FROM THE SCRIBBLINGS OF RANY

We left the ship at first light. We had to knock the girl out. Fortunately Janx happened to have a powder that would put even a horse to sleep, but would it shock you that it was quite expensive? (I’d had about enough of that greedy swindler.)

The powder did its job. I put it in her water and waited. Eventually she got thirsty and drank. Soon after, she decided she was quite tired and went to sleep. That was about an hour before the ship docked.

“Hey,” Sammyl said. “The girl won’t wake up.”

“I know, you idiot. I drugged her.”

Took her off the boat on a litter. I had to carry one end and Sammyl the other. At least Sammyl no longer seemed sick. A miracle seemed to occur the moment his boots hit solid land.

I had never been to River City – never really been out of Crille – but I had heard the stories.

I knew immediately that this was my kind of place. Even at dawn there were people ambling about, drinking and carrying on in full swing. Women scantily attired. Taverns everywhere. Hardly any law to hassle you. They were there, yes, but only to protect the peace and not to harass. By its reputation, people liked to have a good time but largely minded their own business, which was good for us.

We followed Janx’s directions to an inn that he surely got a kickback from, but it was perfect for our needs anyway. It seemed like a fun place too – the type of inn or tavern I might visit even if I wasn’t looking for a spot to hole up quietly and avoid questions. It was called the Painted Lady. No one spared us a second glance as we carried the girl up to our room.

I told Handice, “There are plenty of girls here who could easily be persuaded to make a man of you. Might cheer you up a bit.”

He didn’t seem to care. Looked as morose as ever. I was beginning to wonder if he had lost another appendage along with his hand.

Once safe in our room, we at last had a chance to assess our situation and formulate a plan.

Sammyl promptly stretched out on the bed and fell asleep. He may have been sleeping more soundly than the girl. She showed no sign of waking, in spite of the snores from Sammyl. I checked her breathing and confirmed she was still alive at least.

I napped until noon.

Still couldn’t wake Sammyl. Handice was awake, staring out the window. Told him I was going to go out, get the lay of the land, see if maybe Alec had arrived in town. Told Handice to stay put, keep an eye on the girl, and if Sammyl woke, to remind him he needed to stay in the room. He still had a death sentence after all.

What could go wrong?

EXCERPT FROM THE JOURNAL OF HANDICE, UNDATED

I am an inept fool.

A maimed and crippled fool at that.

The girl got away. It was my fault.

Rany was gone for some time – much longer than he had promised. I was beginning to worry. Sammyl said, “That’s just Rany.”

Sammyl had just woken after sleeping the entire day. He now wanted food and ale.

In truth, I felt a bit uneasy confined in this room with an escaped prisoner and an unconscious, bound girl. If only I had chosen to return home instead of rejoining the others, perhaps I would already be back in Shirin Mills today, or at least very close.

Sammyl paced around a bit, grumbling. At last, he said, “Why should Rany have all the fun? I’m going to go have a look around myself. I’m going to go find him.”

I was supposed to remind him of the death sentence and ask him to stay, but he had a determined look in his eye and I confess I felt a little afraid of him. I did not want to try to stop him.

He left the room, closing the door behind him.

“Thank the gods that one’s gone,” the girl said. “He smells the worst of the three of you.”

“You are awake,” I observed.

She laughed. “You are a quick one.”

I did not know what to say. Women still had that effect on me, no matter what I had been through. And she was perhaps the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She had long, light brown hair that splayed out on the pillow on which her head lay. Full lips, skin that still bore the smoothness of the very young, and a face that would have been innocent but for the eyes. They were a very dark brown, nearly black, mysterious and inscrutable.

She was small, short of height, but had the figure of a woman. She wore a green dress.

“What?” she asked.

I looked away, realizing I might have been staring.

“Nothing,” I said.

“You are different from the other two.”

“I would rather not converse at the moment.”

“You certainly do not talk like a kidnapper.”

“Kidnapper? We were hired to escort you to Meridea.”

“Escort me?” She laughed. “Is that how you would describe this?” She showed me her bound arms.

“We rescued you. They did anyway. My role was…limited.”

“Well, I did not want to be rescued. I am thirsty. May I have some water?”

“Of course.”

I went to her bed and poured a cup of cold water from a pitcher.

“Could you help me sit up, please?”

I did the best I could with one hand, pulling her up by the ropes that bound her as she squirmed her way up into a sitting position. Then I tilted the glass up to her lips, and she drank. She finished the entire cup without stopping. She asked for another and drank that as well.

