RuneScape: Return to Canifis (23 page)

“I won’t take your money, boy,” he said, looking up. “Not this. It is too much. I will not risk bad feeling between us over such a contest.”

“Very well,” Gar’rth countered. “Then we play without betting.”

Gar’rth put the gem back in his pouch and returned it to his belt before driving his elbow onto the tabletop. Lord Frey stared bemused as the cries of the onlookers grew louder. Finally, he nodded.

“Fine, boy. Fine. I don’t know what you wish to prove, but you have your game.”

Lord Frey grabbed hold of the table edge with his free hand and brought his other arm onto the surface, mirroring Gar’rth’s actions.

“You ever done this before, boy?” Lord Frey asked.

Gar’rth simply nodded.

“Then you know the technique.” He nodded again. “Good luck.”

“Stop humouring him, Lord Frey! The boy’s arrogance has earned him a lesson.”

Gar’rth looked to the stage and saw Lady Anne watching him fearfully. His behaviour had not gone unnoticed by his friends, either. Theodore and Kara were also staring anxiously, and Ebenezer, Doric, and Castimir were already walking down the steps toward him...

Lord Frey suddenly gave a push.

Gar’rth’s arm lurched backwards before he corrected it, slanting at an angle.

The crowd yelled.

“You are a strong one, boy.” Lord Frey grinned. “I’ll give you that.”

And so are you
, Gar’rth realised.
Maybe more than I.
He gritted his teeth as he summoned his strength. He felt his bones creaking under the strain.

But slowly—near imperceptibly—Lord Frey’s arm was pushed back.

Yet the older man laughed.

“By the gods, boy, it’s been long since I’ve had a match with such as you. Maybe if I were younger...” He breathed in deeply, most likely in preparation for a final attempt to force Gar’rth’s arm back.

But Gar’rth would show no mercy. Not today.

He was waiting for the push when it came. His arm was like steel.

“That’s impossible,” Lord Frey moaned as the crowd shouted and clapped. Gar’rth added to the pressure, and the old man’s wrist snapped back onto the tabletop. There was a tremendous yell from the onlookers. Lord Frey rubbed his arm and looked at Gar’rth with a mixture of respect and concern.

As Gar’rth stood, he was aware of that look—of every eye upon him. He saw Theodore’s face, noted Kara’s sudden fear, and then he saw Ebenezer, marching toward him with black thunder all over his features.

“Outside,” the alchemist ordered in a cold fury. “Outside.
Now
.” Gar’rth nodded, but Ebenezer’s anger couldn’t wipe away the sense of accomplishment.

It was worth it. They know who is the stronger now.

Kara knows it.

Theodore knows it.

Gar’rth nodded and turned on his heel, back toward the terrace that seemed his constant destination for the evening.

“What in Saradomin’s name do you think you were doing?” The old
man’s face was an angry bright red, his eyes wide behind his glasses.

Gar’rth didn’t reply.

“Answer me, Gar’rth!”

Booted feet crunching the gravel underfoot were the signal that Theodore and Kara had joined them. He was alone with his friends. Their faces wore concerned masks. Castimir’s hand was in his pocket, Doric stood with his arms crossed, Arisha looked on sympathetically, and Kara and Theodore waited patiently for an explanation.

“I just... I don’t like this. Here.”

None of his friends moved, or said a word.

But are they really my friends?
He wondered silently.
Kara has hidden things from me, Theodore sees me as a rival, and whose side would the others take?
Finally Ebenezer spoke again.

“That’s no excuse. You cannot endanger yourself by such foolishness. You’re—”

“I’m
different
,” Gar’rth gritted. “I know. I
know
I am.”

“Gar’rth, what’s wrong?” Kara asked. “It’s clearly something more than just not liking this place.”

Gar’rth laughed as his eyes watered.

“You ask me that?” he said. “You? You have kept secrets, Kara, from me.”

Kara shook her head.

And now she tries to deny it.

“A dagger,” he continued. “The one Pia hurt Jerrod with. You took it. You didn’t tell me.”

Kara’s face fell, and in a suddenly triumphant moment Gar’rth knew he was right.

