aIad like a room, please,a he sighed and laid a silver coin on one of the boards.

Eyeing it, the woman cracked a grin. aRich fella, huh?a aI donat want anyone to know Iam here,a he told her quietly.

aYeah, pretty boy?a she asked. aMake it two.a He set down a second coin. She waved towards the stairs. aTake the third room on the right. Ainat no locks, so either sleep against the door or wedge it shut. If anyoneas in there and gives you a hard time, come on down. Iall get one of the boys to boot him.a He nodded blankly. aGot any food?a aYeah, got some leftovers, but the breadas all gone,a Walking towards what had to be the kitchen she tapped the bar with her finger. aBowl stays down here. Try an lift it, the boysall bust your arm.a aRight, maaam.a Settling down on one of the boxes that served as stools, he braced his feet so it wouldnat tip on him. A moment later, the woman came out and put a wooden bowl of colored water in front of him.

aNo spoon?a he asked dryly.

The woman planted a fist on her hip. aLook, pretty boy, itas late. I told you the breadas all gone. If youare too proud to slurp down some gruel then go find somewhere else to eat.a Looking at the bowl, he figured he deserved no better. He didnat want to think about all the people who had died today, but he found himself tallying the numbers. There were sixteen men he knew of, and that girl who still stared back at him in his mind.

aThis will do,a he said.

The water was hot, though he was hard put to place a flavor on it. He drank his gruel then made sure she had her bowl before he went up to find his room. The hall was littered with trash and a ragged man was propped up in the far corner.

His room was empty, literally. Besides a pile of rags, a piece of a leg off something and a single shutter that covered half the open window, there was just him and his conscience. Settling down onto the rags, he stared out the window, feeling as hollow as this room. Evil had done its work on him. He didnat have an army or any influence to help King Alderlan or Lord Zodiac. He didnat even have Amber to comfort him.

As he thought about Amber, the vision of the girl impaled with the chair leg came again. Her eyes had been light blue and had radial gray lines. Those pretty eyes looked at him as if to ask him why she was dying. Why hadnat he taken the time to study his surroundings and know that she was not a powerful sorcerer? He didnat have an answer for those eyes, and he knew damn well he didnat deserve any comfort. He lay there, wondering why his leg wasnat any more painful than it was.

Morning brought an old man with no teeth poking his head into his room. aHey!a the old man wheezed, aThis is my room!a Tayan propped himself up on one elbow. aI paid for it.a aMe, too, six coppers!a the man insisted.

He didnat look like he had a single copper to his name.

aHow about if we go talk to the lady downstairs?a aDonat need to go gettin' all proper,a the man wheezed as he hobbled in. aHow about this--Iall watch it for you during the day then youall watch it for me at night?a Tayan gave a sigh. aWhy not?a He got up and motioned to the rags. aI was getting up anyway.a Sporting a toothless grin, the old man clapped a frail hand on his arm. aJust you ana me, partner.a Forcing a grin, he said, aSure, just you and me.a Going down the stairs, he was mildly surprised to smell the pleasant aroma of freshly baked bread. The common room was full, every rickety table and every shaky stool at the bar. A graying man behind the bar helped serve, along with two other, younger men and a girl so thin Tayan though she might be elven. Her ears and face, however, showed that she was human, only frail. Her dress was a sack with head and armholes cut in it, bound with a rope around her middle. The boys were in similar states, though each had a club tied to a rope at his waist.

The man behind the bar noticed him and pointed to the kitchen. aGo on in, Marlaas got your breakfast in there.a He thanked the man and went in to what looked to be the remains of a forge. Over the fire pit, a pair of small metal boxes served as ovens. The workbench had a cloth over it and was now a table for preparing the bread. The base where the anvil had stood now had a round board over it. On the board was a large bowl of gruel and a good-sized chunk of bread.

Marla stopped kneading the dough long enough to point at the makeshift table. aYou eat in here, mister. If you donat want to be seen, come down before the crowd comes in, or after they leave.a The gruel was the same colored water as the night before. Marlaas bread, however, was the best he had ever tasted. He watched her as she worked. Her hair was dark but, like her face, poverty had taken away the luster, making her look older than she was. By the time he finished his humble meal, Marla had taken out another loaf with a pair of old but clean forge tongs and slid in the next batch of dough.

aYou make really good bread,a he told her.

