The Rogue Knight (13 page)

C
HAPTER

 13 

DISTURBING TIDINGS

B
y the third day, Cole had fallen into the routine of traveling with the caravan. In his role as the plain-faced servant, he could move up and down the line when they made camp at night or paused to eat. While performing errands real or pretended, he kept his eyes and ears open. As long as he had some firewood in his hands or a bucket of water to lug, most people acted like he was invisible.

He spent most of his time riding in the coach with Jace, Twitch, and Joe. Besides fetching firewood and water, his only chores involved bringing Lady Madeline her meals and helping her in and out of her coach. He had plenty of time to daydream about how surprised Dalton would be to see him.

The wagons contained items going to Merriston for trade. A couple of the merchants rode in coaches to accompany multiple wagonloads. The less prosperous merchants drove their own wagons. The other passenger coaches belonged to people returning to Merriston, moving to Merriston, or traveling for business purposes. As far as Cole could tell, only Lucinda was visiting as a tourist.

Konley, the knight accompanying Lucinda, seemed to consider himself above any work besides riding around in armor. At night he removed his iron shell and slept in a tent while his men stood guard. Cole had gathered firewood with Mory, his squire. A couple of years older than Cole, the boy acted like the president of Konley's fan club. Apparently, the knight was very skilled in combat and a favorite of Henrick Stroop, champion of Carthage.

Cole seldom saw Lucinda. She was a moderately pretty girl in her late teens. Her dark hair had lots of curls, and Cole thought she wore too much makeup. She spent most of her time in her coach. Whenever Cole saw her, she was wearing a dress and a fancy hat.

After lunch on the third day, while Cole helped Skye into her coach, she invited him to join her and Mira for the afternoon. Cole happily agreed. The seats in their coach had better cushions, and Cole hoped the change in company would help the miles pass more quickly. Since he was busy portraying a servant whenever they were together, Cole hadn't really gotten to speak with Skye or Mira since leaving Carthage.

“Comfortable?” Skye asked as the coach started rolling.

“Yes, Lady Madeline,” Cole responded reflexively.

Skye laughed. “You can drop the act in here. I created a seeming to scramble all sound leaving this compartment. Even without any enchanting, I don't think the driver could hear us over the noise of the road.”

“Sorry,” Cole said. “It's automatic.”

“That's probably a good thing,” Skye said.

Cole turned to Mira, who he was now used to seeing as a middle-aged woman. “How are you doing?”

“Being Gayline is easy,” Mira said. “People hardly notice Lady Madeline's servant.”

“Me too!” Cole enthused. “It's a great way to pick up gossip.”

“Have you heard anything useful?” Skye wondered.

“Nothing amazing,” Cole said. “You guys?”

“Some of Konley's guardsmen knew me from the dazzle show,” Skye said. “I flirted a bit, and one of them confessed that part of their mission involves the Rogue Knight. Henrick wants to learn more about him. If Konley gets the chance, he's supposed to kill him.”

“Can Konley do it?” Cole asked.

“The man can fight,” Skye said.

“His squire thinks he can outwrestle a bear while walking on water,” Cole said.

Skye grinned. “Konley places very well in the Carthage tournaments. Only a couple of our other knights can really challenge him. He's the former champion of the town of Rudberg. Some thought he would challenge Henrick, but then he forfeited Rudberg to accept a position as one of his knights.”

“Do you think we'll be robbed by the Rogue Knight?” Mira asked.

“I almost hope so,” Skye said. “Part of me feels the same as Henrick. I'd like to see him up close, learn more about him. He has no history of harming those he robs. I hid our cash in secret compartments and am carrying most of my wealth in the form of banknotes that only I can redeem.”

“I don't know,” Mira said. “I'd rather steer clear of trouble with the Rogue Knight. Who knows what he might do? He's too much of a wild card.”

“He's the biggest wild card in Elloweer,” Skye said. “And most of what I know about him is hearsay.”

Cole definitely sided with Mira on that topic. He didn't want to cross paths with a man who had killed lots of champions and liked to rob innocent travelers. Because that was all they needed—more danger to face!

Cole listened to the clomping of the horses pulling the coach, and he thought about what they hoped to accomplish in Merriston.

“What's Honor like?” Cole wondered aloud.

Mira smiled. “Nori is the second oldest of my sisters, and the most independent. In Junction, noblewomen wear their hair long, but Nori kept hers short. She was always outside—riding, climbing, hunting, sparring. Nori has a passion for swordplay and is good with a bow as well. She trained with my father's elite guards, and by her early teens could defeat many of them in duels.”

“Really?” Cole asked.

Mira shrugged. “Maybe they went a little easy on her. Who knows?” Mira's eyes had a faraway look in them. “Nori was fifteen when father froze our ages. My sister Elegance is tall, and Nori was almost her height, but with a stronger build. She can be hard to get along with, especially if she argues against you. Nori always thinks she is right. But it was fun to see her stand up to father. She challenged him more than the rest of us combined.”

“I think I'd like this girl,” Skye said.

“Probably,” Mira agreed. “Honor is a very loyal friend. She gives great advice and can come up with all sorts of games. She's a good listener and will always keep your secrets. I love her so much. It kills me to think of her in prison. She belongs outdoors. I wonder who could have caught her? Nori is the last of my sisters I'd expect to need a rescue.”

