Knight's Creed by P. J. Cherubino & Michael Anderle

Author:P. J. Cherubino & Michael Anderle [Cherubino, P. J. & Anderle, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: LMBPN Publishing
Published: 2018-02-25T07:00:00+00:00

Keep 52

Clarence paced the line of guards who were on duty the night before when Alisa was taken away. Officer Jank and Krann stood with sour faces opposite the line as Clarence walked between them, stopping in the middle to glare at them.

Clarence pointed with his finger at each guard and made a show of counting. “Am I to understand,” he said, voice booming, “that twenty-seven guards on patrol last night saw nothing! Another forty men from the keep, when called upon, found nothing in the woods?”

The guards shifted nervously on their tired feet. Clarence had kept them up and waiting long after their night shift ended.

“Don’t answer all at once!” Clarence shouted. Nobody said a word. “Alright, then!” he continued. “You two, the guards who sounded the alarm!”

He pointed to the pair of guards who Astrid confronted the night before. The two men froze, wide-eyed. “You passed the dead bandit girl at 4 a.m. Then, at 4:30 a.m., you discovered the body missing.”

“Y—yes sir,” the shorter guard said.

“That’s right,” his larger companion added.

Clarence strode up to them both and stood inches from them. He looked into their eyes, alternating between them, nose-to-nose. To their credit, they met his eyes and held them. Good, Clarence thought, displaying a little backbone just saved you pain.

“I will tolerate no more mistakes!” Clarence boomed. “You are all docked two days pay. Any more incidents on your watch and I’ll fire the lot of you! Your families can go live with the bandits in the woods!”

The guards breathed a collective sigh of relief that told Clarence they expected a lot worse. “Dismissed!” Clarence bellowed. The guards scurried away.

“Jank,” Clarence said, turning to his business partner. “I want you to put a complement of men on duty for two shifts. I’ll add a rider to your contract.”

“I’ll have to pull men from my operations in the South,” Jank said. Clarence raised an eyebrow. “I’ll send for them right away.”

Jank rushed over to one of his men while Krann stood ramrod straight with his swagger stick stuck under his arm. He glared brazenly at Clarence.

“I take it you don’t approve,” Clarence said with a mocking smile.

“Your rank permits you to command my men,” Krann said.

Clarence laughed. “Yes, old man. It certainly does. But you imply that Keep 52 is yours.”

“I am a humble steward,” Krann said.

“You are far from humble, Krann,” Clarence sneered. “Go scribble figures in your little lined books.” Clarence waved his hand. Krann gave a curt nod and stomped off.

Clarence flexed and stretched his fingers, making the black leather of his gloves creak. He was secretly glad for the incident from the night before. He was looking for any excuse to take more control from Krann and establish a better hold over the district.

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