After collecting Myran's head and his gold bag from Alorn, Zalthu returned to the town square. The villagers were collecting their things, loading them into wagons, and hugging each other. Children were crying. Of course, they would. It was the end of the life they knew in Ganzia. They may never see this place again. Zalthu showed no emotion about it. His job was done here. Several of the villagers were taking their belonging down to the docks. Zalthu saw promise in this. Maybe there was a boat headed his way.
The docks were surprisingly empty. Only three boats were anchored at port. One was beginning to set sail, another was boarding passengers, while the third appeared to be an old trading vessel with now one on it. Not the best choices, but Zalthu was not a picky man. He walked over to the ship that was preparing to leave and said, "Where are you guys headed?"
The crewman on the deck gave him a funny look then replied in Edosian. Zalthu frowned with distrain. Once again, the language barrier was slowing his progress. Zalthu turned his frown into a smile and said skeptically, "Is there anyone on your stupid boat that speaks common?!"
A voice from out of nowhere replied, "Probably, their captain is from Eumerdis."
Started by this, Zalthu turned in to direction of the voice. On the deck of the old trading ship stood a female dwarf holding a pint of alcohol. Zalthu straighten himself up, turned towards her, and said politely, "Well, you seem to speak the language. What is your name?"
"Me?" she said with the slightest smirk. "Listen, I am not your girl! I am A girl. Yes, I am female. Yes." Her inebriated words barely made any sense. Zalthu just continued to stare at her with confusion. After a few seconds she pulled herself together and said, "What was the question again?"
Zalthu walked toward her and said again, "Name? What is your name?"
"Oh, I am Juni… Captain of the Drunken Barnacle."
At the bow of the ship there was faded lettering that read "Drunken Barnacle". This was her ship. Or at least she claimed to be. Glancing at the ship design, Zalthu could tell it was probably a one-person cargo hauler. He did not know much about ships but this one was pretty straight forward. Zalthu smiled at her and said, "The Drunken Barnacle? What a lovely ship you have. It is nice to meet you, Juni. Are you taking on passengers?"
Juni shook her head and replied, "Sorry sonny, this be a trade ship. We trade goods not trade people."
"Oh, what are you trading?"
Juni shrugged and dropped her now empty pint of alcohol. Then she said, "Nothing for now. Myran said the next delivery would be ready yesterday, but nothing had showed up yet. I am not doing to dignify meself with this level of manual labor. If they expect me to carry the stuff? If you know what I mean?"
Zalthu kind of understood her drunken rant, "You haul goods for Myran huh?"
Juni replied, "Yup, once every two weeks I haul cargo from Ganzia to Welter. The villagers here in Ganzia are nice enough but in Welter I have to drop the cargo to a handful of ugly, smelly, stupid orcs. I swear they are the rudest asshat's I ever meet."
Raising his eyebrow, Zalthu said, "You do know I am half orc, right?"
Juni paused for a moment realizing her words could have been offensive. Then she said, "Sorry, no offense intended. It is a sketchy job if I do say so meself, but Myran pays well."
"Oh, you do this job for Myran? He is the one paying you?" Zalthu said as he moved his hand down to the bag on his belt. The bloody bag that held Myran's head.
"Yeah, he is a good guy. Us dwarves have to stick together if you know what I mean."
With one hand Zalthu pushed the bag on his belt out of sight. The bloody bag that held Myran's head. Juni had no idea Myran was dead or that Zalthu had killed him. What she doesn't know won't hurt her. Zalthu knew this was a great opportunity to get back to Cantiberry without spending days traveling on foot. Why walk when you can ride?
"I am sorry to be the barer of bad news, but I know why you haven't received your cargo yet." Zalthu faked a small tear and continued, "Myran was killed in a freak accident yesterday. All the villagers are freaking out. Some of them are panicking and leaving town."
Juni appeared to be in shocked. Well, as shocked as a drunk dwarf can look. Then she said, "Poor bastard." She turned away from Zalthu and picked up her mug. Juni filled up her mug at the pony keg and raised her glass to Myran. She poured out a little bit for him then downed the whole drink. When she was done, she said, "I knew he was dealing with some dangerous people, but I had not seen this coming." She put her mug down and shouted, "Time to change ports!"