“I know why,” he said. “You don’t trust me.” He turned to look at them all, one after the other. “None of you do.”

He could feel the tears on his cheeks now.

“Easy lad,” Doric said. “That’s not true. We’ve fought side by side. I trust you the same as I trust Kara and Castimir.”

Gar’rth ignored his words.

I will hurt them now if I can.

“And Theodore, Lady Anne read your letter to Kara. She told me. The letter Kara has in her satchel.”

Theodore exhaled, and avoided Kara’s stare.

“You didn’t tell me you had that, Kara,” the knight said after a moment. She didn’t reply, and her eyes showed anger and confusion.

Gar’rth lowered his head and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. As he did so a strange song sounded from the palace, an odd tune which defied his attempt to imagine what person would sing it.

“I trust you Gar’rth,” Kara said finally. “I really do. There is no way I would have ventured into The Wilderness with you if I did not.”

“That’s true,” Arisha added. “You know it is Gar’rth. Our lives were in your hands on a dozen occasions, at least. You’ve never let us down.”

“And you saved my life on the glacier, Gar’rth,” Doric said. “When I was out cold—I’ve never forgotten that.”

“All things I have done for
you
,” Gar’rth snapped. “But what have you done for me?”

“Have I done nothing for you, Gar’rth?” Ebenezer said in a whisper, and at the sound of his voice, Gar’rth’s anger died in sudden humiliation. “Is that what you truly believe?”

Guilt and shame twisted their ice-cold hands in Gar’rth’s stomach.

He’s right. I’ve acted like a fool.

But then the anger returned.

“No! That’s not...” His words were a growl now. “You are right.
But...”

He couldn’t think straight. The sounds coming from the hall wouldn’t let him.

“What
is
that singing?” he demanded.

Theodore shared a look with Castimir, who shrugged.

“There is no singing,” the wizard said. “The music in the hall has stopped.”

But to Gar’rth, it only seemed closer now—as if from somewhere high up above.

“But I hear it,” he protested. “Singing. A strange song—do none of you hear it? Have you gone deaf?”

Suddenly Theodore’s eyes widened.

“Of course,” the knight said urgently. “Castimir, run and get Lord Despaard. Tell him I think the Wyrd is here. We must arm ourselves at once.”

“I’ll get my sword,” Kara said as she followed Castimir back into the hall, holding her skirt up to avoid tripping over it.

“Gar’rth, can you follow the song?” Theodore asked.

He listened carefully, turning his head from side to side.

“It is strange, Theodore,” he said tentatively. “Not just a song. I can feel it. Yes. Yes, I can follow it.”

“Then find her,” Theodore said. “And don’t let her touch you. Her claws are poison. And don’t touch anyone else who gets scratched also, for the poison can spread.” He spun, speaking over his shoulder. “I must get my sword.”

The knight vanished. Only Arisha, Doric, and Ebenezer remained.

“I am sorry Ebenezer. Truly,” Gar’rth said quietly. “I am scared of what will happen.”

“We can talk later, Gar’rth.” Ebenezer said, with a gentle smile.

He is the father I never had. That smile which showed me such
kindness when he found me. How could I have doubted him?

“Tomorrow,” Ebenezer continued. “When we have all day to ourselves. Then we can talk. But now we need to track this creature. Lives are at stake.”

Gar’rth nodded.

“Thank you.”

The song grew closer, but it was still from above.

“Up,” Gar’rth pointed as Lord Despaard and Castimir ran from the hall. “She is there. Above.”

Ebenezer wheezed when he was only halfway up the great staircase. Doric, a few steps ahead, gave him a concerned look.

Gar’rth and Lord Despaard had already reached the top, where they were waiting and listening. Arisha was further ahead, searching the shadows of the passages beyond. The nobleman held up one hand for silence. His other, Ebenezer saw, was on his sword hilt.

Below him stood Castimir, his right palm filled with the mysterious pebble-like runes with various coloured engravings upon their surface. The wizard gave a curse as one with a yellow symbol fell between his fingers and bounced on the step before careening down into the hall below.

