“Worked as the Commander’s assassin and killed the King and the entire royal family. Yeah, but no one knows what drove you to become an assassin.”
“I look good in black,” Valek joked.
Only Ambrose and Yelena knew his full backstory. Knew about the King’s men killing his three older brothers and setting him on the path of vengeance. How he enrolled in the School of Night and Shadows to learn the art of assassination. How Valek had been hired to target Ambrose and failed, becoming his loyal second instead. It wasn’t something he liked to talk about, and Ari and Janco weren’t officially assigned to his corps. Even though he was hoping they’d become part of a team that would eventually become his seconds, they were currently unaware of his plans.
The silence stretched. Apparently, the joke wouldn’t be enough. And he did owe them something in return for their stories.
“You both compared your relationship to brothers. My story started with my brothers. Like Ari, I was the youngest and I was also disowned.” He gave them a watered-down version of the events that led him to the Commander, skipping some details.
Eventually, the fire died down and they each spread their bedrolls on a lower bunk. Valek didn’t set a watch. They were still in MD-5, and he thought the chances of being ambushed were low. As he drifted off to sleep, he realized Janco had been right. Their stories had taken longer than anticipated.
* * *
They encountered no problems the next day, however by the end of the third day, Valek noticed Janco sat stiffly on Lovey, no longer moving easily with her. His face was pale and drawn, and he hadn’t joked or teased the night before. Valek suspected Janco’s injury didn’t like the jarring gait of the horses. They had crossed into MD-4 that afternoon and had increased their pace. Valek would need both men to be at their best.
“Change of plans,” he told them. “We’re overnighting in Pelator instead of in a shelter.”
“Isn’t that risky?” Ari asked. “Word might get back to General Tesso.”
“He’s bound to find out regardless. We need fresh feed for the horses, and I need a hot meal and a soft bed.”
Ari glanced at Janco, who clutched his reins as if they alone kept him from toppling from his horse. Then he flashed Valek a grateful smile.
“There’s an inn that is frequented by the Commander’s officers, so they have a stable.” The innkeeper was one of Valek’s agents and could be trusted to keep their visit quiet.
They reached Pelator an hour after sunset. The town, if he could call it that, had four main east-west streets and six north-south roads. Most of the citizens worked in extracting ore from the mountains and houses outnumbered businesses. The single inn, The Spot, sat at the northern edge of town.
Myzel, the innkeeper, heard the horses and came outside. She took one whiff, and said, “You’re not stinking up my inn. Go to the bathhouse and I’ll take care of your horses.”
“Sweet lady,” Janco snarked when they were well away. But it was half-hearted, and he seemed eager to follow her orders.
At the bathhouse, Janco stripped off his cloak and uniform in no time. He sank into the hot water with a sigh of contentment. Valek studied the purple scars on Janco’s stomach and back, looking for signs of infection. None. His muscles were either still healing or stiff from not being used for so long. Not ideal.
Back at the inn, Myzel’s staff had set out bowls of hot stew, bread, and tankards of ale. A feast. Janco groaned in pleasure.
After dinner, Ari and Janco went up to their rooms while Valek had a chat with Myzel. Around fifty years old, she was one of his more experienced agents. The combination of her kind face and friendly demeanor made people instantly trust her, spilling all their secrets. Handy for a spy.
“What’s the gossip?” he asked.
“All the buzz is about the shake-up down in MD-5. Has General Brazell really been arrested?”
Valek gave her the short version of Brazell’s plot to overthrow the Commander.
“That explains the rumors that the Commander is planning to replace all the generals and that he’s sent you out hunting magicians.”
“Did that make anyone in Pelator nervous?”
“No. The people who live here are law-abiding. It’s the travelers that are far more interesting.”
“Oh?”
“I had a caravan come through here a couple days ago. They were delivering wool to MD-3.”
“Isn’t it too early for wool?” Valek asked. Sheep were usually sheared at the end of the warm season, which was four months away.
“Yes, but I searched the wagons, and they were full of skeins that needed to be dyed.”
“Did you inspect the wagons? Some have false bottoms for hidden storage.”
