Arka's Return 2: The Tower

[Arka]

Lordbug had hardly slept. He had spent the morning trying to design a new wing for the University but was deeply anxious. He still had no news and it troubled him. Each day this went on placed him in deeper peril. He paced the floor of his study, pondering the best course of action. At some point they would have to go to the authorities, preferably before the authorities came to him…

There was a loud knock at the door and Lordbug jumped.

“Who is it?” His voice came out in a squeak.

The door opened and Gholmyrr stepped inside, clearly excited.

“We have a message! He’s safe!”

Lordbug realised he’d been holding his breath and gave a sigh.

“When? How? What did…” he stammered.

“Calm down, Lordbug. It’s going to be fine.”

“We must get him out.”

“No, no, that’s not possible. Not yet. If we act too soon it will raise suspicion.”

“What was the message?”

Gholmyrr took a scrap of parchment from his bag and spread it in the table.

“Things getting tight. One of the seven has been killed. Things tense. No plan yet. Am keeping head down. STAY AWAY – too dangerous. Can’t get more messages out for a while. I’m OK.”

Lordbug felt reassured, but something still bothered him.

“There’s no codeword, Gholmyrr,”

“Well no, but he clearly wrote this in a hurry. It probably slipped his mind.”

Lordbug nodded. At least he was safe. Gholmyrr was probably right. They shouldn’t rush things. In any case he was clear that they should stay away – that meant there was no way of getting a message back to him.

“Who picked up the message? Was it you?”

“Don’t worry, I followed procedures. I got one of the runners to do it. After dark, after I had checked the area. No one saw him.”

Lordbug fingered the parchment.

“No plan yet. Well, that’s good news I suppose. But they clearly mean to get him out. That’s for sure.”

“Well, they had better get a move on.” Gholmyrr smiled. “The execution is the day after next.”

Lordbug looked surprised. “Next week, surely.”

“The authorities have brought it forward. Just in case there was an attempt to disrupt things. It will be announced 5 minutes before. That should put a fly in their ointment.”

He looked pleased with himself.

“Your idea, I take it?”

Gholmyrr nodded.

“Well done. We are nearly home and dry.”

[Arka]

Arka spent the rest of her day smoking the Trepor flesh. She would need some for the journey. Then after a long bath, she started to pack away the things she would need. A few clothes, her axes, a new notebook. She would be gone a few days at the most.

Zorbels had invited her for a drink in the Tavern that evening. She wanted Arka to tell her about the encounter with Sudisir. And as weary as she was with re-telling the story, she was looking forward to sharing it with her new friend.

Soon Arka was ready. She would set out as early as she could. That way, she would make it before nightfall. She checked her leather armour and waxed it well before packing it into her shoulder bag. She had been meaning to make this journey for some time, but now seemed the right time. She would be back in time for the execution. Not that she wanted to see it. She wanted to be safe at home when it happened, just in case…

No, she shook her head. There was no way he could escape this. She was safe now. Placing her bags and axes by the door, ready for the morning, she donned her woollen cloak and set off across the plaza.

She arrived at the Tavern to find Zorbels at the bar sipping a cold milk, spiced with cinnamon. She greeted Arka and turned to the Barkeeper.

“A pint of ole fallin’ down, please.”

Arka smiled. “How did you know?” she asked.

“I’ve been talking to one or two of your friends.”

Arka looked towards the fireplace. Sure enough, Lordbug and Nikoren were standing there. They both waved and she waved back.

“Do you want to join them?” asked Zorbels.

“No,” replied Arka, “They don’t want to hear my story again – it was hard enough for them the first time round.”

Zorbels smiled and nodded.

“Do you really want me to tell you what happened?”

“Only if you want to.”

Arka began with her arrival at the Stonebreaker village, finding her home destroyed and her parents gone. She told her about the ambush and how Ozbi and Bodacher had helped, how she had suspected Lordbug and Gholmyrr. She left out the bit about the Death Realm. Seeing her mother dead had been such a shock and she wasn’t sure Zorbels would believe her.
By the time she got to the final encounter with Sudisir, it was getting late. Zorbels had listened intently to the whole story. She had been particularly interested in why Sudisir had wanted to take her mother’s notes, and Arka had explained about her project to resurrect the language and history of the Stonebreakers. Zorbels was impressed.

