The next morning, Boris and Veronica descended the stairs of The Grey Mare together, seeking to break their fast. They found that, despite the early hour, the inn was already quite busy. Boris assumed that this was due to the fact that Lord Garik traveled with a large retinue of retainers, the likes of which included assassins, hangers-on such as prostitutes and even some thieves. Until recently, thieves had kept their distance from assassins.
The innkeeper, a scrawny, balding man with gray hair and a bent back, and his wife, a plump, unappealing woman in her middle years, scurried around, eyes lowered and steps quick. Three younger women at varying ages ranging, Boris guessed, from fifteen to early-twenties, also moved quickly through the inn, attempting to avoid the grasping hands of lecherous-eyed men who thought it would be funny to have some fun with the innkeeper’s daughters. One of them, a tall, brown-eyed girl with brown hair pulled back, reminded Boris of his younger sister Alisa.
Located at the center of the inn, surrounded by his highest-ranking cohorts, including the blonde mage and the cloaked woman, was Lord Garik himself. The blonde mage was in her typical blood red, low-cut dress that left nothing to the imagination regarding her bosom. The cloaked assassin was dressed much in the same way she had been that fateful night of Lord Richard's death and every time he had seen her since – dressed all in black, with a cloak draped behind her chair, her hood up and a veil covering all but her green eyes.
Lord Garik, noticing Boris and Veronica, motioned them over. His eyes seemed to linger on Veronica longer than was proper, though “proper” was a term seldom used among assassins.
“Sit, sit,” Lord Garik said, as he gestured toward two open chairs. “My lieutenants and I were just speaking of you both.”
“I hope you were speaking good things about us, My Lord,” Veronica said in her most sultry voice.
“You could say that,” he replied with a grin that reminded Boris of a wolf eying a chicken. “I have a job for the two of you.”
A job? During the past six months, Boris and Veronica had followed Lord Garik and his retinue around in their travels, but they had never been given any specific task other than “Get in there” or “Stay out of her way” as the two mysterious women accompanying Lord Garik, the mage and the veiled assassin, took center stage and did the hard work. Boris thought this was backward - a general typically sent in his expendable infantry first, but thinking back to the incredible displays of power and skill shown by the two women, he had come to realize that there was no risk involved to either woman during any of their previous operations.
“What sort of job, my Lord?” Boris said.
Lord Garik’s eyes turned to Boris. “You are to go to Tar Ebon and retrieve a shipment of very valuable cargo shipping from the north. This cargo comes at great expense, so failure is not an option. Do you understand?”
Boris returned Lord Garik’s gaze without flinching. Showing fear in front of Lord Garik was one of the fastest ways to end up being “retired” from the assassins’ guild, which almost always meant death – if you were lucky. “I understand.”
“Why us, My Lord?” Veronica said.
“Because the two of you are both skilled, have been loyal so far to me. Also, you are expendable if captured or killed in the event you fail in your mission.”
Out of the corner of Boris' eye he could see Veronica nod her head in acceptance. “Very good. We won't let you down.” Her voice was steady, but had lost its seductive undertone.
“Are you scared?” a feminine voice came from Lord Garik's left. It was the veiled assassin.
“Me? Scared?” Veronica scoffed. “I fear nothing and no one.” The glare she gave the veiled woman would have made lesser assassins look away or stammer an apology.
Her gaze did not have that effect on the veiled woman, however. She kept her gaze firm, searching Veronica's eyes and face, then darting to Boris' eyes, before nodding.
“That's settled then,” Lord Garik said with a hearty laugh. “You are to meet up with the ship named The Black Blood in Tar Ebon. She is expected to come into port five days from now. You are to leave immediately on a merchant boat we've hired to take you to Tar Ebon, named Sylvia's Pride so as to be waiting when the ship arrives. Once the ship arrives, you are to collect the cargo, put it on a wagon, and go to Henry's Crossing. You may requisition additional men to protect the cargo from among the crew of the Blood. Once you have returned, take the cargo to the forest east of town, unchain the package, and leave if you want to live.”
“Why not have The Black Blood port here, at Henry's Crossing? It would be simpler,” Veronica said.
“Because, my dear, despite our increasing hold on this city, the king has placed his own personal guards near the docks. Our attempts at bribing them have so far been unsuccessful and killing them would be too obvious. The king will not expect this cargo to come from the north and he will not expect it to arrive in Tar Ebon, the very heart of the kingdom.
“Now go, break your fast and be ready to leave at noon from dock ten. Do try to dress inconspicuous. I wouldn't want to have to find two others to do this job on short notice after the guards at the docks slew you.”
Boris gulped. This was going to be a very interesting journey.
Chapter 4: Waiting