Chapter 8

Ryker

I stoppedat the edge of the first huts on the road to Nottingshire. It had been a couple of years since I was last in this part of the realm, and things had changed.

When I was younger, I would come here for fun, adventure, gambling, drinks, women, and to escape my father. Later, I came to release some pressure from training in Leo's military.

Then, Nottingshire had smelled of excitement and freedom. Now, all I detected was dirt, body odor, animals, and desperation.

This had always been where those who had little resided, and now, they had less than before. Nottingshire had gone from an atmosphere of revelry to a subdued place for those struggling and failing to survive.

The poor masses huddled around booths, scampered through the streets, and shouted their wares as horses clomped up and down the urine-and-feces-riddled roads. Here, the streets consisted of mud that was supposed to be hard-packed dirt, but spring's rainy season had changed that.

As if determined to make the streets worse, dark clouds gathered on the horizon as a storm rolled across the land. Lightning flashed in the distance, but it would be a while before the storm made it this far.

It was almost impossible to step anywhere that didn't have animal shit, but I'd walked in far worse during the Ghoul War and while in Doomed Valley. Still, I loathed the sloshing sound of the mud sucking at my boots; it reminded me too much of the blood-drenched fields of a war that had taken far too much from Tempest, its residents, and me.

Women's skirts swished around me, and the horses' hooves splashed through the mud as wagons clattered down the road; most of them looked ready to lose a wheel. Their spokes sagged, and the horses or oxen pulling them looked about to die.

Some residents cast curious glances my way, but most were so ensconced in their misery that they didn't notice me. My eyes roved over the town as I walked past the sagging storefronts, taverns, gambling halls, and sex dens.

As I made my way toward the center of Nottingshire, I came across the large rotary in the middle of town. At the center of it was a chipped fountain that no longer spewed water from the mouths of the dragons.

Two of the four dragons were missing chunks of their wings, while the wings of the third had completely fallen off. The fourth was still intact, but eventually, time would break it down too.

It had been centuries since someone spotted a dragon in Tempest, but this decaying statue remained a testament to the creatures whose queen ruled all the realms. I'd recently returned from her wedding to the king of the dark fae.

Dragonia had been a bustling place full of activity and thriving under its new rulers. Tempest was a stark contrast to that prosperous realm.

The Ghoul War and the loss of Tempest's king had left my realm in rough shape; I didn't know how to fix it… or if I wanted to try. I'd been fighting for years, and all it had gotten me was nightmares, scars, and the loss of far too many I cared about… including my king.

I'd promised Leo I would look out for Tempest when I returned, but I was tired of fighting. I'd helped drive the ghouls from our realm, but that was the only thing I'd succeeded in doing.

Music spilled through the open doors of a tavern I passed. It drifted through the air to mingle with the voices of those selling their merchandise.

I'd heard that same music the last time I was here and knew it belonged to a pretty amsirah who had proven to be a fun way to pass the time, but I had no intention of stopping to enjoy the show. I'd come here with a purpose, as another WANTED poster nailed to the wall of a merchant's booth reminded me.

I pulled out the poster in my pocket and compared it to the first; they were identical. A gruff voice came from beside me. "Throw it away."

I glanced at the smaller man standing next to me. Obviously, he hadn't bothered to take in the quality of my brown pants, shirt, and boots, or he would have seen I wasn't one of them.

The man's eyes went from the poster to me as his gaze ran over me, and his jaw tightened. A muscle twitched in his cheek when he glanced at the poster in my hands.

"We don't report the Hooded Robber," the man hissed.

I lifted an eyebrow at the animosity behind his words. If the man had a bigger set of balls, I was certain he'd rip the paper from me, but he kept himself restrained, probably because it might be the move that got him killed.

"Then what do you do with the Hooded Robber?" I couldn't keep the annoyance from my voice as I asked this question.

The man glanced at the WANTED sign before turning and slipping into the crowd. My teeth ground together as I crumpled the poster and threw it away.

I needed to find someone here to help me find this thieving bastard, but as I glanced around, the amsirah closest to me looked hastily away before scampering into the crowd.

Is there really no one here who will help me?

The possibility had never occurred to me when I descended into Nottingshire. Bending, I snatched the crumpled poster from the ground and unfolded it.

Lifting it, I pitched my voice to carry over the crowd. "If anyone has any information about the Hooded Robber, I, Ryker of Locksley, will double the reward if it leads to his capture!"

The crowd slowed, and many of them stopped to stare at me. A murmur went through them as their heads bent closer together.

I felt the pulse of their excitement as my words spread through them and further into the town. Soon, everyone in Nottingshire would learn of my offer.

"You all know who I am and that I can afford it. Bring me information, and I will reward you!"

I waited for someone to come forward, but after another minute, they returned to their day. I glanced from them to the poster and back again. What did this criminal have over them?

I crumpled the poster again and leaned against the wall while debating my options. Then, through the crowd, I glimpsed a beautiful face before it vanished. Its familiarity haunted me.

How do I know her?

Stepping away from the wall, I tossed the poster aside and slipped into the crowd in pursuit of the woman.