The Pendant Read online

  Dean took the opportunity to formally introduce his friends to Candrel and explain to them how they had been rescued. Though grateful to the imps, Brodin was concerned that they had been forced to leave their horses and supplies behind, but Candrel assured him that other imps had already been sent to retrieve them. Getting the humans away as quickly and quietly as possible had been his priority. Once they had put enough distance between themselves and the captors, it did not matter if his fellow imps disturbed the guards while retrieving their belongings.

  “You had better send a message to my brother,” Brodin said to Dean. “He should know what has happened.”

  Dean nodded. “I will try to find a bird.” He asked Candrel if he knew where would be a good place to locate one and, when he explained why, the imp laughed so much he fell onto the ground, clutching his stomach. “What is so funny?” Dean asked indignantly.

  Tears were still streaming down the imp’s face when he stood up again. “I cannot believe you are using such dumb animals as messengers. It is a wonder any get through properly.”

  “Do you have a better suggestion?”

  “Use maras of course,” Candrel replied. “They are far more intelligent. You have seen how fast they can run and they have great endurance. On top of that, these ones are tame, but there are a lot running wild so the message can be passed around and will spread like wildfire.”

  Dean inspected the beast critically. Now that it was becoming light he could see it better. Of all the maras present, Mamoss was the largest. It nearly came up to his knees and was quite stocky. It was covered in short, coarse hair, brown on the head and body, almost black on the rump and white on the belly. It was gazing at him with its dark brown eyes, which shone with intelligence. The derogatory words he was about to say died in his mouth.

  “But birds can fly,” he said lamely. “They can spot my friends easier from the sky.”

  Candrel made a rude noise in response which completely summed up his opinion of birds and their ability to find people, either on the ground or in the air.

  “Okay,” Dean said, holding his hands up in surrender. After all, there was no harm in giving a mara a go. The imps had probably saved his life, so trusting them was the least he could do. “Which one do you want me to use?”

  Candrel whistled and half a dozen imps appeared, seemingly from out of nowhere. They must have been in the nearby trees, but how they moved so fast and so invisibly Dean had no idea. Candrel told them that he needed use of their best tracker and one of the imps disappeared, returning moments later with his mara in tow. He did not look happy, throwing Dean a venomous glare before patting the animal affectionately.

  “An imp and his mara can become quite attached,” Candrel explained, looking at the other imp sympathetically. “Go ahead and give your instructions.”

  “How long do you think it will take for the mara to travel to Vada?” Dean asked. Candrel had not heard of the city, but recognised the description and gave his opinion. “Are you sure?” Dean asked in surprise. The number of days seemed far too short. Candrel nodded his head, so Dean turned to the designated mara and explained what he required of it. He described the city of Vada and how to get there. Having never personally been there, he was glad that Seth and Dal have been able to give him a detailed account, especially of the palace, where he hoped everyone was still staying. The animal confirmed it knew the place and had been there before, so Dean gave a quick rundown of recent events and asked the mara to tell everything to Sam. He then described her, and all of the people she would be with, in great detail. Once the animal confirmed it was happy that it would recognise any one of them, he gave one final instruction. If the mara could not locate any of those humans Dean had described within two sunsets of arriving in the city, the animal was to return immediately to its master.

  “One more thing,” Dean called out as the mara was about to depart. It turned and looked at him. “Please tell Sam I miss her.”

  Candrel had overheard Dean telling the mara to return, even if his message had not been delivered. “That was very kind of you,” he said.

  Dean shrugged his shoulders. “I cannot guarantee my friends will still be there so there is no point in making the mara try in vain to find them.”

  “You are a good person.” Candrel looked up into the sky. “It is time we were moving on. This wood is not big. We will lead you to the other side. The road you were travelling on circles around it so you will easily be able to find your way again.” Dean relayed what had been said to the others and they prepared to continue their journey.

  The sun was high in the sky when the trees began to thin and they walked out of the wood and into a meadow. They did not have to wait long before the sound of galloping horses could be heard.

