Kastali Dun

Eagle watched the crowded city street from his shadowy position. City inhabitants went to and fro on business. Some engaged in jovial chitchat while others took to their errands with bowed heads or intent expressions. No one spared him a moment's notice. Had they done so, they would have seen a man hiding against a shadowy wall. He stood beneath the eaves of one of Kastali Dun's many wealthy city homes. His wide-brimmed hat was pulled low to shadow his face while his arms were crossed with bored impatience. He often spent time here. It was a good lookout to watch those entering and exiting the castle; it was one of two streets leading to the main portcullis.

Today had been another uneventful day. While he had taken many mental notes, nothing important had happened. He was just about to abandon his watch for other business, when he did a double take of several passersby.

His gaze narrowed. "It cannot be!" he whispered when he was sure. Eyes glued to the crowd, he pushed away from the wall in pursuit. It was her—he was certain of that—though he couldn't explain how he had gotten so lucky. Lady Claire, dressed in burgundy and her hair done up elegantly, was making her way hastily down the lane and away from the keep.

Something didn't add up.

As he followed, he glanced about looking for her entourage. There was no one. She was entirely alone. That was surprising indeed! She must have snuck away from the keep. Obligations forgotten, he trailed after her, keeping a close eye on her.

It was his job to be perceptive. He immediately noticed that her path lacked direction. She was also agitated. That was easy enough to see just by how she walked, with her arms crossed. Her movements were tense.

His frown deepened. Once again he asked himself: What was she doing in the city unprotected? It almost felt like a trap.

Since arriving in Kastali Dun, he had gained entry into the keep more than once, usually under various disguises. Even within the castle's confines, Lady Claire was difficult to obtain. She was the second most protected person in the keep. Unbeknownst to her, King Talon had many guards keeping an eye on her movements throughout the fortress.

Now here she was, suspiciously alone.

He continued to tail her. The longer she walked, the greater his luck felt. When she began showing signs of being lost, Eagle's excitement heightened. His mind silently urged her onward; the closer they were to his hideout, the easier it would be to capture and transport her.

He had just followed Lady Claire around a corner when she looked around, faltered, then dodged down a side street. He continued on past the street's entrance, then crept over to a nearby building where he waited for several breaths. When he peeked around the corner, Lady Claire had hurried on down the street. He waited a safe length of time then followed after.

The streets had grown mostly empty in this part of the city. Most were down at the market. All the better for him.

Lady Claire made her way into a narrow lane that was fully deserted. The tall buildings around it, some leaning, left it partially shadowed. Here she stopped again, her back to him. His heart quickened. This was his chance! From the shadows, he knelt and retrieved a rock.

A moment later Claire continued along the alleyway, this time more rushed in her movements. Perhaps she had finally sensed him. If that was the case, he needed to act fast.

Excitement pumped through his body. He crept forward silently. Down another street she went in an effort to find the main road again. What she did not know, was that unless one kept to the main thoroughfares, the smaller streets of Kastali Dun were like a maze. One could get lost for hours just as he had many times during his first days in the capital. He had used those opportunities to become intimately acquainted with the city. He knew exactly where they were.

His prey slowed again, glancing around but continuing on. It was now or never. Within seconds he was behind her. Before she could turn around, he used the rock to knock her unconscious. She dropped, but he caught her, lifting her gently into his arms. It wasn't his wish to hurt her—not more than he had to.

After a brief look in each direction, he rushed away. Keeping to the smaller, deserted streets, he managed to stay hidden from sight. His hideout was located in a large cellar beneath the King's Crown—a rundown tavern in the Pauper's District. It was not but ten minutes away.

Ten minutes began feeling burdensome carrying a lady in a heavy gown. He had half a mind to strip her of it and leave it behind. He never understood why women enjoyed wearing such hindering garments. They looked pretty in them, certainly, but that was it. The only thing that kept him from it was her dignity. He was a man of honor so far as his line of work allowed; his job was to capture her and deliver her alive; nowhere in his job description was he required to treat her more harshly than necessary.