“You are writing the dictionary yourself? And it’s never been done before?”

Arka smiled. “Most of the work had already been done,” she said, “I only had to translate from the runes. But yes, the dictionary was my idea. And I’m making progress.”
They left the tavern late, after Zorbels had made Arka promise to show her the dictionary.

“Are you hunting again tomorrow?” she asked Arka.

“No, I have some business to attend to.”

“Well, any time you want a lesson, you know where to find me.”

Arka smiled, and wished Zorbels a good night. She went home feeling very happy.

[Arka]

The two Krans were getting restless. They had been watching the tower for four hours. No-one had been in or out in all this time, and it was starting to get dark.

“Wot’s da point o’ dis?” said the taller of the two, “Nuffin’s happnin’ an’ I’m getting cold.”

“Da boss says we gotta stay an’ watch so we gotta stay.”

“Wot’s to watch? It’s jus’ the same ole’ stuff. Guard comes in, guard goes out.”

“We’s lookin’ for anyfin’ unyooshal,”

“Dere’s nuffin’ unyooshal about dis. It’s da same rootine every day.”

“We still gotta`watch.”

At that moment, Finara appeared and knocked at the door. It opened and she disappeared inside.

“See – dat’s da lady-guard goin’ in. Now da man-guard comes out.”

Sure enough, several minutes later the door opened again and Bevon Damerr walked out. He was carrying a sack, which he set down by the side of the tower. Taking a look around he nodded to himself and set off towards the Plaza.

The two Krans emerged from behind the wall and walked up towards the tower.

“See? Sumfin’ unyooshal.”

“It’s jus’ a sack. Prob’ly rubbish.” He kicked the sack with a rocky toe. It felt soft.

“Well, open it then.”

“You open it. I ain’t searchin’ fru’ rubbish!”

The first Kran took hold of the bottom of the sack and emptied its contents onto the ground.

“It’s jus’ a rat. I seen enuff. Let’s go now.”

But the other was looking at the dead animal with interest.

“Dat’s funny,” he said.

“Wot’s funny ‘bout a dead rat?”

“Look at da tail.”

The Kran looked. The tail was broken.

“It’s shaped like an L.”

“You’s stoopid. Not an L. It’s a 7.”

“Nah – L”

“Can’t yoo see wot’s in front o’ you? Dat’s a 7.”

“So?”

“So… it’s unyooshal. An’ dat means we tells da boss.”

“Well yoo can put it back in da sack. I ain’t touchin’ it.”

“Don’ yoo tell me wotta do.”

“Stoopid Kran.”

“Who yoo callin’ stoopid? Yoo’s da stoopid one.”

“Not as stoopid as yoo is.”

The two might have come to blows, but at that moment, a crowd returning from the Tavern, turned the corner. The two Krans bundled the rat into the sack and were gone.

[Arka]

Arka woke early and slipped out of the University without anyone noticing. She needed some time on her own. She walked briskly across the Plaza and climbed the steps up to the tower. Finara was on the North gate.

“You going far, Arka?” she asked.

“Just off to see my old friend, Trasok. I want to ask him about a sword I want to make.”

Finara nodded. “He’s a good craftsman. I hear he’s teaching smithing now.”

Arka fidgeted. She didn’t like lying to her friends, but she wanted to be on her own. It was important to her right now.

“Maybe he can help me with the design.”

“Good luck Arka. And take care.”

“I will.”

And with that she was gone.

Finara watched her disappear down the road. Something was bothering her, but she had no idea why.

“She seemed in such a hurry,” she said to herself.

By midday, Arka was approaching Ojaveda, She stopped to talk with Grok. He had received a new consignment of sabres and was laying them out under a tree.

“You’d do well with one of these, Miss.”

Arka looked at the swords. They were powerful, but also heavy and slow. “I’ll stick to my axes if it’s all the same.”

“Suit yourself,” said Grok.

Arka sat down and took out some of the smoked meat. She offered a piece to the Kran. He took it gratefully.

“It get’s lonely out here,” he said.

“Why don’t you take a shop in Akkaio?” asked Arka, “There’s plenty of ‘em empty.”

