A Misdirected Arrow?

Deep Connections

The half empty sack of flour that had been left in the incised circle erupted with dust as it was suddenly stepped on. The man waited a couple of seconds before canceling his silence spell by breaking the feather he had previously dropped.

“Sastra. Its Arakan, shield your light and walk toward my voice”, Arakan then took two large steps toward the main passageway, uncovering the brightly lit coin as he moved his feet.

A small person merged from the darkness, crouched and enfolded in a long dark cloak. The face of the woman with long dark hair was recognized by Arakan and he reached down to his ring and quickly became visible again.

“Sorry for the ambush, Sastra, things have changed since you left,” Arakan reached down to pick up the lit coin and willed the darkness spell to end also, revealing the magical circle again. “Guards are stationed down the hall, and I don’t want to risk revealing this place.”

Sastra straightened up to her full height of just over five feet and Arakan looked closer at the young woman. Her slight body was hidden under loose long pants and shirt, but the brown eyes followed his every move.

“My Lord, what a pleasant surprise”, the sarcasm in her voice almost made Arakan laugh. She laid the closed lantern down on the floor, purposefully inside the circle and came close to her superior in the Protectorate so they could whisper.

“Since stealth was called for I thought it best to take Mal’s place and get your report myself. You’ve been in Xanjipor for three weeks now, alone. That's a dangerous place for anyone, especially a...”, Arakan stopped before he could insult his most trusted investigator by doubting her abilities.

“Geld one and the rest, um, kind of just shrink away”, she pulled a razor sharp dagger out of a wrist sheath and made a low slash below waist height with a speed that reminded Arakan of her skills and why he had chosen her for this mission.

“Now that I know you’ve been enjoying yourself, I really hate to tell you that I need you back here. But first, did you find him?” The seriousness of that last question turned Arakan’s face into an intent stare as he looked for any hint of an answer on Sastra’s face.

“Looking for a dead man is easy, looking for a “dead” man who doesn’t want to be found is much, much harder, and I doubt Baulgir, former Duke of Sawndur wants to be found, if he’s alive. But no, I found neither him or anyone who would claim they had seen him, even for the promise of gold.”

The sigh that escaped Arakan was part relief, part frustration. His shoulders slumped as he put the shining coin away in his vest, leaving the intersection once again covered in shadows. “It was all a wild idea anyway, but I guess... I’m glad to be wrong, Baulgir’s being alive would be more than a thorn in our side right now.” Arakan whispered the motto of the secret organization he led, “King and Country.”

Sastra bowed her head, repeating it softly too, then added,“But I did find something yesterday, it could be important.”

The look on Arakan’s face changed in a flash as he eagerly looked to Sastra for more.

“I was in the cloth bazaar finishing up another verbal dance with a fellow ‘merchant’ who wanted the gold I proffered but couldn’t adequately back up his claim, when I saw a man staring at me. He turned away quickly but not before I had a glimmer of recognition. I made my outrage known to the merchant and stormed off in the general direction of the staring man. Tall, thin, with a bushy black beard, eyebrows and hair, but it was his clothes that stood out to me and made the match in my mind. He was all in bright green, from toe to head, impossible to lose in the crowd as it worked out.” Sastra had put her dagger away and almost acted out her part in the chase as she ducked her head and peered around imaginary shoppers in the crowded bazaar.

“When the Protectorate had me as the Queen’s bodyguard, we made a trip to Baulgir’s court, in 164 or maybe ‘5, I forget. Baulgir had a secretary, always hovering around, with the most annoying nasally voice, but always dressed in bright green!” She managed to inject the excitement in her whisper. “I followed him all the way to the Golden Palace and he entered without a second look from the guards. There was no chance of continuing after him, but I know it was the same man, it just fits. He’s with Baulgir in the Palace. The perfect place to lay low, a neutral trade city like Xanjipor, where gold can buy anything, even a new life.”

Arakan took the whole story in, nodding, “I know who you mean, his name is Aulwin, and he would be worth having almost as much as Baulgir’s head itself.”

“But you definitely can’t go back, Sastra, if you’re right and he recognized you, we can’t chase him away and have to look for him all over again. Besides, I need you back her for the coronation, the Old Queen needs a familiar face and she has been asking about for her favorite lady in waiting. Looks like you get to dress up in something different, fluffier maybe?”

Sastra turned around and went back toward the circle, deftly dipping into a curtsey as she picked up the lantern. “I can be back the same time tomorrow”, she indicated the circle, “I need to tidy up some loose ends and make sure this portal can’t be used to get back here.”

“Mal will meet you and take care of the guards. Be careful Sastra, no risks!”