Chương 104: Lord Ceonwin's Theory

I rushed back to the site of the ambush. The Dupe guard who'd taken an arrow to the neck was dead, but Sage knelt over the messenger, panting and clutching her own neck. I settled down beside her, then asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'm—" she gasped, coughing.

"I'm fine. I absorbed the pain." She gulped, trying to steady herself.

"The damage, some of it, too. I shuffled it down into my legs, where it doesn't matter. Most of it. I'll have some bruising. A little internal bleeding."

"Are you going to need help?" I asked.

"I'll—I'll be fine. Check him." She motioned to the messenger.

"I'm more worried about you. Remember your legs—""I'm stronger than when I lost my legs," she insisted.

"I'll be fine, dustbrain. Check the messenger. He's more important." I reached over to the messenger, but he was already blinking, coming to. Someone had ripped the arrow out of his neck, which was for the best—it didn't get healed inside him. The messenger coughed, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"And may I ask your name?" If the messenger was a noble, I wanted to make sure my manners were proper.

"I am Wighere," the man said. Not a noble. Perfect.

"You survived an assassination attempt," I said. I didn't reveal who was responsible yet, but I'd leave the smooth talking to Lord Ceonwin. For now, we had to get him back to Castle Urcia, where it was slightly safer. Then we could figure out what the hell was going on.

"Recover your strength. Our healer did her best with you," I said.

"It seems like you'll pull through." The man nodded, but he was still in a daze. He'd lost a lot of blood, and Sage couldn't quite fix that.

"Sage, Brawl's going to need help. And we have an injured horse. Think you can lend a hand?" She dipped her head.

"I've got it, yes. Morph?" Morph, in golem form, lifted her up, then carried her out into the woods where we'd chased down the Subtle Man. First, she healed Brawl, then turned to the Subtle Man's injured horse and healed it, too. We set it loose into the woods. Maybe someone would find it, maybe not.

"You hid the body?" I asked Anchor and Brawl. They nodded.

"No one will find it, brother," Brawl added.

"Buried under a few shrubs, then a layer of dirt. The wolves and worms will make him disappear before anyone else finds him."

"Good. Let's get moving." I rushed back to the road, my squad in tow, then told the surviving Dupe guards, "Come with us. I have another squad of regulars behind us, following in this direction. They'll deal with your fallen brother, and then join us again."

"Where are you taking us?" one of the Dupes asked.

"We're returning to Castle Urcia. All of us." ~ ~ ~ We didn't head directly back. First, I debriefed Finger. I met him back at the abandoned farmhouse after gathering up all the other squads. Romance's squad, disappointingly, wasn't here, though it was probably for the best. At least he hadn't been part of a mission that had only been inches away from disaster. I only told Finger, "We found the Messenger, and we'll be taking him back to Castle Urcia.

Finish your objectives, as you were given them, but don't spread the word about this." He leaned forward and said softly, "If anyone asks, tell them we were here by luck."

"Lucky Levi. If you say so. But how are you going to explain any of this?" he asked.

"I'm still working on it. Until then, stay safe." This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

"Indeed." Finger handed me a leather pouch.

"We harvested the Presences from the orcs. This is your share." Once I took the pouch, he added, "Again, we owe you one. Brother."

"Hey, I'm just a sergeant. You're still a lieutenant."

"And you're a sapper."

"Yeah. Well, I'll see your guys around, then." I gathered up my squad, the messenger's guards, and the messenger himself, then set off back toward Castle Urcia. No matter how much I wanted to help Finger clean things up and finish the objectives, it was far more important that the messenger actually arrived at Castle Urcia. ~ ~ ~ When we returned to Castle Urcia, a day and a half later, my squad and I, escorting the messenger, immediately tracked down Lord Ceonwin.

He was in his office, but Sir Sidal stood outside, hand on the hilt of his sword. The thegn said, "He's just finishing a letter. Give him a moment."

