"See? He’s not a bad guy. Never thought an Inquisitor
would be reluctant to order people around. Thought they’d all enjoy doing that,
considering." Kyle clapped his hands, jerking Yuzu awake again. He chuckled, earning
a sleepy glare from her. "There are beds waiting, as long you don’t make too much
noise." He winked.
Timothy rolled his eyes and stood. Kit and Yuzu followed.
The three of them yawned.
"Let’s go. But I’m not going to carry you," Kyle said.
"Timmy owes me a carry." Kit tapped Timothy’s shoulder.
"But he likes to grab."
Kyle laughed. "I would too if I was him. Let’s go. I
still have work to do. Don’t look at me like that, Timothy. I do work. Sometimes."
Kyle led them to a squat cabin. Two uniformed men held
halberds and tried to ignore the cold. They saluted as Kyle took the low wooden
stairs. Timothy shivered in his coat. Yuzu and Kit misted the air with their yawns.
Wind whistled, and snow fluttered from the cabin’s roof. Kyle leaned close to Timothy.
"Those boys are Tredere’s. The captain’s. I will see about getting them replaced."
"You don’t trust him?"
"We have someone pulling strings and getting people killed."
Kyle’s eyes narrowed. "My money is on the captain."
"What makes you think that?"
"Things don’t add up otherwise, but we will see. I’ve
been wrong before. Not often, but enough."
"I never thought you’d be good at this type of stuff."
Timothy tucked his cold hands into his armpits.
"I’m a hero, remember?" Kyle threw open the door. A fire
burned in a rough hearth inside.
"Warmth!" Kit and Yuzu said in unison. They charged into
the cabin. Timothy had to turn sideways to avoid being bowled over. Kyle stepped
aside at the last moment.
"Wait! There are only two beds." Yuzu said from inside.
"They are called cots," Kit said.
Timothy glanced at Kyle, who winked. Timothy groaned
and felt the beginnings of a headache throbbing behind his eyes. "
Thanks
,
Kyle."
He slapped Timothy’s back. "Any time. You are braver
than me. Henrietta would never go for your arrangement. Don’t worry. I won’t tell
your aunt." Kyle smirked and waved at the soldiers. "Let’s give my friend some privacy.
Oh, don’t fret. I am a lieutenant, remember? You are just following orders." The
two soldiers reluctantly followed him.
Timothy sighed and rubbed his forehead. He entered the
cabin and closed the door behind him.
The fires of Honheim reached for him. Timothy ran. Debris
swirled in the hot wind, choking him.
I have to find Kit.
He darted down alleys that waved with heat. He cried
Kit’s name, but the sounds of the fire ate his shout. He lurched down a tattered
street. A large building cracked and fell toward him. Fast. Too fast to get out
of the way. The bricks crashed into him.
Timothy snapped awake. His cheek burned with the fire
of his dreams.
"I am too tired to carry you, woolhead." Kit shook her
hand. She coughed. "Get up. Hurry. Our cabin is just a little on fire."
Smoke filled the air, and flames lapped at the walls.
Timothy coughed. His eyes watered. He scrambled out of the cot and raced with Kit
toward the open door. They ran a short distance before they collapsed onto the snow.
Kit sat down beside him, gasping. Her cloak spread around her.
"Wh-what about Yuzu?" he asked.
"She’s not fool enough to sleep through a fire—or fool
enough to stay and try to wake a log."
Soldiers rushed everywhere. Many were in their small
clothes. Timothy still wore his coat and boots. He remembered walking in and falling
into the nearest cot. Around them, four cabins burned. Muffled yells came from the
nearest cabin. Men battered at a burning door with a log. Flames burst from the
windows. Soldiers threw buckets, helmets, and handfuls of snow and water at the
fire.
Yuzu appeared and knelt. She stared at the fire. Red-orange
light painted her face. Her eyes were wide. "It’s Honheim again."
Kit threw snow at her. "It’s not Honheim. Do you hear
me? It’s not Honheim."
Yuzu blinked several times. She slapped both of her cheeks.
"You’re right. We need to help." She jumped to her feet and ran toward one of the
cabins.
Kit climbed to her feet and offered Timothy her hand.
"I hear Kyle over there."
Timothy accepted her help. "What do you think happened?"
The men ramming the door finally broke through and rushed inside. Moments later
each soldier dragged another man. Only one of the soot-darkened men stirred.