At the top of the staircase, Gar’rth craned his head.

“I have heard her before,” Lord Despaard said in a whisper as Ebenezer rested his arm on the bannister a few steps below. “But never clearly enough to consider tracking her.” Ebenezer saw four armed men appear at the foot of the great staircase. Their leader drew his sword.

“Come on!” he shouted.

“Quiet, Captain Rovin,” Lord Despaard called sharply. “I don’t want to scare her off. She’s near. I can feel her now.”

“I knew I should have brought my axe,” Doric huffed. “How long will it take Kara and Theodore to get their weapons?”

“I don’t know—though I think Castimir’s runes will be of more use than cold steel,” Ebenezer replied, looking down the steps to where the wizard stood, sorting the stones into different groups in his palm. “Maybe more than cold adamant even.”

“But I don’t have many on me, Ebenezer,” Castimir said, looking up. “Not in these robes. More are in my room, in my belt pouches.”

A few moments later, Captain Rovin’s men reached them, moving quietly. Then, from the great hall, King Roald himself emerged.

“What’s going on Despaard?” he demanded.

“It is her, Sire. Gar’rth can hear her, and now so can I.”

The monarch’s face paled.

“Here. In my palace?” He grabbed an attendant by the shoulder. “Get me my sword. Now. I will have her head tonight.”

Suddenly, Gar’rth sprang forward.

“Follow him!” the King shouted from below.

Ebenezer threw himself forward, his legs burning from the effort, his heart pounding so hard that his chest ached.

“And someone find Aubury!”

Gar’rth had already vanished into the darkness by the time the alchemist reached the summit of the stairs. Castimir ran past him, one hand balled around his runes while the other held his robes to prevent him from stumbling.

Wait Gar’rth, wait!
Ebenezer pleaded silently.
You don’t know what it is. Wait for the guards!
He saw Doric ahead as the first of the guards ran past. Somewhere in the flickering torchlight of a passageway he saw Gar’rth disappear around a corner, followed by Lord Despaard with his sword now drawn.

The King ran past. Ebenezer followed the sound of feet stamping on stairs, and as he reached the end of the passageway he saw the guardsmen climbing another staircase.

The servants’ quarters. That is where we are going! High up!

Ebenezer gasped as he followed the party, finally emerging into a hallway three flights above. The men had gathered ahead of him, King Roald with them, and Gar’rth in their midst. Arisha, Castimir, and Doric were nearby.

“Well?” King Roald demanded. “Where is she?”

Gar’rth held up his hand for silence, just as a crash of glass and a scream sounded from a room nearby. At once men cried out and Gar’rth ran. Ebenezer lost sight of him behind the guards as they rushed at a door, hurling themselves against it even as a woman screamed again.

“It’s bolted!” Captain Rovin shouted.

“Stand back,” Castimir yelled as he pointed his right hand at the door. A small collection of his runes melted and then evaporated in his hand as the guards jumped aside.

I have never seen this spell used
, Ebenezer realised. From the floor at Castimir’s feet a column of yellow light spilled upward, and a great ball of heavy rock and earth materialised. The alchemist felt a rush of heat and as the light vanished the earth ball flew forward and shattered the wood. An instant later, Gar’rth was there, his strong hands pushing through the broken slats to force the bolt aside.

A final scream was cut short as Gar’rth pushed the door wide, a guard leaping past as he worked to free his hand from the wooden slats.

Don’t cut yourself, Gar’rth. Not here. Not in front of these people.

The hand came free as a second guard leapt through the doorway. Inside, Ebenezer heard a man scream and caught sight of a bat-like wing flash past the doorframe.

Gar’rth forced his way inside, the remaining guards close by.

“Castimir. We need you,” Doric called to the wizard who was standing a few paces behind him. Castimir shook his head grimly.

“I haven’t many runes,” he said. “Enough for only one or two spells and then...”

But then the way was clear.

King Roald charged in, Lord Despaard behind him, urging him caution. Ebenezer had seen the monarch’s face—anger and hatred had conquered all thought and reason. As he followed, he saw the creature that had plagued Varrock.