The capital was busy as usual, Alistair noted. The flow of the market was brisk and loud, deals and haggling amongst the men and wise beasts, arguing over valuables and trinkets alike. It was a bright and cheery day in the provincial capital, Ruonde. Of course, it wasn't a particularly bright day for the wizard. He rubbed his coin pouch. Maybe a silver would materialize in it if he thought hard enough. Nope. Figures he'd get called all the way to Ruonde and not have enough cash beyond his rented room. He doubted there ever was a significant number of gold here in the Goldsong Inn.
He sighed and rubbed his eyes, turning away from the window in his room to his pack. After placing a small knife in his belt and making sure he had his papers, he went down to the common room.
"Are you ready for breakfast, then?" The innkeeper was a young woman, somewhat plain, tending a cookpot in a fireplace. "I have some fresh beef stew and just got bread for trenchers an hour ago."
"My apologies, but I'm late for a meeting. I'll be back here for dinner." The wizard didn't want to make any reference to his cashflow problems.
"Of course, sir. Dinner will be ready by sundown." The innkeep turned back to her cooking, which smelled deliciously savory. Alistair hadn't eaten meat in a while. Sometimes he forgot what meat tasted like. But it would have to wait. He needed to talk to the contact. He stepped out of the inn into the bustling street, sidestepping a small gaggle of playing children.
The market seemed even more hectic at ground level - Alistair couldn't even see down the street, the number of people just swamping his vision. The din of trading and buying was a cacophony, though over it he heard some faint singing. Turning down the street, he maneuvered through the crowd towards the central plaza.
Ruonde Central was an enormous affair, a open cobblestoned area so vast you could have launched a crossbow bolt from one end and not been able to reach the other. At the center of the plaza, giant statues of the twin goddesses Io and Eurythia stood, arms locked and outstretched, both figures singing some eternal hymn that nobody could hear. The hymn he could hear he attributed to the young girl in a robe he saw under the statues, standing on a raised platform, chanting a devotional. She had attracted a crowd of listeners.
"We join our hands in happiness in our hearts,
towards that vast and awe inspiring future
we journey together
spreading our overflowing joy"
Alistair shook his head and kept walking. Overflowing joy was no substitute for an overflowing purse. He headed towards the most prominent building surrounding the plaza, the imposing Hall of Mercenaries.
"Identification?" The guild watchman was sitting on a stool next to the massive oaken door to the guildhall, looking bored out of his mind. Other than the quilted surcoat he wore with the guild mark on it, he looked entirely unofficial. Alistair shrugged.
"Here. Alistair of the Waynwood. Class B."
The watchman flipped through the paperwork then handed it back. "All in order. Your contract is waiting inside."
"Thanks." The watchman waved him off brusquely as he entered the darkened guildhall. It had to be some kind of ridiculous architectural standard that each Mercenaries Guild was built like a massive fortress that let almost no light inside; he could barely tell it was the day, only by a tiny window set far up in the rafters. The candles cast a rather depressing flicker over the rest of the hall, but he was used to that. He walked to the front desk, lit by an unpleasantly bright oil lamp.
"Ah, Alistair." The secretary, a robed woman with a patch over an eye, glanced up at him from her desk. "Kyris has been waiting for you in the first meeting room. Also, your dues are expected fairly soon."
"I really shouldn't be paying dues when I haven't had the chance to do a job in the past six months." Alistair shook his head. "Hope this one actually works out, Piris."
The woman shrugged. "I don't set the rules, Alistair. Go get this one done." The wizard nodded and left down a side corridor, another dungeon-esque passage lit by candles in wall sconces. He knew that it was all meant to be intimidating to non-members, but it was really damned irritating to do any kind of business in here. Should have met at the market cafe. He stopped at the right door and knocked.
"About time you got here, Alistair." The door opened to reveal a familiar face.
"Hello to you too, Kyris." The wizard stepped into the conference room. It was relatively well lit, with a large window set in the wall overlooking the central plaza. The ranger sat at the table, which was covered in paperwork, and directed his attention at a form. He sat at the table.
"Business first. 3,000 gold. You interested?" Kyris was wearing a leather jack over her blouse and had her own knives sheathed across her back, but was otherwise in civilian clothes. Alistair quickly snatched up the form and read it.
"Imperial Edict - The Grand Forest
As you may be aware, navigators have recently breached the Silverhorn Mountain range and have found a pass through, into a vast forest. By order of Emperor Constantine IX, we are commissioning mercenaries to join survey teams in mapping out this forest and claiming it in the name of the Empire. Mercenaries should expect to be occupied for six months with their survey team in the wilderness, and although the surveyors will be well qualified individuals, taking this contract absolves the Empire of any responsibility for your well-being. Be well versed in wilderness survival and land navigation.