"Daeric. Who else would it be?"
"It could’ve been an accident."
Kit leveled a stare.
He held up his hands. "I know. I know. But it is a bit
of a risk. What if you…"
"He knows fire wouldn’t do me in, but it could drive
us into the woods. Are we going to talk or help?"
Timothy followed Kit toward the largest barracks. Men
worked against the fire, but they seemed to make little leeway. Kyle stood between
two lines of men who were passing helmets, pots, and buckets of snow and water
to one another.
"Faster, boys. It beats patrolling in the cold, doesn’t
it?"
"What happened, Kyle?" Timothy asked.
"What can we do to help?" Kit glanced at Timothy.
"Throw balls of snow at it. About all we can do." Kyle
wiped his forehead on his sleeve. "You know, this hero stuff is a lot of work."
A soldier slid in the mud, caught himself, and saluted.
The man wore his breeches and not another stitch. "The other fires are starting
to burn out. We have—"
The cabin Kit and Timothy had left crashed in on itself.
"We also found this," the soldier continued. He held
out a twisted, melted slab of metal that resembled a lock. "We found this on a chain
on the outside of the east building’s door. It…it kept the men inside."
Kyle took the metal and frowned. "Get Balwar—the Inquisitor."
The man saluted, pivoted, and ran. Timothy felt glad he had slept in his coat and
boots.
"And get some clothes before you freeze!" Kyle shouted
after. He bounced the lump in his hand. "The boys will need some fun after this."
No matter what happens, we still have to
live.
Timothy looked at Kit. Her hood shifted.
The fire slumped as the men’s work took its toll. The
line of men parted to allow Balwar and Captain Tredere through. The Jesuit’s brow
wrinkled, and a frown edged his face. "What is this about a lock, Dalton?"
"Send men out to see if we can catch whomever started
the fires," Tredere said.
Kyle ignored the captain and handed the lump of metal
to Balwar. "The boys said this lock was on the outside of the east barracks. It
kept the lads inside."
Captain Tredere frowned over Balwar’s shoulder. "That
is the lock from the storage building. It’s the only building we have to keep secure."
"And who has the keys, Captain?" Balwar looked up.
"Get the steward," Captain Tredere bellowed. "Bring him
here."
Timothy shared a look with Kit.
Two of the nearby soldiers darted off in opposite directions.
Tredere rounded on Kit and Timothy. "And how do we know
these people weren’t involved?"
Kyle stepped in front of them. "I personally vouch for
them."
Balwar studied the captain.
One of the soldiers returned and saluted. "Captain. Sir,
the steward. He was in the building that was locked. He….didn’t make it." The soldier
produced a key. "This was found on him."
"I want these people under arrest." Tredere jabbed a
finger at Timothy and Kit.
"Ignore that order," Balwar said. Tredere stiffened.
"Dalton, pick a group of men to search for the key. If we find the key, we find
the culprit." He turned toward Timothy and Kit. "For the time being it would be
best if you remain under guard, not under arrest. Dalton, we will continue with
the plan. I think the men could use a distraction after this." Balwar met Tredere’s
glare. "Don’t you agree, Captain?"
"We need to find our traitor." Tredere left no doubts
as to who he thought the traitor was with the way he looked at the Inquisitor.
"If he is smart, he is long gone. Who else had a key?"
Balwar said.
"I do," Tredere said.
Balwar tilted his head.
"I do not like what you are implying, Inquisitor. Do
you think I would harm my own men?"
Balwar shrugged. "My guess is someone stole it."
Kyle touched Timothy’s shoulder. "We had better get you
out of sight. I think we have more people involved than your Daeric and his group."
"I don’t like Kyle’s plan," Kit said for the fourth
time. She sat on the low cot beside Yuzu.
"And do you have other ideas?" Timothy asked.
"Kyle’s planning worked well back in Fairhaven." He returned to pacing. The
small shed Kyle stuffed them had three paces of space between the cots that
lined the walls. Three days ago he had led them to the storage shed on Balwar’s
orders. Kyle claimed the Jesuit was worried about incidents with the soldiers
after the fires swept the camp. Timothy had no doubts that something was going
to happen.
Yuzu stretched a cat’s cradle between her fingers.
"So this Kyle saved you before, Sis?"
"He helped." Kit rubbed her temples.
