movement of the guard."
"In what way?" She pressed.
"Their strengths and locations. There was too much for me to remember, I am not privy to the plans of the rebellion; but you know what is planned and will understand how it benefits or not, our cause?"
Her concern was rising. "Then the militia is on the move?"
"Yes and no, I cannot say." He seemed to backtrack. "He mentions many names; villages, towns, and times. I tried to remember, but my memory is not as good as it used to be."
"But it seems your cousin's is?" she said doubtfully.
"I thought you would be pleased?" He was surprised at her reaction. "The choice is yours, if I relate to you what I remember then I fear I may by accident change them about? and put our people in danger of death?" he added as if to emphasize the urgency.
"Alright." Harriet was obviously reluctant. "I will meet with him Colen; if it is absolutely necessary."
"It will affect the plans of the rebellion of that I am sure. He is close by, in a room at the tavern on the quayside. He is there just for the night, and must leave before daybreak to travel down to Riverslee. If he leaves without sharing it could spell disaster for our cause."
Nicholas took Harriet's reluctance as assign of fatigue. "I have a good memory," he said "Harriet. You wait here and I will?"
"No... No, it must be Harriet?" Colen interrupted anxiously.
"Colen I have an excellent memory and will make no mistake. There is no reason for..."
"Nicholas I mean no disrespect, but you are only new with our band and have no knowledge of what is about to take place. Harriet is our leader, and he will not divulge what he has with no lesser," he hesitated. "If that was so then he could have written what was to say, and I would have brought the message myself?" He seemed to be getting more nervous. "Harriet must meet with him."
Nicholas looked at her. "Is that how you wish it Harriet?"
She seemed to have the same doubt and looked ill at ease with the decision, but nodded her acceptance. "Anything that may affect the rebellion cannot be ignored; I will go."
"Then I'll come too." Insisted Nicholas.
Harriet nodded her agreement. "Take no offence Colen; but I have become a doubter of opportune good news. In my experience one must work for success as it rarely comes as a gift."
"Maybe that is so, but luck strikes in unexpected places and should not be squandered."
"Then let us find out which it will be," she turned to Bertram. "Do not wait up for us, if it is to our advantage it may take some time?"
"I will wait your return," he said. "Times have long gone when a man could leave his door unlocked and unattended at night."
All was quiet except for the distant shouting from the tavern as they made their way through the lanes. The closer they came, the more the noise grew.
Colen took them in the back way, and up a flight of stairs. At the top, on a small landing stood five doors, on one of these Colen knocked softly. There was a muffled voice from inside. "It's me? Colen," he said. There was an unintelligible answer and he pushed the door open.
Except for a fire on the opposite wall, the interior was in total darkness. As they entered they saw in front of the fire stood a man in a long cloak, nothing could be seen of him just a black shadow against the glow. "Shut the door." he said, "There is a lantern by the window."
Nicholas looked in the glow from the flames and saw a low table in front of the heavy curtains. From a flint by its side, he lit the lamp, and a yellow glow filled the room.
The shadow turned from the fire to look at Nicholas, and ice ran through his veins. The man was the same Captain that had stood in his own house, and accused him of murder. "You?" he gasped in shock and anger.
The Captain spoke quickly. "Do not do anything that would cause your pretty young companion to die here in this room?"
Nicholas glanced at her. Colen held her left arm; his right was behind her. She thrust her chest out; away from the blade he held between her shoulders.
At the Captains words the curtains had drawn aside and two armed guards stepped from behind. One immediately jabbed his sword under Nicholas's armpit until he felt it pushing into the soft underside of his shoulder. Another had done the same with Harriet, releasing Colen of his task. Both guards now stood between him and the girl. Nicholas threw a look of encouragement that he did not feel was reasonable, towards her.
"It would be no surprise," said the Captain to him. "To know that I never expected we would meet again; but yet we do. You are a man of supreme resilience and have caused considerable trouble, not least in humiliation for me. That is something which I will not excuse."
Nicolas was furious at how the soldier equated his mere discomfort with the grief that he had endured. He glanced at the weapons the Captain carried, and then at Colen for some way to take his retribution.
