Assassin's Quest by Jon Kiln

Author:Jon Kiln [Kiln, Jon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-07-14T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

Stormbringer and Garnett raced along the southern shore of the Amethyst Sea, sand and seawater spraying up behind their thundering hooves. The riders ducked low on their steeds, urging them on faster, racing against the fading twilight. Once the light was gone, they would have to slow their pace, and it was imperative that they cover as much ground as possible.

The reason for their pace was two-fold. It turned out that they had been seen loading the elder Sleeth into the boat, and when they returned without him, a small and motley crowd had gathered on the shore. It turned out that the mad king actually had a bit of a following, mostly fishermen and mongrels, all of them nearly as mad as the deceased king himself. The mob was more than a little distressed at seeing Rothar and Peregrin arrive on shore without their monarch, and a scuffle had ensued. The duo managed to only kill a few men before escaping on horseback.

The other reason for their haste was more disturbing. The right hand of the King was implicated in the disappearance of the children, most specifically, his wife was. Rothar must return to Castle Staghorn immediately to inform King Heldar and apprehend the lecherous couple.

As night drew nearer they approached the area where the land began to rise above the sea, leaving only a narrow swath of beach between a wall of low cliffs and the water. The tide was coming in, so the riders were forced to take to the high ground or risk being trapped by the rising waters.

Darkness came earlier in the Banewood above, and Rothar was frustrated as they eased their pace. Quietus blockades turned up at intervals, slowing them further, and telling them that they were in the territory of Brath’s former clan.

“Brath was a clever one, indeed,” said Peregrin, as the two men carefully led their horses around a giant fallen oak, draped in the deadly vines.

“A born criminal with a heart of gold,” replied Rothar, distracted by a flock of circling vultures visible through holes in the dense forest canopy.

They came to the river that ran past the willow grove that Kenner and the men called home. Rothar decided they should follow the creek, rather than forge it. The route would take them into thicker parts of the Banewood, but was more direct. Besides, he could check with Kenner when passing by the grove, to ask if any more Southlanders had been tromping through the wood.

They passed the massive grave of Brath, the earth still freshly turned from when Rothar had exhumed the giant to remove his head. He nearly told Peregrin of the instant when Brath seemed to come alive at the touch of his sword, but thought better of it.

As the riders approached the willow grove, there were no evening fires burning, and the entire camp seemed eerily silent, save for the squawking calls of the vultures above. Nobody moved about the tents or stirred in the surrounding forest.

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