Hunter's Bounty (Veller) (37 page)

- Kile? -

“Now the pieces are starting to fall together.”

-Kile?-

“If I can stop Scarlet and with your testimony, I’m in the clear.”

-Kile?-

“What's wrong vesper.”

Vesper didn’t have to say anything,
she could feel it, could sense it. She knelt down beside the old man and took his hand into her. There was no more warmth, no more life. Elmer Saybela was dead.

She
cursed as she got to her feet and paced the floor again. With Saybela gone that meant there were only two people left that knew of the Dark Conspiracy, three if she counted Ravenshadow but he wasn’t going to help her. Garret Boraro, who she knew all too well, would go out of his way to convict her for each and every murder if it was in the best interest of the Sons of Terrabin, and the last man on the list who she still didn’t have a name for. With each death her chances of clearing her name was getting slimmer, and now it looked as if she was going to have to save her old weapon’s master, the one person at the academy that made it painfully clear that she was not welcome.

“Come on Vesper, we have to go.” Kile said as she took the blanket off the bed and draped it over Saybela. She wasn’t sure why, but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time.

Vesper climbed up onto her shoulder as she made her way back downstairs and to the front door. Pushing it open, she half expected to see the full force of the local Guild House standing outside waiting to arrest her, but the streets were deserted, save for one man asleep on a park bench.

The academy was close, just on the opposite side of a forty foot tall, six foot thick stone wall, she could only hope that the gates remain open as they had done during her time at the Academy. It amazed her that it had come to this
. That she had to now try and protect the one man that would never have returned the favor. In the back of her mind she wondered how disappointed she would really be if she arrived too late.

Pickman’s
square gave way the lower merchant’s district that ran along Cannon street which ran up through the higher levels. She followed the street back down to the gates and found that, not only were they opened, but they were unguarded. That should have been a red flag since she had always remembered seeing guards posted along the walls during her time at the academy, and although they weren’t numerous, they did make their presence known. She wasn’t going to question her good fortune, if it was good fortune, as she slipped under the gates, keeping to the shadows and once again finding herself back in the Academy.

It was a far cry from the first time she had ever set foot in the Academy, when she arrived in the supply wagon through the southern gate. The headmaster Sir Oblum had told them that there were only two
ways to leave the academy. The Venator gate or the western gate, sometimes known as the Hunter’s gate, or the Pudora Gate, the Eastern Gate, otherwise known as the walk of shame, the path of disgrace, the losers walk and about thirty other euphemisms pertaining to failure. Now she was entering the Academy through that gate.

Little had changed during her time away, but then it had only been about a year. The times she had walked these grounds during the hot summer nights, and the talks she had with… Gorum.

She sensed the dog before she saw him as the big Mastiff was walking his usual route around the outer edge of the stables, although the stable was much larger now since the fire. She wanted to call out to the dog but knew that yelling across the compound while everyone was supposed to be asleep probably wouldn’t go unnoticed. She crept across the field, trying to get closer to him.

-Didn’t you leave already?-

Kile spun around to see Hunar approach.

-You still wouldn’t make a very good thief.-

“I was trying to get Gorum’s attention.”

-Oh, is that all.-

Hunar replied and let out a loud sharp bark.

“Will you keep it down?”

-You wanted his attention and whispering to him isn’t going to work, he’s as deaf as a post these days.-

“Maybe, but I don’t exactly want to attract too much attention to
myself either.”

-Are you planning on stealing something from the
vir’s hall?-

“No, of course not. I have reason to believe that Master Boraro may be in danger.”

-Ah, that one. He has been acting strange lately.-

“Strange, as in how?”

-He has been wandering the grounds at night. He goes to the place of horses. He is there now.-

“He’s gone to the stables? Why?”

-Like I care what the vir do.-

She
looked up at the stables, sure enough there was a light inside. Not a very bright light, probably a candle or a single lantern, but it was out of place.

“Have you seen or smelled anyone else around?”

-I don’t know.-

Hunar replied and within those words Kile was stuck with a vision of a shadowy movement. It was fleeting and could have been just about anything from
an old bag blowing in the wind to a stray cat, but it was enough for Hunar to think on and Hunar was not the type of dog that thought for very long.

“Find Gorum, tell him I’m in the stables, keep watch on the doors and warn me if you see anything out of the ordinary.”

-Will do.-

Hunar replied and set off to find her mentor.

Kile quietly made her way to the stable doors, they were unlocked, yet another indication that something was wrong. Pushing them open slowly, she slipped inside.

There was a familiar feeling to the place, even if they weren’t the old stables she was
used to, it was more like coming home, more so than the Veller farm.

“So, you
came for me at last.” A familiar voice said as the sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath cut the silence of the old barn.

“Master Boraro.” She said, turning around.

The man stepped out of the shadow holding a sword tightly in his right hand. He looked very much as he had looked the last time she had seen him, that was during the graduation ceremony when he had refused to shake her hand in front of everyone. Of course she had refused to shake his hand as well, so there was mutual disrespect.

“
You’re in danger.” She said and her hands fell to the grips of her own blades.

“From who
? You?”

“No, from an assassin sent to kill anyone who was involved in the dark conspiracy.”

“I don’t know anything about a dark conspiracy. All I know is that I will be the one to bring in the fugitive Veller.” Boraro grinned and without waiting he attacked.