“She seems adventurous,” Cole said. “Maybe she took too many risks.”

“Could be,” Mira said. “She is never afraid of a challenge—or to speak up when something seems wrong to her.”

“Sounds like she lived up to her name,” Skye said.

Mira got a funny look on her face. “We all did, in one way or another. I used to talk about it with Costa.”

“Constance?” Skye checked.

“Right. Costa thought our names helped inspire our personalities. I think it was Mother using her sight. She had a way of knowing things. Elegance was the most graceful and feminine. Honor was truest to herself in her words and actions. Constance was the most levelheaded and reliable. And little Destiny would randomly surprise us with insights that seemed way beyond her years.”

“If I catch on fire,” Cole said, “I burn for a long time.”

Mira laughed lightly. “I guess your mom had insights as well.”

“What about you?” Cole asked.

Mira's cheeks reddened. “I have weird accidents, but so far I've survived them.”

“Like what?” Cole asked.

“Besides getting trapped on a sky castle with a homicidal Cyclops? Or getting sucked into a terminal void? Or crashing down into a ravine while inside an autocoach?”

“Yeah,” Cole said with a laugh. “Besides the stuff I know about.”

“Both my mother and I barely survived my birth. I came prematurely. Mother only had Destiny because father insisted they try once more for a son.”

“What else?” Cole prodded, curious.

Mira sighed in resignation. “I toppled out of a window when I was five and fell three stories into a handcart full of hay. I mistakenly ate poisonous berries but puked them up before I died. A dog once saved me from drowning. At age three I wandered into the street as a wagon was coming. I tripped, and the wagon passed right over me. The hooves and the wheels barely missed me. Those are the big ones.”

“Crazy,” Cole said.

“Let's hope the miracles keep coming,” Mira said, raising her crossed fingers.

“Let's hope they're contagious,” Skye muttered.

Cole watched the countryside go by out his window. They passed through small hamlets. A gray stone tower stood atop a low hill, its windows dark and mysterious. Fields and forests came and went. They rumbled across an old wooden bridge.

Late in the afternoon, the wagons eased to a halt. The sun was still too high for them to be making camp, unless they were stopping quite a bit earlier than they had on previous days. Maybe some obstacle was blocking the road?

A knock came at the door of their coach. Skye opened it to reveal Monroe standing beside a stranger.

“This man claims to have a message for you,” Monroe said.

“An urgent message,” the man reported. “From Verilan.”

Skye rolled her eyes. “How'd he track me down?”

The messenger shrugged. “I was told I would find you here.”

“Tell him I'm not coming back.”

The man shook his head and held up a rolled paper sealed with red wax. “I don't know the man. I have no idea what he's asking.”

Skye snatched the paper from the messenger. “I can guess. I used to think we had something. It's over between us. If he wanted me in his life, he should have treated me better when he had me.”

The messenger held up his hands defensively. “I have no opinions regarding these matters. I was paid to deliver a message.”

Skye waved him away. “You slowed a caravan for no reason.”

“I rode hard for two days,” the messenger explained.

Skye produced a silver ringer. “Thank you for discharging your duty. I'm sure you're a marvelous person.” She looked at Monroe. “We can get moving.”

“Are you sure?” the leader of the caravan asked.

“Positive,” Skye said, closing her door.

A few moments later the coach rolled forward again. Skye broke the seal and unrolled the paper. Her eyes scanned the text. “It's a plea for me to return. Verilan didn't write it, but an attempt was made to match his hand.”

“Who wrote it?” Cole asked.

Skye waved a hand over the parchment. Cole saw glowing words appear in different penmanship, but the angle of his view kept him from reading the message. Skye gasped.

“What?” Mira asked.

Skye scanned to the bottom of the secret message before responding. “The false message from Verilan was there in case the wrong eyes read it. The real message comes from another member of the Unseen, a trusted friend. Verilan went missing two days ago. His apartment showed no sign of a struggle, but his secret distress mark was found on the wall. It means foul play. And it could spell trouble for us.”

“If somebody found
him
. . . ,” Mira began.

“They could be close to finding us,” Skye finished. “Even if Verilan doesn't break, they might come looking for me next.”

“Which would lead them to our caravan,” Cole realized. That was just what they needed—a squad of Enforcers on their trail while they crawled forward in a wagon train. They would be easy prey!

“Not immediately,” Skye said. “I paid Monroe extra to register under a false name. I told him I didn't want Verilan to know where I'd gone. There is no paperwork tying Madeline to this caravan. Only a couple trusted members of the Unseen knew my plans.”

“What if Verilan spills his guts?” Cole asked.

“He knew I was leaving town,” Skye said. “I didn't specify how, and I did my best to muddy his idea of where I was going. I always try to cover my tracks. Still, in spite of the fudged paperwork, everyone in this caravan knows me as Madeline. Witnesses could have recognized me leaving. It's possible we'll be found.”

“The messenger found you,” Cole pointed out.

“The messenger had help from the Unseen,” Skye said. “They would have used somebody sympathetic to our cause.”

“Doesn't mean he'll withstand torture,” Mira said.

Skye nodded. “It should take him a couple of days to get back to Carthage.”