  “Am I imagining things, or are there imps riding some of the horses?” Seth asked in amazement when their mounts came into sight.

  “It looks like it,” Dean confirmed.

  Candrel, however, was furious and angrily berated his brethren when they slipped off the horses’ backs, landing neatly on the ground. “What were you thinking?” he yelled. “If you had fallen you would have been killed. Who was in charge?” They all pointed at an older looking imp, who shifted about uncomfortably under Candrel’s stare. “I might have known,” he muttered before turning his attention to another of the imps, who appeared to be female. “And what are you sulking about?”

  The imp pouted. “They would not let me throw the bad men in the river.”

  “She wanted to drown them,” the older imp called out before Candrel’s glare silenced him.

  “We do not kill,” he said coldly, turning his attention back to the female. “You know that.”

  “Yes father,” she said meekly.

  “What did you do with them?” Dean asked, amused by the exchange.

  “We left them tied up,” she replied in a sulky voice. “I was not even allowed to stab them.”

  Seth, Dal, Cirren and Brodin had been inspecting the horses, making sure all of their belongings had been secured onto them. The vines that had been used as ropes were surprisingly strong and would have to be cut with a sharp knife. “Where did the extra horses come from?” Brodin asked. “And all this extra gear?”

  Dean translated for Candrel, who posed the same question to the retrieval party. “What extra?” came the reply. “They just brought back everything that was there.”

  Dean started to laugh. “It must belong to the men who captured us,” he informed the Prince. “What should we do with it all?”

  “Keep it,” Brodin decided. “It is always good to have spare mounts and there is no harm in having extra supplies. We can sell a couple of the horses later if we need to.”

  “So let me get this straight,” Seth said. “Fajfah and his murdering buddies are securely tied up by the side of the road with no way of freeing themselves, no horses, no spare clothes and no food.”

  “And your point is?” Dean enquired.

  “No point. I just wanted to know if it sounded as good out loud as it did in my head.”

  “And no money,” Cirren said. He had been inspecting the bags he knew did not belong to the party, in case there was anything of use in them. He held out a money bag filled with coins and grinned broadly.

  “I kind of feel sorry for Fajfah,” Dean said. “He did argue against our deaths.”

  “Well I for one do not,” Dal snapped at him. “After what he did to Oak he deserves everything he gets. I just hope nobody finds them for a long long time. I have heard that dying of thirst is very unpleasant.”

  “Calm down,” Seth said, putting his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “I do not think that is likely to happen. We were close to a river, remember. Even if they do not manage to free themselves, they should be able to manoeuvre themselves over to it eventually.”

  “Should we head for the nearest city?” Cirren asked. “We can find the local regiment of soldiers and report what happened.”

  Brod
in thought for a minute, then shook his head. “It will just be our word against theirs. On top of that, we would have to remain in the city until after the trial, which is a delay we cannot afford. I hate to say this, but I think there is nothing we can do as far as justice for Oak is concerned. For now at least. But Fajfah and those men had better spend the rest of their lives praying that we never set eyes on them again. What they did I can neither forgive nor forget and I am sure you all feel the same way.”

  There were murmurs of agreement. The conversation was interrupted by Candrel asking if anything was wrong. Dean explained what they had been talking about before thanking the imps for all of their help and saying it was time to be moving on. Candrel said it had been his pleasure and if he could ever be of help again, he would. Imps lived in most places, unseen by humans, and could always be called upon in times of need.

  Dean promised to remember that and said goodbye. The humans watched as the imps and their mara disappeared from sight once more into the wood. “And then there were five,” Dal said mournfully. “I really hope that Tor’s group is still intact.”

  Late the next morning, a bird arrived to deliver a message from Sam. “They are no longer at the palace,” Dean informed the others, who had pulled their horses in beside his and were eagerly awaiting the news. “Tallon’s brother has the royal seal and is currently staying in Kavern.”

