Jeff Inlo - Pure Choice

"What do you need of me now?"

"I've got foot patrols waiting at crossroads throughout the town. Make sure they're armed with chain nets and they know to capture these blasted things as opposed to killing them. There should be plenty of nets in every armory. They'll get signals from the towers on what they need to do, but I'd feel better if you delivered the message personally to as many as you can."

"Done."

While Klusac mounted his horse and rode off into the darkness, Sy resigned himself to simply watching and waiting. He stepped back through the barracks entrance but stopped after only a couple of steps. He stood under an open trap door that led to the roof, and he turned to get a clear view of the nearest tower through the front entrance. Despite the delver's speed, he knew he would have at least a few moments of quiet.

The guard captain actually embraced the momentary silence that washed across the empty barracks. As he became more of a leader of the entire town and less of a soldier, hushed moments of contemplation grew in importance. He used such time to weigh his decisions, those already made and those he still faced. Finding the right balance between benefits and hazards became a greater part of his duties than facing down goblins, shags, and river rogues.

He considered Ryson, pictured him racing across the town-a blur of motion and a flash of light. The delver was doing what he loved to do, and Sy couldn't deny the advantage of having a purebred delver available to him; to scout the surrounding lands, to uncover enemies, and to help protect the town. Unfortunately, Ryson's unyielding moral compass created certain risks that potentially offset such advantages.

Sy silently cursed the situation. It would have been easier if it was just one or two rogues. He wouldn't have had to ask for the delver's help. His soldiers could have found the creatures and dispatched them. Problem solved. He just wasn't that lucky. There were too many confirmed sightings and too many unknowns.

He had given in to Ryson because he wanted the delver's help-needed Ryson's keen senses-but keeping rogues alive to release them down river began to sound like far too great a concession. The question he faced centered on the benefit of having the delver's aid versus the compromises he had to make, compromises he believed increased the risk to his town just to keep dark creatures alive.

It didn't make sense, not to a soldier and certainly not to a captain of the guard. He would have to speak with Ryson, and friend or not- delver or not-Sy would make his growing concerns known.

As for Ryson, the delver brushed the brief disagreement with Sy from his mind. He concentrated almost entirely on finding the river rogues as he raced away from the barracks. During his past scouts, he had come across several rogues in the course of his travels, but he always kept a safe distance. His remarkable memory and mind for detail allowed him to recall an accurate description of the monster.

They were odd looking beasts. He always thought of an elongated lake trout with arms and legs whenever he pictured one. Of course, it also had fangs and claws, and a viciousness that made it extremely dangerous.

A clear visual image of a rogue, however, was not essential in locating the ones that stalked the town. Holding the brightly glowing sword in front of him, Ryson relied little on what he could see. Instead, he focused on what he could smell. The scent of a river rogue was strong and obvious, more so than that of a shag. Even as the smells of burning lanterns and late night cooking fires filled the air, he knew the rogues would not be able to hide their scent from him.

Sergeant Klusac had informed the delver of the locations of the rogue sightings, and Ryson rushed to the first location, near the northwestern section of the city. He found the scent trail immediately and he raced onward knowing the rogue was close by but probably waiting in some dark corner hoping to ambush its prey.

Sy's orders for the citizens to find immediate shelter as opposed to heading home probably saved at least one life. With no one on the streets, the rogue would be disappointed.

Careful not to step near any potential hazard, Ryson stayed to the center of the streets. After a few turns, he located a dark alley behind a candle maker's shop. He knew the rogue was hiding behind two waste barrels. The creature probably hoped the scent of the discarded oils and fat would mask its own presence, but Ryson had no such difficulty in locating the beast. He could hear its labored breaths.

Keeping his eyes on the alley, Ryson waved his sword over his head three times and waited stone still until a group of soldiers arrived bearing a long and wide net made from iron chains. The delver knew it would be dangerous for any of the guards to attempt to capture the monster in the narrow confines of the alley, and he didn't wish any injury to befall either the soldiers or the rogue.

"Let me bring it out in the open," Ryson offered before any of the soldiers could move into the alley.

The corporal in charge of the squad immediately disagreed and offered his own approach.

"If we stretch the net across the alley, we can rush in and wrap it up before it has a chance to move. That alley's a dead end. It can't escape."

"But if it runs up against the back wall," Ryson countered, "it's going to know it's trapped and it might panic."

"Let it."

"And if it flails out in that narrow passage? What then?"

"We know the risks."

"Why take any risks?"

"It's what we do."

Ryson didn't care for the soldier's disregard for danger and unwillingness to consider safer alternatives. He decided to paint a clearer picture for the corporal.

"You mean your job as a soldier? One that takes orders from Captain Fenden? He put me in charge of finding the rogues. I would think that means you need to defer to my judgment."

It was not quite an accurate statement. Sy Fenden had told Ryson to simply find the rogues and allow the guards to handle the capture. Ryson had no authority over the corporal, but he was not against taking on more responsibility.

The corporal appeared uncertain, clearly not wishing to bow to the orders of the delver. He also, however, understood that Ryson-though not an official member of the guard-held a special relationship with Burbon's captain. The corporal had hopes of obtaining the rank of sergeant, and falling on the wrong side of the captain's wishes would not aid that cause. In the end, the soldier decided it was wiser to allow a the delver a measure of latitude.

"Fine. You force the creature out here in the streets, but once it's in the open, let us handle it."

"You're not to injure it," Ryson reminded.

"I know my orders," the corporal grunted.

Peering into the alley, Ryson watched the dancing shadows created by the surrounding torches and the much brighter light reflecting off his sword. The creature remained well hidden and apparently somewhat secure in its place of hiding. Perhaps it felt as if it was nestled under some fallen tree across a dry creek bed. It made no movements and showed no undue concern toward the gathering of soldiers just beyond its reach.

Ryson decided to use his speed to dash past the waste barrels and into the back of the alley. He did not leap. He simply burst into motion and raced past the rogue before the creature even realized the delver had entered the alley. As Ryson turned swiftly about at the back wall, he held the Sword of Decree out in front of him to ensure the monster would not lunge. He didn't want the rogue to think it suddenly obtained an easy meal.

For its part, the river rogue remained crouched behind the barrels but clearly confused at the drastic change in events. The shadows and darkness it used to conceal its presence vanished in the glow of the enchanted blade held by an invader to its sanctuary. The trespasser moved faster than the beast's limited mind could fathom and it appeared uncertain of its security. It did not charge the delver, but its agitation grew as it realized it stood trapped between a grouping of soldiers and the armed invader.