FOREVER KNIGHTS: #3 Forsaking the Vanquished

WaterRose, Meadow Mountain, Grier Country

LUCIEN & RHYERS

Lucien jerked, his glass of Sebastian’s fine sherry slipping from his grip, against the armrest, and into his lap. Glass shattering. “Dammit.”

“What?” A soft voice asked from further back in the shelves.

“Bloody Hell!” He twisted in the red chair to see over the back. “How long have you been back there?” He already knew what woman that was.

The only one living in these walls…

“Long enough to have slit your throat for locking me in my chambers…”

“Won’t happen again.” He cleared his throat. Nervously adjusting the glass shards around his crotch.

“What startled you? I made no sound.”

“No, you certainly didn’t.” He grimaced. “Bast.”

“Sebastian?” She frowned. A book scraping onto a shelf, paused.

“He calls us.” He tapped the side of his head. Still squinting around shelves until he spotted the flash of floating red eyes in the bleakest corner. “Oh, there you are.” He shuddered.

She unsettles me. She moves too silent.

“Lucien!” The call came again.

“What! I bloody well hear you. What!”

“We need you in LandingTown!”

“When?” He looked around him, unsure which direction the voice came from.

“Now!” Bast roared. Feral in his cry.

“Rhyers!” Lucien shouted. Gingerly climbing from the chair.

“What?” The answer came from upstairs. Then thudding down the steps.

“Bast needs us in LandingTown.” He swept off his damp pants and turned to leave the room but a biting grip on his forearm made him rear back. Jerking away as he faced the red eyed woman.

“Let me go with you?” She pleaded.

“What?” He frowned at her. “Not a chance! Bast would have my tail.”

“I can help.”

“With what? Eating our survivors?”

Red eyes turned blue and narrowed on him. “I’m not as bad as that.”

“I don’t know what you are.”

Disconcerting. You’re disconcerting.

Devil woman.

“Is there someone to clean up the glass?” He gestured back at the chair.

Her face fell. “I will. Just go help him.” She said softly.

Lucien frowned at her. She sounded almost…Concerned.

Outskirts of LandingTown, Igonox

Sebastian and Deragan now watched the cottage on the outskirts of Landingtown. Where they’d trailed the boy’s scent to.

Bast glanced up gratefully when Lucien arrived. “We need a plan.”

Lucien knelt next to them to peer over a pile of logs. Looking to his right and assessing the trees and the number of huts. He checked his left. His eyes worked down the road ahead of them. Moving methodically over the threats and possible directions. Inspecting each hut in detail and tuning into the sounds emerging from each.

“How many?” Lucien asked.

“I’ve no idea.” Bast eyed him askance. “How would I know that?” He glanced at the Captain crouched next to him. “Would you know that?”

“He’s talking to me.”

Both the Captain and Bast jumped at the sound of Rhyers’ voice from directly behind them.

“I hate when you do that.” Even the Captain was annoyed with his silent movements tonight.

“We can’t hear you at all.” Bast twisted to glower at him.

“He was at the castle.” Lucien explained apologetically. As though he’d brought an uninvited guest to a party.

“Well I’m happy to help.” Rhyers said ruefully. “You have six.”

“That’s not bad.” Lucien said.

“Sarabi.” Rhyers finished.

“That’s impossible.” Lucien slumped.

“I took that boy in when he was barely old enough to walk. We’re not letting them kill him.” Bast hissed to the others.

“No one said we were.” The Captain stated in his characteristically calm tone. “Be still Sebastian and let us think.”

“Two will come from the second road down there.” Lucien pointed to the right. “One will come from just next to us. One down there, from behind the hut. And there’s two waiting inside. Our best bet is to go in with blunt strength. Rip in and rip out. Retreat behind the hut toward the NetherRunnel, Sarabis don’t like water, then we’ll circle back later.”

“It’s a good plan.” Deragan commented.

“Ye. But ye fools need some brawn to get through the wall.” Mardichi strolled down the road. Not bothering to hide as he looked at them in their hiding spot.

Deragan stood and looked darkly at Mardichi.

Whose chest deflated some. “I meant, thems fools, Captain.” Mardichi nodded toward the rest of the group still crouched.

“How’d you find us?” Lucien groaned.

“Smelled ye.”

“From where?”

“Hunting.” Mardichi said with a broad grin. “But we need to make this quick. I was hoping for a dram at the Bull’s Eye.”