  “Oh no,” Dal said. “I am glad I am not with them. That is the last place I want to go back to. I hope they keep Patrick on a tight leash.”

  “There is some good news,” Dean continued. “They have found a likely place for our final destination. The far side of Mercia’s mountain range.”

  Brodin frowned. “I have never heard of anyone ever crossing those mountains and coming back alive. Are you sure?”

  “That is what the bird said.”

  “We can worry about that later. For now we need to concentrate on finding the Grundle’s lair.” He was about to order them to start moving once more when a thought occurred to him. “You had better send another message to Sam, now that we know she is no longer in Vada.”

  Dean asked for a description of the route Tor and his team would most likely be taking then asked the bird, who had perched itself on Dal’s arm while she fed it some dried seeds she had stored in her bag, if it would mind returning to Sam. Once it had eaten its fill, the bird finally agreed and Dean repeated the message he had given to the mara. “I hope this one gets to her okay,” he said to himself as he watched the bird fly off.

  Chapter 13

  It was too late at night to pay a visit to Prince Manus so they decided to spend the time devising a plan. Utel and the Bard told them all they knew of the inn where the Prince was staying, then bid everyone a good night. Ria, complaining of a headache, departed not long afterwards. Sam volunteered to accompany her, but Ria insisted that she just needed somewhere quiet to lie down for a while and said that Sam should remain where she was while discussions were still ongoing. Tor watched her suspiciously as she left the room, closing the door firmly behind her, but said nothing.

  Drugging Manus and stealing the seal seemed the best option available to them, so the only argument was over who should do it. According to Utel, he was always surrounded by friends, associates and other people who would fawn over him. The only time he was alone, and therefore vulnerable, was when he dragged an unfortunate young girl up to his room. Utel had emphasised the word ‘young’. Though he made advances towards slightly older women, his preference was for early teens.

  “I can do this,” Quartilla insisted. “Not only am I the perfect age, but I am the only one of the group he does not know.”

  “No,” Nosmas said. “We have already discussed this. It is too dangerous for you. When you left your father’s estate, you agreed that I was to be your guardian. That means I get to dictate what you do and what you do not do.”

  “Can you reason with him?” she asked Tor.

  “How quickly will the drug take effect?” he asked the wizard. He was not happy about putting Quartilla at risk but, as it was the only viable option, he wanted to explore it further.

  “It will be instantaneous, more or less,” he replied. “But that is irrelevant. She is not doing it.”

  “I could say I am nervous and need a drink,” Quartilla suggested, pretending Nosmas had not spoken. “I cannot see him letting me drink alone. I will slip it into his cup when he is not looking. I will not have to be alone with him for very long.”

  “You will not be alone with him at all,” Nosmas insisted.

  “What if he does not have the royal seal on him,” Sam asked, ignoring Nosmas.

  “We need to make sure he does before we let Quartilla go off with him,” Tor replied. “Any suggestions as to how we can accomplish that?”

  “Is nobody listening to me?” Nosmas asked angrily. “She is not doing it. I will not allow it.”

  “Yes, we heard you. I just think we need to know the full scenario before we rule it out.”

  Nosmas’s reply was interrupted by Patrick walking into the room without knocking. He closed the door and collapsed into a chair. “You are back early,” Tor said sarcastically. “What happened? Did she turn you down?”

  “Of course not,” Patrick snapped, insulted by the comment. “I just could not do it.”

  “Do what exactly?” Sam asked. Patrick’s tone had her worried. Something was seriously bothering him.

  “Seduce her.” He stood up and began pacing the room. “I managed to get her alone and started talking to her, giving her the smouldering looks that always work so well. I knew I had her hooked. She was practically drooling when I suggested we have a nightcap up in her room.” Sam looked at him with disgust, but he didn’t notice. “I moved in to kiss her, but images of Ellen flashed into my head. All I could think about was how disappointed she would be with me.” When he looked at Sam, his face was stricken. “What is wrong with me?”

