Brian Anderson - The Sword of Truth

“I hope he doesn’t do anything stupid,” Lee muttered. “I don’t trust that woman.”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure the lad can handle himself,” said Millet.

Suddenly, a series of loud thumps sounded from behind the door, followed by a muffled scream. Lee jumped out of bed and grabbed the knife he had hidden under his pillow. Millet rushed to his pack, searching for a weapon, but before he could find one, Lee threw open the door and ran out. Lying in the hall were four city guards, all dead, blood pouring from multiple wounds. Kaylia stood over them, still dressed in her underclothes, with her long knife at the ready.

“How you’ve stayed alive this long I can’t imagine,” said Kaylia.

“I heard them coming from all the way down the hall.”

“Thank the Gods for that,” Millet said from behind Lee. “My lord, we need to find Gewey.”

Lee was still staring at the bodies and the half-naked elf standing over them. ‘How did I miss this?’ he thought. ‘I should have heard them.’

“Pay attention, half-man,” said Kaylia sternly. “Get your things together. I’ll be right back.”

Kaylia ran down the hall to her room.

Millet grabbed Lee by the arms. “Are you alright, my lord?”

“I’m fine,” answered Lee. “Gather our things. Don’t bother with the robes.”

A few minutes later Kaylia reappeared with her pack, still holding her knife. Instead of her pilgrim’s robe, she wore a brown, waist-length hooded riding cloak over the same shirt and trousers she’d been wearing when they met. “This should disguise me as well as the robes did,” she explained, at Lee’s questioning look.

“I take it we’re no longer pilgrims,” said Millet.

“It seems like the pilgrim disguise didn’t work,” Lee admitted.

Once they gathered their gear, Lee led them down the hall to the entrance leading to the main temple. He peered out from behind the tapestry that covered the doorway and saw Maybell kneeling in front of the statue of Ayliazarah.

“Quickly,” Lee whispered.

Lee burst from behind the tapestry, sword in hand, and ran toward the praying woman. She looked up at them, eyes wide in shock, as he grabbed her roughly and pinned her to the floor.

“What’s the meaning of this?” she screamed, struggling in vain against Lee’s iron grip.

“Why don’t you ask the guards that you sent to kill us?” Lee asked harshly.

“I, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Maybell stammered.

“What guards?”

“Listen to me very carefully,” Lee said in a low, dangerous whisper. “You will answer my questions, or I’ll let my friend here deal with you.” He looked at Kaylia, who pulled back her hood.

“An elf!” Maybell cried out, terrified. “Ayliazarah protect me.”

“The gods can’t protect you from me, woman,” said Kaylia with a malevolent grin.

“What do you want?” Maybell pleaded.

“Nothing you can’t provide,” said Lee. “First, you will tell us where to find our wagon and horses. Then you will help us leave the city. Finally, you will tell us where our young friend is.”

“He’s with Her Holiness,” she said. “You already know that.”

“Let me question her,” Kaylia offered, stroking her blade.

Horror and fear took hold of the old woman, and she started to weep uncontrollably. “Please, I’m begging you,” she said between her sobs. “I spent the night at Temple of Islisema. Her Holiness sent me there last night after dinner. I just got back. I know nothing.”

“Millet,” said Lee. “Go upstairs and look around. See if that witch left any clues.”

Millet nodded and immediately ran up the stairs.

Lee looked directly into Maybell’s eyes. “I’ll ask you again,” he said. “Do you know what Salmitaya did to our friend?”

Maybell looked straight back at Lee. “I swear by the gods I do not! I don’t know what’s happening here!”

Lee sighed. “She tells the truth. She knows nothing.”

“How can you be sure?” asked Kaylia.

“I can tell,” Lee replied. “She doesn’t possess the skill to deceive me. Remember what I am; it takes a trained mind to hide the truth from me.”

“Perhaps she is trained,” said Kaylia.

“No,” said Lee. “If she were, I would know that too.”

Lee let the woman up. She was shaking, still terrified. They waited in grim silence until Millet returned, running down the stairs.

“I found something,” said Millet, handing a letter to Lee.

Lee took the letter and read it aloud.

“ Salmitaya ,”

“You are to watch for three travelers. They will be disguised as pilgrims and will be using false names. Their real names are Lee Starfinder, Millet Gristall, and Gewey Stedding. Two are older, the other young. It is possible that they have picked up another companion along the way. The young one called Gewey is to be brought to me unharmed. The others are to be killed. Do not underestimate them, Salmitaya. And do not fail as you have in the past, or you shall find reward swiftly turn to punishment.”

It was signed simply “ Y .”

“He knows who we are,” said Lee, clutching the letter angrily.

“Somehow he knows our names, and now he has the boy.” Kaylia’s eyes shone with fierce determination. “There’s only one thing to do: find him, and get him back. But first, we must leave the city.”

“Getting out shouldn’t be hard,” said Millet. “They’re trying to keep people out, not in. But unless you want to delay long enough to buy proper horses for riding, then we either leave behind our gear and run after them or try and catch them riding in a wagon.”

“I suggest we do both,” said Kaylia. “Millet, you can take the wagon while Lee and I run ahead and catch them. They think us dead, so it’s unlikely they’ll be in much of a hurry. Once we’re outside of the city, all we need to do is find out if anyone has seen a carriage with an armed escort.”

“What makes you think that’s how they’ll travel?” asked Millet.

“The boy is strong, and won’t go willingly,” Kaylia reasoned.

“They’ll need a wagon or carriage to carry him, and I can’t picture a high priestess in a wagon. The letter said to be cautious, so it’s likely she’ll bring an escort. Being that she ordered the attack on us earlier, she clearly has access to the city guard.”

“That’s a lie!” spat Maybell. “Her Holiness would never order the spilling of blood within her own temple.”

“Then explain the letter,” said Lee. “Does a High Priestess go about the business of murder? Does she abduct people? Once we’re gone, I suggest you look closely at what’s been happening here.” Maybell glared at Lee, hatred burning in her eyes.

“Did you see her receive this letter?” Millet asked Maybell.

“No,” the woman answered. “Why?”

“I wonder how she received word so quickly…” Millet said, stroking his chin. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. “Sister Maybell, does Salmitaya keep a messenger flock?”

“Of course she does,” Maybell replied, trying her best to keep her composure. “All temples do.”

“That explains part of it, at least,” said Lee. “Still, we have no idea how the sender of this letter got our names in the first place, or how he knew our cover story.”

“What’s a messenger flock?” Kaylia interrupted.

“Fauna birds,” answered Millet. “Generally there are cages on the roof to house them. Each bird flies between two homes. Tie a letter to their leg and release them, and they can carry a message in a single day that would normally take a week.”

Kaylia nodded slowly. “Caged birds,” she said, grimacing in disgust.