Grok shook his head. “Too expensive,” he said, “And here, well, I get the passing trade.”

“I suppose,” said Arka, handing him another piece.

“This is good,” he said.

“Thanks. It’s an old Dwarfen recipe,” said Arka,” We used to salt the meat down after the hunt, but salt got too expensive, so we tried smoking instead. It dries out the meat just the same.”

“Well I think it tastes better this way. Almost as good as rock.”

Arka laughed.

Grok took out a flask and offered Arka a drink.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Herbal drink,” replied Grok, “It’s traditional. Very refreshing.”

Arka thanked him and took a sip. He was right. It was delicious. She could feel it working already.

“This is marvellous.”

“You keep it, Miss. You might need it for your journey.”

Arka looked startled. How could he know?

“I’m not going far,” she said.

“No? You seemed to have packed for a trip.”

Arka thought about this. If Grok had spotted it, it was certain that Finara had. She would have known Arka had lied to her. She would have to apologise. She didn’t want to lose her as a friend.

“Well I suppose I had better be getting on…”

Grok smiled. “Stop and see me on your way back.” He said.

“I will,” said Arka.

She stood up, hoisted her bag onto her shoulders and set off up the grassy bank,

[Arka]

Lord Kehela looked at the dead rat on his desk with distaste. The Kran had said it had been brought out of the Tower by one of the guards. He could see that the tail had been broken and bent into the shape of a 7. It could be coincidence, but it could also be the message they had been waiting for. But what was the significance of a rat? He looked the body over carefully. The skull had been broken, but there were no other marks on its body.

“Hmm… nothing outside then…”

He took hold of the rat’s jaw and pulled the mouth open. Moving the candle closer, he peered inside. There was something at the back of the mouth. A scrap of cloth. He opened a drawer in his desk and took out a pair of tweezers. Gently, he pulled out a strip of sacking, less than an inch wide and several feet long. He stretched it out on his desk There were no marks on the cloth, but then Sudisir would have nothing with which to make a mark.

He looked closely at the cloth. It had a rough edge as if it had been torn from a larger piece. Loose threads hung from the edge and here and there, there were gaps where the warp threads were missing. Here and there… He looked more closely. The gaps in the cloth were interesting. Each gap was made from 2 missing threads. The threads had been removed purposively, making lines across the strip.

Where to start? The first line was 7 threads in. Kehela looked at the other end. There were no lines for the first 9 inches or so. So, he had the cloth the right way up. And 7 was the first number. He counted the threads to the next line: 24. Then 7 again, now 5, 21, 3… No, that didn’t make sense… There must be a key to the code somewhere.

What would he do if he were Sudisir? A simple code, yes, but an added twist in case it fell into the wrong hands. But what was the key? Usually a short word with no repeated letters… must be a clue in the message somewhere. Maybe he could try the full sequence of numbers. Taking a fresh sheet of paper from his drawer he began writing the numbers across the top of the page, counting the threads carefully.

7-24-7-5-21-3-11-17-16-11-16-3-23-17-6-2-25-20-8-17-21-1-18-15-21-20-7-4-11-1-6-6-1-17-18-23-11-3-10-11-16-22-11-20-11-4-11-14-11-3-25-9-14-25-18-10-20-21-6-11-20-11-1

Definitely a key word… The first letter appeared three times in the message. And the number 11 – that must be a vowel. No, not E… The third letter was there, three times. He shook his head. This was not the right approach. Find the key word and it would all fall into place. There was an interesting sequence of 11-17-16. Possibly a word end. Now that would make sense if you moved it two places up.

So that meant…Suddenly it struck him. It had been staring him in the face all along. He quickly decoded the message. So… they had to move quickly. He would make the necessary arrangements. He held the paper to the candle flame, then dropped it into the fireplace Just to be sure, he dropped the strip of sacking onto the flames and watched it burn.

[Arka]

Zorbels saw Arka stand up and lift her bag onto her shoulders. She had seen her leaving early this morning and wondered what kind of business she was in such a rush to complete. She had meant to catch her up and surprise her, but became more curious the further they got from Hydlaa. So she had kept her distance and followed from the side of the road. Now she saw Arka climbing the bank, it was clear she was not headed for Akkaio. If not, then where?