  “Maybe you are growing up at last,” she suggested.

  Tor looked at his friend with concern. “Perhaps we should call it a night. We can continue this tomorrow.” He glanced out of the window. “Or should I say, later today. We appear to have been talking longer than I thought.” He shot a quick look at Nosmas. “Hopefully everyone will have their tempers under control by then.”

  “Good idea,” the wizard responded. “Quartilla and I need to have a little talk.” She did not look happy as he escorted her from the room towards the one they were sharing.

  “I had better check on Ria,” Sam said, taking Hawk’s arm and pulling him with her. Tor smiled gratefully. He wanted to talk to Patrick alone, but did not want to make it obvious by asking everyone to leave.

  “Stop looking so sorry for yourself,” Tor said as soon as Sam had closed the door. “You have admitted that you loved Ellen. You still do. It is not something you can get over easily. Did you really think her death would have no long term effects on you?”

  Patrick grimaced. “To be honest, I never really thought about it.”

  “Then it is about time you started.”

  The two men talked until dawn. Well, Patrick talked, Tor listened. By the time the first rays of sunlight entered the room, Patrick had accepted the fact that Ellen had changed him. He could no longer see women as objects to be used in any way he saw fit and he vowed never to do so again. Tor was not convinced it was a vow he would be able to keep, but at least it was a step in the right direction.

  Ria glanced out of the window at the moon. The night had started off clear, but clouds were beginning to form and would soon block out a lot of the moonlight. With one final look at the street below her to make sure it was still empty, she jumped, landing neatly onto the roof of the building opposite.

  On her first visit to Kavern she had noticed how close together the buildings were and how easy it would be to travel via rooftop instead of road. Looking down before each leap, to check nobody was watching, she managed to get halfway through the city before she s
aw anyone. She was just about to jump from a bakery to the inn next door when she heard a commotion below her. Peering down, she could make out the shape of a number of young men surrounding a boy. She had no idea what was happening, but things did not look good for the youngster. One of the men held him while another punched him in the stomach. The boy double over and, when he was allowed to drop to the ground, a number of feet started kicking him.

  Ria lowered herself silently to the ground behind them. “Having fun boys?” she asked, grabbing their attention. They swung round, one with his foot still in mid-air. There were five of them, all taller than she was.

  “Beat it,” one sneered at her before turning his attention back to the cowering boy.

  “I am sure I can provide you with more entertainment than this poor wretch.” She smiled at them. Anyone who knew her would be running away as soon as they caught sight of that smile. These men were strangers and other ideas ran through their minds. One was still leering at her when her foot connected with his groin.

  It was a short fight and by the end of it five young men were unconscious on the ground while Ria had barely broken out in a sweat. She walked up to the boy, who was shaking with fear, and helped him to his feet. He looked battered and bruised, but nothing appeared to be broken.

  “You should get out of here,” he whispered. “Those were Bad Willie’s boys and he will not be happy when he hears about this.”

  Ria took great pleasure in telling the boy what she thought of Bad Willie. “Do you know the way to the palace?” she asked casually. The boy nodded his head uncertainly. “Good,” she said. “How does this sound? I will escort you back to your home. If Bad Willie or any of his friends turn up on the way, I can take care of them. In return, you can tell me all you know about the palace.”

  By the time the boy was safely ensconced with his mother, Ria had learned all she needed to know to carry out her plan. Returning to the roof tops once more, she soon located the palace and the window she wanted. First checking for guards, she jumped across to the palace roof. The gap was much greater than any she had traversed that night, but she still reached it easily, without making a sound. She lay flat on her stomach and looked down. The window she wanted was one floor below, so reaching it would not be easy. Although the walls would be filled with small cracks and crevices that she would be able to use as foot and hand holds, the cloud cover that had hidden her movements across the roof tops now acted against her; it was too dark for her to see them. She would have to rely on her sense of touch alone.