After the sun went down and the night settled on Norport, Danica, Captain Landon, and three of his most trusted men, made their way into the planned position. It was here, near the orphanage, that Danica said the sneaky man would be later, so they made their way to a quiet location nearby and hunkered down behind some discarded boxes and other debris to watch. Not a sound was to be heard from them for fear of the commander's ire..
They all wore solid black cloaks over dark clothing and had foregone their usual chainmail armor and other equipment in order to keep as stealthily as possible. A single glint off anything shiny could spook their intended target making this all for naught. They did have their crossbows though, cocked and ready, waiting for the signal to go.
Normally unshakable, even Landon was on edge. He could at least be thankful for the cover of night to keep anyone from seeing his face as he bit into his lower lip. He gently lifted the handle of his hooded lantern and checked the oil lit flame inside. It still burned, waiting for its moment to shine.
“By the gods, they needed this victory,” he thought, even if it were a small and wholly insignificant one. Merchants like Bigsby had been complaining of the crime getting worse and their voices were carrying to higher levels of the command chain. Soon heads of the Guild and even Lord Rowan himself were inquiring into it. Their message to him to find a solution was as clear as crystal itself.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a light coming down the street. He knew from the way it glinted off the steel pauldrons and illuminated the red tabard of the guards that it was his men making their rounds. Guards Corbin and Erinore, were instructed to do nothing out of the ordinary, but keep an ear out if there were any trouble and what they may expect.
The two men passed by and the darkness surrounded the group once more. Mere moments later Danica tugged at his arm, giving him the signal that their intended target had appeared. He put his hand on her shoulder, indicating she should stay back.
Landon shot out from behind the cover and sprung into action. “Don't Move,” he yelled while pulling the cover from the lantern.
Bright light flooded the area as the hood was pulled away, exposing a man wearing a dark gray cloak and brown leather clothing. He carried a large bag over his shoulder and a pair of daggers on his belt. Instantly his hand went over his eyes, trying to block out the blinding light that seemed to appear from nowhere.
***
Danica watched it all unfold before her. It was the same man she had seen so many times before sneaking by the guards, of that she was certain. Yet, she felt some guilt as if she had somehow betrayed this man's trust and that it had been wrong for her to do it. She hadn’t really given much thought over that until the light fell upon him and she could see him up close for the first time. He was more than just a silhouette in the dark, he was an actual living breathing person.
“I’ve got men with crossbows. Marksmen all,” Landon warned the man. “Get on the ground, face down.”
Danica watched the man, and she wondered what he would do. He appeared to be stunned from the surprise encounter and was trying to look around and assess the situation. He didn’t take long though to decide that he’d test their claims of accuracy and try for a chance of freedom.
Three times the bows twanged and each time they made a sickening thud into flesh and bone as the man screamed out in agony. Two shafts went into the left leg and one shot into his buttocks, dropping him to the ground nearly instantly.
She looked on in horror, struggling to process it all. This man had just been shot and might even be killed right in front of her. She couldn’t help but to start crying but managed to keep her sobs quiet.
The guards ran forward and quickly subdued the man, pinning him to the ground and tying his hands tightly. Landon walked over to them as they worked and casually motioned towards the pack the man had been carrying over his shoulder. “Dannig, hand that over here and get him triaged. I don’t want that fool bleeding to death before a proper trial.”
By then the other two guards that had passed by earlier had come back and bathed the area in a bright light with their lanterns held high. Nearby residents had begun to peer out of their windows at the commotion on the street, curious at the screaming of someone in pain. They stared, taking in all of the details they could for the gossip of tomorrow.
Landon pulled out a clear glass vial filled with what appeared to be some sort of red substance. He gave it a small shake and nodded as if in assurance. He looked towards Danica, the hint of a smile on his face quickly faded when he noticed the tears.
“See this?” He held the bottle down for her to look at. “This is fire fungus. It’s highly illegal to own. He’s a smuggler. That makes him a criminal and you helped catch him.”
She caught her breath and composed herself, wiping away the tears. “I did something good?”
“You did very good, Danica.” He put the bottle in the sack and handed it back to Dannig. “Finish up here Sargeant.”
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The man, a gruff looking fellow with a bushy black beard saluted to him. “Yes, sir.”
Danica was stunned. It was an actual compliment telling her that she had done well at something and was being praised for it. She knew criminals were bad people and that they shouldn’t be able to hurt good people. She had helped remove a bad person off the street and was praised for her work. It was an odd feeling that she couldn’t describe easily, but she knew it was nice to feel wanted and appreciated.
Her happiness was short lived though as she looked to the large imposing building across the street. She knew Matron Stenouse was inside and could feel that cruel woman looking down on her with an unrelenting hatred in her heart. Fear grew within the young girl, pushing out all the other emotions she had just felt. Danica wanted to run so far away from it and never come back.
A hand on her back pushed her forward ever so gently. Not in the direction of the orphanage, but back towards the guard barracks. It seemed that Captain Landon had indeed taken her out of that horrible place for good. She’d do whatever it took to stay out of there, and if that meant catching all the criminals in the city, then that’s what she would do.
***
He was exhausted by the time he got back to the headquarters, but his elation spurred him on. The plan had worked and aside from that rapscallion trying to flee, it had been flawless. With some amount of work and training, he pictured the child helping the Norport city watch take back the night. It was a longshot, that would pay off in the long run.
He met with Angela in the dining hall as she walked back and forth, pacing nervously and wringing her hands with worry. The scent of apple pies smelled strongly from the kitchen to greet the returning duo, and it was tempting to even him. Regardless though, he passed Danica off to the woman and bid them to enjoy a late night snack before retiring.