"Really, just like that?" Zalthu was confused, "Your boss is dead, so you are leaving?"
"I can't expect you to understand. That is the sailor's way. When the shit hits the fan, something bad happens, you ship out to calmer seas. Wait until everything blows over and come back another day. It's code of the sea!"
"Perhaps you are needing a new job? Hauling something else?"
20 minutes later, Juni released full sail and moved the ship out of the Ganzia harbor. Zalthu was standing on the deck of his very own private transport ship. It wasn't fancy or even above average, but it was better than walking. Juni was a drunk and clearly had mixed feelings about right and wrong, but she loved coin and drink. The two things Zalthu also loved. Zalthu held onto the mass to steady himself. He was not a big fan of sea travel. In fact, this was only his second time on a boat. It was going to take a bit of getting used to.
Juni, however, was perfectly fine. Even while the boat rocked left and right in the waves, she had no problem moving around the deck. She refilled her mug at the pony keg and returned to the wheel without spilling a drop. Zalthu turned to her and asked, "Ummm, you drink and sail?"
"Every good sailor does." Juni replied as she took another drink. "Trust me, I have been doing this for years." Zalthu started to say something else, but Juni cut him off, "Normally, I haul cargo. Cargo doesn't usually ask a lot of questions. Just sit still til we get out to sea."
These words did not sooth the motion sickness that was brewing in Zalthu's stomach. Then again not much could stop it. Juni made some adjustments to steer the ship north as Zalthu started to feel sick. His skin was a natural shade of green, but somehow Juni could tell he was going to throw up. She shouted, "It takes a while for everyone to get their sea legs. Whatever you do, do not puke on me deck. I am only getting paid for the transport job. Cleaning up puke is extra!"
Zalthu took her words to heart. He quickly moved to the edge of the ship and puked over the railing into the water. Juni just shook her head. When Zalthu was done, he felt a lot better. He still held strong to the rail. The ship was still rocking like crazy. He glanced at the hold and then said, "I am going to go below deck and clean up." Juni did not argue. She had seen her fair share of unseasoned sailors tossing their lunch.
Holding onto everything that he could, Zalthu worked his way to the stairs and clumsily walked down into the hold. Below deck was extremely dark, but Zalthu could make out a few important items. On the left was a pile of crates held back by some ropes. On the right was a tarp folded up on a shelf. Near the back was something moving in the darkness. For a moment Zalthu thought it was another person but to his relief it was a simple hammock swaying with the boat. Perfect. Zalthu stubbled his way to the hammock and laid down. With his body weight, the hammock always stayed in the same position while the rest of the boat was victim to the waves.
After only a few minutes, Zalthu's sense of balance returned, and his stomach calmed down. He removed the bloody bag that held Myran's head and placed it inside a crate nearby. It would be safe there for now. Valoris poked her head out of Zalthu's bag and climbed up onto his chest. With a smile, Zalthu pet her on the head and said, "So much for smooth sailing. This will have to do though. Sometimes I just wish everything would go as planned." Valoris returned to the personal bag and pulled out a piece of paper. After looking at it for a few seconds, she found an S and pointed at it. Zalthu responded, "S?" Valoris fumbled around the paper and found the next letter. "A?" This was her only method of communication. Zalthu tolerated it as she put her little hand on the last letter. "D?" Zalthu thought for a second then said, "Sad? Are you asking me if I am sad about how things turned out with Alorn?"
Valoris nodded confirming his question. Zalthu took the paper and put it back in his bag. Then he said, "No little one. I am not sad. Alorn turned on us and dropped you in the well. He got what he deserved. He was a knight with a high ethical code. Too high. I knew it the first time I saw him. Unlike Lochnier, he was a tad bit too conceited for his own good. In truth, he couldn't believe that he was working with a filthy half-orc thief. I have delt with people like him my whole life. As a child in my hometown… With the bandits… Even in the military… It's just a part of life."
Valoris looked down and made a sad face at hearing his story. Or at least Zalthu thought it was a sad face. He was not sure of a rat's facial expression or emotional range. He gave Valoris another pet on the head and said, "Don't get all grumpy on me. This is the best part of the job. The part where we collect our pay. Maybe the duke has figured out how to transform you back to a human." These words raised Valoris's spirits a bit.
