Jeff Inlo - Chain of Bargains

Holli nodded, but remained quiet. She did not regret her decision for refusing to escape the predicament, but she also began to lose faith that she would speak to anyone of credible authority within the ranks of those that stood before her. The guards didn't even disarm their prisoners, even as they turned their backs upon them to guide them through the city. Incompetence quickly began to appear as pure foolishness.

Ryson also did not speak. He simply stepped cautiously along with the group when the soldiers turned and started marching further up the street. He kept a watchful eye on their movements and their surroundings. He mapped out their path in his mind and committed several landmarks to memory. He made absolutely certain that if escape became necessary, he would have several routes at the ready.

Holli kept track of their movements as well, but she also watched the reactions of other humans that passed them in the streets. Night had taken hold, but it was not so late that the streets were deserted. The town was active enough for Holli to gain a true perspective of the citizen reaction to armed activity, and it surprised her. Not one resident who passed paused to gawk at the parade of guards escorting apparent prisoners through the town.

That fact seemed almost incomprehensible to her. In living among humans, she learned that they were a curious race. Such spectacles should have brought much more attention, but the townspeople actually shied away from their approach. Shutters remained closed on all windows as did the doors of many homes. The residents of Huntston clearly wished to distance themselves from such incidents.

Bizarre.

Humans simply did not act in such a manner. Some might keep to themselves, might seek the shelter of obscurity and avoid spectacles, but not an entire town. Many, if not most, would seek to view the commotion, not shield their eyes from it. Yet, there were no crowd of onlookers, and those that walked the streets deliberately avoided the parade of soldiers escorting two strangers.

Turning her mind once more to the goblins and how they entered Huntston earlier that evening, Holli wondered if the residents acted in a similar fashion. Did they ignore dark creatures roaming the streets? Did they simply look away and mind their own business? Did they hope that any potential threat would simply dissolve away?

Extremely Bizarre.

The soldiers escorted Holli and Ryson on a fairly long walk. They led them to an ominous building just northeast of the center of town. The entire structure was built from rock. Only a few very narrow windows lined the front exterior wall. Bright lanterns lit up the streets and alleys surrounding the building, but the stone walls themselves were bathed in shadows. There were no adjacent structures, as the nearest building stood several paces away across a very wide side alley.

A brick walkway led from the street to two massive doors that served as the front entrance and appeared to be made of iron. Holli believed that assessment to be true when she watched one of the soldiers struggle to open the door. A soldier waiting within gave quick instructions once they were all inside and the heavy doors were closed.

"We're bringing them to the back, follow me," he stated in the fashion of an order he expected to be followed without question or delay. This particular soldier had at least some level of authority, but Holli didn't expect it extended beyond the stone walls.

She believed he was a station commander, nothing more. He didn't create the orders. He simply issued them to the guards under his command. The true decision to take Holli and Ryson captive came from someone further up the chain of command. If she was going to get any answers, she wasn't going to obtain them from any of the soldiers they had encountered so far.

Ryson's discomfort continued to grow. He reviewed their surroundings and realized they had been brought to a guard station that also served as a jail. He and Holli were led down a narrow hall and through another set of heavy iron doors. The entire back half of the building was a wide expanse-very much like a storehouse- but with several areas squared off with metal bars. The cells were more like isolated cages, as sections of iron bars completed four walls and containment ceilings for each individual holding area.

Ryson expected the interior of the facility to be dark and dreary, but the jail area was exceedingly bright. Far more lanterns than were needed hung along each wall. Though the unpolished iron bars offered little solace, the white stone floor actually sparkled under the dancing flames of the lamps.

Holli peered curiously into each cell they passed. Most remained empty, but a few housed an occupant. No cage held more than one prisoner and each one was human. Once more, she found no sign of the goblins.

The human prisoners did not look up at the new arrivals. Most rested on thin mattresses thrown on the floor. Blankets were pulled up high and covered the faces of the inmates. Holli wasn't sure if these prisoners were shielding their eyes from the bright light of the jail or burying their shame, and perhaps even their consciousness, in the darkness of covers.

The guards separated Ryson and Holli as they reached a block of cages in the back corner far away from any other prisoners. They were not, however, removed far from each other. Holli was brought to a halt before one sliding cell door just as Ryson was guided to the front of the neighboring cage.

"Leave them dressed, but remove their weapons, bags, and any other possessions," the soldier in charge commanded. "Throw everything they have in the cell behind me. The captain will want to go through it when he gets here."

Before the other guards could move, he tapped the sheath of the Sword of Decree that hung across Ryson's back.

"Except for this. Don't touch this sword handle. Take it by the sheath only. Store it in that cabinet and lock it after you close it. I want the key when you're done."

Before leaving, the station commander pulled the forester's cap off Holli's head and took a long look at the pointed ears of the elf guard. He appeared to make a mental note of their long, thin characteristics before turning away and tossing the cap in an empty cell. Without another word, he marched back to the front of the station.

The other guards followed their orders. They quickly relieved Ryson and Holli of their weapons and pouches, checked their pockets and removed all possessions they found. They placed the items on the floor of the cell with Holli's forester cap and then shut and locked the door.

The soldier who took hold of the Sword of Decree did so with great care so as not to allow the handle to even brush his person. As he carried it to the storage cupboard, he held it far from his body as if it were a venomous snake that might strike if disturbed. He placed the weapon in the wooden cabinet and quickly shut the door. He locked it with a key that he took with him as he left.

The other guards directed both Holli and Ryson into their cells. They didn't shove them with any force or malice. They simply pointed and expected the prisoners to follow the order. Both the elf and the delver offered no resistance. They stepped into their respective cages and watched as the guards locked the cell doors.

Holli watched the soldiers as each one filed down the long corridor and exited the room. Not one guard remained behind as the heavy iron doors were pulled to a thumping close. She heard the latch lock with the twist of a key. Scanning the expansive space of the jail, she could see through the bars of each cell and across the entire room. Only prisoners remained in the jail area and all of them were hiding from their own insecurities.

"I have seen enough," the elf declared in a hushed voice, but not as low as a whisper. Her disgust with the carelessness of the guards painted her tone as well as her expression. She no longer believed she would gain anything of value from those that captured her. She was even sorry she allowed the inept soldiers to take them prisoner.