Heirs of the Enemy by Richard S. Tuttle

Author:Richard S. Tuttle
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Fantasy, Young Adult, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Publisher: KBS
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 25

Faux Soldiers

The knock on the door was soft but persistent. Tedi rolled out of bed, grasping his staff as he rose to his feet. Natia’s head rose off the pillow and stared into the darkness.

“Is that our door?” she whispered. “It sounds too soft.”

“It is our door,” insisted Tedi. “Prepare yourself.”

Natia slid out of bed and reached for her belt while Tedi softly padded into the sitting room and towards the door to the corridor. He moved slowly despite the persistent knocking to give Natia time to prepare. When he heard her come into the room behind him, he reached for the door and unlocked it. He opened the door a crack and peeked into the torch-lit corridor. A Federation officer stood with one hand raised to knock once again. Tedi involuntarily tensed, but when his eyes recognized the man, he threw the door open wide, letting the torchlight flood the room. The colonel marched into the sitting room and tossed some garments on the couch. Tedi promptly closed the door and locked it before lighting a lantern.

“It is the middle of the night,” complained Natia. “What is this all about?”

“The uniform should be a decent fit for Tedi,” stated Garth. “The black cloak is for you.”

“Captain?” Tedi balked humorously as he leaned his staff up against the couch and examined the Federation uniform that Garth had thrown on the couch. “I don’t get to be a colonel like you?”

“That is Colonel Belasko to you, Captain,” smiled Garth. “Get dressed quickly. We have leagues to go, and I want to be out of the city before dawn.”

“It doesn’t take that long for us to get dressed,” frowned Natia. “What aren’t you telling us?”

“We need six horses,” Garth replied. “I require a gypsy to procure them. Make sure that the horses won’t be missed before morning.”

Natia grinned broadly as she snatched the black cloak from the couch and disappeared into the bedroom. Tedi pulled on the uniform while Garth nodded with satisfaction.

“Why six horses?” asked Tedi as Button landed on his shoulder and stared at the pocket of the uniform. “And why the uniforms? Shouldn’t we wait until we are outside the city to put them on?”

“We need to portray soldiers for this mission,” explained Garth, “and we would never get the horses out of the city unless we were soldiers. It is simpler to don our disguises now.”

“And the six extra horses?” Natia asked as she returned to the sitting room.

Garth examined Natia’s disguise. He reached out and pulled her hood further forward to hide her soft features. “Some of Juggler’s men are going with us. Bring the horses to the center of the slums near the healing shop. We will meet you there. Take Button with you just in case.”

Natia nodded and quietly left the suite, the fairy leaping from Tedi’s shoulder and darting out the door with her. Tedi frowned with concern.

“Just putting her in a black cloak will not give her magical powers. What are you up to?”

“She will not need to perform magic,” answered Garth.

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