“Thank you,” she said.

I poured myself a goblet full of wine.

“These ropes are really digging into my skin. Rany tied them too tight. Could you loosen them?”

“I am afraid I cannot.”

“Please, Handice. I am a person here, not some farm animal. If our situations were reversed, I would loosen your ropes. In fact, I would untie you.”

Perhaps I can blame the wine – this was not my first cup. She did have a valid argument. I was still uncertain of when or how she had gone from our rescuee to our prisoner, or why exactly we were so determined to carry out the second part of our assignment.

At some point, of my own volition, I untied the girl. She promised not to run. Even if she did, she could not get by me. I moved my chair in front of the door, and sat down.

I drank more wine. She left me alone, stretching and walking about. A few minutes later she began to remove her clothing.

“What are you doing?” I demanded.

“I am going to try to wash up. I wasn’t joking about how bad you three men smell, but I fear I do not smell so great either.”

“Very well.”

“It really did not occur to me that you might object.”

She removed the dress, keeping her back to me. I did not stare. I was a gentleman. But I did glance at her now and then to make sure she was not escaping.

“Would you do me a favor?” she asked me.

“What is it?”

“I cannot seem to get this bracelet off. Could you undo the clasp for me?”

“I am not sure,” I said.

“You can do it with one hand.”

I went over to her, keeping my gaze on anything in the room but her. She held her left arm out and I could feel her eyes on me.

The bracelet was easy enough to undo. I was uncertain why she had needed my assistance with it at all. She thanked me, and I poured some more wine and returned to my chair.

FROM THE SCRIBBLINGS OF RANY

I spent a bit longer exploring the city than I had intended. So many taverns, so much delicious food, smoky aromas wafting by as you walked along the crowded streets. So many pretty girls to admire, and they much bolder to return your gaze than most girls in Crille. Outlanders were everywhere. The city was one of the most popular parts of Friedor for them to visit. I could understand why. Who would not want to visit here?

No sign of Alec. I asked around, being my discreet self, but no one had seen or heard of him.

Ended up in a lively poker game at a pub called the Shamrock. It sat on one of the five rivers that winded through the city, the water flowing along peacefully, boats passing by as talented minstrels played music better than any I had heard in Crille (and Crille prides itself as having the best of everything). I had to stop and enjoy it all.

I was deep into a game and had two or three marks right where I wanted them. I had been bluffing excessively, letting myself get caught at it several times. I appeared to be a reckless player, drunk and jovial, throwing coin away fast. Got three outlanders to call when I bet heavy with a full house. As I raked in a healthy pile of coins, I heard a fellow player comment on a brawl that was breaking out. I was thinking only of how many more hands of poker I might play, but then I heard drunken yelling, and the voice was quite familiar.

Sammyl.

I hastily scooped up all the coins and made my way over to the ruckus. Sammyl had discovered three outlanders who fancied a good brawl, and he seemed to be under the delusion that he could take on all three of them.

“Not now, gentlemen,” I said. “He has had too much to drink and is recovering from some injuries. He will be happy to fight you another time. Here, have some gold.”

“The fuck are you doing?” Sammyl protested as I hustled him out into the busy street. It was beginning to grow dark.

“You were supposed to stay in the room, idiot.”

“Why should you have all the fun? Same as ever. Leaving me cooped up in that room.”

“How much have you had to drink?”

“Not bloody enough!”

I steered him back to the Painted Lady, restraining him from entering each tavern we passed, and upstairs to our room.

I knocked and there was no answer.

Opened the door and went in.

Handice was bound to his chair by the door, his tunic sleeve tied to gag him.

It took several moments to untie the gag. Handice squirmed and shook his head, and I had to yell at him to remain still. Finally got it off.

“I was watching her! She is a witch! She put a spell on me!”

“Yeah, she put a spell on you all right,” Sammyl scoffed.

“Shut up, Sammyl. Handice, any idea where she went?”

I got Handice untied and he got up out of the chair, staggering and unsteady. Just as drunk as Sammyl. Great.

“I realize you two idiots are too drunk to walk, but we need to find that damn girl. Now! Let’s go!”

The sun was going down fast. Not much daylight left. Streets busy. Damn girl could be anywhere.

Reluctantly, I decided we had to split up. Wasn’t sure how much good either of them could do on their own, but I could move quicker without them. Maybe one of them would get lucky.

