Zara the Wolf (18 page)

"We have no power—" Sonya began to say.

"She will come, Sonya; she’s an exceptional woman."

Sonya exited the room, and less than half an hour later, she
entered with Shelly.

"It’s still night time, and I’m going to have bags
under my eyes. I’ll look like an old woman," she whined as she sat down
next to me.

"Think of it as a preview of what you will look like as
a duchess." I grinned when she did. But I sobered and then began to panic
and had to close my eyes to quiet myself before continuing. "I think it’s
possible there will be an attempt on the duke’s life. Wake him up now for an
early breakfast and have extra guards assigned, and bring Lutz and have Eaton
standby. Sonya will go with you. They may not wait for breakfast."

Sonya nodded. "Yes, Honorable Monk," she said,
touching Shelly’s arm to break her open-mouthed shock.

Shelly shook her head and headed for the door with Sonya
following. I picked up my rug and exited the room, careful to drag my leg in
case anyone saw me. But it was very early and I saw no one on the short trip to
the duke’s private dining room. I went to the far corner, put the rug down, and
sat. I don’t know why I took the rug, but it gave me a sense of comfort, like
sitting on an Ojaza warrior’s blanket. I withdrew into myself and the room became
bathed in blue as peace descended on me.

The door flew open as the duke and Shelly rushed in followed
by Lutz and Sonya, who closed the door and moved to stand in the corner on my
side of the room. Lutz shrugged and moved to stand in the opposite corner.

"You are concerned, Honorable Monk, about?" the duke
asked as he sat. He looked tired, upset, and irritated. I understood. He was a duke,
well-guarded, and used to giving orders, not taking them.

"You will have to trust me or tell me to leave," I
said, barely above a whisper. I was at peace with my decision and unconcerned
with whether it was right or wrong or what would happen or not. Except for
breathing, the silence was complete as we waited. Sometime later, fighting
could be heard in the hallway. The shouting and clanging of swords indicated
many were involved. The duke stood his head, swiveling back and forth as if
looking for a place to hide. Lutz drew his sword and waved Shelly behind the
desk. Sonya never moved or opened her eyes, but in the blue dimension she sat
on her rug at peace.

"Honorable Monk, trust I will defend you while you do
what you must," Sonya said for my ears only. Minutes later, the door
opened and Woolan and Robyn took a couple of steps inside.

"Good morning, Duke Brodka. The plan almost worked. I
had to agree, the savage had everyone fooled with her entrance. I was packed
and ready to leave myself, until I received word that she had showed up at
Trasslat. The Monastery must be desperate, to let her impersonate a Cheyo Monk."

"What now, Robyn?" Brodka asked.

"We will kill the savage and Lady Shelly during their
attempt to take control of Hipula. Unfortunately, we arrived too late to save
you. The savage had already killed you. Baron Woolan will become the guardian
of your children and eventually Duke of Hipula—accidents do happen."

They stepped aside, and four guards rushed in, two headed
for Lutz and two toward Sonya. Lutz fought Indian style, going for wounding
cuts to keep them off balance and eventually forcing them to retreat. Sonya was
a goddess of death. One man attacked her with a hard strike at her neck while
the other tried to go around his partner to get at me. She blocked the strike
with an upward circular movement which blocked his sword and forced it up and
over his head and at the same time a chain shot out and wrapped around the
other guard’s neck. When the first guard's sword had passed his head, she
slashed downward through his neck as she simultaneously yanked on the chain,
tearing skin, arteries, and bone.

At the same time, the room exploded in blue and Robyn stood
in armor with a sword in each hand. I stood in Ojaza warrior garb with my sword
unsheathed. He stalked toward me laughing with his swords whirling in front of
him. I waited patiently as he advanced. His laugh stopped, but a smile
persisted. When he came within striking distance, I stepped to his right,
blocking the right sword and taking the left one temporarily out of action.
Before he could prepare an attack, I stepped past him and cut through the
opening in the armor behind the knee. Blood spurted out, and I continued past
him so I was out of range for his counter strike.