She eyed him then went back to cutting the loaf into chunks with a saw-toothed dagger. aI take it you want more?a aI was just saying it was good. Really good.a Marla gave a snort. aLook, pretty boy, we only get so much. Thereas lots of hungry people out there and very little coin to go buy flour.a Waving her dagger at a sack of flour, she said, aThereas your silver coin. Thatas gonna have to last a week, unless you plan on staying longer.a aWhat about all those people out there, donat they pay?a he asked. There had to be at least fifty people in the common room.

aHowever they can, yes,a she told him. aMore often than not they pay by bringing in soup bones, vegetables or whatever they can find that we can use. As long as they got something to trade, I wonat let them go away hungry.a He noticed that the woodbox by her aovensa was filled with various bits of furniture and a few actual small logs. aI take it flour is hard to come by.a aCanat trade with the mills, they want hard coin,a she sighed. aGuys like you are what save us. I know youare on the run from something, hasnat been one of you yet who wasnat.a Putting the chunks of bread on a tin tray, she grabbed a few bowls in the same motion then went over and dipped them into the iron pot to fill them. aSo, how long you stayina?a aNot sure.a If his few silvers could help feed the poor people here then head stay until his silver ran out. At least head be doing someone some good.

Marla cast a glance at the flour sack. aYouare silveras good for five days; after that, itall be two more.a She put the bowls on the tray then opened the door and hollered for Betty.

Betty was the skinny serving girl. She came in with a stack of empty bowls and put them down beside the tray. He studied her dark hair, made up in pigtails. When she turned to look at him, he noted her young face was already being sapped of beauty by her environment. She eyed him long enough for Marla to come up behind her and give her a smack on her bottom.

aBetty!a Marla snapped, which made the girl jump. aGit that tray out there!a aYes, Mum,a she said with a blush aimed at him. Turning to push the door open with her behind, she gave him a shy grin.

Marla glowered at him. aDonat you go thinkina that my daughteras a tramp. All you git for your silver is your room and your meals.a He shrugged. aI wasnat thinking anything like that.a aUh-huh. Breakfast is over,a she stated. aIf youare still here, dinner is at dusk.a Her pose also told him that this conversation was over.

aYes, maaam.a He got up and headed for the common room.

Not sure what to do with himself, he wandered the litter-filled streets. The people around him ignored him as much as he ignored them. Not once did he run across a guardsman or anyone who looked like they were trying to keep order. Here and there, shady people made deals in alleys, and a couple times he heard a scream that was cut off abruptly. He tried not to think as he walked along; he concentrated only on putting one foot in front of the other. Common sense told him to go back to his room and rest his aching leg, but it still wasnat hurting enough.

He managed to see the worst part of the city and not get attacked by bandits or one of the tattered people begging for money or food. Once, he did see a pair of men with knives threaten the purse from a woman. The people around them turned away and tried not to see it happening. The woman gave up her purse then ran as the men split her coppers between themselves. Earlier, he was glad not to see any guards. Now, he wanted nothing more than to see how these brigands would fare against swordsmen instead of helpless women. He saw other revolting sights, such as beggars missing limbs and dirty children in torn clothing lining the streets.

By the time he returned to the inn he was tired of seeing poverty. He walked though the door, not paying any attention to the people gathered at the end of the bar. It wasnat until a man in leathers raised a sword towards him that he stopped and looked up.

The man was better kept that the other residents, which was to say his clothing was in fair condition and he was shaved. His dirty blond hair was tied back in a ponytail.

aBetter move on, mister, if ya know whatas good for ya,a he growled.

Five other men dressed the same were with Marla and her family. One man held Betty by her hair as two others bracketed Marla and the gray-haired man. Two more held the boys at bay with swords.

aYou hard of hearina?a the man before him asked heavily.

Tayan looked the brigand in the eye. aWhy rob these people? They have nothing.a The one holding Betty laughed and shook the girlas head. aThey got her, and that just happens to be the price for doing business here.a aLet her go, weall come up with silver for ya,a Marla begged.

