THE BREW

"He's up here!" A gruff voice shook Monte back into reality again.

The opening on the floor leading to the staircase from the Old City had long closed. But even if it hadn't Monte knew he wouldn't have found it in the dim moonlight.

The men coming up the stairs carried torches, there was nowhere for Monte to hide. He was going to be arrested by Orna's Guard, he knew that. Without thinking, he removed the sword from his back and placed it on the ground along the edge of the Belfry. He placed the pack on top and slid it into a dark corner.

Maybe they won't do a thorough search.

Being taken in unarmed would improve his defense. As he placed the sheath on the ground, orange torchlight flickered off the ring. He removed it and tossed it out after Orna just as the first Guard hit the top stair.

"Don't move boy!" The voice called.

Monte stood still and allowed the Guard to bind his hands. He recognized two of the voices.

The Hammer and Hand.

"It's just as she said. He's thrown her to her death." The Hammer said, peering out the Belfry opening to the Square, and Orna's lifeless body, below.

"Check him for weapons." The Hand's voice said.

The largest of the three Guard frisked him up and down several times.

"You're lucky." The Guard hissed so only Monte could hear.

"He's unarmed." He then reported to the others.

"No use wasting any more time up here. Let's get him questioned so we can be done with this and tell him--" The Hammer said but was cut off.

"Shut it you. This isn't over." The Hand spoke up.

They're scared.

"Come with me boy." The large Guard grabbed Monte’s arm and pulled him toward the stairs.

The group was silent until Monte found himself back in the same seat, he'd been in earlier that morning. That time, his hands weren't bound. He had come willingly. Now he was a prisoner.

Or a hostage.

How had it gone so wrong, and so quickly?

"You told us how you did it already. And Orna told us why. You will be put on trial in the town, and sentenced to hanging at dawn." The Hand said.

"I'm looking forward to stringing you up myself." The Hammer interjected.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" The Hand said, raising a quieting hand toward his partner without so much as looking his way.

The Hammer was seated to Monte's right as before, and the Hand to his left. The large Guard stayed outside the room. In front of the two interrogators were steaming mugs of coffee, as before. This time none was offered to Monte. Not that he could drink it even if he wanted. Monte tugged gently on the manacles around his wrists and shifted in his seat.

"The Guard doesn't tolerate sellswords." Monte spoke.

"What would you know about the Guard?" The Hammer retorted immediately. The Hand's eyes darted in his partner's direction.

"We don't know what you mean. Our duty is to the people of this town." The Hand said. The Hammer let out a huff through his nose and crossed his arms in front of him.

"I know you're propping up the Company's scheme. You're allowing the counterfeit coins to circulate. I wonder if you even know if the coin they're paying you isn't fake too." Monte said.

"Do you think we're that dumb, boy?" The Hammer grunted, pounding a fist on the table. The Hand shot him a look of reprimand.

"Apparently Orna revealed some things to you. I assure you it makes no difference. You are guilty of murdering two mayors of this town and you will be held to account." The Hand said. Unlike the Hammer, the Hand remained calm.

"I'm sure the Company leader will reward you lavishly for finally being the ones who captured me. I suppose you'll want my sword, like the rest." Monte said. With that, finally, the Hand's eyes went wide. The room seemed have a pall cast over it. Even the torches flickered in their sconces.

"We don't need that bloody sword anymore. We've got everything we need now. We'll be the ones who got you out of the way. We'll be rich." The Hammer smiled as he said it. The Hand turned his head and glared at his dolt of a partner, and gave a subtle shake of his head.

I've hit on something.

The Hand quickly took a sip from his mug and regained composure.

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"If you're referring to the… concerns from the town shopkeepers over coins they consider strange, I'm sure it's nothing but daft superstition. We've looked into it." The Hand said. His voice was especially monotonous as he spoke.

"By the bylaws and Standards of Guard practice, you are now granted the chance to defend yourself for the official record." The Hand said, and lazily pulled a document toward him from the center of the table.

Monte scoffed.

"You're no Guard, and I've done nothing wrong. Go ahead with your show trial if you must. The people of this town will see through this little charade you've cooked up." Monte said.

Though he had picked up a writing pen, the Hand made no effort to record anything he said. He simply looked at the paper. Monte expected the Hammer to react to the obvious bait. Instead, he took a long draught of coffee.

Something's off.

The three sat in silence for a moment. The Hand took a few more sips from his mug and placed it back on the table.

"Seeing as you have nothing to say in your defense, allow me to inform you what will happen next." The Hand said, breaking the silence. His voice lacked any authority of the Guard it once had. If Monte wasn't in such a precarious situation, he would be bored.

"You have no defenders left in this town. As it happens, Padrig was quite fond of you. It's… unfortunate for you that he is now gone." The Hand said, glancing at the Hammer, who was again sipping from his mug.

"Orna's mother is of course deceased. Orna herself was once obliged to defend you, but seeing as you have killed her, her grace will be viewed as misplaced." The Hand continued slowly.

"The folks here aren't gonna be happy. There'll be pitchforks when they learn." The Hammer interjected, yawning as he spoke. His eyes stayed closed for a beat too long.

