The Baldari (Book 3) (18 page)

Kaler’s opponents had thought to wear him down.  The two of them were fair swordsmen and could stay out of reach of his deadly blade while he was forced to defend from their coordinated attacks.  Soon enough he would tire and then they could have their fun.  Unfortunately, they had never encountered someone with Kaler’s skill and stamina.  He didn’t tire as they expected, and actually pressed the attack.  They both realized that this was more of a fight than they had expected, and that no mistakes were allowed.  He who miscalculated would pay dearly.  Unfortunately for the two men, there was no retreating.  Turning away was a sure way to get killed.  Then, one of the men missed a feint, and as he struggled to get his blade back in position to defend against the coming attack, Kaler showed him the penalty for inattention.  As the man slid to the ground, Kaler smiled at the remaining swordsman.  He could see that Daria was just finishing off the second of the bandits who had hoped to subdue her.  He wouldn’t dispatch his own enemies first this time, but he wouldn’t be far behind.

What would have been a long ride in years past was a matter of moments as Daria used her new skill to create a
Doorway
back to the hill behind the bandit’s farmhouse.  They would go back for the horses and wagon when this was finished.  Before coming here, they had stripped the saddles from the bandit’s horses and turned them loose.  They would do well enough until someone found them wandering free.  The bandits certainly wouldn’t need them anymore.  Daria and Kaler had collected their spent arrows and the thrown knives, leaving nothing of their own behind.

Everything looked calm and normal down below.  It should be.  It was far too soon for those who had remained behind to be expecting their six companions to be returning.  In the meantime, those still here were going about their day.  They had guessed that another six might be inside, but over the next glass Kaler moved the assessment upwards. 

“Seven or eight,” he said as another of the bandits walked outside and over to the water trough before returning back into the structure.

Daria thought eight, but the uncertainty was driven by a pair of individuals who were dressed similarly.  Had it been one person, or two different individuals who had come outside separated by a few minutes? 

“I think it’s about time,” she said finally.  “Seven or eight, it doesn’t matter much. They aren’t expecting any trouble, and will be easily taken.”

The bandits weren’t completely lax.  They had a guard posted atop the large, nearly flat, roof of the farmhouse.  From there he could see in every direction for a considerable distance.  The hill that Daria and Kaler had watched behind was the only one in the vicinity.  The road back toward the village worked its way into the hills after a while, but in the other directions it was all flatlands.  The group could expect to be warned well in advance if someone approached during the daylight hours.  At night, they probably had several people on the roof, and more than likely made periodic patrols of the outside.  Daria and Kaler hadn’t seen any patrols the previous night when they were here, but they hadn’t stayed that long either.

Their first action was to take care of the two men in the barn.  They were working on an old wagon, repairing one of the wheels and making enough noise they wouldn’t have heard Daria and Kaler had they been careless.  As silently as they moved, the two bandits weren’t aware they were in danger until it was too late.  From the darkened entryway, they could still see the man on top of the roof.  When he was facing the other way, Daria made another
Doorway
, and the two fighters stepped out of the sky behind the man. He died without knowing he’d been cut.  The
Doorway
was an assassin’s dream.  The safe and secure watch post was anything but when your enemy could appear without needing to cover the open ground you were relying on for protection.  Daria couldn’t help but wonder what she could have done in years past with the ability she now possessed.

Three down.  That left four or five below.  Kaler knelt next to the ladder in the center of the roof and listened to the movement below.  Silently Daria pointed to where the men below were located.  It was five.  One moved slowly and oddly, but they both knew where they all were.  It was remotely possible that others were in a bedroom asleep, but that was unlikely this time of day.  Indicating their respective targets by location, they prepared to make their sudden entry into the rooms below. 

They didn’t know the layout, but a stealthy peek suggested a large room, with a kitchen off to one side.  Four of the men were in the main room, and the fifth, the one who walked oddly, was in the kitchen. 

“Don’t kill the leader,” Daria whispered softly and unnecessarily.  Not only did she want to finish that one herself, she had a few questions to put to him before he died.  Daria wanted to know what they had done with the stolen goods, and what had happened to the three young girls. 

