165. LORD OTTO: TABITHA.
It was the sound of galloping horses that alerted me to danger. What is it with this place? The sound of galloping horses should be exciting, not a sign of danger. There were a lot of horses. Lyla and I looked at each other, jumped on Dusk and rode for the caravan. We arrived well ahead of the riders, and our Caravan Master, Selma, sounded the warning. I dropped Lyla off with the Catkin. The wagons closed the distance between them, and all the guards were alert and prepping weapons.
About forty riders appeared in the grassland to the side of the road and angled ahead of the caravan, blocking the road and spreading out on each side of the road. A griffon half ran, and half flew with them and planted itself on the road. It did not attack the riders, and while its wings were clipped, it acted like it was a bond.
Selma signalled, and the front two wagons veered, so they were side on to the road, and the front guards took cover behind them. These two wagons belonged to Selma and were more heavily fortified than usual, as this was one of their purposes. Selma was an experienced Caravan Master. The forward guards moved behind the wagons with their bows ready.
Selma jumped up atop the wagon, “Clear the road!” she yelled.
A human nudged his horse before the others, and the griffon stepped forward. “I am Lord Otto, under Duchess Isabella of Beitemark. We are hunting a fugitive who stole a Monster core from me.”
“Then you will have an official warrant from Beitemark to show me.”
“The theft happened two days ago. We have been tracking the thief,” he replied.
“We are a legitimate caravan from Obalno heading to Khirgiz, and I have the documents to prove it. No warrant, no searching the caravan.” Selma knew her rights, not that paper held much weight out here. I would give legitimacy to defending ourselves in any subsequent investigation.
“I am the Lord of this district!” he asserted. “I have the right to search where ever I like. You would be unwise to hinder me.” He gestures with a hand, and a small whirlwind appears beside him, and he gestures with his other hand, and the griffon lets out a piercing screech and takes two steps forward.
An angry roar answered the screech, and Težka moved around the wagon with Modrica riding him. He did not like the griffon and went up on two legs roaring again, and when he came down, the earth shook. It was more than just Težka landing. It was an Earthquake Skill. The only thing holding him back from charging the griffon was Modrica.
I moved Dusk up beside my Krvne Sestre.
The Lord was smart enough to realise he was in a bad tactical position. The caravan guards had bows and were sheltered among the wagons, and his men were exposed on the grasslands. Težka countered his griffon and, to some extent, his affinity. He didn’t realise how badly countered he was as Shadows were similar to light and could not be blown away by the wind. Nyx and I could plunge him and the griffon into shadows so they couldn’t see, even in the daylight, essentially neutralising them. We had been practising the synergy between Engulfing Shadows, Shadows Embrace and Shadow Manipulation.
All this was unknown to him, but he wasn’t dumb. He knew he would lose many of his people, although he was also eyeing Težka.
“This doesn’t have to become a fight,” he yells loud enough for all to hear. “I am offering a reward for the thief or even just the monster core. Not just gold but also a title through Beitemark. The Thief is a Lionkin, and the Monster core is from a griffon. If she were stupid enough to use the core, she would be changed, and it will be obvious. I will be at my ranch. Just follow the road back behind you, and the first road on the right leads to my ranch house. Just ask for Lord Otto.”
He signalled, and they moved to the roadside, rode to the nearest rise's crest and watched. Once Selma was convinced they would stay there, she started the Caravan moving again. Modrica and I also moved to the side and watched them as the Caravan moved past us. When the rear guard reached us, we joined them. We eventually went out of sight.
“They are definitely coming back tonight,” I said, half to Modrica and half to myself. Modrica just grunted.
An hour later, Skavt and Oske thundered up to the caravan, and we had a meeting with the Canine Queens and Appā.
“How many people saw Lyla with the Catkin?” I asked.
“A few of the guards. The word would have spread. She is distinctive with those wings. She is also in agony in her mind. She truly does just want to end it all,” Appā said.
“Wiremu and Tāoke are tracking them. We will get a warning,” Skavt said.
“Their scouts are not very subtle,” I said, nodding to a hill with a rider on it. I didn’t even need farsight for that.
“Are we going to wait for them to attack?” Drugič asked.