The ship's violent rocking slowed with each passing minute. Valoris curled up into a ball and laid down on Zalthu's chest. After taking a few drinks from his flask, Zalthu was feeling a bit tired too. It wasn't even noon yet, but it had already been a long day. Zalthu put his flask away and thought about the stepped needed to get back to Cantiberry. It was going to take hours to get back to Yarm. Cantiberry was not a port city. Hopefully, Juni could get him as close as possible. These thoughts faded as he slowly drifted off to sleep.
A loud thud jolted Zalthu awake. As he opened his eyes, Zalthu could see a woman in a long white dress standing near his hammock. She was only a few feet away. She had a glowing aura about her that lite up the dim hold of the ship. She was floating and unaffected by the ship's movement. After a few moments, Zalthu realized this was the same woman that visited him in the duke's castle. Zalthu looked down to Valoris then he raised one arm towards the woman and said, "Listen, ghost woman. If you wake up my rat, I will make you regret coming here."
The woman cracked a smile at his words. Then she replied, "Harsh words used not to seek violence, but to prevent it. Thou art a brutish fiend feinting a kind and generous heart… Does thou still desire not to hear my words?"
With a sigh, Zalthu replied, "Not really. Listening to you talk is painful. Thou, thus, thou art, bullshit. I would rather listen to cat being skinned alive, but I have a feeling you are going to keep haunting me until I do."
The lady gave a half smile and said, "Is that a, yes?"
Zalthu nodded, "Yes, speak."
"O honorable one…"
"Stop!" Zalthu put his hand up halting her speech. "I don't want to hear your life story. Keep it short. Name, rank, serial number. Let's start with that."
A little bit flustered, the lady started again, "I am Rya Kordell. I am a Priestess at the temple of Aulire. I have no rank or serial number."
"Okay fine. Besides haunting me, what do you want?"
"There will be no haunting this day. Our order wishes only to assist." Rya did a proper bow and finished by saying, "So it is, I have watched from afar."
"Aulire? I might be a bit rusty on my religious knowledge, but if I am correct then she is the goddess of sex and trees?"
Rya shook her head and gave a warning, "Do not bat a disrespectful eye at the divines. Aulire is the Goddess of Love and Nature."
Zalthu smirk with a bit of sarcasm. Then he continued, "It's ironic, I hate both of those things."
Confused by this Rya asked, "May I pose thee a question? No man is an island. Is it thou's desire to cause deceit?"
"Yes," Zalthu said shortly, "Now, what does a Priestess of Aulire want with a lowly thief?"
Rya floated forward and handed Zalthu a silver coin. Zalthu flipped it around in his hand to get a better look at it. It had a strange glow to it and the symbol of Aulire on both sides. Then Rya said, "For the day when you have lost your path. Remember, I will ever at thy side."
Without another words Rya faded away leaving Zalthu in the dark on his hammock. The sudden lack of light seemed to awaken Valoris. She turned to examine the room, but there was nothing to see. Valoris shook her head and rubbed her eyes with little paws. Then she stared at the glowing coin Zalthu held in his hand. Zalthu showed it to her. Valoris put one paw on it then backed up and shrugged.
Zalthu smiled and said, "Religious fanatics confuse the shit out of me. Imagine spending countless hours praying to a god that won't help you no matter how hard you tried. All the effort putting into prayer is wasted energy you could have put toward fixing your problems. It's pointless." Zalthu held onto Valoris and stood up out of the hammock. He put Valoris and the coin in his personal bag. The ship's non-stop rocking seemed to have ended. There was a gentle sway from left to right, but it was tolerable. Zalthu collected his things, including the bag that contained Myran's head.
Making his way back up to the deck, Zalthu found Juni standing at the wheel. She shouted, "Ahoy, matey! I hope you didn't puke in me storage hold."
No response came. Zalthu was too busy taking in the view. All around them was nothing but miles and miles or water and waves. They were so far out to sea that he could barely see land to the east. For a moment, Zalthu felt very uneasy. Being this far away from land, if the ship were to sink, he was surely dead. He did not share his fearful thoughts. Instead, he walked over to the railing and stared down at the water rushing by. Despite being a small trade ship, it was capable of cutting through the waves at impressive speeds. This was certainly faster than walking.
Zalthu made his way to Juni and said, "What is our ETA?"