She
knew this man and his fighting style. She had even managed to best him, but that was only once. Luke had warned her that if she was unfortunate enough to battle Boraro again, she may not be so lucky. He would not underestimate her a second time.

She
rolled out of the way of the sword as it came down, but before it could strike the ground Boraro turned it and came in low on her right side all in one fluid motion. Kile was able to get her blade up between her and the sword, barley turned it away from her.

This time he wasn’t pulling any punches, if he had connected she would have been sliced in two.

The sword came around again as Boraro stepped into his swing. She managed to get both Lann up and deflect it over her head as she slipped under his attack. There was no conceivable way she could win this battle, because she had no intention of killing him, but he had every intention of killing her as he reversed the direction of his sword. She jumped back this time avoiding the blade altogether.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” She pleaded.

“I’m supposed to believe you?” He said as his sword came dangerously close to ending the fight permanently. She managed to fall back between the slats in the stall as the sword sliced a chunk of the wood away.

“Somehow I don’t think you care one way or the other.” Kile said as she got back to her feet.

She was hit with a sudden sensation that something or someone had just jumped onto the stable’s roof and was now slipping into one of the hay loft windows. This was something new. Was she actually seeing it through Hunar’s eyes as it happened?

Boraro had broken the top slat of the stall.

“She’s here.” Kile told him. “The assassin is here.”

“Then tell her to wait her turn.”

Wonderful, how was she supposed to protect him while trying to avoid being killed by him.

Another vision from Hunar, or was it Gorum this time caused her to
lose focus. Horsemen rode through the eastern gate, four of them in the lead followed by at least half a dozen more. Had the Guild house in Azintar found her at last? She couldn’t worry about that at the moment, if Boraro died now it would be one more death attributed to her, and Scarlet was closer than the hunters.

She
tried to locate the assassin but was finding it difficult to concentrate while trying to stay alive. Boraro’s attacks were coming in faster now, but she was able to block most of the strikes, and what she couldn’t block she just avoided. She jumped back from a wild swing and backed into one of the supporting posts. Boraro’s blade bit into the wood just above her head. She slipped out from under him and realized that she had the perfect opportunity to end the battle now as the weapon’s master’s tried to wretch his sword free, but that would have been rather counter productive since she was trying to keep him alive, not do the assassin’s work for her. Just then something in the hay loft caught her eye, and she saw the shape coming in behind them. A flash of steel shot from the shadows. Kile moved quickly and managed to block the flying dagger with the broad side of her blade as a sharp pain struck her from behind. It couldn’t have been the dagger she thought as she watched it fall to the ground.

The lann dropped from her hand as she clutched at her side and the smell of blood overpowered her senses. She turned to see Boraro coming at her again. The doors to the stable flew open as more people entered. She wasn’t sure who they were and at the moment she just didn’t care as the black strands of the Maligar were once more reaching out for her, and she did her best to resist them.

Somebody yelled her name, or at least she thought it might have been her name, she wasn’t sure anymore, and she couldn’t wait around to find out. The vir swung his weapon again and without thinking she turned into his attack, bring her blade down across the back of his hand. He cursed and dropped his sword, doubling over as he clutched the wound and tried to stem the flow of blood. The smell was intoxicating as she came around behind him but instead of delivering the fatal blow, jumped up on his back and leapt for the hay loft. Shapes were now coming in through the second door as people started yelling. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, all she could hear was the blood throbbing in her ears as she ran the length of the loft, kicking open the bay door and jumped to the ground below.

She just had to make it to the western gate
. From there she would be safe back in the wild.

Lights were coming on
. Vir with torches were after her now, hunting her. She had to escape. She went to the hill, making for the west wall as she passed the kitchens. She could hear the voices behind her. She could hear the hoofs of the horses closing in on her. The gate came into view, and although it was still open, guards blocked her only means of exit. As the horses overtook her they parted each side of her, riderless they made for the gate. The stampede broke the guard’s line opening her exit to the forest beyond.

***

“Damn that bitch.” Boraro cursed as he grabbed a rag and started to bind his bloody hand.

“Let me look at that.” Daniel said as he approached.

“Why would I do that?”

“If you ever want to use your hand
s again, you’ll let me look at it.” Daniel replied as he took a hold of the Weapon’s Master’s hand and began to remove the cloth. The wound was deep but not disabling. Whether it was meant to be or not, he didn’t know as he fell into his edge and began to unravel the small strings of energy.

“
You brought it on yourself.” Erin shouted

“I did? You saw her, she tried to kill me.”

“No, I saw her protecting you, or trying to.” Erin replied as she retrieved the dagger from where it had fallen. The blade had been dipped in something, but she couldn’t tell what it was, poisons were never her specialty.

The stable doors opened as a rather large,
heavyset man entered. He was dressed in just his underwear and a robe, a sword was strapped around his waist but what really set him apart was the large scar that ran down the side of his face starting somewhere in the center of his forehead and ending just below his right cheek, leaving a milky white orb where his eye should have been.

“I have confined the cadets to the dorms, the last thing we need now is a bunch of unskilled
wanna be hunters getting under foot.” Sir Oblum said in a gruff yet tired voice.

“That’s probably for the better.”
Erin replied.