Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

But wait I had to as the miles of road rolled on. I watched the shadows lengthen over the boulders and stocky trees that surrounded us. The road led upward and plateaued over the peak where Thorn rapped his knuckle against the roof of the carriage.

The vehicle slowed and he smiled at me. “Do you care to see the view of the Sano District from the peaks of the Durum Mountains?”

“Sounds like a treat.”

He opened the door and climbed out. I followed and accepted his offered hand. It was a good thing, too, because I was distracted by the sight.

A vast valley of fields stretched out in front of us as far as the eye could see. Fields of emerald, gold, white, and even blue colors sparkled in the coming twilight. They came in all shapes and sizes, from the typical rectangular to circles and those that ran along the many creeks that descended from the Durum Mountains on which we stood. Small rolling hills dotted the landscape and I could see grazing animals atop their green peeks.

A large city was nestled between a half dozen of those rolling hills that lay in the center of the many-colored fields. Stately homes were situated on the peaks, their marble halls glistening in the sunlight. Smaller structures of various sizes and colors were tucked into the curved foothills and a central open square occupied much of the area in the very center. The creeks formed a river which ran through the city, cutting the metropolis in two before it seemed to pool inside the defensive wall.

Dozens of roads led to the high wall that surrounded the city. Huge stone entrances allowed entrance into the metropolis, and I glimpsed dozens of carts, horsemen, and pedestrians moving along those great thoroughfares. Our road, too, wound down the mountain and ended at one of the gates.

I looked up at Thorn who smiled down at me. “I know I say this a lot, but wow.”

He cast his eyes out to the view and nodded. “Indeed. I have traveled this way hundreds of times, but the view never ceases to amaze me.” His eyes sparkled as he returned his focus to me. “Shall we go see if the old city has changed since last I visited?”

I nodded. “I’d like that.”

We climbed back into the carriage and drove down the winding road. By the time we reached the bottom, the sun was low on the horizon. The path took a relatively straight route through the fields to the imposing arch. I leaned out the window and gaped at the stone structure. Intruders were kept out by a wrought-iron gate that was currently suspended above the road.

The carriage rolled up to the entrance, but we were hailed by one of the guards. They were all attired in a light chain mail and sporting a blue and green tunic underneath the armor. Many held eight-foot tall lances that towered over the coach.

The man sauntered to the side of the carriage and lifted his chin slightly. “State your name and business.”

Thorn leaned out and smiled at the man. “I am Lord William Thorn and my business is with Lord Torch.”

A murmur ran through the guards and more than one passerby paused to look with on with curiosity. The guard tried to act as nonchalant as possible, but he couldn’t hide all of his surprise at the titles given to him.

He cleared his throat and puffed out his chest. “Yes, well, I’m afraid that is a rather vague reason, Your Lordship. What business do you have with Lord Torch?”

Thorn’s eyes danced with mischief as he draped one arm over the windowsill of the carriage. “I wish to discuss with him the War of the Cherries and that disastrous route by the invading army. As you know, he was an eyewitness to the retreat.”

The guard looked past him and noticed me. “And the lady with you, Your Lordship?”

“A friend who has yet to see your beautiful city,” Thorn told him as he nodded at the gate. “I hope to show her some of the streets this day, if possible.”

The guard pursed his lips but took a step back. “Very well. Have a pleasant time, Your Lordship. Welcome to our city, Your Ladyship.”

Thorn rapped his knuckle against the wall of the carriage and we rolled onward. I couldn’t help but glance at the armed guards as we passed through the gate. They stared back, and some weren’t as friendly as I had hoped. I gave those unwelcoming men a sheepish grin before I ducked back inside.

“So do they always greet people like this?” I asked my companion.

Thorn had a troubled expression on his face as he, too, stared out the window. “No. It’s very uncommon for the gates to have so many guards. They are generally present only to disband unruly travelers from their squabbles.”

“They could do a lot of disbanding with those weapons,” I commented as I recalled the sharp points of those spears. “Like disbanding someone from their arms and legs.”

Thorn leaned back in his seat and cupped his chin in his fingers. “I will have to ask Torch why the guard numbers have been increased. However-” He shook himself of his curiosity and turned his attention to me, “-I expect they will not interfere in our visit here. That is, unless they’re willing to provide some valuable information to us in our search for this Agency.”

“Is there more than one Agency?” I asked him.

He knitted his eyebrows together. “Unfortunately, yes. There are Agencies located in most of the major cities. Their ‘clients’ submit a task and any of the ‘employees’ may offer to take up the job.”

I shivered as I recalled that harrowing wagon ride with my last kidnappers. “I don’t think much of their clients, or their tasks.”

“They can often fall under more severe demands,” Thorn told me as he scowled at the wall opposite us. “Such filth should have been routed out long ago, but black marks such as those are difficult to dislodge. They are like rats that scurry away at the first sign of danger from the city managers and regroup after the authorities have ceased their extermination.”

“Are they easy to find?” I asked him.

“If you know where to look.”

“And do you?”

He clasped his hands together in his lap and sighed. “I used to, but that was a long time ago. It may take some time to discover their whereabouts, and then we must discover their client and why they intended to capture you. Lord Torch, however, may be able to help us. His bride was nearly kidnapped only a few years ago, and he may have some fresh knowledge of the Agency’s dealings and location.”

We rolled through the winding cobblestone roads of the large city. I couldn’t help but gawk at the sights of the medieval-like metropolis with its stone and timbered buildings and people attired in plain suits and dresses.

Their clothes made me look down at myself. “I kind of stand out, don’t I?”

Thorn smiled at me. “We can easily remedy that problem with a quick visit to the clothes market after we have met with my friends.”

I had only a few minutes to wait as we rolled through the large square and up a gentle slope. Elegant homes occupied the incline, with many sporting terraces gardens and flower beds in front of their Tudor-style mansions. The elegant beamed woodwork and whitewashed putty walls blended well with the natural yard layouts.

We parked in front of one of these two-story homes. Three terraces some twenty feet deep each featured meandering stone paths that wound their way through flowers and under vine-covered archways. They were interrupted only by the wide steps that led up to the wide stone patio, and from there to the front door.

Thorn was helping me onto the steps when the door opened and a man and woman stepped out. The man was slightly taller than Thorn and appeared to be about fifty with gray streaks in his temples. He wore a simple but elegant black suit with matching shoes. The man would have looked perfectly comfortable in a high-class salon except for the pair of ram-like horns that stuck out of his forehead. He also had a perfectly round scar on the back of his left hand that showed on the back and front.

The woman at his side was likewise dressed in a simple white silk dress with a high collar and long short sleeves. Her blond hair was done up in a braided bun behind her head which framed her slim and beautiful face like a halo. She appeared to be only thirty, but there was something in her eyes that belied a much greater age.

They met us halfway down the stairs and the gentleman released his companion’s hand to hold them out to Thorn. “It’s been too long, Will.”

Thorn smiled and grasped their hands together. “I have only pathetic excuses for my absence.”

The woman stepped closer to me and I now saw she had the brightest blue eyes I had ever beheld. They seemed to look into my soul with a gentleness only an angel could provide. “And this must be your bride.”

Thorn lifted an eyebrow. “Did you hear that from someone?”

Lord Torch chuckled. “You have been gone too long, Will, to have forgotten that very little slips past my dear bride. But you look weary from your journey. Let us discuss these matters inside.”

Torch’s bride set her hand on my arm and smiled at me. “If you will follow me.”