"ETA? That is Military lingo. Here I was thinking you were a mindless land lubber." Juni glanced him over head to toe. "I should have guess with that short haircut. You are Yarm military or something like that?"
Zalthu didn't correct her, "Let's keep that between us. All you need to know is, I pay well and after the job is over you never saw me. Got it?"
With a quick smile and a nod Juni said, "Sure thing, boss. ETA is about two, maybe two and a half hours. I won't be able to land you in Cantiberry. Best I can do is drop you in the nearest port city. Capital city. That is the closest port, really."
Zalthu disagreed, "That's no good, the capital is 14 hours from Cantiberry. It would have been faster for me to walk from Ganzia." Zalthu held onto the railing as he pulled out his map. With a glance, he gave it a quick look over. Then he said, "What about Nyde? That town has a port, and it's right outside Cantiberry."
With the slightest turn of the wheel Juni changed the course of the ship. Then she said, "It's your call. Don't say I didn't warn you. I know these waters pretty well. I don't think Nyde has a dock… or ships… It's a glorified fishing town. If the water is too shallow or I can't get close enough to land you might be swimming."
Zalthu wasn't going to disagree with her. A little bit of water was nothing in comparison to the extra distance. After a bit more sailing, Zalthu asked, "Do you speak Edosian?"
"When I have to." Juni said with a smile, "I don't deliver to Edosian port very often but when I do, I find myself bewildered but their culture. They are so high on themselves. Half the population treats you like a plague. An infection that needs to be removed. I was hoping the revolution would stamp that out. But… more than likely it will get worse."
Reaching into his bag, Zalthu pulled out some pieces of paper and said, "Can you teach me the words you know? I might be doing more jobs in Edosa and not knowing the language has been a pain."
Juni taught Zalthu everything she knew about the Edosian language. A handful of words. Ship, cargo, job, coin, weather, and of course, mead. While this was happening, Valoris climbed out of his bag to watch and critique his writing. Zalthu stopped as he suddenly remembered she was Edosian. Zalthu was busy collecting words while she knew them all. Zalthu smiled at her and gave her a little pat on the head. Then he said, "Care to translate for me?" Valoris nodded but didn't make a sound.
The ship glided across the ocean as Juni shared her knowledge of the Edosian people. They were no longer far away from the coast. Juni seemed to be following the shoreline to find their destination. Before too long Juni let go of the wheel and pulled a rope to raise the sail high. Without the sails, the ship slowed quickly. As Juni returned to the wheel she pointed to the shore and said, "This is yur stop, matey."
Near the shore a small village could be seen, Zalthu could not tell if it was the village of Nyde or not. He was more concerned with the distance. He quickly glanced at the shore and back to Juni almost in disbelief. They were a solid 200 feet or more from the shore. Zalthu waited for moment before he said, "That's quite the swim. You sure you can't get a little closer?"
"You bet we can. But then again, I haven't seen any of the coin you promised me." Juni smiled and held out her hand. Then she added, "I know you and everyone else believe themselves to be a slick dealer but sailing ain't free. There be no job without coin to back it up…"
Before Juni could said another word Zalthu reached into his gold bag and fished out a stack of coins from his dwindling gold supply. He put them in her hand and said, "Here, stop being so dramatic. Take us in closer to shore."
Juni quickly counted to coins and said, "A deals a deal. No need to get closer. We will take the dingy."
Zalthu waited as Juni lowered a small rowing boat into the water with a set of pullies. She grabbed to oars and climbed in. Zalthu followed suit. The smaller boat seemed to be less stable that the big ship, but Zalthu didn't say anything. He didn't want to appear uneasy in the little boat. Worst case scenario, she could make him swim. Juni pulled the oars and sang a shanty song, "What do ya do with a drunken sailor? Put em in the long boat til he's sober…"
Zalthu just listened and smiled as Juni sang and rowed toward the shore. After only a few minutes the boat ran aground. Juni stopped singing and said, "Well, can't say it was the most entertaining ride, but we got you where you wanted to go. That's good enough for me."
Zalthu steadied himself as he climbed out of the boat. The double checked that he wasn't missing anything then asked, "How long will you be staying in Nyde? Just in case I need to travel back into Edosa?"
