Chapter 18

“That’s twice in two days you have come back with some sort of injury,” Caine said with a mouth full of market meat.

I awoke and was greeted with a throbbing, ringing pain at the back of my head as I sat upright. I rubbed my eyes. “What time is it?”

“Three hours after midday. You have been out for fourteen hours or so. It’s the longest I have ever known you to sleep,” he swallowed. “Brother, are you alright?”

“I am fine,” I lied. I stood up from the bed and sat at the table. Caine pushed a dish of meat in front of me.

“It’s about time you eat.”

I nodded, stabbing into the food with a fork.

“Was there much disturbance whilst I slept?” I asked.

Caine swallowed another bite. “The crypt has been in chaos all morning. Both Ben and Heral have come to check in on you, I told them that you were sleeping, and you were fine. You didn’t say much when you got in last night. You were quite out of it, though you assured me that the cuts on your head weren’t deep. What happened?”

I let out a large breath. Recalling the events of yesterday evening left a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

“Things didn’t go to plan,” I said.

“That’s an understatement,” said Caine. “Half the city has been in riot and that is without including the gangs. Namin emissaries have been attacking Hafrans. Farian bureaucrats have been said to be outraged and a mob has gathered outside the White Keep. The locals in the southside have been dragging Klings out of their houses and beating them in the street. The city is in turmoil.”

Caine emphasised the word Kling.

I took a bite. The clenching of my jaw sent a niggling pain to my head and so I chewed gingerly.

“And what of the Mards themselves?” I asked.

“Worse, I’m afraid. One of the council members had a run-in last night by the Alora. It didn’t go well for him; he’s said to have lost a hand. I forgot what they called him Jak or Rak or—“

“Dak,” I said with wide eyes. I put my fork down and stood abruptly from the table. “I have to go see Anna.”

Caine stood also and tried to move as if to restrain me. His crooked leg protested at his quick motion and so he leaned over the table with a reaching arm.

“Not now, brother. I have been instructed to ensure that you rest. We’re to leave all this in the hands of the people that know what they’re doing.”

“And who told you that?”

“Raina. She stopped on my way out to get food this morning and made her instruction very clear. When she is ready for us, she will call.”

I sat back down on my chair. “This is a mess.”

“I’d say.” Caine sat back down and forked another chunk of meat into his mouth. “So how did that happen?” He pointed to the bandage that wrapped around my head.

“Wine bottle shards,” I said looking down at my plate. “He was so fast brother.”

“Who?”

“The assassin. I have never seen anything like that before. He knew things as well... Things about me,”

“Assassin?” Caine said. It was clear that he hadn’t heard much.

“I stabbed another last night, this time in the jaw. I don’t know whether he is alive or dead.”

Caine had no words to say to that. He looked at me dumbstruck. Like he didn’t believe I was telling the truth. Then he shook his head as if shaking away a bad memory.

“You're not speaking plainly, Jeb. Tell me what happened from start to finish.”

I looked up at him. “Brother, have you ever heard of someone being a Mahadur before?”

He paused for a moment and looked to the ceiling. Then shook his head. “No, no I cannot say that I have. Why is that?”

“The assassin, yesterday, it’s what he called me. A Mahadur. He said that Anna knew about it and that she wasn’t expecting him to see it. That was just before the tavern erupted.”

Caine frowned and then swallowed. “Start from the beginning, Jeb.”

*

It was three days before anyone of note came to visit me, and surprisingly it was the council member known as Raff. I opened the door to him and bowed. Rather than entering, he leaned up against the door frame. Arms folded. He was a tall, slim, figure, and although he was dressed in dark leathers, I could tell he was lean with the body of a climber, or an acrobat.

“Is everything alright?” I said.

He stared at me for a moment, weighing me up, like one might do when looking to buy a horse.

“That remains to be seen. How’s your head?”

“It’s fine. It’s healing. Caine put fresh bandages on it this morning... What news is there on the outside? I’ve been told I am not allowed to leave my room.”

“And for good reason. There are a lot of people within the organization that think you're behind this mess.”

My face dropped, “Me?”

“Yes, you. It’s been heavily rumoured that you were the first to start the commotion in the tavern. The commotion that led to nine deaths.”

“It wasn’t like that. They had blades at our neck. What was I—nine? So does that mean that the general survived?”

Raff nodded. “Which is also fortunate for you. King Leopolf of Faria is said to be furious and vowed that he’d get the heads of all responsible if the general didn’t survive. Heblah fled the moment his tasks were done. The king will never catch him. Not with all the armies in Piranlia. You, however, you’d make the perfect scapegoat. Best not to displease a king after all.”

I was taken aback. “How am I responsible for any of it?”

Raff stood himself upright off the side of the door. “Because people need someone to blame. Never forget what you are in this city. The people around you sure haven’t… Anyway, that’s not why I’m here. You are needed again. Raina has asked me to escort you to the training ground. Are you able to walk?”

I nodded. “Of course.”

“Well then, get dressed. I’ll wait outside.”

