Chapter 10 - Watcher Johnson

Ash shifted his weight uncomfortably from side to side while Rasp occasionally lashed his tail. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't quite relax in the presence of the irritated General. And Vicker's corpse kept returning to his thoughts. That, and wondering how long until Rasp got really hungry.

So he distracted himself by examing the office.

The chamber walls were constructed from weathered gray stone, ripped straight from the mountain. The floor was made up of a simple mosaic of worn dark and light stone tiles. All the windows had their wooden shutters and thick curtains wide open to let in light. They were also criss-crossed with deep-set iron bars, while overlooking the Skyfort. And in one corner next to the General's desk was a massive fireplace, with a solid wooden mantle decorated with large dragonscales and inlaid horn.

The dragonboy had just started looking at the wooden ceiling beams when the uneasy wait was interrupted by a guard, announced the arrival of a squad escorting the requested night guard.

They got here before the lieutenant, Ash noted uncomfortably. He wished he could have waited outside.

Ash and Rasp shuffled further to the side of the office, right up against the wall, as four men escorted in a tired looking man still in bedclothes, with dark circles under his eyes and wild hair.

The sudden increase in people and the lack of space clearly annoyed Rasp, and he let out a loud hiss to express his discomfort. The loud vocalization earned some surprised glances from the new arrivals, who all smartly side-stepped left, towards the other side of the room.

Ash squatted to give Rasp a firm, reassuring hug which seemed to pacify the dragon. For the moment.

While the room settled, the general had been purusing the haggard man with hard eyes until he sought comfirmation of man's identity.

"This is the man who performed the check-in?"

The squad leader answered promptly, “Yessir! This is Watcher Johnson. He was asleep in the barracks when we found him sir.”

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Ah, the poor bastard was still sleeping when they got to him. That explains the look...

The commander waved for the squad to take a step back and the full weight of his focus fell upon Johnson. The watchman, who seemed disoriented by the heavy attention, shuddered slightly, and his wide eyes indicated he was now fully awake.

Ash shuddered himself. Glad I'm not him right now.

The General pressed the man, "You checked in a scout last night, correct?"

Johnson bobbed his head quickly, "Yes sir. He arrived late."

"Can you name him."

"It was Vickers, back from his two-week stint sir."

The General's focused gaze never wavered. “Did you notice anything different about him? Tell me everything you remember.”

Johnson's expression betrayed his confusion at the questioning, but he squinted, trying to recollect the details. "Um, he came in during the storm last night. His face was all swollen and bruised. Like he had fallen on his face." Johnson thought some more. "He was coughing something terrible, like he had just caught a cold."

The commander pressed him further, "And you checked him in just like that?"

The watchman floundered. "Well, he sounded like he needed to get out of the rain and warm up, sir."

"Anything else?"

“Uh, no sir.”

Ash winced, and Rasp recoiled in from his hug into a low crouch with bared fangs, the hissing erupting anew, as the now visibly irate commander slammed a heavy palm on the desk and roared, “YOU LET HIM IN JUST LIKE THAT!?!” The veins on the General's forehead throbbed as his face went red with rage.

The watcher turned even paler, stammering in his response, “Yes- uhh n-no sir, I did check his insignia before letting him in. Sir!”

Ash flinched as General Lukes jabbed a furious finger in his direction.

“This dragonboy here says he found Vickers dead in the forest. An arrow in the back is what you said, right?”

Ash nodded rapidly in confirmation, "Yessir!"

The shaken guard appeared ghostly white when the red-faced man’s withering glare returned to bore down on him.

“Unfortunately no one has been able to locate this so-called Vickers you allowed in. Unless Vickers is brought before me, I can only assume that you’ve allowed a spy to infiltrate into my fort. Nor can I ignore the possiblity that you are working with an enemy.”

An enemy here? In the fort! Am I an idiot? Ash wanted to kick himself for not connecting the dots.

The commander signaled to the squad leader, anger evident in his gesture.

“Lock him up and keep a close eye on him. Then alert all the troops. They need to be on the lookout for Vickers or an unfamiliar face.”

As the trembling watchman was hemmed in and marched out, Lieutenant Dan, who had been waiting outside the office, entered.

Perfect timing for the commander's final orders.

“Lieutenant, take this dragonboy and verify his report. Take others who can could identify Vickers. Now Go!”

"Yessir!" Lieutenant Dan and Ash saluted the General and swiftly exited the room, with Rasp close on Ash's heels.