Juni stood up and dropped the oars as she said, "No way. I am not stayin here long. I am going to take my newly found fortune and get drunk. Then I am headed to the capital to drum up so real work. You see, the Drunken Barnacle only hauls trade goods… and people when they pay good."
Without another word, Juni headed into the village of Nyde. Zalthu didn't follow her. He didn't want her to know his bag was down to 11 gold coins. Not enough to buy a boat ride to anywhere. Good thing his mission was accomplished. Zalthu started walking south toward Cantiberry. Even though he spent everything he had on this trip, he was about to be reimbursed for his troubles.
30 minutes later, Zalthu finally walked into the northern gate of Cantiberry. It had only been a few days, but he could definitely tell something was different. As he walked the streets, he noticed a large number of homeless people. They wandered the streets wearing yesterday's clothes and begging to anyone that would listen. One came over to him and said something in Edosian. Zalthu ignored him but recognized some of his words. Zalthu reached into his pocket and pulled out the Edosian translation paper. Coin. The Beggar asked for coins.
One of the Wolf Guards stood at his post. As Zalthu approached him and asked, "Greeting, long time no see, huh?" Without moving his head, the Wolf Guard looked at Zalthu and continued to stand at his post. Zalthu asked again, "Where did all the beggars come from?"
The Wolf Guard replied, "The duke of Cantiberry has opened the border allowing Edosian refugees into the city. His order still stands even when he does not."
Zalthu thought that was a strange choice of words. He didn't think about it too hard. He had gold to make. Zalthu continued towards to the castle. On the way, he thought about all the great things he would spend his gold on. Alcohol. A good night's rest. More alcohol. Maybe some cheese for Valoris. With one hand Zalthu opened his bag and pulled Valoris up to his shoulder. He asked her, "Can you still drink alcohol? After this is over, I would like to buy you a little drink. Maybe we can put it in a shot glass or something more your size."
Valoris did not nod or shake her head to Zalthu's question. She was busy looking at the homeless Edosian people flooding the streets. Maybe she knew some of them. Zalthu forgot about the question and continued to the castle gate. The usual six wolf guards were on duty along with the doorman. Zalthu stopped at the doorman and said, "You know me. I am here for a financial transaction." With that he pulled the blood-stained bag off his belt and handed it to the doorman.
Reeling away from the bag the doorman said, "That is quite alright. You can hang on to it." The doorman called out to the wolf guards who pulled the lock pins causing the doors to slowly swing open. The doorman waited for the doors to be open then held up one hand said, "No disarming this time, Mr. Zalthu."
Confused, Zalthu slowly stepped forward to enter the castle. New rules? Not that it mattered. Zalthu had lost all of his weapons in Ganzia. The doorman smiled and led him into a waiting room. The wall with benches were now empty. There were no waiting nobles or merchants waiting to see the duke. Now Zalthu knew something was wrong. He tapped the doorman on the shoulder and said, "Something is wrong."
The doorman slowed his walking speed and turn to say, "Of course you don't know. You have been away for a while. I was not instructed to give you this information, but you will not be seeing the duke today."
"What happened? Is he sick or something?"
The doorman stopped at a smaller hallway and turned back to Zalthu and said, "Be on your best behavior. You will be seen by the duke's daughter Brinn Cantiberry." With that said, he stepped aside allowing Zalthu to pass.
Stepping into main hall of the castle, Zalthu noticed little had changed. There were less servants and even fewer wolf guards. At the head of the table where the two large chairs were sitting, was a young woman sitting in the chair opposite of where the duke normal sat. She was young, maybe in her 20s. She wore a fashionable red dress tinted with black and gold. This was definitely the duke's daughter. She said softly, "Welcome. Sorry for the mess. Things have been in quite a state lately."
The room was certainly not a mess. In fact, it was cleaner than ever before. Zalthu glanced a look of concern to her and asked, "What happened to your father?"
Brinn stood up and touched her father's chair with a sad look on her face. "I don't know." She seemed almost brought to tears by the question. Then she said, "One day he was fine. The next he fell ill. The clerics tried to heal him, but nothing has worked."
"Can he speak? We have business to discuss."
Brinn turned back to Zalthu with fire in her eyes. She said, "Business? Really? Are you afraid to talk to a woman? Don't fool yourself into thinking that I am a push over. While my father is ill, I will be taking control of Cantiberry's business ventures."