She took care to skirt Grok and reached the top of the ridge in time to see Arka disappearing over the next summit. This was stupid. She had only met Arka and now she was stalking her like prey. She should stop now; she was intruding on her privacy. But something, maybe curiosity, maybe her hunting instinct, drew her on.

Arka rounded the stalagmite and for a moment Zorbels thought she was heading for the old ruins, but she took a sharp turn and started to climb the side of the broad valley. Zorbels was pretty sure there was no way through, but Arka seemed to know differently. She waited until the dwarf had disappeared over the top before sprinting up the valley side. It took her some time to find the way through; a low tunnel through the undergrowth, almost too small for her to squeeze through, but easy enough for a Dwarf.

Once on the other side, she scanned the hills for a sight of Arka, but she had lost her. It was too late to make it back to Hydlaa, so Zorbels headed back to the road. She would stay in Akkaio the night and maybe visit the Trepors again tomorrow.

[Arka]

There was a knock at the door. Jefecra put down the scrap of cloth he was examining and crossed the room. It was Finara.

“Have you a moment sir?”

“Of course, do come in.” Jefecra welcomed her into the room and gestured her to sit down.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I have some… concerns, sir.”

“Really? To do with…”

“It’s the case, sir. The murder.”

“Ah... Continue.”

“I may be wrong about this but… it’s Arka Garam, sir. She’s been acting oddly. I got the distinct impression she is hiding something from me.”

Jefecra looked interested. “And you think she may have had something to do with the murder?”

“No, no, well, maybe… I really don’t know what to think…”

“Stick to the facts.”

“Yes. Well, Arka asked me about the murder the following morning. It turned out Sir Gholmyrr had mentioned it…”

“Gholmyrr?”

“Yes sir. And, yes I have dealt with him. He apologised and said she hadn’t meant to tell her. I made it pretty clear he wasn’t to do anything like that again.”

“You told Arka nothing?”

“Of course not! Arka asked if Sudisir might have had something to do with it. It seemed an odd thing to ask, seeing as how Sudisir had been under lock and key for the past month.”

“Indeed.” Jefecra’s brow furled.

“Then there was the incident with the rat.”

“Rat?”

“Yes, Bevon had to remove a dead rat from Sudisir’s cell. It’s skull had been broken, but Sudisir was refusing to touch it. Bevon thought it was odd.”

“And where is the rat now?”

Finara looked at her feet. “Bevon… disposed of it.”

“How, exactly?”

“He left it outside the Tower in a sack.”

Jefecra sighed. He would have words with Bevon. The instructions were clear; nothing was to go into Sudisir’s cell except food; nothing out except the contents of the bucket.

“So you think Sudisir got a message out?”

“It’s possible sir. But it gets worse, I’m afraid.”

Jefecra wondered how it could get worse.

“Bevon accidentally told Sudisir his execution date had been brought forward.”

“And how exactly did this ‘accident’ occur?”

“Sudisir was goading Bevon and he lost his temper. He retaliated, saying in a couple of days his mouth would be shut for good, sir.”

Jefecra shook his head. “How unprofessional. I will see Bevon when he comes off shift. Understood?”

“Yes sir.””

“Is that all?” He rather hoped it was, but suspected it might not be.

“One more thing sir. Arka has left town, this morning. She told me she was going to see Trasok in Akkaio, but there was something about the way she said it.”
Jefecra was always amazed at how Finara sensed things. He dealt only in facts. Good solid detail. But Finara allowed her imagination to get in the way. The trouble was she was often right, and he had no idea how she did it. And that annoyed him.

“Something about the way she said it….?”

“Yes sir, and after she’d gone, I got thinking. She was loaded up for a long trip sir. I don’t think she was going to Akkaio. Not at all, sir. I checked with Lordbug at the university and she hadn’t told anyone she was going. No one at all. It just seems strange sir.”

“Indeed. Strange.”

Jefecra’s eyes narrowed. There was no way Arka would have anything to do with any attempt to free Sudisir. That would be the last thing she would want. Her sudden disappearance suggested she was worried about something. If Sudisir had got a message out, then what? It was unlikely that Arka would have known anything about it unless the message was for her, and Sudisir was hardly likely to contact her. No, she was worried that Sudisir would escape. She must know something about it. That’s why she ran away. Maybe Gholmyrr had told her about the execution being brought forward and she had panicked.