For a satisfactory report by your survey team, the Empire shall award twelve thousand gold pieces to each mercenary escort team."
Alistair looked up. "So there's a reason the reward is so high, right?"
"There were high casualties among the navigators due to the inclement weather in the Silverhorn. The first surveyor team is three months overdue, and the Emperor believes there's some greater hazard in the forest. But without scouts and information, there's no way or reason to send the Legion there." Kyris picked at her nails. "There are six surveyor teams, and the Guild is handpicking people to join them. Your name came up, you'd be with me, Siegfried, and someone else Siegfried is bringing along."
Oh man, Siegfried. "How is that old bastard doing, anyway?"
Kyris laughed lightly. "Still old, still thinks he's everybody's dad, still has that stain in his chestplate that nobody can scrub off."
"Well if he's going to be our team lead, I'm definitely in. What's our time frame?" Alistair leaned back into his chair.
"Siegfried sent word he'll be here in four days, and once all the paperwork is submitted we'll be on our way to meet the surveyors at the foot of the Silverhorn Pass. The trip should take a week."
"Good thing I traveled light, then." Alistair frowned. "Actually, four days is a bit too much time, I only rented my room for two. Do you mind spotting me some cash?"
Kyris groaned, then pulled out a small purse of silver and pushed it across the table. "The entire point of 'continuing education' is for you to actually turn it into something useful. That alchemist you apprenticed under is fleecing you dry."
"Yeah, I know. But nobody else would take an academy reject." Alistair pocketed the silver then stood to shake the ranger's hand. "I'm staying at the Goldsong, stop by if you need anything. I'm going to enjoy the sights and some food."
Kyris nodded as she wrapped her cloak around her shoulders. "I'm crashing at a friend's place. Can you believe the Guild had no beds available? Too many people coming to see the Dawn Festival."
"Well, we'll be able to see that before we leave, so it's not a total waste. I'll see you later, Kyris."
---
The roar of the crowd today was an order of magnitude louder than it was two days ago, a great, seething mass of people packed in the central plaza for the Dawn Festival. At the far edge of the plaza, Alistair observed the crowd from the terrace of a small cafe. The cafe itself was also overflowing with festival-goers and revelers; hawkers peddling trinkets flowed with the playing children and the harried looking guardsmen swept up in the vast river of people. Fortunately he had got here early to get his table. Though he didn't see a way out of the cafe that didn't lead into the mess.
"Alistair! Over here!"
A bright and perky voice. The wizard looked up from the crowd to see a hand waving across the terrace. It slowly went through the crowd until the familiar face of Kyris appeared. She sat down heavily at the cafe table and sighed. "You have no idea how long it took to get here."
"Oh, I have an idea." Alistair gestured over the railing. "All this huge mess over something that happens every year. I understand people need an excuse to get out and about, but this is a bit much."
Kyris put a hand on her chin. "Religion is a powerful thing, Alistair. People are willing to die for their faith. That isn't something that should be taken lightly."
"I know, I know. It just seems silly when you lay out the whole premise." Alistair pushed a cup and saucer across the table. "I got your tea in advance."
"Excellent, thanks." The two sat quietly for a bit, the din of the celebration and the crowds of people drowning out most everything else. Alistair gestured to the plaza center, where a dais was raised underneath the goddess statues. "What are they doing on the platform?"
Kyris shrugged. "I believe the bishop of Ruonde is going to give absolution, then there will be a hymnal, then tithing. After the church there will be some kind of ritual dance into the night."
"Ritual dance." It reminded Alistair of his home village in the Waynwood. He remembered playing with the other village children as a young boy as the bonfire spewed ashes and embers into the night sky, while the adults cast flickering shadows as they danced. "Do they clear the square?"
"I don't really see how anyone could dance in this mess." The ranger finished her tea with a sigh and leaned back, her red hair spilling over the chair's back. "You ever think about going back to the academy, Alistair? It seems a shame to be in for so long and come out with nothing to show for it."
"You have to bring that up every time we meet?" Alistair frowned, setting his cup down. "The place wasn't right for me, and I'm not right for it. We should leave it at that."
"I bring it up because it's holding you back, Alistair." Kyris held her cup in both hands. "If you were an accredited battlemage you'd be at a court somewhere and living the good life, instead of this merc work."