Knowing he’d bleed to death, he changed the image into a
large cat and sprang at me with four-inch claws extended. The wolf met him in
midair, latching onto the cat’s neck. Before I could tear out his throat, he
morphed into a fifty-foot snake that wrapped around the wolf’s neck and began to
cut off air and blood to my head. I could feel my mind fighting to remain
conscious. But like in the Ojaza camp, life and death didn’t matter, only the
contest. Fortunately, I didn’t panic and used the few seconds remaining to turn
the wolf into an inferno. The snake stank from the burning flesh and
transformed into a hawk that flew a few spaces away with its feathers smoldering.
He became a man and stood staring at me for several seconds, then grew into a
monstrous wave that came crashing toward me. I became a giant redwood, with
roots sinking deep into the earth. The wave crashed around me, taking tons of
dirt with it as it passed, leaving exposed roots. Within seconds, thousands of
wood-devouring ants were crawling everywhere. I changed into a Manchineel tree
and soon the ants began dying on the tree. Robyn became a man again, kneeing on
the ground and frothing at the mouth. The Indians marked Manchineel trees, as
they were extremely poisonous. Apparently, Robyn had never seen one. But before
the poison killed him, Sonya’s knife flew, almost transparent in the blue haze,
and buried itself to the hilt in his left eye.

The room was again quiet. Ten bodies lay scattered around
Sonya and four in front of Lutz. Clearly, she had been the center of attention.
She stood looking at peace and unhurt, although her uniform was splattered with
blood. The duke stood back against the wall, face pale and hand clutching his
sword in a white-knuckled grip. Lady Shelly's face was also pale, but her eyes
were alert and her dagger was ready, although held slightly behind her and out
of sight. Lutz stood relaxed, scanning the room with his sword at Woolan's neck.

"Thank you, Honorable Wolf. This was the day I spent
years training for—to protect the Honorable Ones committed to
peace," Sonya said, appearing with me on the blue dimension.

"I hope one day I can find what you have, Sonya—where
I belong and am at peace."

"Maybe at the Trasslat Monastery."

"No, the Abbot has pointed out that I found peace
through hatred. Trasslat should only have people who find peace through
love," I said, knowing the monastery wasn't for me. Sonya bowed in my
direction, and the blue haze vanished.

All eyes turned toward the door, as men could be heard running
down the hallway. I laid my hand on my sword, which was lying behind me. Just
then, Lieutenant Eaton appeared along with Captain Behrens, and the hall became
crowded with their troops. Eaton's eyes went to Shelly and then relaxed.

"Thank God," he said, taking several deep breaths
to calm himself.

"Your Grace, what now?" Shelly asked quietly,
stepping closer to him.

"I think you should get some rest while I have this
mess cleaned up and assess the damage to my troops. I'll meet with you an hour
before dinner. Monk, you should stay."

I nodded and saw Sonya step back against the wall. Shelly
left with Lutz, Eaton, and his troops following. Captain Behrens quickly
organized his men into details to remove the bodies and to take a roll-call of
the duke's retainers and troops. After the bodies were removed, Sonya and I
followed the duke to his study, where he poured himself several glasses of
wine. Sonya and I chose water.

"What now, Honorable Monk?" he asked, sounding
more like he meant it than to maintain our identities. It was a comfortable
room. One wall was lined with leather-bound books of every size and color. A
large rug with the duke's coat of arms covered most of the wooden floor. Three padded
high-back chairs were scattered around the room, each with a small table next
to it. The three windows were narrow and high to let in light but not distract
the inhabitants. He waved us to chairs. Sonya backed up against a wall between
the door and me. I put my rug down and sat.