“We need to talk to Miss Garam. Have you any idea where she might have gone?”

“II have a hunch sir.”

Jefecra’s eyes rolled. Here we go again, he thought. Another bit of female intuition. More fanciful ideas. No solid facts, no proof. But dammit she was always right.

“Go on.”

“I believe she will have headed for her old home.”

“The Dwarf village? Hardly a safe haven I would have thought. The place is full of Rogues and Bandits these days.”

“She might not know that, sir.”

“Take Rabartus and try to find her. We need to make sure she is safe. Thank goodness after this afternoon’s business is concluded, we won’t have to worry about Sudisir.”

“I’ll do my best sir.”

“I’m sure you will. That will be all.”

Finara rose and left Jefecra’s office. She met Lord Kehela on the way in and bowed.

“Good day. Is the Captain in?” he asked.

“Yes my Lord. Shall I tell him you are here?”

“That will not be necessary. I shall let myself in.”

“Very good my Lord.”

Finara bowed again and left the building. She needed to talk to Bevon and alert Rabartus. She briefly wondered what had brought Kehela to see Jefecra. There was something about him that made her feel uncomfortable. He had inherited his place on the Vigesimi when his father had died, and immediately volunteered to take responsibility for the guard. It was not a position that many would want to take. Of course, they agreed. Who could blame them? But no-one asked why he was so keen.

She shook her head. First things first. She had to find Arka and make sure she was safe.

[zorbels]

OMG! Arka ... O.o I am so addicted. *Zorbels chants* "More, more more more!" Awesome job as always, and I have to say you are becoming, no scratch that ..... you have become one of my favorite PS story writers!

[Arka]

eheh! So glad you like it! And praise from you is praise indeed

Well this one is taking a while for me to get out. Lots of twists and turns to come. And did you solve the coded message?

I'm still a few chapters ahead of the posts, so there will be more soon (although I may need your help with a particular 'cliff-hanger' - will PM when the time comes)

So... Enjoy!

[Arka]

Arka had arrived at her parents’ forge just before nightfall. She had managed to clear the rubble away from the cellar door before it got dark. She would be safer down there, she had thought. She wouldn’t be able to light a fire, but her woollen cloak would keep her warm. It had started to rain; she would be sheltered underground.

The cellar was just as she had left it. She had taken a candle from her pocket and lit it, then carefully closed the trap door. The flame cast dancing shadows on the wall. There were no windows in the cellar, so no-one would see the light.

She had spent a peaceful night and slept soundly. Now it was morning and she had some work to do.

She pushed open the trap door and blinked in the early light of the crystal. There was a clear sky and the mists were already clearing. Last night’s rain had washed the stones of the ruins and the village smelt fresh and clean. After a quick breakfast of smoked Trepor, she started work on the task she had set herself.

First, she needed a good flat stone. The floor of the old forge had been covered with stone flags. She found one that had not been damaged and carefully prised it up from its place. A thousand insects scurried back into their safe, cool darkness. Arka brushed the earth from the slab and propped it against the wall. Perfect!

She opened her backpack and took out a large Perrakith hammer and a set of chisels. Rummaging in the bottom of her satchel she found the notebook she needed. Now she was ready. First, she rounded the top of the stone, to guard it against the weather. She took great care to smooth the edges; she wanted this to last. Now for the inscription. She carefully traced the shapes of the words with a piece of slate onto the surface of the slab. Standing back she double-checked the spelling and the spacing.

“Golthart en Embra Garam, dev yanerkinth Arkor. Lon dormo’, Akam dor’t ei Errert."

She gave a satisfied sigh then set to work carefully chiselling out the runes. Each one was executed with the same care; she wanted this to be a lasting memorial to her wonderful parents, for the care they had lavished on her.

By lunchtime, the words were completed. Arka paused to light a fire and boil some water. She had some herbs in her bag and made herself a strong tea. She would complete the stone with a traditional Perrakith border and set it over the mounds of earth outside the forge. She planned to stay another night in the cellar, maybe longer. But she was determined to get back to Hydlaa before the execution.