"Have you remembered anything?" Yuzu asked.
Kit hesitated. "Nothing important."
"Have you figured out why Daeric smells strange?" Timothy
asked.
Kit gave him a grateful look.
I figured her memories were bothering
her. Just what has she remembered? What will happen when we finally see the
town?
He knew she would tell him when she was ready and
not before.
Yuzu’s cat’s cradle tangled. "I was wanting to ask
you about that. So everyone has a different scent?"
Kit nodded. "Everyone does. Daeric, Tell, and the
rest have a similar scent. I still can’t figure out exactly what it is, but it
is familiar." She chewed her bottom lip. "If I can figure out what it is…"
"What do I smell like?" Yuzu asked.
"Like old cheese."
"That isn’t funny, Sister."
"It is true."
Yuzu shook her head.
They sat in silence for a time. Each turning toward
their own thoughts. Timothy watched Kit, but he couldn’t read her thoughts from
her expressions. Her exposed fox ears twitched but didn’t provide any of their
usual hints. Yuzu fiddled with her game. Her brow furrowed and she kept
glancing at Kit. Timothy often caught Yuzu with that expression while she
watched Kit.
Good luck trying to solve her puzzle. I’ve made little
progress.
Finally, Kit broke the silence. "I can’t help but
think how this would be different if we hadn’t stopped Big Al’s inn."
"We did learn which way to go," Timothy said.
"And we ended up captured again."
"Daeric wasn’t a good choice, but I couldn’t have
known." Yuzu looped the yarn and set it to the side.
"Oh, yes. Daeric proved to be such an excellent guide."
Yuzu looked down and kicked her feet.
"You said he would have followed us anyway," Timothy
said. "And you agreed to bring him."
Kit rubbed her eyes. "He scent addled my brain. I
wanted to know why he smelled familiar. It was a mistake." She looked up. "But
there is nothing to do for it now. We can only deal with what is ahead of this,
and that is Kyle’s plan."
"How long is Kyle going to keep us here?" Timothy asked.
"He said until they are prepared, but you wearing a hole
in the floor won’t make it any faster," Kit said. "Now sit down."
Timothy sat. There was little point in stirring the stew
more.
The door banged open. The sudden sunlight made
Timothy squint.
"Are you ready to join the party?" Kyle asked.
"I am not sure about this idea." Yuzu held a hand
over her eyes. "If I was Daeric I wouldn’t come."
"It’s not entirely a pretense." Kyle sounded hurt by
Yuzu’s comment. "The men need some time off."
"I smell pork," Kit said.
Timothy’s stomach grumbled as he noticed the scent.
"That’s because we are making pork," Kyle said. "The
boys caught a good-sized boar this morning."
"So we are ready?" Yuzu asked.
Kit pulled her hood over her ears. Kyle watched the movement.
"I don’t think I would ever get used to that. Or her tail."
"I haven’t either." The comment earned Timothy a kick
in his shin.
"Balwar will want to speak with you before we begin."
Kyle scratched his beard. "I have enough boys out of the ale barrels for our plan
to work, but you will need to be careful. Good lads act foolish if they are upset
and have a belly full of booze." Kyle grinned. "This should be fun. If things go
wrong, you might be able to save your ladylove again like we did at Fairhaven. It’s
like old times."
Yuzu looked at Kit. "I thought you said you had to save
him."
Kit shrugged. "It doesn’t matter who saves whom. But
Timmy owes me several times over. That’s all I’ll say."
"Women tell themselves stories, don’t they?" Kyle asked.
"Balwar’s waiting."
"At least our stories are true," Yuzu said.
Timothy kept his silence and followed Kyle into the frigid
wind.
Freedom.
He felt his shoulders unknot.
Even fighting Daeric again
is better than spending another day cooped up with Kit and Yuzu.
Burned-out skeletons of buildings marred the camp. Soldiers
bustled about without looking at the shells. Many carried squat barrels. Others
lugged roughhewn benches, tables, and chairs. The smell of meat pulled them in the
same direction Kyle strolled.
"You are drooling," Timothy whispered to Kit.
"Am not." She wiped her chin. Her red hair stuck out
from her hood. Timothy liked her hair longer. The jaw-length hair was nice, but
shoulder-length made her look more feminine even when only a few locks stuck out
from her hood. She put a hand over her forehead. "I feel so faint from hunger! The
smell is just torture!"