"Let him go," Harriet pleaded, more desperately than Nicholas was expecting. "He is not one of us. Colen will vouch for that."
The Captain looked disbelievingly at Colen. "Is that so?"
"He is not one of the rebellion, but he is well known to them."
Again Harriet spoke. "Let him go. I will tell you what you want."
The Captain looked at Nicholas. "Strange? You are not one of them but she begs for your life. Why would she do that?"
Nicholas didn't know, but he hoped he could guess.
"Your Lord," sniveled Colen. "If you would be so good as to," he grinned pathetically. "?I should be leaving."
The Captain looked at him. "You will get the usual, and maybe more." He looked Nicholas in the eyes. "Our friend here has done well, all I asked for was a rebel leader to interrogate, and he brings me you."
"Let him go or I will tell you nothing," snapped Harriet.
"No?" The Captain looked at her disdainfully. "I have heard many people say such words before they enter the dungeons of Quone and experience the inquisitors in their work of persuasion. It is always the same; at first defiance, then words pour out of their bleeding lips in a torrent." He looked at her cruelly. "You will be begging to be taken to the barracks pleasure rooms, while I take news of the rebellion and?" He looked at Nicholas. "...Inform the Marshal of your long overdue death."
Nicholas stared hostilely at him. Nothing was making sense, why would the Marshal be interested in him?
The Captain was rubbing his hands together. "What a fruitful night this has turned out to be. Believe me Nicholas of Boramulla. You have made me a very happy man, but I must not gloat." He said gloatingly. "And I remind you, Nicholas of Boramulla that if you are considering any sudden heroic action I will not hesitate to kill the girl." He looked at Harriet. "It would be a shame, but as you will no doubt already have realized, we know all about the ageing. In fact the Lord Marshal has a full understanding on just about all that you hope will unfold. But he is not complacent, and insists we take every opportunity to squeeze what more can be squeezed out of traitors like you." He leered at Harriet. "You can never have too much information is that not so?"
"If you believe the words spies and turncoats then you have no information, "Harriet said defiantly. "You think we don't know there are those willing to sell us out. We do and we plant false information."
The Captain was laughing. "And you expect me to believe you? Of course you will deny your plans, but as you will discover we know how to work on your body to extract every lost drop of truth; but I have said we know enough of what is planned from patriots like our friend here, even if you have nothing more to give." He glanced at Colen. "Return to the Drakken, and let the Lord Marshal know we have what we sought, but say nothing of him." He gestured towards Nicholas. "News of his capture must come from my lips." The Captain looked back to Harriet. "You will fly back with us, and if you are still able you can watch as we surprise your rebellious rabble with such off-world power as they cannot begin to imagine?" He turned again to Colen "Go now, return to your errand, speak to no one of what has happened here? wait," the Captain l
ooked again at Harriet. "They will be missed?"
"Yes my lord? I can tell them that the information was of such vital importance that they began their journey to Quone immediately. I can tell them that?"
"No," interrupted the Captain. "Tell them only that they have gone on, do not elaborate or cause suspicion. The rebels must be ignorant of what is in plan, now go and make speed."
Colen left the room and the Captain turned to Nicholas. "This is indeed beyond success. I came to this meeting for information and am given the opportunity to complete a task long overdue. After all the trouble that you have caused me I have you Nicholas of Boramulla. At last the final link is broken and I shall still have the honour of breaking it."
"It appears so," said Nicholas defiantly. "But what link you speak of, I have no knowledge. I do not know why you have sought so hard to kill me or destroy all that I have known and loved?"
The Captain looked at him curiously, then turned and slowly walked across to the fire. He put another log on to it: the timber steamed slightly and those already burning below collapsed sending out a shower of sparks that were quickly sucked up the chimney from view. The Captain seemed puzzled. "You know nothing of your history?"
"I am a provider's son; that is all I know, and it is enough."
The Captain shrugged and turned to look into the fire. "I suppose it is not too much to ask of your part in the scheme of life when you are about to see it end. I even imagine you feel you