Raff walked even faster than Anna. I thought that impossible. He raced down the corridor without any consideration that every step I took, sent a ringing to my head. I did my best to keep up with him. He nodded to every passerby we came across and they nodded back. Some had contempt in their eyes when they saw me with him.

“So, everyone hates me now,” I said glumly.

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“That word implies that they liked you in the first place. And no, not everyone hates you. Understand that the Mards are a very tightly fastened group. Some members have been in the organization for years and haven’t come close to being involved in things that you have. For your first job to go that badly, well, it looks like incompetence on our part, and they think you’re to blame.”

“Well, I don’t think I’m to blame.”

“And that is because you are not. Anna is. At no point should you have been there with her. We all should have been aware of that. Still. She thought she saw something in you, and we went along with it.”

She saw what the assassin saw: that I was—

“Raff, have you ever heard of something called Mahadur?”

He looked over at me, his face as straight as an arrow.

“No,” he said and looked forward.

I let out a huff. “So, is Anna in trouble?”

“A senior member doesn’t get in trouble. There weren't enough objections when the plan was set forward and so that takes away any real punishment. That doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences in the form of alterations though. You, for instance, won’t be working with Anna anytime soon. Instead, Raina’s asked that I take you under my wing for the time being. She thinks you could learn a thing or two with me.”

“And why would Raina want me to learn from anyone, if the Mards think me responsible for such a failure of a job? Why give me a second chance?”

“Let me be clearer. Some Mards think you are responsible, but not the Council members. In fact, you’re the only one who smells of roses in this pile of shit. It was brave what you did in there. Fighting back when you were up against it. Especially for a no-good Kling as people like to say. That, and the incident you had with Heral, has made Ottom even have to concede, and you’re not exactly his favourite.”

We were at the entrance. Raff pulled the double doors open to the training ground.

The large hall was filled with Mards. Idle chatter echoed off the walls as they conversed with one another. It was daunting to see so many people. Some faces I recognized but most I didn’t. It gave me a true idea of the scale of the group. There had to be two, maybe three hundred of them and as far as I can tell, that didn’t include the beggars. Many noted me when I entered. A few even pointed. An array of different emotions was painted on their faces. Some were sneers, others were curiosity. A few people even smirked. It seemed I had become quite notorious. Raff waltzed over to a cylinder, structural, column that stopped just before the stage and leant up against it. I followed him. From the other end of the room, I saw Ottom. He was surrounded by an entourage of big men. All of them looking menacing. One of them being Heral.

Raff noticed my gaze. “Pathetic if you ask me.”

“What’s is?”

“That many strong men smothering you.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Why is that a bad thing? Surely, it’s wise for Ottom to have protection? He is probably the only man more hated in this city than I am right now.”

“I didn’t say ‘bad’, I said ‘pathetic’. It lacks bravery. It shows his fear in plain sight, and when you think of it, it is also quite bad. Big, hulking men like that—when he walks to the market, he must stick out like a sore thumb. How easy it would be for a Helm to spot him.”

“I suppose you're right,” I said.

“He has no variety in his protectors. It’s all strength and no speed. You witnessed Heblah’s display the other night first-hand. He’d have dismantled that entire group within minutes. Word of advice, Jeb: if you ever find yourself in a position like he is in, diversify your protection. Take Mannis for example, the man is short, no bigger than an ashen. But, put a blade in his hand, and he'll deal with any of those surrounding Ottom.”

“You think so?”

“I know so. The man is dangerous when he wants to be.”

The short man that Raff was referring to was guarding the large main doors to the training ground. He had his hands by his side and a face of indifference.

I also saw Caine towards one corner of the room. He was alone, arms clasped behind his back. He stood a little distance from anyone else, and he wasn’t engaging with anybody. It seems that being Bervian, as well as my brother, gave him no popularity.

*

A clanking sound echoed the entirety of the hall as the large wooden doors that Mannis guarded opened. The room went silent. Raina’s cane tapped on the stone flooring as she entered. Marken and Anna followed closely behind her. She stepped onto the stage in the centre of the hall and stopped. The rest of the Mards surrounded her. She scanned the room. Her dark brown eyes gave an all-knowing look. She let the silence linger for a moment, just long enough for the mind to start wondering.

Then she spoke, “As most—if not all—of you know by now, some four nights ago we were outdone. We were tasked to stop an assassination attempt in Wannihiem, and we failed on three accounts.”

There were murmurs among the crowd, like the rumblings of a thunderstorm. Raina let them carry on for a moment before holding up a hand that signalled silence.

“There would be no point denying it like there would be no point denying the stars in the sky. One of the people killed was a royal lady of the kingdom of Hafra. She died from a throwing knife to the back. Another was a Sharian Merchant in Furn territory. His head was removed from his body in the middle of the street. And the last one was a Farian General, and although he is not dead, his throat has been cut deeply. The priestess tells me, it’s almost certain that he won’t speak again.”