The one holding Betty grinned. aOh, yeah? I figure this little slut will be worth about two hundred gold on the market. Got that much?a Tayan had heard stories about families selling their children into slavery. He wondered how many of those girls were stolen from their real families by men like this. He backed up and stepped around the man holding the sword. Stopping clear of the nearest men, he noted their positions. He could get back out the front easier than trying to go through the kitchen. aI have a better deal for you. Let her go, and I wonat kill you.a The men laughed but didnat take their eyes off him. One waved his sword at Tayan and asked, aWhoare you, the friggina Red Man?a Tayan kept his eyes on the one holding Betty. By what he saw, this one was the leader. aIam going back outside. When you come out, donat have the girl. If you do, I promise not one of you will live.a The man doused his grin. aAll right, go on out. Weall be by in a minute to slice you up. First, I want to get a taste of my new slut.a He pulled Bettyas head back, which made her cry out. Holding her chin, he bent to kiss her.

The nearest table still had one of Marlaas bowls on it. Snatching it up, Tayan threw it, catching the leader on the ear. He backed up as he watched them. Two started his way, and he put a table between hlm and them and backed towards the door.

The man let Betty go and drew his sword. aNo one does that to me!a aDonat kill him, heas a payina customer!a Marla cried. The man nearest to her slapped her.

Tayan made a beckoning gesture with both hands for them to follow him. aLetas see if you can do more than beat on women.a The table went over with a crash as one man threw it out of his way. All six came after him in a steady walk. He led them outside and seeing an alley, angled towards it. They picking up their pace. He turned and ran down the alley.

aWeare gonna slice you up!a the leader roared.

Tayan ran straight for a pile of broken boards lying against the side of the inn. The thugs spread out in a line as they chased him. Grabbing a six-foot section of plank off the top of the pile, he turned and swung at the lead man. The man caught the blow in his stomach. As he bent over, Tayan kicked him in the face and took his sword. Another man made a clumsy chop at him, which he parried then sliced the manas belly open.

The alley shook with the gargoyleas roar as it appeared behind the men. The last two had time to turn and open their mouths in a silent scream before it slammed them into bloody pulp against the sides of the buildings. Tayan gored one of the remaining men through the heart then slashed the other, who had turned to gape at the gargoyle. The gargoyle killed the last one then sat down and looked at him.

Glaring at it, he told the beast, aI donat need you--leave!a With a flap of its wings, it disappeared.

At the end of the alley, people began to gather as he picked up the swords. No one ventured in, but a decent crowd, which included Marlaas two boys, watched as he collected the weapons. When he walked towards them, they parted, eyeing him in wonder and fear. He ignored them and went into the inn.

Going to the bar, he dropped the swords onto it then selected one for himself. Seeing Marla and the older man watching him intently, he said, aGive one to each of your boys and hide another behind the bar. One in the kitchen, too. You can probably sell or trade one for a few weeks worth of flour.a Eyes wide, the older man asked quietly. aYou him, mister? You the Red Man?a aHeas gotta be!a one of Marlaas boys said from behind him. aYou should see the mess in that alley--he tore them fellas to bits!a aShut up, Randy,a Marla breathed as she eyed Tayan cautiously.

Tayan turned his hard gaze to Randy and the crowd that followed him in. Part of his anger was for the brigands, the other part for these people thinking he was his father.

aIam nobody,a he stated.

aYou ainat got a name?a Betty asked curiously and got smacked on the back of her head by Marla. As he turned back, Marla quickly offered, aThank you for saving my Betty.a Instead of telling her it was only the right thing to do or saying something profound, he just went up to his room.

The old man was wheezing out snores as Tayan settled down against the wall opposite him and inspected his sword. It was a common straight blade that tapered down to a sharp point. The handle was wood wrapped with crisscrossed leather thong for a solid grip, and the guard was a simple strip of steel. Laying it beside him, he let his thoughts drift. It occurred to him those men had to be as evil as they came. The gargoyle hadnat hesitated--it began ripping into them just as fast as it had torn into the city guards. Father Ross had told him it was near him to protect his person. He had thought it would come only to cause mischief and attack the people he didnat want harmed. Apparently, it didnat care who it attacked.

