Read Online Redemption by Richard S. Tuttle - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Richard S. Tuttle
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tell you where he is staying while he is in the city."
Prince Derri waited anxiously for the officer to return, but he was in good spirits about not having to wait for Kerzi to arrive. If the old man had still been days out of Kyland, Prince Derri would have had to leave without talking to him.
"The Golden Shield," announced the officer as he returned. "That is where you will find the driver Kerzi."
"Thank you," smiled the prince as he turned and departed the armory.
Prince Derri walked swiftly to the Golden Shield Inn. He found Kerzi, Talot, and Monte in the common room and promptly joined them at their table. Before he could even speak to welcome them to Kyland, the innkeeper hurried over to welcome the prince to his inn.
"Welcome to the Golden Shield, my prince," smiled the innkeeper. "May I have the honor of serving you?"
"Just an ale," answered the prince, anxious to speak to his friends.
The innkeeper frowned with disappointment but he hurried off to procure an ale for his prince.
"I am glad to catch you in the city," Prince Derri said softly. "I just received word from Anatar that Zalman was murdered."
"I thought he was being safeguarded in the palace?" frowned the merchant.
"He was," replied the Salacian prince as the innkeeper arrived with a large pitcher of ale and a mug.
"Will there be anything else, my prince?" the innkeeper asked hopefully.
Prince Derri sensed the innkeeper's disappointment. He turned and looked into the man's face and smiled.
"This will do nicely, good innkeeper," smiled the prince. "Sometimes rumors spread through Kyland like wildfire. Is it true that the Golden Shield has the best ale in the city?"
The man's face beamed with pride, and he grinned broadly. "I do a little something special to spice it up," he nodded. "Would you care for a dinner to go with it?"
"I would not wish to steal from its flavor," smiled the prince. "I think I will just sit here and savor the pitcher. Thank you."
The innkeeper smiled, nodded, and bowed before retreating towards the kitchen.
"Nicely done," smiled Kerzi. "I guess I should be glad that you traveled as Kenra the last time we rode together. I can see how much notice we would have had otherwise."
"Prince Antion and Jared must be warned," interrupted Talot. "If the dark prince's hand can reach into the royal palace in Anatar, it can reach anywhere."
"You are absolutely correct," nodded Prince Derri. "King Caedmon has asked me to travel to Vineland to inform Prince Antion. He is afraid that Zalman may have inadvertently given up the location of Jared and his son."
"A valid concern," nodded Talot. "There are precious few people who knew where the two of them were, and Zalman was one of them."
"Zalman did not even know," frowned Monte.
"He knew enough," retorted Talot. "He knew of Audric and he knew that they went to find him in Vineland. The Borundans are not stupid. They can fit together the pieces of a puzzle."
"Who killed Zalman?" asked Kerzi.
"They don't know," frowned the prince. "It was a high officer in the Arin army that physically pulled Zalman's head off, but King Caedmon is convinced that someone was just using the officer's identity. It appears quite similar to the problem they had with that prince from Caroom last year."
"Prince Calitar," nodded Monte. "Someone has the ability to impersonate others. That scares me."
"I should send a note to the armory not to load my wagon," mused Kerzi. "There is no sense taking a load of weapons to Vineland. They would just sell them to the Borundans."
"There is no time for you to join me," Prince Derri shook his head. "I must travel with great haste."
"I will not slow you down," Talot vowed to the prince as he looked at the merchant and shrugged apologetically.
"Nor will I," added Monte. "After all we cannot let a prince travel the dangerous roads alone, can we?"
"I kind of thought you two might want to join me," grinned the prince. "In fact, I was hoping that you would."
"You will
Prince Derri waited anxiously for the officer to return, but he was in good spirits about not having to wait for Kerzi to arrive. If the old man had still been days out of Kyland, Prince Derri would have had to leave without talking to him.
"The Golden Shield," announced the officer as he returned. "That is where you will find the driver Kerzi."
"Thank you," smiled the prince as he turned and departed the armory.
Prince Derri walked swiftly to the Golden Shield Inn. He found Kerzi, Talot, and Monte in the common room and promptly joined them at their table. Before he could even speak to welcome them to Kyland, the innkeeper hurried over to welcome the prince to his inn.
"Welcome to the Golden Shield, my prince," smiled the innkeeper. "May I have the honor of serving you?"
"Just an ale," answered the prince, anxious to speak to his friends.
The innkeeper frowned with disappointment but he hurried off to procure an ale for his prince.
"I am glad to catch you in the city," Prince Derri said softly. "I just received word from Anatar that Zalman was murdered."
"I thought he was being safeguarded in the palace?" frowned the merchant.
"He was," replied the Salacian prince as the innkeeper arrived with a large pitcher of ale and a mug.
"Will there be anything else, my prince?" the innkeeper asked hopefully.
Prince Derri sensed the innkeeper's disappointment. He turned and looked into the man's face and smiled.
"This will do nicely, good innkeeper," smiled the prince. "Sometimes rumors spread through Kyland like wildfire. Is it true that the Golden Shield has the best ale in the city?"
The man's face beamed with pride, and he grinned broadly. "I do a little something special to spice it up," he nodded. "Would you care for a dinner to go with it?"
"I would not wish to steal from its flavor," smiled the prince. "I think I will just sit here and savor the pitcher. Thank you."
The innkeeper smiled, nodded, and bowed before retreating towards the kitchen.
"Nicely done," smiled Kerzi. "I guess I should be glad that you traveled as Kenra the last time we rode together. I can see how much notice we would have had otherwise."
"Prince Antion and Jared must be warned," interrupted Talot. "If the dark prince's hand can reach into the royal palace in Anatar, it can reach anywhere."
"You are absolutely correct," nodded Prince Derri. "King Caedmon has asked me to travel to Vineland to inform Prince Antion. He is afraid that Zalman may have inadvertently given up the location of Jared and his son."
"A valid concern," nodded Talot. "There are precious few people who knew where the two of them were, and Zalman was one of them."
"Zalman did not even know," frowned Monte.
"He knew enough," retorted Talot. "He knew of Audric and he knew that they went to find him in Vineland. The Borundans are not stupid. They can fit together the pieces of a puzzle."
"Who killed Zalman?" asked Kerzi.
"They don't know," frowned the prince. "It was a high officer in the Arin army that physically pulled Zalman's head off, but King Caedmon is convinced that someone was just using the officer's identity. It appears quite similar to the problem they had with that prince from Caroom last year."
"Prince Calitar," nodded Monte. "Someone has the ability to impersonate others. That scares me."
"I should send a note to the armory not to load my wagon," mused Kerzi. "There is no sense taking a load of weapons to Vineland. They would just sell them to the Borundans."
"There is no time for you to join me," Prince Derri shook his head. "I must travel with great haste."
"I will not slow you down," Talot vowed to the prince as he looked at the merchant and shrugged apologetically.
"Nor will I," added Monte. "After all we cannot let a prince travel the dangerous roads alone, can we?"
"I kind of thought you two might want to join me," grinned the prince. "In fact, I was hoping that you would."
"You will
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