh?” quizzed Midge.

“No,” conceded Alex. “The timing is perfect if they walked for the daytime hours each day, but they could have walked longer each day I suppose. If they had turned off in another direction, either we should have seen evidence of that or the group of Dark Riders following us should have.”

“I wish I could help you look for them,” Midge said. “If only I knew what they looked like.”

“You can serve this mission better by keeping Arik informed of who is coming towards him,” suggested Alex as the first building of the city appeared before him. “Go now. I will need all of my concentration to survive in Toresh.”

“We will be ready for your arrival,” Midge stated confidently and then he flew off.

Alex slumped further into the saddle as he entered the city. The city was situated at the intersection of the Coast Road and the road to Khartek, a city in northwestern Sordoa. Anyone coming from Khartek would naturally want to stop in Toresh for supplies after a long desolate journey along the fringes of the Great Sordoan Desert.

Alex tried to put himself in the shoes of Konic and Alan. They would probably want supplies if they sought to continue their journey further. They might be desirous of a good hot meal at an inn or even a roof over their heads for a night. If they thought they could blend in and not be harassed by the Dark Riders, they might even seek employment. All of these things were possible. The one thing they most certainly would do is search for the boys.

With the Dark Riders closer than Alex would have liked, there would not be enough time to search all of the inns in the city and the craft shops. Alex decided to eliminate all of the inns west and south of the city center from his list because the men would have entered the city from the north.

Alex rode to the center of the city and dismounted in front of an inn. He grabbed his staff and hobbled over to the rail to tie Kaz to it. His eyes darted around as he made a show of tying his horse to the rail even though Kaz remained free when he was done.

I am going to work east from here. Find two horses that we can steal. Preferably in an out-of-the-way place and where the thefts won’t be noticed for a while.

I will find your horses, Alex. Be swift with your search.

Alex opened the door to the inn and stuck his head in. He scanned the room and retreated. Remembering to maintain his slump, Alex moved along to the next inn. Working his way along the street, Alex checked each of the inns. By the fourth inn, he had attracted the attention of a Dark Rider. Alex saw the Dark Rider crossing the street to interrogate him as he opened the door to the fifth inn. Alex stepped through the door and scanned the common room. There was a fair crowd in the common room and Alex move towards a table with only one man at it. The man was an officer with the Dark Riders and people seldom sat at a table with an officer. Alex sat across from the officer.

“Can I buy you an ale?” Alex asked as he heard the door to the common room open.

Alex felt he was being watched by the new arrival as the officer looked across the table at him.

“What do you want?” scowled the officer.

“I am on a pilgrimage for the goddess Dora,” Alex said softly. “I am heading to Lanoir and I was hoping that I might ride with one of your patrols for protection.”

Alex heard the door close and risked a glance towards it. The curious Dark Rider had left after seeing Alex talking to the officer.

“We don’t provide protection to anyone,” growled the officer. “Go away before I have you beaten.”

Alex nodded slightly and rose. He proceeded slowly to the door and eventually exited the inn. The curious Dark Rider had returned to the other side of the street, but Alex decided to skip several inns so that he did not draw any more attention to himself. Once again, Alex began checking each of the inns looking for Konic and Alan. Alex concentrated on keeping his body slightly hunched and used his staff more like a walking stick than a weapon. He drew little attention as he worked his way along the street, but several inns later a frown grew over Alex’s face as the curious Dark Rider reappeared.

The Dark Rider was eyeing Alex closely. Alex skipped the next inn, which appeared to be too expensive for the fishermen’s taste anyway, and walked towards an inn that had seen better days. He entered the inn and looked around the common room. It was practically empty and appeared not to have been swept in some time. One of the patrons was sleeping with his head on the table. Alex moved through the room and out the back door. He looked into the stable and found it empty. There were no horses and no stable boy. Alex nodded to himself and swiftly moved to one side of the door to the stable. He waited.