He walked down the narrow stone corridor, the few candles he passed dimly lighting his way. They burned a little too high in the small glass jars, releasing little plumes of black smoke. He wondered if someone would soon be by to trim the wicks, but quickly dismissed that line of thoughts. It felt sometimes like they had more servants tending to the barracks than they had guards on duty and it was making the men lazier.
He grabbed the last candle on the wall and walked over to one of the doors.A heavy oak, sanded and stained until it almost glowed in the light. He went into the pitch black room and used the candle to light the small oil lamp on the desk. Satisfied, he returned the candle back to the hallway. At the other end of the hall, he noted the two ladies coming around the corner carrying a box of replacement candles and scissors. Too many servants indeed.
He sat at his desk and started writing out his official reports for the day. He paused multiple times trying to put his thoughts into coherent sentences but just couldn’t seem to get it right. How do you write out a report like this for your superiors?
I grabbed a child from an orphanage and then used her to arrest a smuggler in the middle of the night.
The door to his office opened suddenly and Landon stood fast, hand going immediately to his sidesword. He may not be as fast as he once was, but old habits drilled into him from years of fighting didn’t fade easily.
“A slight bit touchy, captain. At ease,” said the shadowy figure stepping into the light. His velvety red vest sitting in stark contrast to the lacy white undershirt. His slicked back dark hair and disarming smile swooned the ladies he passed and even some men as well from the rumors. He held onto a black cane topped with the biggest ruby Landon had ever seen. He didn't need it for walking, but simply used it for a fashion statement. It was gaudy and wholly unnecessary.
Rowan Aganossis, Lord of Norport and the surrounding lands of Andesty.
“My lord, I wasn’t expecting you,” said Landon standing to attention. He could see the royal guards standing outside the door behind him before Rowan closed the door. “Can I get you anything?”
Landon wasn’t one to toady to anyone, but he understood the chains of command well enough to respect his superiors, even if he didn’t like them. Rowan was definitely enough of a pompous fool to get the hate he deserved, but Landon knew where the pay for his men came from. He would show the man due respect, even if he didn’t deserve it.
Rowan waved a hand in dismissal, and took a seat opposite the captain. “I heard a disturbing story from a concerned citizen today. She said you came into her orphanage and threatened to clap her in chains and then you proceeded to kidnap one of her children.”
Landon looked the man in the eyes, searching for some sort of emotion. It was hard to get a read on some people, and with the young lord, it was seemingly impossible. “I believe I threatened much worse to that shrill harpy. Regardless, I do have the right to conscript citizens under certain circumstances.”
“Is that so?” Rowan chuckled amused at that. “I do believe I forgot about that, but a half-elf child is hardly what I’d call a citizen.”
“And yet you cared enough to issue a proclamation that none should harm her under penalty of death.” Landon calmly retorted. “Why exactly was that if she was so unimportant?”
A flash of anger, and then it was gone, replaced by a cynical smile. It was the first time Landon had seen true emotion like that in the normally passive Lord. “I simply wanted to be benevolent to the less fortunate. Perhaps one day we could even repair our strained relations with the lesser races of Terrus”
“Of course,” said Landon dryly. “Perhaps his lordship could extend that benevolence further. I can make use of the child to be our eyes of the night.”
Lord Rowan laughed mockingly. “You would turn our city’s safety over to children? Perhaps we could bolster the military with whores too while we’re at it.”
Landon hated petty politics and the squabbling of people like Rowan. Guild heads, royalty, the heads of the church, and anyone else who threw their status around thinking it made them better than others. These same people who never once had to fight for their lives, didn’t understand how to truly live. Across regions and language barriers, this seemed like a universal truth.
“Your lordship, she can make a difference out there” He said pointing outside into the night veiled city. “Just tonight we captured a smuggler that had been eluding our men. I just need time to work with her.”
“Fine. You may have her captain,” Rowan said, holding his finger up, a disgusting smirk creeping across his face. “As a servant. I’ll not let you sully the reputation of the city guard with an elf, a child, or a woman, and last time I checked she was all 3 of those things.”
Landon felt a hot anger boiling within him, and was barely able to contain his rage. “I’ve got enough servants as it is.”
Rowan wiped his finger across the desk and inspected the dust before wiping it off on Landons cloak. “Apparently not it seems. You have my answer and now I must be off.” He pointed towards the paper on Landons desk. ” I look forward to reading your report tomorrow. Make sure you include the threats against Stenouse, as I found that most amusing.”
Landon sat back down into the chair, seething as Rowan departed from his office. “Damn him to whatever hell he crawled out of,” he muttered quietly through clenched teeth.
That exchange, though quick, further reinforced that same burning question he had before. In a land where non-humans were shunned, why did Lord Rowan want to keep a half dark elven girl nearby? Did he know something more about the child and simply refused to answer it?
Landon pulled out a dark brown bottle from the bottom drawer and drank heavily of the strong spirits. A dark wheat brew from the east, it was a guilty pleasure reserved for the most stressful moments. It calmed the nerves and the spirits of his past deeds, allowing a small amount of clarity. He refused to let the potent spirits overtake his will again though, and he slid the bottle back into the drawer. The desire to drink himself into oblivion was always a constant and very unwelcome companion.
“Damn.” He slammed his fist into the table, grabbed the pen and wrote out his daily report. There was no need for pleasantries or flowery language now, so he just wrote out the cold hard facts of the situation. There’d be no changing the lords mind on this, and Landon knew it. He’d gotten the girl out of a living nightmare though, and there at the very least, was a small victory. He just hoped it would be enough.