This was something he could use. With the gargoyle near him, whatever did attack him was in for a big surprise. He could travel the plains and walk right into that damn city.

Shifting his gaze over to the piece of wood on the floor that someone had used to wedge the door shut, he noted it was bent. Picking it up, he remembered the message Odif had left.

aWell,a he mused, aI guess Iam ready to go.a The only thing he needed was a way to travel. He didnat have close to enough money for a horse, and banished any thoughts of attempting to return to the elven district to acquire one. Digging in his pocket, he found a couple gold and a few silvers. If he was lucky, he might be able to get back to the river and buy a rowboat. He knew some halshaken words in case he ran across any rowing his way north. Any clans that remained hidden in the Jude would know of Zodiac. If nothing else, he might be able to travel in peace. His plan was far from set, but at least now he had a direction to go in. He no longer felt so helpless.

He went down to find Randy and his brother telling what they had seen to a throng of eager ears as they ate their noon meal of bread and gruel. He slipped around the end of the stairs and made for the kitchen unnoticed, or so he thought. One cloaked figure slipped away from the crowd and followed him.

In the kitchen, Marla and Betty were baking bread. Seeing him enter, Betty gave him a broad smile. aMister,umm, Nobody, would you like some lunch?a aSure.a He sat down at the round table on his rickety box. Betty was quick to bring him his gruel, which now sported a few floating pieces of vegetable. She set down a quarter of a loaf of bread in front of him. From what he had seen so far, this was a kingas feast.

aWe donat want you to think we ainat grateful,a Marla told him as she scooped out another bowl of flour from the bag. aIall feed you the best I can, and I wonat pry into your affairs. Maybe you can tell us what to call you besides 'Nobody.''a From by the door, a female voice said, aHe is Lord Tayan Montara of Elrad, and he is my Master.a He turned to see Ellie standing just inside the door. Her hair was in disarray. She looked at him with hollow eyes, one of which bore a purple bruise.

aWho?a Marla asked breathlessly.

aEllie, what in the abyss are you doing here?a he cried.

Walking towards him, she asked, aDid you get the scroll Jeni had for you?a He focused on her bruised eye. aWhat happened to you?a She fell to kneel beside him. aI didnat give it up, no matter what they did to me that night.a Tears welled in her eyes. aI told Sister Amber about it, she said she gave it to you. Please tell me you got it.a Shifting on his rickety perch, he faced her. aEllie, I was kidnapped. I havenat been at Lady Salinthiaas estate since you last saw me.a Ellie swayed as she held her right hand to her face. aI failed you. I am garbage.a He grabbed her hand and lifted her chin to look at him. aYou are not garbage,a he told her gently. aHow did you get here?a aI followed you at first. Then when I lost track of you, I kept going the way you were. I thought I saw you earlier today; then when I heard the roar I knew youad be close by.a Looking up at him with liquid eyes, she said, aYou did not sentence that B-lord, and you never got the scroll, did you?a He knew whom she meant but had no idea what she was talking about. aEllie, start from the night I left for the dukeas place and tell me everything.a She did, saying only that Belenarisas men hurt her when they came for the scroll. She finished by telling him about the coach ride, and Amberas facing down the gargoyle. When she was done, he knew the fake was doing as much damage as he could. Still he asked the most important question on his mind.

aEllie, did that thing hurt Amber?a aNo, Master. It left before I got to the corner.a aAnd how about you? Are you bruised badly?a he asked.

Sliding her left sleeve up, she showed him the stump of her wrist. aI can no longer serve well. I understand if you want to put me out of my misery.a aDear Odin,a he breathed as he held the scarred end of her arm. aThey did this to you?a She looked down. aThey did more,a she said quietly.

