into the Citadel?’ asked Red
carelessly. Cassiel’s jaw dropped as Red revealed a part of their
plan, and he stared harshly at Red, obviously not wanting him to
say another word. Red’s realised he had made a gaff and his eyes
shifted from side to side.
‘ Why do you want to get into the Citadel?’ asked Falsig
inquisitively.
Red looked to
Cassiel and Eben nervously, not sure what to say. Falsig could see
that they were uncomfortable about the subject and looked up to
Cassiel, assuming he was the leader.
‘ Why don’t we have a private talk a little later this
evening,’ suggested Falsig. Cassiel agreed.
**
The Sea of
Zyran was considered by most seafaring folk to be one of the finest
stretches of water in all of Veredor. It was often said that the
life of a fisherman was that of a blissful dream; however, in
recent times few boats journeyed between the coasts of Ortaria and
Zyran. It was widely told that a foul curse blew with the wind and
scourged all the ships that dared to sail the stretch of sea. Many
of the once numerous seafarers had sailed away in search of safer
waters in the south.
After the ship
had set out from Ancora they had been assigned a small cabin toward
the front. The sound of the waves and the ocean seemed strangely
familiar to Eben, even though he had never been on a boat before.
The four of them sat on the floor of their tiny cabin.
‘ I shouldn’t have said anything, I know,’ said Red
remorsefully.
‘ Our plan is already hanging in the balance. If we start
giving everyone we meet an idea of what we’re planning we are sure
to be killed by the Zyranians before we even reach the front gate
of the Citadel,’ said Cassiel angrily.
‘ I won’t say another word,’ said Red.
‘ It was stupid. You may have placed us all in danger and
jeopardised our plan,’ said Cassiel.
‘ Falsig was a good friend once. We should be able to trust
him,’ said Red, trying to reassure them, but clearly doubting his
own words.
‘ What about the five others standing around him?’ asked
Cassiel sharply.
‘ I’m sorry. What can I do about it now? I can’t take back what
I’ve said.’
‘ Don’t worry about it Red,’ said Eben calmly. ‘We’ll work it
out. After all they don’t know anything except that we want to get
inside the Citadel.’
‘ But that’s enough to arise suspicion,’ said
Cassiel.
There was a
tapping on the cabin door. Eben stood up and reached over to open
it. Falsig stood in the doorway with a big smoking pipe in his
mouth and a sly grin on his lips.
‘ Hello there. Thought I would come by and have a little talk.
Can I come in?’ he asked, stepping inside before they had answered
his question.
There was
scarcely enough room in the cabin to accommodate the massive man.
Somehow he managed to sit cross-legged on the floor. He continued
to smoke his pipe which quickly filled the room with a thick haze.
Eben closed the door and resumed his place which was now beside
Falsig.
‘ Red, you said you and your friends want to get inside the
Citadel of Zyran?’
‘ Maybe,’ said Red, not wanting to give away anything
more.
‘ Maybe means yes with you,’ said Falsig with a hoarse chuckle.
‘Now let me guess. You’re all planning to get inside the Citadel
and rob the treasury, right? It sounds like the most ridiculous
thing in the world to do, and under normal conditions I’d think you
wouldn’t stand a chance, but I gave it some thought, and I know
that Red wouldn’t try such a thing unless he thought the odds were
good. That made me think the three of you,’ he indicated to
everyone except Red, ‘must all be professional thieves. Am I
right?’
They all
looked at each other, not sure what to say for a few moments.
‘ Perhaps we are and perhaps we’re not,’ said Cassiel with an
expressionless face. ‘What’s it to you?’
‘ Well, well, well,’ said Falsig, grinning widely. ‘I’ve been
looking for an opportunity to move out of the kitchen and
carelessly. Cassiel’s jaw dropped as Red revealed a part of their
plan, and he stared harshly at Red, obviously not wanting him to
say another word. Red’s realised he had made a gaff and his eyes
shifted from side to side.
‘ Why do you want to get into the Citadel?’ asked Falsig
inquisitively.
Red looked to
Cassiel and Eben nervously, not sure what to say. Falsig could see
that they were uncomfortable about the subject and looked up to
Cassiel, assuming he was the leader.
‘ Why don’t we have a private talk a little later this
evening,’ suggested Falsig. Cassiel agreed.
**
The Sea of
Zyran was considered by most seafaring folk to be one of the finest
stretches of water in all of Veredor. It was often said that the
life of a fisherman was that of a blissful dream; however, in
recent times few boats journeyed between the coasts of Ortaria and
Zyran. It was widely told that a foul curse blew with the wind and
scourged all the ships that dared to sail the stretch of sea. Many
of the once numerous seafarers had sailed away in search of safer
waters in the south.
After the ship
had set out from Ancora they had been assigned a small cabin toward
the front. The sound of the waves and the ocean seemed strangely
familiar to Eben, even though he had never been on a boat before.
The four of them sat on the floor of their tiny cabin.
‘ I shouldn’t have said anything, I know,’ said Red
remorsefully.
‘ Our plan is already hanging in the balance. If we start
giving everyone we meet an idea of what we’re planning we are sure
to be killed by the Zyranians before we even reach the front gate
of the Citadel,’ said Cassiel angrily.
‘ I won’t say another word,’ said Red.
‘ It was stupid. You may have placed us all in danger and
jeopardised our plan,’ said Cassiel.
‘ Falsig was a good friend once. We should be able to trust
him,’ said Red, trying to reassure them, but clearly doubting his
own words.
‘ What about the five others standing around him?’ asked
Cassiel sharply.
‘ I’m sorry. What can I do about it now? I can’t take back what
I’ve said.’
‘ Don’t worry about it Red,’ said Eben calmly. ‘We’ll work it
out. After all they don’t know anything except that we want to get
inside the Citadel.’
‘ But that’s enough to arise suspicion,’ said
Cassiel.
There was a
tapping on the cabin door. Eben stood up and reached over to open
it. Falsig stood in the doorway with a big smoking pipe in his
mouth and a sly grin on his lips.
‘ Hello there. Thought I would come by and have a little talk.
Can I come in?’ he asked, stepping inside before they had answered
his question.
There was
scarcely enough room in the cabin to accommodate the massive man.
Somehow he managed to sit cross-legged on the floor. He continued
to smoke his pipe which quickly filled the room with a thick haze.
Eben closed the door and resumed his place which was now beside
Falsig.
‘ Red, you said you and your friends want to get inside the
Citadel of Zyran?’
‘ Maybe,’ said Red, not wanting to give away anything
more.
‘ Maybe means yes with you,’ said Falsig with a hoarse chuckle.
‘Now let me guess. You’re all planning to get inside the Citadel
and rob the treasury, right? It sounds like the most ridiculous
thing in the world to do, and under normal conditions I’d think you
wouldn’t stand a chance, but I gave it some thought, and I know
that Red wouldn’t try such a thing unless he thought the odds were
good. That made me think the three of you,’ he indicated to
everyone except Red, ‘must all be professional thieves. Am I
right?’
They all
looked at each other, not sure what to say for a few moments.
‘ Perhaps we are and perhaps we’re not,’ said Cassiel with an
expressionless face. ‘What’s it to you?’
‘ Well, well, well,’ said Falsig, grinning widely. ‘I’ve been
looking for an opportunity to move out of the kitchen and
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