[Arka]

Finara and Rabartus had spent the night at Th’ Broken Door. Finara knew Arka had stayed here before she first came to Hydlaa. That must mean her village was nearer to here than Hydlaa. With Rabartus’s tracking skills they should be able to find her. They made discrete enquiries in the town but no-one had seen her. Brado was pretty sure she had not been to Akkaio since her visit to buy carpets from Brintec a week ago.

“You could try asking Trasok. She’s very friendly with him.”

Finara thanked Brado, paid him for the rooms and set off across the square to the blacksmith’s, while Rabartus packed for their trip. She had not visited Trasok for some time. Stepping into the shop, she found him engaged with a Kran. She recognised him as Grok Idon, the trader from the roadside.

“Good morning gentlemen,” she began, “I wonder if I might disturb you?”

“Is this guard business?” asked Trasok.

“It is. I am looking for Arka Garam.”

Trasok’s eyes widened. “Arka? That slip of a girl? Don’t tell me she’s wanted by the guard!”

“We just need her to help with our enquiries.”  It was a standard guard response.

Grok turned to Finara. “Is she Stonebreaker?” he asked.

“Yes”

“Yesterday. Shared her lunch with me on the road. Headed off towards the ruins.”

“Was anyone with her?”

“Didn’t see no one else. It was quiet yesterday. Didn’t sell no sabres either. Could I interest you in one?”

“Err, thanks but no. I will have to be going. If Arka comes here, please tell her to stay put. I will be back later”

She turned on her heel and headed for the tavern.

***********

Zorbels had left the Tavern before Finara got up. She had heard the two Hydlaa guards asking about Arka the night before and was convinced the Stonebreaker was in some sort of trouble. For them to send two guards, it must have been serious. She had to find Arka and warn her. It wouldn’t be easy; the trail was a day old now, and it had been raining.

There was a shorter route to the ruins and Zorbels climbed the step bank, being careful not to slip on the early dew. The rain had left the earth soft and very slippery. But no problem for a Fenki, especially one as experienced as her.

An hour later, she was at the entrance to the overgrown path. Pushing through she surveyed the succession of hills and ridges. She had no idea which direction Arka would have taken. The rain would have washed away any scent. She needed tangible clues.

She could see a faint path leading over the summit of the next hill. That was as good a start as she needed. No-one visited the Dwarf village these days; it was too dangerous. The paths had all but disappeared. This one had been made with stones and was easier to follow. But it was still guesswork. Then near the summit, she found what she was looking for; a single footprint in the mud. The size and shape of the foot made it unmistakably that of a Stonebreaker.

Now she had established this was the right path she relaxed. It was just a case of following it to see where it led. Along the way she saw the odd reassuring sign that she was heading in the right direction: a broken twig here, a footprint there. She smiled to herself; Arka was a good student, and had left few tracks, but then a Dwarf could never be as agile as a Fenki.

[Arka]

 Lordbug and Nikoren made their way to the Tower. A rough gibbet had been erected by the North Gate. As arranged, the announcement had been made at the last minute. Gholmyrr was already there. A small crowd had gathered; most people had not heard the announcement.

“Let’s hope they get this over quickly,” whispered Gholmyrr and Lordbug nodded.

At five minutes to four exactly, the guards led Sudisir from the Tower. His hands were bound behind his back and his feet were shackled. As a further precaution, they had blindfolded him. He was surrounded by a ring of guards; it was clear they were taking no chances.

Lordbug looked at the Dermorian. His face was angled upwards, his mouth slightly open. It was an odd posture, maybe because he was being led blind. Everyone’s eyes were on the slight figure of the elf as he was led, stumbling across the small square. It would take no more than a couple of minutes to get to the gibbet. A couple of words from the priest then it would all be over. Nobody saw the speck in the sky slowly getting bigger.

At a safe distance stood the hooded figure of a Diabolo. He held the glyph tightly and focused his mind. Far above him, a lone bird of prey circled and slowly descended. This would take some skill; the target was so small and there was so little time.