The brutality done to her staggered his mind. What was worse, she had let them do that to her only because he told her that stupid scroll was so important. Belenarisas men might have done the torturing, but it was he who was responsible for her injuries. He pulled her into a hug and stroked her hair.

aIam so sorry, Ellie.a aI failed you,a she sniffed. aI am ready to die now.a He wanted to tell her the truth, that he didnat give a damn about that scroll. To do so would let her know that her suffering had been for nothing. Somehow, he just couldnat bring himself to do that. Leaning to whisper in her ear, he said, aEllie, I failed you. I am not going to kill you for a...horrible mistake I made.a Pulling back, she looked up at him quizzically. aI donat understand.a aItas best you donat,a he assured her. aIam going to have someone take you back to Sister Amber. She has to know the man pretending to be me is a fake.a Ellie furrowed her brow. aNo,a she replied firmly. aI will not be separated from you again. Terrible things happen when I am.a aI canat argue with that,a he muttered. aHave you eaten?a Ellie frowned as she thought. aI had breakfast yesterday. At least, I think so.a He looked up to ask Marla if she could give Ellie some bread. Marla was gaping at him. To her side, Betty wore a grin that stretched from ear to ear.

aI knew you were someone special!a the girl said triumphantly.

aHere, I am still nobody,a he told them. aMarla, could you get Ellie something to eat?a He motioned to the box beside him. aEllie, sit up here.a Ellie got up and perched on the box beside him. Looking at his lunch, her jaw dropped. aSlaves eat better than what you have!a she cried. Whipping her head towards Marla, she tightened her one fist. aYou give my Master something decent to eat, right now!a aEllie!a he barked, which made her swivel her head back to him. aThis is all they have. Keep quiet.a Ellie bit her lip and looked like she was about to cry again, but did keep quiet. Marla, who was normally terse with him, wore a forlorn look. aI am very sorry we do not have more,a she apologized.

aThis is fine,a he said. aBesides, you make the best bread I have ever tasted.a A smile came to Marlaas face, making her look ten years younger. aThank you.a She hesitated then asked, aWhat do we call you?a aBob.a aThank you...Bob,a Marla said tentatively, and went to get Ellie some food.

Still grinning broadly, Betty got a whole loaf of bread and set it on the table. aHere, Mr. Bob...and Ellie. Can I get you another bowl, Mr. Bob?a aThis is more than enough,a he told her. Beside him, Ellie looked ready to faint. She stared at the bread as if it had something crawling on it. The bowl of gruel Marla set in front of her she ignored until he started eating his. Only then did she suffer through drinking it and measuring out a smaller piece of bread to eat than what he had.

As they ate, Marla and Betty stood by as if they were servants waiting for orders. After a few minutes of this, he couldnat take any more.

aMarla, I am no different than anyone else. Please donat make a fuss.a aI heard about you,a she told him. aYou killed a dragon, and your wife is the princess of Elrad. Heard tell youare the one who got Lord Zodiac and his Company together. I bet you even know the Red Man personal-like.a aThatas his father,a Ellie said absently.

aYou even know Odif the Druid?a Betty asked, bouncing in place.

Before he could say anything, Ellie piped up, aSheas his sister.a aEllie, shut up!a He had no idea when she heard those things and was not happy she was sharing them so freely. aHere, we are nobody, got it?a She lowered her head with a aYes, Master.a She started to slide to the floor then glanced at him and moved back in place.

aWhat in the abyss are you doing here with us poor folks?a Marla asked.

The look Ellie gave him said she had the same question. He told them the only thing he could. aIt isnat safe for people to know where I am right now. If word gets out, thousands of lives will be in danger. It is very important no one knows I am here.a Marla nodded. aYa can trust me and Betty.a Bettyas face became stricken. aI canat tell no one I was saved by Tayan Montara himself?a He shook his head. aNot a soul.a aAwww, damn!a she cried, stomping a foot.

aBetty!a Marla barked with a glare. aMind your tongue!a aBut, Ma,a she complained, waving an arm at him. aThis is the Tayan Montara!a Red-faced, Marla glared at her, aDidnat ya hear what he just said? Heas hiding here to keep people from being killed!a Her mouth hung open as she realized the impact of that statement. Slowly, she turned to him. aThat means weare in danger, too?a Seeing her concern, and Bettyas exuberance at finding out whom he was, he didnat dare stay here any longer. aNo, Iam leaving.a aWeare leaving,a Ellie corrected.

aYou canat leave,a Betty whined. aThereas still bad men here!a aThere will always be bad men around,a he sighed. aAt least the boys have swords now.a Tipping up his bowl, he drank his gruel and waited for Ellie to finish eating. He noted she acted like she hadnat eaten in days.