Only a few moments had passed before the curious Dark Rider appeared from the rear door of the inn. The man looked up and down the alley before creeping towards the stable. When the Dark Rider entered the stable, Alex struck out with his staff. The staff hit the Dark Rider in the neck and the man tumbled to the ground. Alex swiftly raced to the body and dragged it away from the open door. He checked and confirmed that the Dark Rider was dead. Alex dragged the body to a stall at the rear of the stable and quickly left the area.

Alex sighed in frustration as he realized that time was running out for his search. He regained the main street and looked towards the harbor. There were only two or three inns left on this side of the street, but he had not checked a single inn on the other side of the street yet. Alex tried to gauge the hour and realized that he would never finish his search before the group of Dark Riders from Lorgo arrived. Alex frowned and moved on to the next inn.

As Alex came out of the last inn on the street, he spotted Kaz at the end of the alley across the street. Kaz nodded his large head and a brief smile crossed Alex’s lips as he realized that Kaz had located the required horses. Alex stood briefly in the street eyeing the long line of inns on the opposite side. A shout from the harbor area drew his attention and he turned to see a man running from the harbor area and another man chasing him. The fleeing man suddenly stopped and fell face down in the dirt, a knife protruding from his back. The following man strode forward and reclaimed his knife as two Dark Riders appeared alongside him. Alex watched as the Dark Riders and the man exchanged heated words. Finally, one of the Dark Riders bent down and retrieved a pouch from the dead man’s hands. He nodded slowly and handed the pouch to the man who had retrieved his knife. The Dark riders turned and left after a few more words.

The man who had thrown the knife shouted and two men came running from the direction of the docks. They picked up the body and carried it off. Alex’s eyes picked up the fluttering sails on the sea beyond the man and decided to forego the rest of the inns and check the dock area for the two fishermen from Lorgo.

Alex walked through the maze of craft shops and net menders. He bypassed the fishmongers and walked straight to the docks. Toresh was a much larger city than Lorgo and there were a multitude of docks and boats. Many of the boats were out fishing, but a few had returned and the men were busy cleaning their boats and preparing their catch for sale. Alex looked north and south and then finally turned towards the north and began walking along the wharf. Nobody gave Alex a second glance as his eyes darted over the people in search of Konic and Alan.

Alex was almost to the edge of the city when he spotted the men. Konic and Alan were sitting on a dock talking to a local fisherman. The conversation seemed friendly and Alex eased his way towards them. As he approached, Konic looked at him and returned to his conversation. Almost instantly, recognition hit Konic and he whirled back towards Alex. Alex held a finger in front of his mouth and turned his back to Konic and walked several paces away. Within seconds, Konic appeared next to Alex.

“What are you doing here and why are you disguised?” Konic asked softly.

“I have come in search of you and Alan,” Alex whispered. “We need to talk and we need to do it quickly. Your lives are in danger.”

Konic hesitated as if he was weighing how much trust to place in the assassin. “We shall speak to you,” Konic finally said, “but we shall do it in the open.”

“As long as you do it now,” voiced Alex. “Time is critical. Draw no attention to yourselves.”

Konic nodded and returned in seconds with Alan Markel.

“There is a group of Dark Riders after you,” Alex stated softly. “They will enter Toresh soon. They have been after you since Lorgo.”

“How do you know this?” questioned Alan.

“And why are you telling us?” added Konic.

“It is a long story,” Alex said softly. “One that will require a great deal of time to do it justice. I have arranged to get you out of Toresh and be reunited with your sons. When you are safe, I will explain it all.”

“You know where Arik and Tedi are?” Alan asked skeptically. “I really doubt that. I do not believe the boys would be foolish enough to trust you. What game are you really playing? Are you just trying to lure us out of the public eye so you can kill us?”

“Look around you, Alan,” frowned Alex. “You are in a city owned by the Dark Riders. Has it been me that has been coming to Lorgo trying to find out about your sons? Or has it been these people?”