"We have an important message for him," I said, glancing back at the messenger. We'd left the guards outside, but me and my squad stuck close. Over the course of the ride, I'd tried to pry the message from the messenger's lips, but he insisted that it was for Lord Ceonwin, and he would not deliver it unless Ceonwin was present. Sir Sidal examined the messenger as we waited, then suggested, "Perhaps we should have one of my lord's druids look over him? He looks…unsteady."

"It has been a trying few days," the messenger replied.

"But it would have been worse without these four." He motioned to us.

"I will speak highly of them."

"Still, I insist," Sir Sidal said.

"I will have one of them check your vitals to ensure you are in prime condition. After all, you're no Path-walker." Grudgingly, the messenger accepted. Sir Sidal led him away. As we waited in front of the door, Sage muttered, "They don't like my healing, apparently. Or they don't trust it." Anchor shook his head.

"Sir Sidal was being crafty." She blinked.

"What do you mean?" A second later, the door to the office swung open, and Lord Ceonwin glanced out. When he saw us, he nodded, then motioned for us.

"Come inside," he said.

"We won't have long before the messenger comes back." I stepped in, and my squad followed. Already, they'd begun clearing out the office, and though it wasn't perfect, there was more room to stand—and the window was clear, letting in warm afternoon light.

"Did you know something was wrong?" I asked.

"This is to do with the Warlord. There's always something amiss," Lord Ceonwin muttered.

"But the way you look, something is more than just amiss. Tell me what happened." With the help of the others, we explained what we'd encountered in as much detail as we could, and what exactly we'd done. Lord Ceonwin's face turned to a scowl throughout the explanation, then to concern.

"We told Finger not to spread the word, and to say that it was just luck that I'd been there at all," I finished.

"It's worse than I thought," Lord Ceonwin said. He nudged the door shut, then lowered his voice.

"What are your theories?"

"I have my guesses, sir, but I don't want to come to any wrong conclusions," I said.

"You're the one with experience in this field." Lord Ceonwin pulled a quill out of an inkwell, then tapped off the tip on the rim of the well.

"The messenger was never supposed to arrive. And you're certain it was a Subtle Man who you encountered?"

"Yes, sir."

"All of you saw this?" My entire squad nodded, and provided, "Yes, sir."

"He was using sapper arrows, so he knew you would be coming. Someone was trying to frame you for the killing of the messenger." Lord Ceonwin drew a line across a fresh piece of parchment.

"They needed a squad in the area, sent by me, and they had to trick me, too. They gave us a mission we'd never refuse. Whether you succeeded or failed didn't matter, as long as you were in the area, and could be blamed for the messenger's death."

"Did you realize this?" I asked.

"Not until moments ago," Lord Ceonwin replied.

"They're getting better at outwitting us. They've learned from Oschester, apparently."

"What was the point, though?" Sage accused.

"What would any of that accomplish? Framing us for killing a messenger?" Lord Ceonwin shook his head.

"It would make it look like I sent a squad to kill the messenger. Which would be a direct act of rebellion against the Warlord, and effectively, denying whatever message we were supposed to receive."

"It was never supposed to get to us…" I muttered.

"Why, sir?" Anchor asked.

"Wait until we receive the message. If it is what I think it is, then it will make far more sense. Until then, I must thank you four. Without you, the Warlord would've succeeded, and I would be in a far worse position right now. You would too, though, I suppose. It would've been the gallows for all of us." I gulped.

"Probably not just the gallows, sir. Drawing and quartering is the punishment for traitors." He glanced at Sage.

"I didn't wish to grace a lady's ears with that."

"I've seen worse, father," Sage replied blankly.

"I was there when you executed the portreeve." He looked at her, sighed, then glanced back at me.

"Sir Sidal bought us enough time to speak privately, even if my excuse was a little contrived. Now we await his return." We waited a few more minutes, in silence, before Sir Sidal stepped into the room with the messenger.

"Lord Ceonwin," the messenger announced.

"I bring word from the Warlord. It is for you and your most trusted advisors."

"Go on," Lord Ceonwin said.

"I trust these four, and they can hear what you have to say." The messenger reached inside his pouch, then retrieved a letter and placed it down on the table.

"Very well. My master, the Warlord, demands that you host a trial-joust."