Sudisir was now approaching the gibbet. He paused at the foot of the stairs and raised his head. For a moment he looked like he was praying but then his mouth opened wider. For the first time, Lordbug looked up. A large bird swooped over the heads of the crowd. Something in its claws sparkled briefly. Sudisir stood still, his mouth opening wider. Suddenly, Lordbug realised what was about to happen.

“Stop!” he shouted, but it was too late. The bird opened its claw dropping the glyph neatly into Sudisir’s waiting mouth. There was a flash of light and Sudisir was gone. The guards scattered.

“No!” shouted Lordbug,” He’s still here – try to feel for him.”

But the guards were running around, confused. Bevon felt something brush past him and grabbed at it. For a moment, he seemed to have hold of something but was floored by an invisible punch.

“Close the gates!” shouted Lordbug, but it was too late. A cloud of dust lifted between the gates, and it was clear that Sudisir had made his escape.

Jefecra looked closely at Lordbug from his position behind the gibbet. Slowly, he walked across the square towards him. For a moment the two Menkis looked at each other. Then Jefecra spoke.

“I think it’s time we had a little chat, Lordbug.”

“Can’t it wait? Now Sudisir is on the run, surely the first priority is to find him?”

“That’s precisely what I intend to do.”

He led Lordbug past the surprised crowd and into the Tower.

[Arka]

Zorbels was beginning to wonder if she had taken a wrong turn. She had seen no tracks for the last few miles and the path was getting fainter. She would climb one more ridge. She might be able to see further from there.

Then she saw the smoke. A thin line, drifting lazily over the next hill. It was getting dark as she descended into the ruined village. And there, sitting by her fire was Arka. She was caught between wanting to make no noise, but not to startle her friend. Arka was staring at the fire; she seemed transfixed by the flames dancing around the edges.

“Arka!”

Arka jumped up.

“Zorbels? How did you….”

“Quick – we must go - we have no time. The guards are after you.”

“But it’s getting dark.”

“I can see well enough,” said Zorbels, “the trouble is, so can Rabartus.”

“We can hide,” said Arka, ”There is a cellar here.”

“It’s too risky. Rabartus will smell the fire – they will guess we are still here. We have to go. Is there another way out?”

“There is another road. It comes out behind Akkaio.”

“Then we should go that way. Show me.”

Arka kicked sand over the fire and gathered her tools. She took a last look at her handiwork. She was pleased she had been able to mark her parents’ last resting place.

“We must go now,” hissed Zorbels.

“This way.”

The two set off at a run. The road this way was longer, but if they hurried, they would reach Akkaio by dawn. There were no guards on the gates there. Zorbels knew someone who would hide them until this blew over.

An hour later, Rabartus and Finara arrived at the forge. Rabartus had followed the scent of cooked smoked Trepor and led Finara straight to the village The smoke had dispersed, but the ashes, covered in sand were still warm. It was clear from the tracks in the sandy soil that Arka was in the company of an Enkidukai.

“Not Lordbug, nor Nikoren,” said Finara, “These prints are too small. Maybe a Fenki?”

Rabartus nodded. He put his nose to the ground. “Definitely a Fenki. Her scent is familiar…”

“Well the fire is still warm. They haven’t got much of a start on us.”

Rabartus was still sniffing at the earth. A light breeze sprang up and he stiffened. The air carried the mingled scent of the two fugitives. To Rabartus, it was like reading a signpost.

“This way.”

“Are you sure?”

Rabartus snorted. Ylians were so dull. “Of course I’m sure! This way. Quickly!”

The two set off at a sprint.

[Arka]

After the Execution, Pinante, Nikoren and Gholmyrr had watched Lordbug being led away by the Captain of the Guard with a mixture of surprise and foreboding. They had no way of knowing how much Jefecra knew. More importantly, they were worried about Arka. With Sudisir free, her life was in danger. They had agreed that the first priority was to find her. Then they would worry about what to do about Lordbug.

Two hours later, they met at the Tavern. Nikoren had scoured the University grounds and the whole of East Hydlaa, Pinante had searched the Temple and the dungeons and Gholmyrr had drawn the short straw and had spent two hours in the sewers.

“No sign of her,” began Pinante, “I’ve been to the lowest levels and she hasn’t been seen.”

“She must have left the city,” said Gholmyrr, “What exactly did she say to you and Lordbug?”

“She said something about some business to attend to.”