When he arrived at the King's Crown, he entered through the back and slipped down the stairs before any of the tavern wenches in the kitchen noticed his arrival. He'd already worked out a deal with the owner of the establishment. The man had received a fair number of gold dragons in exchange for his silence. In return, he was given use of the large cellar below with a no questions asked policy.

He made his way down a set of stairs and emerged in the cellar. The room was dimly lit. No windows offered light. Men sat around a makeshift table, gambling, and looked up in mild surprise. For all they knew, he was not due back for several hours.

"Bless the gods! Is that...?" One of the men abruptly stood. His name was Monroe, a recent hire.

"Yes, yes, it's her!" Eagle impatiently barked, shifting the woman's weight as he surveyed the men. He felt a drop of perspiration slide down his temple.

"Well, ain't she a pretty little thing," Tark said, looking up from his game. Tark was another hired hand. All the men working for him were paid well. That did not make them gentlemen.

"You'll keep your hands off her, Tark, you hear me?" Eagle said. "And while you're at it, go and fetch Collier. It looks like we will need his services earlier than anticipated."

The other men remained seated around the wooden table that dominated the center of the room. Tark looked as though he might protest, then he nodded and scampered away.

"How did you get her so quickly—and by yourself no less?" Monroe kept his voice low. It was evident that he was impressed. "I thought the plan was to wait for Collier—"

"Plans change, Monroe," Eagle said, trying to suppress his impatience. His burden was growing heavier by the second. He glanced about the cellar, trying to find an adequate place to deposit the woman. The cronies he'd hired returned to their game, casting their cards into a pile, no offer to help whatsoever. There was a stack of coins accumulating before them, and the stink of drink permeated the damp air.

"Here, put her here." Monroe moved to the side of the room and spread a moth-eaten blanket over a pile of straw.

He laid Lady Claire down and checked her head. There was a trickle of blood from where he'd struck her, but not much. She would recover.

"What do we do now?" Monroe asked, whispering.

"Stick to the plan. I won't breathe easily until Collier gets here. If she wakes up before that—we are all dead. As soon as the merchant contract goes through, we will depart north."

In the days prior, he'd spent a fair bit of time and effort working out how to keep Claire's magic at bay, and how to successfully transport her away from the capital. The magic was the riskiest part of his undertaking, but if Collier arrived in time, it wouldn't be a problem. The transport would be a little trickier. All wagons and wains were subject to guard searches at the city gates. The only way to get excused from the examination was with a specialized merchant license.

Certain merchants coming and going from the city were given top priority. They were permitted entry and exit via a separate express line. Their belongings were not searched because they often carried so many goods that the task was too tedious.

He'd been working on acquiring the document and was assured by one of the senior merchants—he had paid the man well for his silence—that the deal would be granted in two days' time. It cost him a fair bit of gold too, but there was a great deal of gold to come if he succeeded.

With all this in mind, he had constructed an elaborate plan to capture Lady Claire. This was all set to take place once the documentation was finalized. Alas, the gods had other plans in mind. They had granted him good fortune. Now it was a matter of keeping Lady Claire quiet for the next few days until he had his permit. "Collier better hurry," he muttered, glancing at Claire with unease.

"What if someone notices her absence?" Monroe asked.

"I had the same concern at first." He shrugged. "Looked to me like she was already running away. She had no guards—no protection. Let's hope they assume the same—that she simply ran away. If they know she's been kidnapped, there'll be a man hunt. Right now we lie low and hope for the best."

Monroe inclined his head. "You're the boss."

"Find a gag," Eagle said, glancing at one of the others playing cards. "I don't want her screaming when she wakes up." Several men jumped into action. He eyed Lady Claire's pretty face and moved a strand of hair that had fallen over her eyes. Yes, this one would scream bloody murder when she awoke, and he couldn't have that. He smiled. Everything was falling right into place...

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