I went from tavern to tavern scouting for any tidbit of information I could find, with no luck. Every second increased her chances of getting away for good. Desperate, I began asking everyone I came across – passersby, tavern patrons, gamblers, whores, bartenders, anyone I came across, even guards.

“I am looking for my sister. Have you seen her? About this tall, long brown hair, bad attitude…”

“You there! Sister, you say? You need to come with me immediately!” It was a guard.

Oh shit.

“Have you seen her?” I asked, sounding like a concerned brother. “Is she all right?”

“As far as I know, she is. But not for long. She stole a horse! Come on, my sergeant will want to speak with you.”

Being arrested or even “questioned” was not on my agenda at all tonight, so I obtained a bit more specific information and then slipped away from the guard, disappearing into the crowd easily enough. He was dumb even for a lawman.

Had to find Handice and Sammyl. Turned out to be nearly as difficult as finding the fucking girl.

Handice was in an establishment near the market district, clear across town. I found him with drink in hand, having attention lavished on him by three scantily clad women. I don’t think he realized they were whores.

“Please,” he said to them. “You must help me. I will be happy to accompany you upstairs, but first I must find this young lady…”

“Come now, what is so special about her? Is she prettier than me?”

“Uh, well, of course not, but…”

“Handice,” I told him. “I found her. Thank you, ladies. This gentleman will be coming with me now. He will see you later, I am sure.”

“I do not understand,” he said, as I hustled him outside and through the crowded streets. “If you found her, where is she? Why is she not with you?”

“Handice, listen. You can ride a horse, can’t you?”

“Of course, but…”

“Good. I can’t ride for shit. Only tried once, damn near killed me. We need to purchase a horse. Do you happen to know how much they cost?”

“I believe at least five hundred gold.”

“All right. We need to steal a horse then.”

“What! They hang people for that!”

“Then they may hang the girl, if they get to her before we do. Is that what you want? Her death on your conscience?”

It turned out to be a rather simple affair, so easy I wondered why I had not tried horse thieving long ago. (Because I could not ride one, I suppose.)

The girl had brazenly stolen a horse right out of the River City stables, on the southern outskirts of town. It would be foolish (though comical) to steal another horse from that stable. But outlanders liked horses. And outlanders often disappeared for lengthy periods of time. My reconnaissance of the town had taught me which inns the outlanders favored, and which of those inns had private stables.

I had observed a particularly obnoxious outlander earlier, boasting about his horse. He claimed it was faster than any other on the continent, or some such nonsense.

I went to the inn, to its stable. Told the stable boy, “I’m Roland, servant to William Wallace. He asks that his horse be made ready and that I bring it to him.”

Threw him twenty gold. The boy saddled it for me and everything.

By now, it was completely dark.

I told Handice, “Listen, I have no idea how far the girl can go. She took the gold that was in the room, but that wasn’t much. I had most of our gold with me. You need to find her before the guards do, or worse, the posse that I was told about. No telling what they will do to her. Maybe tear her to pieces. Handice, you understand?”

He seemed a bit more steady now. “Yes, Rany. I shall do my absolute best.”

“They saw her ride south. I’ve looked at the maps – she can’t go farther south than the Ann. It’s too big to cross without a boat, too swift to safely swim. My guess is she’ll follow it southeast. She should keep to the river. The forests and hills are too dangerous, especially at night.”

“I’ll stay here for a few days, cover your tracks, if need be, and make sure she is not hiding right here in town. It is possible she used the horse thieving as a ruse. It’s what I might have done.”

“And if Alec shows up,” I continued, “At least one of us will be here to meet him, as we planned.”

I made it sound so good, I was beginning to believe it could actually work.

“I will find her, Rany.” He seemed almost sober now.

“Here, take this.” I handed him a short sword I had lifted earlier.

“What can I do with that?”

“Try not to stab yourself with it. Remember, don’t bring the girl back here. Just bring her to Meridea. We’ll deliver her to where she belongs, and we’ll get our gold.”

Suitably motivated and with more confidence than he probably should have had, Handice easily mounted the beast. The thing’s very size made me uncomfortable. He gently kicked it into a walk. He bade farewell, went into a trot, or whatever you call it, and then a full gallop.

I watched as he disappeared into the darkness. Damn if that wasn’t a fast horse.

The sound of pounding hooves faded until I could no longer hear them.

I had one of those strange feelings one gets at times. It told me I would never see that young man again.