"I would proclaim that Baron Woolan attempted a coup,
and Lady Shelly and the Cheyo Monk thwarted it. And if possible, you need to
keep the Monk’s departure a secret as long as possible after Lady Shelly and I
leave. I would have someone, maybe one of your daughters, pretend to be the
Monk on occasion, to maintain the illusion the Monk is still here. Even if we
could stay, it would only be a temporary solution. The Sirens will continue to
grow, and they will begin to take more direct action, like assassination. Your
long-term safety is better served if we can find the root of the Sirens and
destroy it," I said, hoping that the Sirens would avoid Hipula for a while
if they thought a Monk was involved.

"The spy at Trasslat knows they never sent a
Monk," Brodka said, looking a bit pale.

"Which is the reason we must leave soon: so that I can
inform the Abbot."

* * *

The duke, Shelly, Lutz, Sonya, and I met later that day in
the duke's study.

"I owe you my life, Lady Shelly. I have set your name
in the Hipula nobility book as a Baroness and set aside land for you to do with
as you wish. The Honorable Monk has explained why it is best you leave soon.
According to Captain Behrens, twenty of my soldiers were killed in the coup
attempt. He believes most were loyal to Hipula and were merely following orders
from Woolan and thought Lady Shelly and her troops were attempting to
assassinate me. So I believe I'm safe so long as everyone believes the Monk is
still in my employment. My youngest daughter has agreed to play the part when
the Monk's presence is required."

"What about the Monk’s guard?" Lutz asked.

"I will say the Monk no longer felt her presence was
necessary."

"My daughter said you would meet with her tomorrow to
coach her on what to do and not do," Brodka said.

"I talked to her earlier, and I believe she is perfect
for the impersonation. Tomorrow I will give her my insights and answer any questions
she has. It won't require any extensive training. People see what they want or
expect to see. I would make up a story in the event you want to stop the
deception or she is discovered. Something to the effect the Monk got sick and
had to return to Trasslat."

 
I spent the next
day talking about the Cheyo Monks to Sina, the duke's youngest daughter.
Celeta, the duke's oldest daughter, sat listening in case she might have to
fill in or she needed to coach Sina. Then I dressed Sina in my Robes and had
her practice my dead-leg walk. I decided she didn't have to talk, she could
write the answer or pretend to write the answer. By the evening, I was not only
sure Sina was ready but also that she was looking forward to the masquerade.

That night I slipped over the wall and made my way through
the silent streets to the city gates. I waited for dawn and then exited with a
caravan leaving the city and made my way about a day's march for the caravan in
the direction of Trasslat. Sonya joined me half-way to my planned stop. She had
left an hour after me to avoid being seen together. We made camp in a clump of
trees and waited. As the sun began to set, the caravan came into view.

"How did it feel being a Cheyo Monk?" Shelly said
as she dismounted.

"Like a child dressed in her mother's clothes," I
said. "It's hard enough pretending to be civilized."

"I thought she did well," Sonya said, smiling.
"Felt real to me."

"I think being a Monk is easier for her than being
civilized. Monks see life as it is whereas civilized people see life like they
want it to be." Shelly said, proving how perceptive the young woman was
and why I thought she would do well as a baroness.

Tents were set up for Shelly and her ladies, meals prepared,
and fires started as we talked. Eaton and Lutz joined Shelly's group after
dinner.

"Our practice sessions came in handy, Zara. If I had
tried to take on multiple attackers with a conventional approach, I would have
lost. Wounding people where they don't expect it tends to shock them into
either retreating or freezing," Lutz said. "At the time, I was
surprised you didn't join the fight. Afterward, Shelly explained you were
fighting the man with Baron Woolan, who was trained at the Trasslat Monastery.
How?"

"I was trained at the Ojaza Monastery," I quipped,
and couldn't help a laugh at the irony.

Later, Shelly dragged me away from the camp. "I thought
I'd die when Robyn said he knew you weren't a Monk. I thought my great idea was
going to get you killed. After all, he was trained at Trasslat and obviously
the senior of those that were at Hipula."

