Cheilin Saga ~ 23

Cheilin Saga ~ 23 Eve of the Games II 

By Len Morgan

   “I envy you, my love,” said Gavein, “you come and go freely, inside and outside the Palace, whilst I remain a virtual prisoner within these grounds.”

“Then you know just how the other women feel,” said Zophira.

“Indeed,” he said taking no offence at her barbed statement.   “I would go with you just once,” he pleaded for the umpteenth time…

Her heart gave a little jump of excitement in expectation, the game progressed, he was worrying the bait, and soon he would swallow it, not bad for two months she thought.

“Would that be wise?   You would first have to slip past your bodyguard, if you do so and later get caught, the consequences for them and for me would be dire; you are heir to the Empire.   If I were you I would think hard before taking such action.”

“It would take careful planning but I believe we could get out and return without being detected…”

“We?” she said.  

“I couldn’t do it alone…”    She saw the pleading look in his eyes.

“It would be dangerous…” she began.

“I’m not afeared,” he said with bravado.

She scowled, “Not for you, for anyone who aids you.  For me!” she said, spelling it out.

“I would never let anything happen to you,” he protested.

“You would probably not have a choice in the matter.”

“I will pen a letter saying I ordered, no forced you to accompany me, against your advice and better judgement.   On discovering I am determined to go anyway, you agreed in order to protect me, as a buffer, against the world,” he said with finality whilst affixing his signature with a flourish, at the bottom of the missive.   “So long as we are back before dawn…”

Swallowed, the hook, and line too, she smiled inwardly.  

“You would need a safe house to hide up in…   No!   It’s too risky,” she feigned a wavering spirit.

“My wives could help…”

“No, no!   You must never tell them anything, if you wish it to remain a secret, how do you think news travels?” she scoffed.

“We go mid-morning and return before sunset?”

“That would be possible,” she said. 

.-…-. 

“Now remember, you are accompanying me, to carry my purchases only.   Don’t look anybody in the eyes or they will become suspicious, servants never court the gaze of their betters,” she explained for the fourth time.   He smiled but didn’t complain.

“I understand,” he said patiently, “come on let’s be off,” he started towards the door causing her a momentary concern.

“No, you follow me!”  

“Sorry ma'am,” he said eyes lowered.

“That’s better; mayhap this will work after all.   Mayhap I will keep my head” she added.

His giggle sounded familiar.

“Don’t do that, you sound just like your father,” but she was smiling when she said it.

“No ma'am,” he said.

They made their way through a hidden side door into the main court, where they slipped unobtrusively through the crush of morning petitioners.

   “That seemed remarkably easy,” she said glancing around still anticipating pursuit, but seeing nothing.   They took the Central Way, heading around ‘C1’, then moved on up ‘N7’ to ‘C15’ heading Eastward in a long curve until they reached ‘N2’ then without warning she dragged him into an alley, and through a secret door abutting with a similar Alley leading into ‘C16’.   As the door closed behind them Gavein looked in vain for the join, it was cunningly hidden; he could have searched for a year without discovering the mechanism.   Zophira smiled indicating a vine which she pulled, to demonstrate the mechanism, before they moved on.   Eventually, they stood before a house on ‘C18’ a third of the distance between ‘N1’ & ‘E8’.  They entered a building.

"I needed some exercise but why such a circuitous route?"

She smiled “Needed to be sure we weren't being followed...  This is my cousin Efelel,” she said, “Efe this is my employer Gav…”

“Please!   Not that - call me your friend, I view you as, a friend,” he said.

“Of course,” she said humouring him with an intimate hug.

“You are also employed at the Palace?” Efelel asked.

His ready smile changed to a frown as she entered his mind.   She stepped forward bestowing a kiss full on his lips.   ‘And now you are mine,’ she thought.

.-..-.

   Later that evening he and Zophira re-entered the Palace, unnoticed by anybody likely to ask questions.   Outside the Palace, an elderly, raggedy, beggar saw them slip back into the grounds.   His keen intelligent eyes belied his humble appearance.   He did not recognise Gavein, just viewed him cursorily, appraising Zophira’s attire, noting she at least was a person of quality. 

.-…-. 

Outside the safe house, Aldor was met by Osyrin, a man he had become acquainted with seven years earlier.  

 “You old devil, it’s been close on two years, you need  a favour?”