Trying to think what to do with her, he decided to keep her as close to him as possible. If something did attack, that damn gargoyle would take care of it. aEllie, I want you to stay within armas reach of me unless I tell you different.a Holding the last bit of her bread in her hand, she said, aYes, Mastera with a mouthful then inched closer to him.

The door opened and Randy came in. aWhatas all the--a Settling his eyes on Ellie, he grinned. aWow, we got us a slave!a aShe ainat ours,a Marla said quickly.

aShe a runaway?a he asked.

Before too many questions got asked, Tayan decided to get the boyas mind on something else.

aI need to go north--do you know of any merchants heading out, or maybe a caravan?a Randy jerked his thumb over his shoulder. aThat general has got his big steel wagons in the fields outside town. Maybe you can hitch a ride with them.a aRandy, no foolishness!a Marla said, eyeing him.

Tayan perked up. aCan you show me where they are?a Randy nodded, so he put another silver on the table. aMarla, thank you for the hospitality. Will you let Randy take us out to General Cooper?a aThatas his name, Cooper.a Randy nodded. aJust follow the main road out, canat miss aem.a aThanks,a he said as he got up. Beside him, Ellie swallowed her last bite and shot to her feet. He helped her pull her hood up so her face was covered then gave Betty a stern look. aNo one will know, right?a Betty squirmed in place and forced out a aYes, sir.a aIall see to it,a Marla told him.

Going back up to his room, he got his sword and the bent piece of wood. When he came down and walked through the common room, the people made a path for him, eyeing him with a mix of fear and awe. Marlaas boys had probably embellished a little on what happened outside; then again, no one had actually seen anything. No amount of fictionalizing could encompass the horror that was in that alley. In the crowd, he noticed a couple men who wore clothes similar to the men he and the gargoyle killed. Stopping at the door, he turned and addressed the crowd.

aI like the lady who runs this place and her family,a he said as he scanned them. He settled his eyes on the two men, who pretended to be interested in something else. aAnyone who wants to hurt them will end up just like their friends in the alley.a The men looked at him and turned pale. He waited until they turned away then left, making Ellie walk beside him.

As Randy had told him, it was easy to find General Cooperas wagons. They had no more than got out of town when on his right there was a field that looked like it had been plowed by a madman. Deep ruts crisscrossed each other, and one set of wide ruts ran to a section of crushed stone fence. Something very heavy had come though here.

In the middle of the field, what looked to be strangely built houses were clustered together. The smaller ones he took to be tractors, by Jenias description. The larger ones were over twice the size of those. Round chimneys billowed dark smoke behind their square end, while in the middle an angular section sported three thick pipes before the front sloped down in a wedge. The large machines sat on wide, tall wheels that were belted together.

Struggling through the deep ruts, he and Ellie made their way to the center of the field where he now saw the tractors had two or three wagons behind them. By one large wooden wagon, smiths had an anvil and forge set up. Inside the wagon, steel bars hung on the wall and thick plates of steel covered the floor. Another was a portable kitchen. Asking the way, he found General Cooper in the large square shack atop one of the steel behemoths.

Despite Tayanas clothing, General Cooper recognized him.

aLord Tayan,a he grinned then swept his eyes over his attire. aWhy are you sneaking about as a commoner?a aLong story,a he said, shaking the generalas hand. aI need your services.a aI have half my payment, and your credit is good,a Cooper said with a bow. aWhat can I do for you, Malord.a aI heard you want to test these machines. I need to go north to the plains. If possible, I would rather not go through the city,a he explained.