Going to the ladder would be too slow.  They wouldn’t be partway down before someone realized it wasn’t their fellow bandit.  Daria would go first.  She moved like liquid smoke, and would be able to make the drop and roll.  Depending on whether anyone happened to be looking, they might not even know she had entered the room.  Kaler would drop down last.  He had learned a great deal, but anyone of his size and bulk simply wasn’t going to be silent dropping from such a height.  Daria would cover his entrance, and once both were down, they would deal with their respective targets.

Flashing Kaler an encouraging smile, Daria wrapped the veil around her face.  Her hair was already covered, concealing both the length and color.  Only her eyes showed at the moment.  The day before, there had been no chance any of the men would live.  Today, she could think of reasons where someone might survive.  A message might be sent.  Just in case, she had prepared herself so that any survivors would not be able to identify her.  Everything in place, she stepped forward and dropped out of sight.  Kaler gave her a three count and followed after her.  Daria hit and rolled smoothly.  Her roll took her partway across the floor ending up almost at the feet of one of the bandits who was sitting in a chair eating an apple.  As she unwound, Daria buried the knife in her hand up to the hilt in the mans neck, giving it a sharp pull to ensure the appropriate items were severed. 

The remaining residents noted what had happen and reacted remarkably swiftly.  One picked up a chair with the intent of smashing it across Daria’s back, while two of the others dashed toward the wall where their swords were stashed.  The last occupant, an older man with a long beard and a large wooden stump for one leg, grabbed a large carving knife and backed deeper into the kitchen.  He wasn’t much of a fighter any longer as his vision was marginal, at best. 

The man with the chair rethought his plan as Kaler thumped solidly to the floor behind him.  Turning to deal with the new threat, he tried to swing the chair.  Despite the thick hardwood from which it was made, the chair was no match for the magically enhanced Kellmore steel blade of Kaler’s weapon, especially when swung by someone with his strength and purpose.  The blade passed through the wood and then on into the chest cavity of the man holding the chair.  That quickly the number of adversaries was reduced to three, and Daria could see that the older man in the kitchen wasn’t going to be a problem. 

Thus far Kaler and Daria had eliminated eleven of the troublesome bandits.  That was a surprising number for just two of them, but they hadn’t fought fair.  This wasn’t about fair.  They had divided the group into smaller groups, used magic to be where they wouldn’t be expected to be, and had killed several from ambush.  In each encounter, the odds had been considerably reduced.  That was the case now.  Only two adversaries remained that were of any concern.  One, Daria wanted alive.  The other was expendable.  Both were now armed, but fighting inside a room, even a big one wasn’t the easiest thing to do.  They tried to double team Kaler, but he was simply too much for them.  He kicked aside furniture, and with powerful swings cut through anything that stood between himself and the two men.  Daria made sure the older one stayed put, and waited for an opportunity. 

Kaler pretended to slip backwards, and when one of the men lunged to take advantage, he quickly recovered and lopped off a hand.  That left just the leader, who saw that this wasn’t going his way and turned and started for the back door.  The knife Daria buried in the door as he reached for it, was enough for him to turn and face the two fighters who were now both focused on him.  He tossed aside his sword in hopes that might save him from the fate his men had suffered.

Some people think they won’t talk when forced to endure pain.  They are always wrong.  One didn’t have to be too messy if one was skillful enough.  Daria knew just where to make her cuts, and before long after the screaming and crying ended she got her answers.  The leader told her where the goods had been stored, something she had Kaler verify.  Anything that was made from gold had long been sold, but a number of other items were still being stored in a cave not too far from the house.  She also learned about the three woman.  Always happy Bella was dead.  She had been raped to death by the leader and his men, her body tossed down the large dry well out back.  There were other bodies down there as well.  Voni and Uleet had been sold.  Daria had a name for the man who had purchased Voni, and a description and village where she would be likely to find the other.  That would be her next task.  It had been some weeks, but hopefully the others were still alive.

Daria stared at the blubbering man who had been behind the death of her wanderer friends, her stepfather, and the girl she remembered.  He would never be the same after her attentions, but she could see no reason to let him live.  This would be an execution, but it wouldn’t be the first by any means.  She withdrew a blade from well back in her vest.  Carefully she extracted the blade from the special sheath and made a final cut in the man’s chest.  It wasn’t deep, and it wasn’t long, but it would be enough.  Satisfied, she put the blade away.

Finally, she turned to the old man who Kaler had long ago disarmed and told to sit out of the way.  The man had watched fearfully as Daria had extracted the information she sought.

