The Sapphanese Guild by Lorcan Ryan

Author:Lorcan Ryan
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781953620002
Publisher: Lorcan Ryan

Chapter 25

A Shot in the Dark

A gasp tore itself from Ryn’s mouth. She spun around to make for the door, but it was closed, and a soldier had quietly edged in front of it. Her heartbeat hammered itself back up to high-panic as she looked back at Yereden. The Guard hadn’t moved, but one hand was twitching towards the hilt of her weapon.

“You have nothing to fear from us; we mean you no harm,” soothed the Goldseal captain, holding up his hands. “I am Alastak, captain of the Goldseal garrison in Marenskral, and this is Member Onara of the Sapphanese Guild.”

The merchant licked her lips, giving them a small smile. She stood level with the captain’s shoulder, her thin, bony frame making her appear frail. Despite this, the entire room seemed to stand in deference to her, including Captain Alastak.

Ryn tried to gauge how old she was, but it was impossible to be sure. The flickering candlelight seemed to toy with her appearance, continually casting rays that made her look older or younger. She settled for somewhere around forty.

“Do you know why you were being chased, young ladies?” As she spoke, Onara fixed up a strand of her pristine black hair.

Ryn exchanged a wide-eyed glance with Yereden. What game was this merchant trying to play? Could she truly not know who they were? Whatever it was, silence would soon smother any chance they still held. She nudged her friend to speak.

“Imaregionalguard,” squeaked Yereden, her cheeks aflame. She glanced at Ryn, making a visible effort to swallow. Then she tried again. “Uh, I…I mean, I’m a Regional Guard, ma’am. We were, uh, we were visiting the local Guard post…you know, uh, for messages, and I, um, I think we got followed on the way back. Well, I mean, we did get followed. We noticed them trailing us, even when we tried to lose them, and then they started coordinating with whistle blasts and trying to trap us in. As we ran, we came across the barracks here, and…you know the rest.”

Onara’s gaze seemed to burn into them. Ryn squirmed under the penetrating stare, unable to look up at the merchant’s face. Then, all in a moment, Onara released them, chuckling. “You are indeed safe from those ruffians in here. You must be weary from your flight; if you are hungry or tired, we can accommodate you. Captain Alastak?”

“Of course,” the captain assured them. “What can we do?”

Yereden quietly eased her hand away from her weapon. “Well, a place to rest for a moment would be perfect. Thank you.”

Despite their apprehension, Onara and the Goldseal guards made no move to apprehend them. The two girls rested in a corner of the barracks, nibbling at the food provided, hardly daring to speak. Just as they were finishing, the merchant queried them once again.

“I am curious as to your names. It may help explain the meaning behind this mysterious attack.”

“Uh, I’m Rena,” Ryn said, becoming more used to her alias.

The merchant nodded, Yereden now becoming the focus of her attention.

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