A glint of excitement shone in General Cooperas eyes. aThe plains? I can think of no better challenge. As far as going through the city, we canat. No bridge will hold my battlewagons. We will have to go way north to the beginnings of the Jude, unless you know another way.a Looking out over the top of the gigantic steel body, he hoped the bridge he was thinking of would hold such heavy machines.

aActually, I do. There's an ancient bridge which spans the Jude River a hundred miles north of the city. How fast can we get there?a Cooper frowned in thought. aWell, letas say decent terrain and no problems, we can be there tomorrow morning.a aA hundred miles, overnight?a Switching horses, messengers might make a hundred miles in a full day of travel. He couldn't imagine these things going half that speed.

aThe boilers are still hot, and we have a few hours of daylight left,a Cooper said. aIad say fifty or sixty today, and the rest first thing in the morning.a After all his bad luck in recent days, it was hard to believe something was going right.

aThatas good news. Iam ready to go whenever you are.a General Cooper turned to one of his officers. aCaptain Stark, sound assembly. We shall be leaving in the hour.a Above them, a harsh whistle blasted. Tyan watched as the chaotic array of men and machines quickly packed up. When the lead tractors started moving, they squealed and chugged. The battlewagon ahead of them pulled out, and he felt the thumping chugs of its workings in his feet as it lumbered off. In little time, the wagons formed a long line of steel and smoke.

On the road, a company of knights blocked their path. A halt was called, and General Cooper went to the front to see who had stopped them. When he came back, Amber and Sir Parson were with him.

Upon seeing Tayan, Amberas face lit up. He climbed down the ladder to greet her, and somehow they ended up in a hug.

aWe are so glad to find you, Malord,a Sir Parson offered.

Amber pulled back and grinned at him like a schoolgirl. aI knew youad be here! We caught the fake, so you can go back now.a He considered doing just that. Thinking about it for a second, he knew whoever planned his kidnapping was still around. As long as they thought he was alive they wouldnat stop looking for him.

aNo,a he decided, aI have a much better idea.a He explained his plan to them.

Chapter 19.

Aliana sat on the edge of her throne, grinning with joy. aYou are sure of this?a The elf in the peasant clothes nodded. aThe official story that Lord Parnal and Lord Tolham spread is that he was killed by an assassin. I did some digging around and found out he was shot by a guard on the west end of the city the same day he escaped from our wizards. Apparently, he tried to get to safety, but he was caught at the gates and your gargoyle showed up. He fled from there and was leaving the city when they found him again. I talked to a knight who only would confirm that the man who murdered the wizard and his daughter was killed while fleeing.a This was too good to be true, Tayan slain by his own people! aDid you see his body?a The elf shook his head. aHe was dumped in a common grave to the southwest of the city. I went there, and the workers told me about a man who fit his description being buried. I was not allowed to dig him up and see for myself.a She knew this elf was trustworthy, and he made sure his facts were straight before he reported anything to her. aVery well. Keep a close watch on the people he was near. This may be a trick.a The elf bowed. aAs you wish, Master. If anyone even mentions his name, my network will hear of it.a She knew her Tayan duplicate had been caught at about the same time. His loss was a setback but not too important. aYou are certain it was not Necron who was buried?a aAbsolutely. I saw Necron. He is being held under close guard and interrogated. Would you like me to have him killed?a She shook her head. aNo, let him suffer for getting caught. He doesnat know enough to be a danger to us.a aYes, Master. Any other orders?a aNo, just keep an eye on that elven army.a The elf bowed and departed. Behind him, two men carrying a third in a bloody gray shift moved up to her. The man in the middle kept his head down, hiding his pale face.

aAhhh, Lash,a she grinned. aDid you enjoy your whipping?a Lash muttered, aYes, Master.a She beckoned the men to bring him closer. When he was right in front of her, she tilted his head up and looked into his eyes. The vacant look pleased her. aThose little things between your legs, you miss them?a Lash swallowed, squinting as he recalled his castration. aYes, Master,a he choked.

aYou were a good servant and wonderfully sadistic. That is the only reason you are still alive,a she cooed. aIn fact, I will give you a chance to redeem yourself, if you are man enough.a She stressed the last part.

aI live to serve you,a he said tightly.

Watching her fingers, she gently rubbed his jaw line. aYou have one last chance to kill Zodiac. Destroy him and his army, and I will give you back your status--and your shriveled little sack. Fail, and it will be best if you die on the battlefield.a Hope sparked in his eyes. aI will not fail, Master.a Aliana whisked her hand at the men holding him. aGet him cleaned up and into a uniform then brief him. Go!a ***