Alistair said nothing for a while. "The past is done. Let's just get on with it." The ranger gave a small shake of her head and directed her attention to the plaza, where a tall, regal looking woman in white robes and a mitre stepped on the dais, shepherd's crook in hand. She was flanked by four girls, all in hooded white robes, each wearing a pendant with a symbol in the shape of a stylized crescent. The noise had dimmed, with the shouting and haggling ceasing completely. Most eyes were drawn to the plaza center, where the group of women seemed to command all attention without any effort. The mitred woman opened her eyes, raised her staff, and began to sing.
"The young are born into the world we make
Our world is remade day by day
Let us put our light into the world
So the young may live without sin"
Alistair blinked. "They have a sound amplification spell working. I wonder why I didn't see it earlier." Kyris motioned at him offhandedly and he quieted.
"Let us wrap them in warmth to greet the oncoming day
Let us witness the new year pure of heart
Let us create a lasting peace
Let us find the beacon to tomorrow"
The song carried through the entire plaza, and all other activity halted. Kyris had her eyes closed, fully embraced by the hymnal. Alistair closed his eyes as well.
Then opened them.
"Kyris. Rooftop behind you, three buildings down, crossbowman." The ranger's eyes snapped open and she turned in her chair. On a rooftop overlooking the plaza twenty yards away, a masked man held a gigantic crossbow to his shoulder, aimed high, adjusting his sights, sighting in on...
"He's trying to kill the bishop!" Kyris leapt out of her chair and drew three knives from her blouse. Balancing on the terrace railing, she threw. Alistair had already retrieved his own crossbow out of his pack and was attempting to rack a bolt.
Screams erupted from the plaza and the hymn abruptly stopped. The masked man had taken a knife to the arm, but managed to launch a single bolt across the plaza, towards the raised dais. The bolt was sailing out of the sky, but the aim was off...
"GET DOWN!" The amplified shout woke everyone out of their torpor, and a mass panic erupted. On the dais, a man in full plate had vaulted and pushed the girl that would have been hit out of the way of the bolt. The bolt was embedded into his left shinguard, but the man didn't seem injured. Alistair looked back at the rooftop, where the masked man was quickly running across the shingles. He raised his own crossbow and fired, sending a flaming bolt flying past and to the right of the man's head. The masked man jumped down from the rooftop and disappeared.
There was bedlam in the plaza as guardsmen were being swamped. Panicked citizenry were causing a stampede in the square; the few guards that were actually in the square were swept up in the mayhem and screaming. Kyris was breathing heavily, her blouse having been ripped when she drew her knives, revealing the sheaths underneath. She gave Alistair a look.
"You're a terrible shot."
----
The Ruonde guard's post was a utilitarian affair - a building of hewn stone, with slot windows, a heavy oak door, and a darkened interior, with rays of light shining through small portholes in the walls. It reminded Alistair of the Mercenary Guildhall, but more brightly lit. At the table sat only a few figures - Kyris, the Bishop of Ruonde, the watch commander, and the armored man who shielded the bishop's attendant. Or, as Alistair knew him, Siegfried.
Kyris rapped her fingers impatiently on the table. "We gave our depositions. What are we still doing here?"
Siegfried gave her a look. "You explained what happened to me and I've relayed it accordingly, but the Bishop wishes to question you herself."
The bishop, a tall woman with raven hair, had exchanged her mitre for a simple nun's covering. "Can you repeat to me what you told your captain in your report earlier?"
Alistair sighed. "We were drinking at the Cafe des Reves, on the terrace overlooking the plaza."
"'We' being you and Miss Greenfield, correct?" The watch commander was scribbling notes onto a tablet.
"I arrived first, but Kyris got there before the ceremony began. When the ceremony began, I noticed a crossbowman on a rooftop across the way."
"What did the crossbowman look like?" The bishop watched Alistair intently.
"Don't know. He was masked and hooded, wearing white robes, similar to what you're wearing." Alistair gestured to the woman. "He had a heavy shoulder-mounted crossbow."
"Did it resemble this?" The watch commander pointed to a huge arbalest that was mounted on the wall.
"No, smaller, but not by much. The feature that stood out was the long-range sight it had. He was attempting to calculate the trajectory of his shot with it." Alistair pulled a device from his robe, setting it on the table. "This is my own crossbow sight, but it's simply a lens with markings for range out to forty yards. The sight he was using had some kind of swinging weight attached, to accurately calculate angle of attack for long distance shots."
The watch commander nodded. "I've seen those sights in use by Legionnaire marksmen, but it wouldn't be out of the question that some were stolen. Continue."
"After I saw him, I motioned to Kyris, who attacked the crossbowman with throwing knives. She hit him once, he let off a stray shot, and I missed my own shot with my crossbow." Kyris rolled her eyes. "After that, we stayed put in the cafe until the panic died down and you got the plaza under control."