"I believe I had an advantage. The training at Trasslat
is gentle and formed around peace. My experience with the Ojaza was brutal and
formed around hatred. They aren't prepared for a confrontation like that. A
true Cheyo Monk could defeat me easily because his or her foundation is
stronger, but a partially trained individual doesn't have that strength."

"Good, I'm still not ready to be a countess, much less
a duchess." She laughed then sobered. "I need more knife training. I
thought I was going to need it when all those soldiers came rushing through the
door."

"You did the right thing keeping the knife hidden
behind you. You can't fight against a sword with a knife." I spent the
next hour talking about a situation like the other day, and how she would need
to use deception to win.

* * *

We arrived at Trasslat early on the third day, and Sonya
arranged for us to see the abbot. When we entered, Sonya went to her knees and
bowed, her head touching the floor. I sat down next to her. The room was silent
for several minutes.

"I'm proud of you, Sonya. You are everything a Cheyo
Monk could hope for. And you did well, Zara. I remember Robyn. He spent six
years here and had considerable potential. He failed because of his attitude,
not talent. I can see that is a problem. Although we release candidates like
that early, it makes them susceptible to temptations from cults like the
Sirens."

"Did Sonya mention that you have a spy for the Sirens
here at Trasslat?"

"Yes. Sonya will assemble everyone and I will interview
each, starting with the current students."

"Can you determine what he or she has told anyone about
my visit here? I'm concerned what they may know at Arucci and Monis, since we intend
to visit there next."

"Stay the night. You will know before you leave," the
abbot said.

I took that for dismissal and rose. Sonya left with me but
went off to make arrangements for the interviews and our accommodations.
Shortly afterward a captain approached Shelly.

"Baroness Shelly, we have a place for you and your
ladies and an area for your caravan to camp," He said and led Shelly with
the ladies and me following to the hut they had given me the last time.

"Cozy," Shelly said, laughing as we entered.
"Better accommodations than the Sheqn. This trip has certainly been an
education. Well, Zara, what do you think we should expect at Arucci? I've told
Musa and Sarkis that there is a cult in this dukedom seeking power and it could
be dangerous. I've offered to send them home. They have decided to stay. I'm
grateful but concerned for their welfare."

"I would expect the cult to be active at both Arucci
and Monis, and your ladies' faith linked with yours. If they feel you're a
danger, they will feel your ladies-in-waiting are also a danger. The safest
course would be to avoid those two cities and go on to Ulia or Kariso," I
said, thinking the Sirens would have partial or full control based on Hipula,
and that one of those two cities, probably Monis, was their base of operations.
If that were the case, Shelly and her entourage would represent a potential
danger—one that they couldn't afford to let live.

"What do you recommend?"

"Go on to Ulia, then Kariso. Kariso should be free of
Sirens, since Duke Phipps has a Cheyo Monk."

"Why?"

"We should verify for Duke Phipps that there are no
Sirens there. Besides, we will pass close enough to Arucci to confirm Siren
presence. That's potentially dangerous but not as much as visiting the castle.
In the open, they would be more likely to try an assassination with a smaller
force we could handle."

Later that afternoon, the current students were assembled outside
the abbot's hut. A few minutes later the abbot was carried out on a bed. As I
suspected, she must have had a back injury when she was young, which had paralyzed
her legs. She lay propped against several pillows, looking at the assembled
group. One by one, they bowed and left until only one man remained. He turned
pale, dropped to his knees, and then collapsed face down into the dirt. Sonya
signaled to two guards, who dragged him away.

"He sent messages to Robyn at Hipula, Herron at Arucci,
and Sauer at Monis that a savage with Lady Shelly's caravan was impersonating a
Cheyo Monk," the abbot said without speaking. Next, the guards were
assembled and one by one dismissed. And lastly, the servants of the monastery
were assembled. The abbot had been very thorough, testing everyone at the
monastery. That confirmed Sirens were at Arucci and Monis, if not the level of
control they might or might not have.