“Well that could mean anything.”

Pinante looked thoughtful.

“Did you know she was thinking of rebuilding her parents’ home?

The other two looked at Pinante with interest.

“In the village?” asked Nikoren.

“She said not, but I rather think that’s what she intended, yes.”

“Does she know how dangerous that place has become?” asked Gholmyrr.

“Danger seems to be a secondary consideration with Arka.”

“If we set off now we could make Akkaio before nightfall,” said Nikoren,” We can head for the village at first light.”

“Sudisir has a head start on us. And he knows the way,” said Pinante, “We should journey overnight. Gholmyrr, you should stay here. If there is any negotiation to be done with the guard over Lordbug, then you are the one to do it. I know the way to the village and I’ll need Nikoren’s tracking skills and eyesight.”

Gholmyrr agreed.

“As soon as we find Arka, we will return. Stay here with Lordbug. There’s no knowing what Sudisir will do. We will be as fast as we can.”

Ten minutes later, with a supply of fish and bread, hastily bought from the Tavern kitchens, Pinante and Nikoren were on the forest road. Gholmyrr watched them disappear round the first bend. Turning back into the city, he noticed for the first time that Finara was not at her post. He turned to her companion, Remant.

“Is Finara on leave?”

“No sir. She had some urgent guard business. Out of town.”

“Where?”

“Not at liberty to say, sir.”

“Very well. Good day Remant.”

“Go well, Sir Gholmyrr”

Remant bowed and Gholmyrr nodded back. So, Jefecra had sent Finara after Arka? Thinking about it, he hadn’t seen her at the execution. She would have seen Arka leave town and told Jefecra. But why the interest in Arka? She had clearly set out before the execution. Had Lordbug told her about the Seven? Jefecra must know more than he was letting on.

Well, at least with the guard looking for Arka, there was a better chance of her being found. He hoped it was not too late.

[Arka]

 “Gentlemen.”

Lord Kehala looked around the room.

“I am so glad you could make it today, and at such short notice.”

If he was at all worried, he was hiding it well.

“We have a little – ah – inconvenience that needs to be dealt with.”

A murmur went round the table. This was about Sudisir He hadn’t been seen since the rescue. While they had all, with one exception, been in favour of saving him from execution, the thought of him on the loose was not entirely comforting.

To Kehala’s right sat the Ynnwn. Today he had the sense to keep quiet. To tell Kehala “I told you so” would do nothing to endear him to the Diabolo. He had only managed to redeem himself last time by agreeing to get rid of the spy. Unfortunately, the Kran had been a little too enthusiastic and his neck was broken before he could find out who had sent him. He had hoped that putting the body on show, in the pick up area, would have forced a response, but the guard had got there first. Then they had tried the message, but whoever had picked up had been so skilful they didn’t get a hint of where it went. He wasn’t happy about that. But right now, there were bigger fish to fry.

“Rest assured that we will have Sudisir back in the fold very soon. At this very moment there are several of our people out looking for him. It is only a matter of time.””

“What if the guard get him first?” asked a voice from the back of the room.

“Ah – Mr Krepplin. Your faith in our guard is reassuring, but misplaced I feel. They have not managed to capture him before. I hardly think they will manage it now.”

“And what about this Arka and her Menki friend?” asked another.

“Lordbug is in custody. On my suggestion. Of course the Captain thinks it was his idea, but he is now firmly convinced that

Lordbug had a hand in Sudisir’s escape. I don’t think he will be bothering us for a while. And as for the Stonebreaker, my guess is that Sudisir will lead us to her. Then we will finish off what he attempted.”

“And the rest of em?”

“Ah – the others. We have already tried to track them down with a message. They apparently think their spy is still operating. Another message should do the trick. We shall have them at our mercy very soon.”

“If there are no further questions, gentlemen, I suggest we meet tomorrow morning, when I will give you further news. Good day.”

As the room emptied, the Ynnwn smiled to himself. Kehalar was good. You could give him that. He’d managed to turn a disaster into a triumph. Sudisir’s recapture was by no means certain. They had to find him first. But for now, his job was to lead Kehalar to the men who had sent the spy. Another message was needed. This time to flush them out. He needed to think carefully about this one.