"Good," Zalthu removed the bag from his belt and tossed it onto the table nearby and said, "This is the severed head of Myran the Blacksmith. Your father promised me 400 gold to bring it to him. Since you are dealing with your father's business ventures… you will honor that agreement."
Brinn eyed the blood-stained bag in horror for a second then she regained her composure, "Fabulous. Really fabulous." Brinn pointed to the bag then said, "Can someone… anyone take that away. People eat there." A Wolf guard left his post, picked up the bag, and carried it off. Once they were gone Brinn continued, "You are the one my father spoke of. Zalthu, the unstoppable force that killed Grak and stole the rat woman… What was her name again?"
Zalthu reached into his bag and pulled Valoris out with one hand. He held her out for Brinn to see then he said, "Valoris. Her name is Valoris. She was detrimental to the retrieval of Myran's head. Without her the mission would have been a failure."
"So modest. Sorry to hear about your troubles." Brinn said with only a hint of sincerity. Her thoughts were lost in the moment. Her face brightened as she said, "Then you are here for your next job, and I can help you with that..."
"No, I am not here for the next job?!" Zalthu shouted as he cut her off. "I know you have been spoon-fed everything in your entire life, you have never had to worry about gold or paying for anything. I want my gold. Services were requested and completed. Now is the part where I get paid. So, I can go get drunk and forget about the blood on my hands and the disasters of the last few days."
Brinn was shocked at first but then she rolled her eyes at Zalthu's request. She held up her hand with a smile and said, "Relax, Zalthu. You ask for crumbs of bread when I can give you a feast." Brinn clapped her hands and shouted to a servant, "Prepare 400 gold coin for our guest. Have it ready by the time he leaves." The servant nodded and quickly left the room. Brinn walked over to Zalthu and inspected his clothes and armor. "Gold coins and mead can't be everything you want in life." For a moment, Brinn touched his empty weapon sheaths. They were just a dirty as he was. She continued, "Men like power, glory, honor… these are the things all men desire." She said it in such a seductive manner. Even Valoris cocked her head hearing those words.
Brinn placed her hand on Zalthu's chest. Despite her good looks, Zalthu wasn't interested in bedding the duke's daughter. Her eyes told stories of drama… and pain. There was pain in her eyes. Zalthu wasn't the best at reading people, but he could tell when a woman had been crying. Brinn had that look in her eyes.
Zalthu smiled for a second and pulled away from her. Then he replied, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree… does it? Just like your father, you tempt me with gold and alike. Anything to get the job done. But you can stop with the political bullshit and empty promises. You want something. Tell me, or I am out of here."
Brinn stepped away from Zalthu. He had seen through her deception. With a shy nod and a half smile she said, "Yes. Follow me."
Zalthu picked up Valoris as Brinn lead him back to another hallway. Zalthu had not spent much time in the castle, but he had a basic idea of where they were going. Up a flight of stairs and down another long hallway. Brinn stopped at a door with four wolf guards protecting it. Each of them eyed Zalthu as a threat. Brinn spoke to them, "Stand down. He is with me."
The wolf guards relaxed but only a bit. They were loyal to a fault. Brinn opened the door allowing Zalthu to enter first. The room was extremely dark. Only one or two candles could be seen inside. Zalthu was hesitant but entered the dark room. As he eyes adjusted, he could see a bed in the middle of the room. The walls were completely covered in purple runes. Written in long rows that almost looked like chains. In the bed under the covers was Barlow Cantiberry. In the corner was a man dressed in black robes sitting in a chair. He was motionless in some form of mediative state.
Brinn followed closely behind Zalthu and said, "That is Cornix, my father's necromancer. He has been channeling a protective spell for the last few hours. He is not the best, but what other options do we have."
Cornix opened one eye and said, "I heard that."
Brinn frowned and said, "Two nights ago, father fell ill and left the dinner table. The following morning, he could not speak. Within hours he deteriorated to this."
"Poison?"
"Not at all. The clerics already attempted to cleanse him. That is how they found this." Brinn stepped over beside her father and pulled back his blankets. On his chest was a black symbol with a large circle around it. It glowed even in the low light of the room. It was unnatural, like someone carved it into his flesh. Brinn said, "This is something much worse. Cornix believes it is a hex or curse of some kind. It is slowly killing him. He would have been dead already without Cornix's protection spell."