“You could be one of them,” commented Konic. “You are asking us to go with you on faith alone and you are not a man who inspires much confidence in things right and just.”

“Perhaps,” Alex shook his head. “The boys said you would not come. I guess they know you well enough. I asked them what would make you see reason and Tedi gave me this.”

Alex held out his palm containing Tedi’s necklace. Alan reached for the necklace and Alex let him take it.

“If you have harmed our boys,” threatened Alan, “it will be the last thing you do.”

“Where are they?” asked Konic. “How can we get to them?”

“I have two horses ready for you,” informed Alex. “You are to ride the road west out of Toresh. Keep a lookout for an arrow protruding from a tree on your right as you ride. It indicates the location of a small game trail. Take the trail to the right and keep going until you see them.”

“Where are the horses?” questioned Konic.

“I will lead you to them,” answered Alex. “Do not race through town or you will attract too much attention. Ride normally, but stop for nothing. If you are chased, ride as if your lives depended upon speed, for that is the truth of it. If you are caught, you will be killed.”

“Why are you not coming with us?” Alan asked warily.

“I will be,” assured Alex. “I will be behind you some distance. If you are being chased, I will try to slow them down. The boys will also be ready to attack your pursuers. Make sure you stop for nothing.”

“I don’t know,” Konic retreated. “I want to see the boys again, but I am not about to lead the Dark Riders to them. If we are chased, we will give ourselves up rather than lead them to the boys.”

“You will not,” Alex said sternly. “The Dark Riders want you to get to the boys. If you give yourselves up, then we will be required to come into Toresh to rescue you. Do not put your sons in that danger. They are prepared now to handle whoever follows you. Have faith in them as they do in you.”

“They are just boys,” objected Alan.

“They are warriors that would make a father proud,” smiled Alex. “I should know because I trained them. Before you think that I have subverted them to bandit ways, know that they fight for what is just and right in the world. You have every reason to be proud of them.”

“I am not sure why,” frowned Konic, “but I sense some truth within you. Lead us to the horses.”

Alex led the fishermen back to where he had last seen Kaz. He looked around and did not see Kaz, but the unicorn must have known that Alex was there because he came out of the alley holding the reins to the two horses his in his mouth. Alex took the reins and handed them to Konic.

“Remember,” warned Alex, “ride normally through town unless you are being chased. Once you are chased, ride like the wind.”

Konic nodded and the two fishermen mounted the stolen horses. They rode down the alley and Alex gave them a fair lead before he mounted Kaz and started after them. As the fishermen crossed the Coast Road, Alex lingered awhile and then continued after them. He was not far past the Coast Road when the Dark Riders from Lorgo appeared in that main intersection of the city. Alex turned in his saddle to watch them. The leader called out and several men ran to him. The leader showed them drawings and Alex presumed that the drawings were of Alan and Konic.

Toresh had watchers on every street and Alex was sure that the Dark Riders would soon know the direction that the fishermen had gone. Alex instructed Kaz and they picked up speed slightly as they headed west out of the city. They were only a few miles west of the city when Alex heard the pounding hooves behind him. Alan and Konic were distant dots far ahead of him, but Alex knew that they would not make the turnoff before being spotted by the Dark Riders.

The Dark Riders shouted for Alex to get off the road as they approached. Alex pretended not to hear them. Just as the Dark Riders caught up to Alex, Kaz turned sideways and stopped. Alex shook his head and tried to get his horse to behave as the Dark Riders tried to rein in their horses or go around Kaz. There was confusion and jostling for a few moments and threats of bodily harm directed at Alex, but the Dark Riders finally passed Kaz and regrouped.

As Alex watched them surge forward, he reached for his sword and unwrapped it. He pulled the sheath over his neck and then reached for his quiver. He looped the quiver over his shoulder and grabbed his bow. With a slight pat from Alex, Kaz charged after the now distant Dark Riders. As Kaz crested a slight hill, Alex saw the fishermen taking the turnoff marked by the arrow. The Dark Riders were closing on them.