Zen howled with laughter as Sun glared up at him from the pond. He was sitting on the edge of the jetty in his underwear, having a good laugh at her attempt to paddle. With a big swing of her arms, a massive wave erupted out of the pond, washing him off the jetty.
Their endeavour of learning to swim was not going well. They were failing miserably if they were honest. At least no one had even come close to drowning, mostly because the pond was just too shallow for that. They had tried to help each other float; Zen had said that was the best place to start. She had managed to float if she held her breath, but as soon as she let it go, she would sink. Zen couldn't even manage that.
"That was uncalled for," Zen said, getting to his feet and shaking mud and grass off his hands. "This was a bit of a failure, wasn't it?"
"A little," she agreed. "You're not giving up, are you?"
"Course not; we're going to do this, Sunny, and we'll be great at it before Nick gets back."
"Maybe we need to try a deeper lake," she suggested. "It's hard to manage it when my hands and feet keep hitting the ground."
"More likely to drown, though."
She conceded that point. "Maybe we should ask for advice."
"Not anyone from my division; they'd never let me hear the end of it."
"Kalys knows how to swim."
"We're not asking your brother! We're two capable people, Sunny; we can figure this out. If nothing else, at least we're having fun trying."
That drew a smile out of her; it had been a fun morning filled with laughter and silliness.
"Come on, I've got some food in my pack; we'll take a break and try again after."
She climbed up onto the jetty, sitting cross-legged beside him as they dug through his pack.
"You should have told me; I could have brought food."
"Got that fancy taste? Mess hall food not good enough for you anymore?" He shot her a smart-arse grin to soften the words.
"No, I'm a lady now," she replied with an exaggerated haughty tone. "How dare you feed me this slop."
"My most humble apologies, Lady Illusen; I shall flay myself alive in punishment."
She agreed to his suggestion with an imperious nod before breaking into a smile. "Could you imagine?"
"Yeah, too easily; you sounded as snooty as your brother."
It was common knowledge Zen had never taken to Kalys, and he was much more vocal about it than Nick. Sun didn't like him offending Kalys, not anymore. He wasn't as bad as they'd all initially thought.
"He's not that bad, you know," she said softly, nibbling on a sandwich.
She didn't want to argue with Zen, but she didn't want him to insult Kalys for no reason either.
Zen just grunted, but she took that to mean he would at least stop insulting him in front of her.
They ate their lunch, turning the conversation to other things, mostly Zen's 'work'. He really did just spend his days training, sparring, and watching others do the same. He didn't even have a desk. She told him that she was going to be patrolling about town and some of the areas outside of the township. It was something to look forward to tomorrow.
After their lunch and a bit of lazing about in the warm sun, they got back into the water to keep trying. Their determination had burnt out a fair bit though, and they spent the time pulling themselves along by grabbing onto the bottom of the pond or just sitting in the knee-deep water. At one point they tried to make a whirlpool by going around the pond as fast as they could before just giving up, and Sun attempted it with her power. She managed a weak one, and Zen started tossing in little boat leaves to watch them spin around.
It wasn't until mid-afternoon that they got out, deciding to give up for the day. But they both agreed they would come back on their next day off and try again. Sun would also look in the library at home to see if there was anything that might help, some kind of instruction on the subject.
They walked back to town together and split up, she to go home and he back to the barracks. Since they'd been swimming in their underwear, their clothes were getting uncomfortably wet.
The road back to the manor wasn't a well-populated one; not many people lived out this way, so she was a little curious to find a couple on the side of the road next to a carriage with a broken wheel. Were they part of Lord Vorris's entourage?
When they saw her, the couple looked relieved, hurrying over to her.
"Oh, thank goodness," the woman breathed out. "Do you think you could help us?"
"Probably not; I don't know how to repair carriages," Sun replied. "If you're here to see Lord Illusen, his home isn't far; I could take you there."
"Oh no, no need for that. Nor do we need you to fix our carriage. Come, come, I'll show you," the woman ushered Sun to the carriage.
Sun wasn't sure what they could possibly want her help with; hopefully nothing too difficult.
"If you look through here..." She gestured to the window into the carriage.
Was someone stuck inside? Sun rose to her tiptoes to see in, giving her eyes a moment to adjust to the dimness inside. Before that happened, arms wrapped around her, her nose and mouth covered by a soaking cloth, an acrid scent filling her lungs, her head immediately starting to swim.
"Wha...?"
-
Mika huffed a put-upon sigh as she witnessed Sun drop to the ground. That's what trying to be helpful would get you. From her position nearby, she leaped into action, drawing her dagger and coming up behind the woman trying to help her accomplice push Sun into the carriage. She slit her throat, letting out that familiar gurgle as she choked on her own blood. Before the man could draw his own weapon, Mika threw her dagger, hitting him in the shoulder. She had hoped to keep him alive; there was little doubt in her mind this was related to the last abduction attempt on Sun. They needed answers.
She dropped the woman, charging at the man as he pulled the dagger out of his shoulder. It was evident quickly that they weren't fighters, likely why they'd relied on deception and drugging to take her.
Mika knocked him to the ground, hitting him in the head to knock him unconscious. With the woman dead and the man out for the count, Mika checked on Sun. She was breathing fine; her pulse was strong and steady.
Mika stood up, hands on hips as she looked around. Now what to do with this mess?