"You might think there are others. The old coot we've seen you with. He's nothing to nobody." The Hand continued.

You two don't know anything at all.

"Who is he?" Monte said.

Both men looked at him. Monte noticed they seemed to staring through him. The Hammer closed his eyes and nodded, startling himself awake again.

"His name is Kieran. He was the mayor before Padrig." The Hand said. His voice seemed to trail off as he spoke.

"No, I want to know who the leader of the Company is. Who is he?" Monte asked.

"The Company doesn't have a leader. The Company is…" The Hand started speaking, but before finishing his sentence, he closed his eyes. His head rolled back. The Hand was asleep in his chair.

"Who is the leader?" Monte asked again with some urgency, directing his question at the Hammer.

"He knows you… You know him…" The Hammer placed his arm on the table, then allowed his head to lull down onto it. No sooner had he fallen asleep did he let out a large snore.

Just then, the door to the interrogation room opened wide.

"It worked!" Alaya said. She was standing in the doorway beaming as she looked at the two men. Behind her, curled up on the ground, was the large Guard.

"What worked? What's going on here?" Monte asked.

"I'll explain later, come on we gotta get you out of here quick!" Alaya said, stepping over the large Guard and deftly freeing a keyring from the Hand's belt.

"Did you… put something in their coffee?" Monte asked. Alaya was already busy freeing Monte's left hand.

"They didn't bother to help me one bit, but still had the gall to demand a fresh pot at this hour?" Alaya said. She plunged the key into the cuff around Monte's right hand."There we go." She whispered to herself as the cuff fell to the floor."Who do they thing think they are?" Alaya said, stepping back to look at Monte.

Monte threw his arms around her. At first she seemed surprised, then she returned the embrace.

"Thank you. I don't think I would have made it out of that one alive." Monte said.

"Yeah yeah. You need me and all that. We don't have a ton of time so we really need to get moving now." Alaya said.

"I have to make one stop first. I'll tell you what I learned from these two on the way." Monte said. The two of them hurried out the door and down the now familiar back hallways of the Guard office toward the Square.

"Let me guess, the Clock Tower?" Alaya asked. Monte grinned her way. In the torchlight she looked almost childlike, though Monte could sense something dark lingering under the surface.

"What's wrong? And where is Kieran?" Monte asked.

The two stepped outside. Monte expected the Square to be silent, but a dull roar was clearly coming from somewhere nearby.

"You tell me what you learned first. This way, we have to stay out of the path of the mob." Alaya said, pointing towards the long way around the Clock Tower.

"Another one?" Monte said.

"Something about when you're around. Now tell me." Alaya said.

"Those coins are fake. Forged with some kind of visual trickery from regular iron. They're worthless." Monte said.

"I knew it!" Alaya said.

"The Company is apparently running some counterfeiting scheme. I liked it better when they were just petty thieves. It's safe to say the Guard won't be leaving town any time soon. But hopefully you'll get some new blood. The guys you put to sleep were on the Company payroll." Monte said. The two of them crept around the back of the Clock Tower, keeping their voices low.

"Can you prove it?" Alaya asked.

"I'm not sure. But I bet if you check their purses while they're out cold, you won't find any fake coin." Monte said. They had arrived at the Clock Tower again and Monte opened the door.

"Speaking of, how did you put them to sleep?" Monte asked.

"Well… after you took off again to be a hero, I went back to Orna's office. I'm not sure what drew me there. It was empty so late at night. I found a book and the page was opened to a recipe that was could apparently put people to sleep. I figured it would come in handy." Alaya said.

"I think that makes you the hero." Monte said as the two of them swiftly ascended the stairs.

Monte heard the tinkling of a bell. Then from around a corner at the second landing came the familiar flashes of the Cat's eye.

There you are.

She jumped onto his shoulders as usual and the trio continued up the stairs.

"Okay, your turn. How did you get out of the Old City? Kieran and I held the Guard up as long as we could, but they eventually figured it out and came after you. Honestly I thought that might be the end." Alaya said.

"That one will have to remain a mystery. At least for now." Monte said. They reached the top floor. Monte found his sword and pack and slung them over his shoulders.

"Now where is Kieran?" Monte said.

The darkness behind Alaya's eyes now took over her entire face. She frowned and looked away from Monte.

"You have to go now." Alaya said.

"What happened?" Monte asked.

"That was his daughter. In some ways she was all he had left. He believed you would save her. He never thought you would kill her." Alaya said.

Monte felt his stomach drop away. He was supposed to save her. He said he would. The events of that night hadn't caught up with him yet, but now they all washed over him at once. He felt a tear welling up and blinked it away. Did Alaya think he killed Orna?

"Alaya I… She…" Monte started to speak.

"Don't try to explain. I will never understand you, hero. But you need to go now." Alaya said.

"I'm sorry." Monte said.

"I know." Alaya replied.

They walked back down and out onto the Square. The din of the mob was getting louder. Monte could see torchlight reflecting off stone walls and around corners. There was little chance he or anyone in town would sleep tonight.

"Thank you." Monte said finally. Alaya simply nodded in return and turned away.

The Clock Tower began its toll. Midnight. Twelve bells rang out across the Square and the Town as Monte slipped out into the night.