Siegfried looked concerned. "Why were you armed while drinking at a cafe?"
Kyris looked surprised at the answer. "You told us yourself that a good mercenary is always ready at the drop of a pin, last time you recruited me for a job."
The fighter gave a meaningful look to the bishop, who nodded. "Everything about your story checks out except for the part where the assassin missed. He did not. Ira, please come in." The woman called to a side door, where, after a brief pause, a robed and hooded girl entered the room. One of the singers and ceremonial attendants. The one that Siegfried knocked out of the way.
"You asked for me, Bishop?" The girl had luminous blue eyes, but was otherwise concealed in her heavy white robes. The bishop turned to the table.
"What I'm about to tell you does not leave this room. Siegfried is aware but nobody else in the city bar the Imperial Magistrate and myself know." Siegfried looked unruffled, but the guard watch commander seemed uneasy. "Ira, remove your occluder."
The girl turned towards the table and unbound the sash at her waist, disrobing herself. She was wearing a simple linen shirt and silken pants underneath, but visible through the light clothing were a series of faintly glowing lines, running across and around her chest and back, down her arms and legs, all seeming to originate from her navel. The bishop stood, walked to her charge, and exposed a sleeve.
"This is a runebinding." The bishop traced the bright blue letters, imprinted onto the girl's skin. "The glyphs are from an ancient language we're unfamiliar with. They appeared on this girl when she came of age, and her priest recognized them for what they were, though he did not understand them." She lowered the sleeve, then turned to face Siegfried. "Siegfried's role was to escort this girl here so she could be placed under the full protection of the Church, while we researched what these bindings actually meant. Unfortunately, someone in the city knows who or what she is."
Siegfried scratched his chin. "The bigger problem is the leak. I took receipt of the girl personally and transported her here without hiring a wagon or anything similar, just two horses, and I made sure she was fully concealed through the trip. I can't see how someone would know of this."
Alistair raised an eyebrow. "That means the info got out before you even started. Anyway, are you sure any of this is relevant? How do you know the assassin meant to kill this girl, and not the bishop?"
The bishop smiled, but there was no mirth in her eyes. "There are no coincidences, Alistair. If that man wanted me dead, the shot would have hit true."
The old warrior nodded, and placed his pierced shinguard on the table, bolt still embedded. "If the bishop didn't convince you, examine the bolt. It's had a homing enchantment placed on it, probably synchronized to the sight you mentioned. Anyone could have taken that shot and struck true."
The watch commander turned to Kyris and placed three throwing knives on the table. "These are yours? Guardmen found two embedded in buildings and one lying in the street."
"I hit with one. Where's the blood?" Kyris picked up the indicated knife, turning it over in her hands. "It's still razor sharp. I have my mark engraved on it, but there's no indication this hit anything at all."
The watch commander shrugged. "We found it on the street under the building you said the man shot from, but you're right. It's essentially as if you threw into air."
Alistair interrupted. "Alright, you've told us the background, and that there's some kind of leak either in the Church or in the Mercenary's Guild. Where do we fit into this? Kyris told me you were going to lead us into an expedition past the Silverhorn, with someone." The wizard paused. "Oh no. You're joking."
Siegfried looked grim. "I originally planned to ask Yuria or Jhor or someone else from the guild to fill us out, but this is on special request from the Bishop herself. Jhor is already going into a frenzy trying to find out who broke the guild's contract confidentiality, and Yuria has been reassigned to help the guards track down the assassin. Ruonde is dangerous for her, and the last thing anyone would expect would be for this girl to be signed onto a Mercenary Guild contract."
"And going on an expedition into uncharted wilderness isn't dangerous?" Kyris had raised her voice. "Look at her? She's fifteen or sixteen at most. Ira, are you a trained fighter or magician?"
The girl seemed taken aback. "I am...I was just the daughter of an innkeeper. No training at arms or scholarship."
Kyris wheeled onto Siegfried. "We're going into gods know what, to face anything and everything the Silverhorn can throw at us, and you expect this girl to do what, exactly? Freeze to death first? We're not babysitters, Siegfried, we're mercenaries. Even if we didn't have to take care of her, if she can't pull her weight it makes things more dangerous for the rest of us."
The warrior's face hardened. "Were you expecting this job to be safe, girl? It'll be far less dangerous on the road, where we can identify and deal with hazard face to face, and she has an experienced team guarding her. That is, unless you don't think you're up to the contract?"
Kyris swelled up a bit; Alistair intervened. "Stop implying things. You've made it clear there isn't a choice in the matter, and we've been informed of the circumstance. Are we done for today?"