“Will someone from the caravan get greedy and try to grab Lyla?” I asked.
“She is with Mayakku in the enchanted wagon, and all the bonds are on alert. An approach will be noticed,” Appā said. “Here, Mayakku made these.” he handed out a piece of cloth that tied around the head and covered the mouth and nose. “She enchanted them to filter the air and provide two or three breaths in case of no good air. It is a common mining enchantment.”
I grabbed a second one for Wiremu. I wanted one for Dusk as well, but there weren’t enough. “Can Mayakku help her?” I asked.
“She is trying but strengthening attributes to help her combat the mental noise is an alchemist specialisation, not an enchanter.”
I nodded and turned to the group, “Our priority is to protect the caravan,” I said. “He is also after Težka or his core, but I think he knows that will be extremely difficult. If we get the opportunity for a preemptive strike, we will take it, so be ready. Nyx is getting an update from Wiremu.”
Nyx returned an hour later. I got out my symbol sheet, and Nyx spelt out. “Otto. Home. Night raid. I will strike dusk +1. Might stop. Will weaken.”
I called Skavt. “Wiremu will strike an hour after dusk to discourage and weaken them. I can get there in time to help, and I expect I can do it without being seen. I doubt I could do it taking and covering for others.”
She nodded, “We will be ready here, and if you need us, then send Nyx.”
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I nodded. Dusk and I blended with the shadows at the next copse of trees and worked our way toward the ranch. It was very difficult with the open grasslands. I dashed into the valleys between copses of trees to hide. Otto’s scouts patrolled the ridges giving them a good line of sight. I wasted two hours dodging patrols until I was spotted. I had to trip the horse and kill the scout before she could get a warning out. Awesome Dusk. She was fast enough to get me in range. I grabbed her outer clothes and used Body Image to look like her. I had never heard her speak, and the brief chase wasn’t enough for me to Mimic her, but I was more comfortable riding in the open.
The time I wasted meant it was well after dusk when I got to the ranch. Two of the outbuildings were already aflame. There was chaos in the courtyard and panicked horses everywhere. Some were stampeding away. The barn was one of the buildings on fire. It had a stone base until a meter off the ground and then a wooden structure on top. There were several people struggling to open the barn doors. Wiremu must have done something to jam them.
An angry man burst out of the Ranch house at the same time that an angry griffon burst out of the barn sending those trying to open the door flying back. The griffon had some feathers on fire, but they were suddenly extinguished. I assume using the wind affinity to remove the air from the flames.
I rode Dusk behind the main ranch, dismounted, and sent her to round up the horses who stampeded. She had her own Shadows Embrace to hide her now. If everybody is busy with the fires out front, it is a good time to raid the house. After all, somebody here had made a bold declaration about nobody stealing from them. That was just asking for it.
My Elemental Senses were only just apprentice level, so I couldn’t sense very far. I couldn’t sense where Wiremu of Puia were. I hope he doesn’t decide to burn the house while I am still in it.
The back door was open, and nobody was in my Spatial sense range. I moved through and could easily sense the floors above and below me as I walked through. Above me were bedrooms. Below me were a storage area and two suspiciously large cages. Both empty.
The main office and a safe were at the front of the house. The flames were still roaring from the barn, and the light from the fire came through the front window. They had a bucket line operating. I guess he couldn’t remove air from such a large area. That was good to know. The safe was a standard combination safe and was no challenge to my Spatial Sense and Shadow Manipulation. I cleaned it out without looking at the documents or coins. I just shoved everything into my backpack and locked it back up as if nobody had been there.
I could still hear the griffon screeching in panic and the ranch hands shouting outside. I moved downstairs as there was something there that was blocking my senses. A second office was partitioned off from the storage area, and a safe was under the floor. This one was made from stronger Spiritual material and was rune locked. I had some ideas about how to get through a rune lock, but I didn’t have any acid on me strong enough, and I couldn’t do it without it being obvious.
Then Puia entered the range of my Elemental Senses. He was coming up from directly below the ranch house. I sent Nyx to let him know I was here and then to find Wiremu. I couldn’t communicate with Puia. We had not worked out a system yet, as we had with Nyx. He would need a different system as he burned everything that he made contact with. I was not carrying around slabs of stone for him to write messages on.
