"My guess is that our king managed to escape and is somewhere here in this town. We must find him immediately," Ari concluded as the pair quickly left the stable to find the stablehand.
He found him a few moments later, fast asleep in a bale of hay. "Boy, wake up," he said quietly, shaking the boy. The boy jumped at being woken up in such a manner. "W-Who are you?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. "I am General Ari Vast of King Bashir of Harut's personal guard," he replied softly. "Bashir," the boy muttered, recognizing the name overheard in a conversation with his master.
"Yes, that's his name. Do you know where he is?" Ari asked. "He's here, sir?" the boy asked. "He must be. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a horse with the brand of the Palace Guard on its hind leg," Ari said, pointing to the horse he had just examined. The boy rose and walked over to examine the horse himself.
"The rider wore a sash that covered his face and didn't give me a name, sir, but I have heard it before," the boy said, recalling the events of a few days prior. "Where did he go?" Ari asked. "He said that he wanted to speak with the owner of the stables, so I led him to my master, sir," the boy gestured toward the largest house.
"Can you take me there?" Ari asked with an air of urgency. "My master will be sleeping, and he doesn't appreciate being woken in the middle of the evening," the boy replied nervously. "Well, he might not like it, but he's going to have to answer me, regardless," he sneered. "Alright, sir, but don't say I didn't warn you," the stablehand said begrudgingly.
He led Ari and Khaleed down the same roads he had taken Bashir just a few days before, and came to the same wooden door. "Thank you," Ari said, handing the boy a few coins for his troubles, who nodded with a smile and went back to the stables to tend to the new batch of horses.
Ari knocked on the door, but there was no response. He tried again, and still, no response. "Shit," he said quietly. "Perhaps a stone to the window might help," Khaleed said maliciously, picking a fist-sized one up from the ground. "I'm not here to destroy anyone's property," Ari gave a disappointed sigh.
"I'm just saying we could; It's an option," Khaleed retorted with a shrug. "Fine, but pick a smaller one, at least. That one could take out a wild boar," Ari caved. "Probably wouldn't do shit to your mother, though… sir," Khaleed added playfully as his commander scoffed and shook his head.
Khaleed took a few steps back to get a better angle on his target window. He threw the stone, and it ricocheted off the window, falling back into his hands, but there was no response. He threw it again, only to be met with the same lack of response.
"We're getting nowhere with this. Let me try," Ari said, picking up a larger rock than Khaleed's. Just as the stone left his hand at a reasonable velocity, the shutters opened and the stone hit the figure that replaced them. A grunt of pain and a string of muffled curses resounded from the shadows in the window.
"I think you hit him," Khaleed chuckled nervously. "Like I knew the shutters would open at that exact moment," Ari shrugged and shook his head. "Who's the belligerent fuck who keeps throwing rocks at my window and disturbing my sleep?" a voice said from the shadows of the moonlight. "General Ari Vest of Bashir's personal guard," he replied.
"Ari?" the voice asked excitedly. "Your Majesty? Is that you?" he asked with equal excitement. "By the gods, it is Ari! Haha! I will be right with you," Bashir's figure vanished, and the shutters closed as quickly as they opened.
A few moments later, the wooden door opened, showing a bloodied figure lit by torchlight. "I humbly apologize for striking you with a stone, Your Majesty," Ari said with a low bow, realizing it had hit him squarely in the nose. "That was one way to wake one up without strong tea. Nevertheless, I have never been so happy to see a familiar face," Bashir wiped away the tiny amount of blood still dripping from the base of his curved nose. "Forgive me, Your Majesty," Ari said humbly.
"It's quite alright. Better a stone to the nose than a sword to the back like those bastards up on the Pass. It's good to see you, my friend," Bashir said, patting Ari on the shoulder with a smile.
As he rose from his bow, Bashir, surprisingly, hugged Ari. "I thought we might have arrived too late," Ari said, astounded by the display of gratitude. "Apparently, I'm a hard man to kill," Bashir grinned.
Bashir explained the situation to his general as best as he could remember it, making both Ari and Khaleed shudder when they heard what Truls did to Bashaa. "By Yarathea, how dare he?" Ari seethed. "He's a madman; one that will pay dearly for killing and defiling him to such an extent," Bashir's brow was tightly knit in anger.
"I mourn the loss of Prince Bashaa, Your Majesty. He was always good to us, and carried himself well amongst the soldiers," Ari said solemnly. "You have had quite the adventure, Your Majesty. How is your physical state?" Khaleed stepped forward.
"Aside from the recent encounter with Mother Earth's emissary, I am well. It truly was a harrowing adventure to get here, however, one that I do not wish to repeat anytime soon," he shook his head. "We have brought your armor, as we were sure you might want it," Khaleed said, pointing to the stables where his horse was. "You have done well, both of you," Bashir nodded approvingly.
"Thank you, but what of the men who chased you, Your Majesty? What became of them?" Ari asked after a moment's pause. "I would imagine they're still being held captive by the elves who live there, but I don't know whether they're still alive at this point," Bashir said as he glanced toward the pass.
"Ah, I see those pointy-eared bastards are good for something after all. Well, tomorrow we'll see what became of them, Your Majesty," Ari sighed with relief. "Yes, you have ridden hard and far, you must get some rest for tomorrow," Bashir said, patting Ari's shoulder again. "I will wake the stables' owner and tell him you have come to my aid. He will allow you to stay there as long as you need," he continued, leading the others inside the large house.
Meanwhile, in Hjalfar, Anders, Unni, and the others had ridden for nearly two days with little food, and even less rest. When they were a few kilometers from their destination, they dismounted and gathered the required gear for their mission.
"Take only what you'll need, as this should be quick," Anders whispered to the others as they tied their horses to nearby trees, leaving a few guards to ensure their safety.
They moved through the trees from cover to cover, doing their best to avoid being seen or heard by anyone save the moon, stars, and other creatures who ruled the night. They arrived at Odensby with a few hours to spare before dawn, and details of the world around them could begin to be seen.
The massive castle stood proudly at the edge of a short cliff within the city's walls, making a forced entry much more difficult with its limited avenues of approach.
"This is it," Unni said to Anders, who stood next to her, hidden in the treeline that surrounded the city walls. "Archers, listen up," Anders said quietly. Take out the guards who stand watch on the eastern wall. You five over there," he pointed to a group of swordsmen clad in furs and swords.
"Follow me up the wall to ensure the alarm doesn't get rung. We're going to take out anyone who stands in our way, understand?" he asked. "Yes, sir," the men replied in unison.
Generally speaking, the outcasts and bandits don't need a leader in their day-to-day lives, but when it comes to a fight, they will always choose the one with the most battle experience to be the leader. Tonight is Anders' turn, Unni thought with a proud smile.
"Unni, you and your team will follow us North along the wall while we clear the ramparts. Only climb up once the all-clear signal is given. The rest of you will follow behind them, got it?" he asked again. "Yes, sir," Unni replied in unison with the others.
"Let's do this," he hissed, waiting for the archers to get into position.