Cornix opened his eye again and said, "This isn't a cure. It's a bandage. I can protect the duke so long as I maintain focus. Focus that you two are ruining."
Brinn pulled the blankets back up to her father's chest and pushed Zalthu back outside into the hallway. She softly shut the door and said, "I can count on one hand the number of people strong enough to cast this kind of spell."
Zalthu nodded and said, "I only need one finger… Haydis?"
Brinn turned to face Zalthu and nodded to confirm. Brinn replied, "My father's court wizard was a friend of our family for years. If you had told me this was going to happen a week ago, I would have called you a liar. Haydis was my friend, but he has lost his mind. This act is unforgivable." A single tear rolled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away so no one wouldn't see it. Brinn walked away leaving Zalthu and the wolf guards standing there.
Awkwardly, Zalthu nodded to the guard then followed after her. Brinn had walked off. He searched for her briefly. Down the hall around a corner out of sight from the guards, Zalthu found her. Brinn attempted to dry her eyes. She looked at him and said, "Don't look at me like this." Zalthu turned to partially look away from her. Brinn continued, "You don't understand the pressure I am under. I can't look strong and run this city like my father did. I can't fill my father's shoes."
In the blink of an eye, Zalthu saw Brinn in a new light. The headstrong girl that once stood before him was now vulnerable. Hiding from her own guards as tears ran down her face. She wasn't just snobby rich kid filling in for her father's absence. She was a person with actual feeling, wants, and desires. She was doing everything she could to fill her father's shoes. Zalthu glanced to the wolf guards in the hallway then back to Brinn. He said, "I get it. I'm sure you can manage."
Brinn snapped back at him, "Manage?! Oh please, I can't expect you to comprehend my pain. My mother died when I was young, now I have to watch my father die while putting on a strong face. How could you possibly understand my plight?" Brinn started to walk away.
"Both my mother and father are dead." Zalthu's words stopped Brinn is her tracks. Zalthu continued, "Nine months before I was born, my mother was raped by an orc. The villagers of my hometown killed him for it. My mother kept me despite her family's wishes. In their eyes I was half monster. But she raised me. Without her I would be nothing. She was my everything. My entire world. She died when I was 10. So yeah, I think I understand."
With one last tear, Brinn straightened herself up. She turned back to Zalthu and said, "I am sorry. Things are truly a mess here. I don't want to appear weak in front of the guards. Word travels fast. If word gets out that Brinn Cantiberry is weak…"
Zalthu cut her off, "Then don't be weak. I don't know much this castle, but leadership is easy. When thing turn south, everyone looks to you for the answers. Even if you don't have the answers, you still give the orders."
Brinn dried her eyes and replied, "I know… but what if I make the wrong decision?"
"Even if you don't have the right answers, people will approve of a leader that tried to help rather than sitting on your hands. That earns you the respect of your followers." Zalthu glanced at the wolf guards still standing guard at the King's bedroom. Then he looked back to Brinn and said, "And the most important part. You have to carry yourself. Your words must be law. Unopposed by all. If you doubt your own orders, then everyone else will too."
Brinn nodded as she put on her serious face. "You're right." She collected herself and checked the area for prying eyes. "I hope you don't mind if I make a spectacle of you."
With a smile Zalthu replied, "Sure, just make sure to do it in front of a crowd." Zalthu turned and walked back down the hallway passed the wolf guard. He checked over his shoulder to see if Brinn was following him. She was.
Back to the main hall, several wolf guards and servants walked here and there. Zalthu quickly found his bag of 400 gold left on the table. He threw it over his shoulder and turned to the exit. He didn't make it more than a few steps when Brinn stomped her foot hard into the floor and shouted, "Zalthu! Don't you dare walk away from me!" Zalthu stopped and turned around. The hall fell silent as everyone stopped what they were doing to see what was happening. Brinn had a look of fury in her eyes, as she shouted, "By the order of my father Barlow Cantiberry, I, Brinn Cantiberry, order you to find and kill Alexandar Haydis. He is a monster, a traitor, and a threat to the people of Yarm. Do you accept this mission?"
Hearing Brinn finally acting like a leader, Zalthu smiled and replied, "I thought you'd never ask."