“Who are you?” he asked uncertainly as Daria walked over to where he sat.

“I’ve been known in the past as the
KalaBhoot
,” Daria said softly, her eyes burning into those of the man.  She could see that he was, or at least had been, very much like the rest of these vandals.

The old man paled visibility and sat back as if he’d been slapped.  The name was one he hadn’t heard in a very long time, and even back then it had been spoken fearfully and usually in whispers.

“The
KalaBhoot
is a man,” he said contradicting her claim.  Even though she was disguised, he could tell that he was speaking with a woman.  No man had eyes like that, nor a voice so alluring.

“Are you so certain,” she whispered.  It didn’t matter if he was to learn otherwise.  There were already rumors that proclaimed as much.  Daria kept the secrets of the
KalaBhoot
as much out of habit and for the mystique.  It had been many years since she had been very active.  Besides, whatever this old man claimed would be added to the vast network of stories, believed or not depending on the person who heard the tale.  Most, she knew, would discount it.  Few believed a woman could have done what she had.

The old man hesitated.  There had been rumors the assassin might be female, but almost none believed them.

“That
KalaBhoot
is dead,” he said uncertainly, trying a different approach.  There had also been rumors the assassin had been killed.  Those were almost certainly true.  The stories of new killings had died away years ago.  How could that be if the assassin hadn’t been killed?

“Do you think so?” Daria asked without breaking the man’s gaze.  “Look around you.  How many of you were there yesterday?  How many are still alive now?  Who do you think killed your friends?  A ghost?”

The man looked at the bodies that lay scattered around the farmhouse.  After a moment he began to believe.  If what the woman said was true, the rest of the band were dead as well, just as he expected when the two knife wielding terrors came down from the roof.

“What about me?” he asked nervously.  The
KalaBhoot
had a reputation of leaving no one alive who had wronged her friends.

“You weren’t involved.  Not this time.  At least not directly.  You are certainly as bad as the rest, but you may live if you do as I ask.  You will be my messenger.  Spread the word. Tell everyone that attacking the Wanderers is not something to consider lightly.  The Wanderers are the
KalaBhoot’s
friends.  Any who take action against them does so at their own risk.  I will find them and they will pay.  Tell them!  Tell everyone what has happened here.”

“What of him?” the old man asked, looking at the shaking and broken man who had been the leader of the group.

“Take him with you.  The ride will be an experience for him.  He won’t live, but you are welcome to try.”

A short time later they watched the two men ride away.

“Do you think he can find the village?” Kaler asked.  “He’s nearly blind after all, and it is getting dark.”

“He said his horse knows the way.  If not, someone will find him tomorrow.  He’ll live, but I can’t say as much for his leader.”

“The poison?” Kaler asked, having recognized the knife she used.

Daria nodded.  “The ride and his other wounds will hasten and aggravate the poison.  It will not be a pleasant journey for either of them, and will end predictably for the former head of this band.  Come, we have work to do before dawn arrives.”

The first thing was a return to the Wanderer camp.  Daria sought out Nadine and told her what they had found and what had happened to Bella.  Nadine reminded her there were two other girls to find.  Then they told Torusk what had happened, and with a group gathered from the men in the camp, they returned to the farmhouse.  Wood and lamp oil were tossed down the well in large quantities, and then set afire.  Their friend would be cremated as was proper. 

Next they went back to the cave Kaler had checked on earlier, where they recovered the items that had been taken from the Wanderer wagons.  The cave was where the bandit leader had said it would be and the goods that hadn’t been sold off were scattered around the small room inside the front opening.  Daria attempted to make a
Doorway
inside the cave but the resulting arch was noticeably odd.  The bordering edge was faintly purple, and the area under the arch shimmered somehow.  While she had become used to seeing nothing in the arch besides the local scenery, she was certain she saw a ghost-like figure moving in the faint mist that seemed to fill the space under the arch.  Uncertain what had happened, and not wanting to take any chances, she closed the
Doorway
, and went outside the cave to make another.  This time the
Doorway
opened normally.  The artifacts were taken through to the orphanage.  Daria would arrange for them to be passed along to the wizards at the Outpost later.  After this was done and the borrowed wagon and horses recovered, Daria bid a temporary farewell to her friends.