The older man shook his head and smiled.

 “It’s good ta see you too young-un.   I have some news picked up on ‘C20’ that mayt be o use to yeh.   I was but three hundred yads distant, and my eyes are not what they used ta be but, the man was mouthin so well it wuz hard ter believe they wuz not intentionally speakin so’s I could read is lips.   Fer which reason I fear ter retell it lest it prove ter be a hoax or, worse still, a smokescreen ter distract yeh,” he said.

   Osyrin was deaf.   He lost his hearing after a childhood illness; contracted at the age of seven.   He had learned to lip-read, as others learn to talk, determined that a little thing like deafness would not rob him of a moment of life’s pleasures.

He met Aldor when he became involved in a drunken brawl, against two hard-hitting brothers, who mistook him for another.   When Aldor came upon the scene they had beaten him to the ground and kicked him senseless.   Aldor watched them draw knives to finish the job; that was enough for him, he waded in fists a-flying.

“So, you have come to die with this dumb ass,” one said, he kicked Oz again to emphasise his words.    “What say we deal with em alike brother?”

“Yea, carve out their livers, and feed em to the Carp in Central Park Lake, Hey brother?”

They had expected him to run but instead, Aldor stood his ground.   They came at him from opposite sides which proved their undoing.   He stepped back so fast they were unable to stop.   They collided and one stabbed the other; Aldor rendered them both unconscious with minimal effort.   He helped Osyrin to his feet and called for the Watch.  

“Yeh jus saved me life young-un, an I’m now in yer debt” he said

“No need,” Aldor protested, “you would have done the same for me…”

“I mose certn’ly wouldn't!   You mus be a madman attackin, two armed men, with yer bare hands, I owe yer.   If ever yer need ter call fer payment ya’ll find me at the Merry Fiddlers.   Yer jus leave me a message, with the innkeep, he knows me well.   The name’s Osyrin” he offered his hand.  

 He was to become a valued addition to Aldor’s intelligence network.   He repayed his debt many times over by teaching Aldor, and the Tylywoch , how to read lips… 

.-…-. 

  “There’s some’un close ter the Empr’er ready ter strike a blow for Bluttland fust day o the games,” Osyrin warned.

Aldor knew better than to treat his warnings lightly.

 “I believe you.  We will take all necessary precautions.  Thank you.  Are you in need of funds Oz?” 

"Allus prush'ate off'rins..." silvers & copper exchanged hands.

   Though he knew that Tyse would never allow their two main suspects, or anybody he didn’t know, to get close enough to any of the royal party to do them harm. Dan, his three sons, five daughters, and four wives were all closely guarded.   The women seldom left the confines of the palace, and certainly not unaccompanied.   The sons always had protection, from a Tylywoch quad, when they left the palace.   Even when they thought they were alone, and embarking on a new adventure, there were usually friendly eyes watching out for them.

“Was there something else old friend,” Aldor asked.

“I also witnessed a secret returnin yester'aft-noon, a young woman, quite a peach o’a girl, green eyes, raven hair…” he sighed.

 “It could have been Zofira, prince Gavein’s new concubine.   She has been a regular out tripper to the markets, cannot settle to palace constraints, least not in the three months she’s been there,” said Aldor.  

“She wuz in the cump'ny o’a youngun I reclect, didn’t reconize him, coulda bin a servant but, I’m sure I would reconize him if I crossed paths wi him agin.   He was quite tall, and crooked over to dis'gise the fact.”

“Go on with your description,” said Aldor.

As Oz continued to note little things Aldor took a peek inside his mind but, the image he saw was inconclusive, it could be any one of two dozen…   He committed the description to memory regardless, out of profound respect for his friends abilities.

.-…-. 

“Be sure that Hestor’s description is circulated, on all the watches today, there is a likeness posted in every watch room,” the captain of Melitia informed his Watch sergeants, Sloan amongst them.   All leave had been cancelled but, on the bright side, they would all get an excellent view of the games.   Just so long as they caught Hestor early on.   Dan had commissioned a court artist to produce a likeness, at Sloan’s suggestion.   Copies were made, and circulated, by the new print process.   He advocated that likenesses should also be produced, of all known criminals, to be displayed in prominent public places. 

(To be continued)

                                                                                         Copyright Len Morgan