The room began to murmur once more, I could tell that the news of Atinosh was not yet common knowledge. I noticed a few eyes from the onlooking crowd stare at me. I also noticed Anna. To my surprise, she had the usual smirk on her face.

“All in all., over the three assassination attempts, we lost thirteen Mardmen. Another twenty- three are injured, including one of the senior members. Many of you here know and have worked with Dak. He was one of the group's founders and has served it with absolute loyalty. It is with regret to inform all of you that he lost a hand when trying to prevent the assassin from fleeing the city.”

There were audible groans throughout the hall. Everyone in attendance would have known at least one member who died. It made me wonder what Anna’s feelings were on this. It could be argued that it was her fault after all. By the look on her face, it didn’t bother her.

“How could this happen?” a freckle-faced woman cried from the crowd.

Raina looked at the woman directly, “I could lie to you. I could say that there is treachery and deceitfulness afoot. But in a room full of traitors and deceivers, I’d be seen through, and quite quickly. No. The truth is as I said before, we were simply bested. We thought we supplied enough manpower to overwhelm one of the most infamous assassins on the continent, but we were wrong. Due to the quick process of the ordeal, we hadn’t noticed that the assassin had planted out-of-town mercenaries, thugs, and other assassins all around the city. He made himself a decoy and we fell for it. It is our burden to bear.”

“And what of him? The Kling?” A grey-haired man pointed at me.

I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach as I was set upon by hundreds of eyes.

Raina turned to the man sharply. “I’d advise you not to call him that in my presence. Do you forget where some of your senior members are from? I myself am Hafran, with skin darker than the Bervian’s. Marken is from lands you couldn’t comprehend. To make a mockery of him is to make a mockery of us. All of us. Do you understand?”

The man’s face fell. “I meant nothing by it. It’s just what us city folks call them.” Raina looked as if she was going to argue some more, then thought against it.

“To answer your question: there is nothing to wonder about Jeb, except for where he got his bravery from.”

“Whilst in the Fleet Tavern, he and some fifteen other Mards had knives to their throats. If it wasn’t for his reactions. There would be a lot more dead. He is the only one that I can speak about positively in this whole ordeal.”

She looked at me with approval. I tried my best not to beam at her.

What she said took the anger out of a lot of the Mard faces, although not all of them. Ottom still looked at me as if I was dirt, despite his apparent agreement with my actions, but that was nothing new.

Raina let out a breath and let the room be silent for a moment. She gazed at her people slowly, making sure to meet the eyes of every Mard. It still made me wonder how someone her age could command so much respect.

After another moment, she started again. “The events that took place a few nights ago are not our only misfortune... Doge Rolof has also refused to do any more business with us at this moment in time.” The statement filled the room with tension. The lady next to me stiffened and stood upright.

Raina continued, “I’m sure some of you are starting to realise what that means. Allow me to explain for those that don’t. We are no longer to have any form of communication with the guards. Anything we do now that doesn’t follow the laws of the city will be under scrutiny. We cannot be seen taking bribes from aristocrats or diplomats, even taking our coin from the beggars may be enough for them to make arrests. Right now, as a group, we are in hiding.”

“Can’t we just pay him off?” a voice called.

Raina turned to it. “I wish it was that easy. Unfortunately for us, the assassinations committed by Heblah have been detrimental to kingdoms across the continent. People put their faith in Wannihiem because it is a protectorate. It is a haven for all warring kingdoms to reside and resolve their differences. The fact that so much controversy has happened all at once has tarnished the city’s reputation. So much so that the Wannihiem senate might look to replace the Doge with someone more... unsullied. Someone who’s less likely to use groups such as ourselves. The Doge has a right to be furious. I for one am glad that we don’t have a war on our hands.”

“So now what?” said the freckle-faced woman again.

“Now we rebuild. We work in the shadows until it’s safe to come out to the sun again. When we have rebuilt the bridges we burnt with the Doge, we will return at full strength.”

“When the Furns and Helms find out about this they will seek to take advantage,” called another voice. It was Kline, the one who was at the Inn on the south side when Heral and I were attacked.

“Oh, believe me, they already have. It won’t be long until they’ll start to muscle in on our territory, they still have the backing of Rolof after all. But fear not. We have some plans set in motion for when the time comes. That brings me to my last point. I’d like to remind everyone in this hall that you are Mards. That you have all been initiated and all have sworn oaths. For some, it might be tempting to break those oaths. I’d strongly advise against it. People throughout the city always talk about how they fear Jaskal—the leader of the Helms—because of his cruelty. So, I will be as clear as I think necessary when I say that towards traitors, deserters, and oath breakers we can be equally as cruel. We are aware that there is at least one among you talking to our enemies about things they shouldn’t. When we find out who that is, you’ll beg for the treatment that Jaskal would give. Is that understood?”

“AYE!” many in the room called.

“Good, the senior members and upper overseers will give you instructions on your posts in the coming days. Stay strong.”

Raina exited the stage and left the circling crowd. I noted Anna as the crowd dispersed. She was looking at me, smiling. Her dead eye shimmered in the firelight.

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