The bishop had nodded, closing her eyes. The old warrior gave the wizard a glowering look. "We leave in two days. Both of you get your things together and get kitted out at the guildhall. I'll make sure Ira is ready for the trip - we meet at the guildhall at the crack of dawn. I'll have more details then." Kyris was boiling. Alistair grabbed the ranger by the shoulder as he got up; he marched her out of the room quickly.
---
"Everybody tied up their loose ends?" It was the crack of dawn at the side entrance to the Mercenary's Guild, where a group of people in grey cloaks stood in a light morning mist. A line of packhorses were standing in the road, already laden with supplies, but it seemed the rest of the group would be on foot. One figure, larger than the rest, had a mailed hand outstretched, barking orders.
"Get the water tankards secured properly, they're the most important thing we have. And get those clothes packed in." He turned to the smaller figure standing next to him, clad in heavy woolen robes. "Are you ready for this, Ira?"
The girl nodded and gave the man a bright smile. "Of course, Lord Siegfried. Thank you again for allowing me with you."
"I'm no lord, girl, just an old soldier." Siegfried looked up. "About time those two got here."
Two more robed figures appeared in the mist and approached. The first was striding confidently, with a small shoulderpack, load bearing belt, and a long rapier sheathed against her leg. The other was trodding relatively slowly with a gigantic pack on his back. Siegfried nodded. "Tyris, Alistair. You have everything you need?"
The ranger nodded. "Everything I need that I won't be able to salvage. Alistair on the other hand decided to bring his entire lab bench."
"Is that any way to be speaking to the guy who will be mixing your potions and salves?" Alistair shifted his pack. "I have no idea what grows out there or if certain supplies are available, so I had to take enough supply to keep this entire expedition going."
Siegfried nodded. "Get your gear onto that last packhorse, he's yours and mine. The other three are all for the surveyor team, who I need to introduce you to." The warrior began pointing at the men in the front.
"Jans is the Imperial Navigator, team leader, has a commission from the Emperor himself. Armin next to him is the cartographer. Eldin, Wex, and Marko are pioneers and hunters." He shifted his gaze to the smaller figure tidying up the second packhorse. "Runa is our healer and physician. Our contract is to protect those six as they do their job, follow their orders, and bring them back to the Empire alive. In addition to that," he gestured to Ira, "we make sure this girl gets back to the church at all costs." Siegfried lowered his voice. "The church and guild have both made it clear that this is our highest priority, and if things go south to get her back home, even at the expense of everyone else, us included."
Kyris looked shocked. "Breaking a guild contract? Are you joking, Siegfried?"
The warrior held a grim expression. "Last night a pact was signed and sealed in secret regarding this girl, with the imperial magistrate and the bishop participating. She gets back alive at all costs. This is the utmost priority." He blinked. "After we get back in a couple of months we're going to the Imperial Capital anyway, and we drop her off at the Grantower Cathedral. No muss and no fuss if we do our jobs properly."
Alistair frowned. "I didn't agree to this part of the contract, so I'll ask the mercenary's question. What's in it for me?"
"Ten thousand gold split between the three of us." Siegfried tapped his chest. "Technically awarded to the guild itself, but the pact says I may distribute it as I see fit, so it'll be split evenly."
Kyris nodded and said nothing as she moved towards the packhorses. Alistair seemed lost in thought. "Who and what is she, anyway?"
"Nobody knows. Not even her." siegfried shook his head. "Get your stuff on the packhorse and lets move out. We have two day's travel to get to the foot of the Silverhorn." He led the girl to the back of the line. Alistair moved to the front, where the surveyor team was tying down the last of their implements.
"Ah, you must be the wizard!" A tall man thrust a hand at Alistair. "Jans Horwind, at your service, Navigator First Class."
Alistair took the hand. "Alistair of the Waynwood. It's nice to meet you."
The man laughed. "Pleasure's all mine, I can assure you. Never thought I'd be out on an adventure with a real adventuring team. Fighter, ranger, wizard, cleric, it's just like the old fables." Alistair wondered who the cleric was.
The woman on the other side of the horse stepped around. "Best hope it's not like those fables, Jans. The adventurers get fame and fortune, and we get eaten by dragons or somesuch. My name is Runa." She cocked her head at Alistair. "Do you mind telling your leader that we're ready to go? The sooner we leave the better, I can't stand being in Ruonde."
Alistair nodded. "We'll be moving shortly."
"Good, good." Jans gave a toothy smile. "And tell him to lighten up a bit, would you? The old man looks constipated."