Nyx found Wiremu easily, and Puia came toward me. I tapped the rune lock with my knuckle and then stepped back. The heat started radiating from the area as Puia got closer. The spiritual metal the runes were engraved on started melting. When a hole was big enough for my hand, I knocked on the floor again, and he backed off underground. I wrapped my arm in leather and shoved it through the hole to grab what I could before it all caught fire. It smelled like a blacksmith shop, combined with burning leather. I had to put out some documents, which were scorched. The coins were fine.
There were people upstairs now, coming and going. I went for the stairs and was halfway up when someone started coming down. I picked up the pace like I was in a hurray.
“Suzie?” he queried, puzzled. I still had the jacket and body image of the scout I had killed. “I thought …” he didn’t get to finish as I hit him in the neck and threw him down the stairs. I don’t think I managed to break his neck because he had a high physical build. He sprawled onto the basement floor, and my Binding Shadows kept him there long enough for Puia to arrive. Fire was about to break out in the basement in a big way. I went out the back door and entered my Shadows Embrace. Smoke was coming from the Ranch house now, and new shouting erupted from the area.
I had Nyx lead me to Wiremu. He was squatting in the grass on a hill. It was too far away for me to see anything clearly, but he had farsight, so he had no problem. I squatted beside him.
“Where’s Tāoke?” I asked.
“Down there setting fires with Puia.”
“Anything that would indicate it was sabotage?”
“Apart from the suspicious timing, probably not,” he said. “I am the backup if they are discovered,” he added, patting his bow. He must have levelled his Longbow Skill to be confident of shooting that far.
“Dusk has rounded up seven of their horses. I have her herding them to the river to try and confuse the trail,” I said.
He smiled, “You have learned something from me.”
I snorted, “that’s basic. Anyone should know that.”
“We will head back that way and confuse the trail further.”
The ranch was well alight now.
“What do you think Otto’s next move would be?” I asked.
“I thought you were the criminal mastermind? You tell me.”
“Anyone die in the fire?” I asked.
“Only three, including the one you struck.”
“So he is down eleven people. That is about a fifth of his workforce, and he has a ranch to run. He has seen Modrica and Težka, so he knows he can’t intimidate us. ” I waved my hand at the burning ranch, “this is a major setback, but it also means he won’t let it rest. He knows it is us even if he can’t prove it.” I thought for a bit. “He might have some old war cronies around with affinities that he can enlist, but they are probably in Beitemark. My guess is that he ups the bribery offer, and we will meet his real attack in Beitemark.”
“He is not dumb,” Wiremu said regretfully.
“No,” I said. “If I managed to get proof of what he was doing, we can possibly get the Duchess to act.”
“What would the Kingdom do with an errant affinity user?”
“Probably strip his title and a compulsory re-enlistment. I can’t think of much else. It would take a lot of evidence, and even then, it may go nowhere,” I said.
“Should we just kill him out here, away from everybody?”
“He is well alerted now. I doubt he will leave the griffon's side. I doubt even I could get close. Could you snipe him with a one-hit kill?”
“Probably. I would need Puia’s help. He almost certainly has a shield running now which would make things dicey. If this happened to me, I would protect myself against fire from now on. Poison is slower than fire, but we can stack the poison between Tāoke and myself,” Wiremu mused.
“He has seen me, but he hasn’t seen you. Do you want to stay here and see if an opportunity opens up?”
“If we do kill him, the griffon will go mad. We will have to hunt it down. At least it can’t fly. I am puzzled as to why he clipped its wings. Why would you do that?”
“It was captured by someone else and brought to him?” I guessed.
“It does seem to be the only thing I can think of. If he forced the bond, it would be a weak bond. He must be doing enough to make the griffon want to stay.”
“Can you handle Otto and the griffon alone?”
“With Tāoke and Puia, I think so. If we can’t, I am confident we can get away.”
We sat quietly for half an hour watching.
“Dusk has herded the horses well away in an unexpected direction. They will be difficult to find. We will now head back to the caravan. Only take the shot if you are sure.”
Wiremu nodded, and I slipped away.