Sun was the priority; she should get her back to the manor. Mika looked down at the broken carriage wheel, realising it wasn't broken at all; it had been removed. Made sense since they intended to put Sun inside and likely take her somewhere else. It wouldn't be difficult for Mika to repair.
As gently as she could, she put Sun inside; some of the woman's blood had gotten on her, soaking her already wet clothes. She placed her on the seat inside, making her comfortable. Mika was a little rougher with the other two, shoving them onto the floor of the carriage before fixing the wheel. With that, she checked the horses and drove the carriage to the manor.
After passing through the gates and hearing them close behind her, she stopped the carriage and climbed down, gesturing for the guards to come over.
"Someone needs to fetch Lord Illusen; let him know his sister has been attacked," she said.
"He's at Perdition," the guard told her.
"Then send someone to fetch him there," she sighed out, exasperated.
She didn't care where he was; someone needed to get him. This was something he would want to be made aware of as soon as possible.
The guard nodded, gesturing for his partner to do just that while Mika opened the door to the carriage to reveal the contents.
"The woman's dead; the man is alive and needs to be bound. Lord Illusen will want to question him, no doubt. I'll see to Lady Sun," Mika told him.
The guard nodded, dragging the other two out so Mika could get to Sun. The girl was still out cold but continuing to breathe just fine. Carrying her to the bathroom to get her out of her wet and bloodied clothes, several maids saw her, gasping in shock and peppering her with questions. She barked a few orders to prepare some fresh clothes for Sun, to start the shower for her, and to send Lord Illusen to Sun's room when he returned. She had no doubt he would be on his way the moment he received the news. He was quite the protective brother; she wouldn't go so far as to say doting, but he was a little indulgent the more time went on and the pair became closer. It was clear – to her at least, maybe because of her proximity – that Kalys was fond of her.
In the bathroom she set Sun down, leaning her against the wall. One of the maids had already started the shower, and another had brought in clothes for Sun to change into once she washed off all the blood.
Mika could guess at what she had been drugged with, and she wasn't worried. Sun would wake up in a few hours, a little groggy but no worse for wear. Mika dismissed the maids and undressed Sun, getting her into the shower and washing the blood off. The girl didn't even stir.
The door to the bathroom suddenly slammed open, Illusen standing there with an almost wild look in his eyes.
He took in the room in an instant, catching an eyeful of Sun sitting on the shower floor with nothing on. He turned around in a belated attempt to preserve her modesty.
"Was she harmed?" He demanded, facing the bathroom door.
"No, just put to sleep," Mika replied. "I think I know with what; she should be awake in a few hours. It won't be like the Impetus."
"Right. I'll be in her room. Call me when she's dressed, and I'll put her to bed."
He stalked from the room, the door closing a little harder than necessary behind him.
Mika got Sun out, drying her off and dressing her, a task made more difficult with the dead weight. After a few minutes, she called Illusen back, and he came in, easily lifting Sun into his arms.
Kalys drank her in as he held her, willing his heart to calm. Mika could have sent the guard with more details; all Kalys had been given was the news his sister had been attacked.
"What happened?" He asked Mika as he put Sun to bed.
Mika explained how Sun had been on her way home when the couple had approached her for help; Sun had been attempting to do so when she had been ambushed – drugged and rendered unconscious. Mika let him know one was dead, and the other was knocked out and awaiting interrogation.
"Stay with her," he ordered, leaving the room, loath as he was to do so.
He didn't want her out of his sight; he wanted her where she would be safe. And the safest place was with him. They couldn't get to her on Illusen grounds, so they'd attempted to take her while they thought she was alone, duping her with a ruse. Sun needed to be more cautious.
He made his way to the guards; he'd seen them on the way in, and they had locked the lone survivor up.
The manor was not a prison; he had no cells; they had never needed them. He could always have this man locked away in perdition, but he would prefer to take care of this in-house. It was Illusen business.
"Where is he?" He asked Carthig, the man lingering at the door to keep an eye on things.
The Vorris's had departed hours ago; he did wonder if they might have had something to do with this or if it was connected to the attempt back in Solaryse.
Well, he supposed he would find out.
"He's tied up in the stables, my lord," Carthig replied.
Kalys headed around to the side, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, itching to draw it. He needed to be calm; however, he could do away with him once he had his answers.
In the stables, the unconscious man was tied to one of the wooden beams being guarded by two of his own, and outside the stable sat the carriage Mika had spoken of. There was no telling how long the man would be out, but he did order his shoulder treated. He couldn't risk him bleeding to death before he got what he wanted.
He opened the carriage, taking a look at the woman on the floor. He didn't recognise her, but he hadn't scrutinised Vorris's staff. If the Lord were behind it, he certainly wouldn't charge one of his family members with this crime.
Kalys went through her pockets, finding only lint and a few silver coins. Surely not payment rendered. A few silver pieces was shockingly low for the abduction of a noble lady, baseborn or not.
He ordered a thorough search of the carriage when he entered the stable. One of the guards set off to do just that while Kalys crouched in front of the unconscious man. He lifted his face, seeing if he could place it, but just like the woman, he was an unknown.
"Do you recognise him?" He asked his guard. They would have had a better look at Vorris's staff.
"No, my lord."
Kalys went through his pockets as well, again finding a couple of coins. Though there was a lighter, no engravings, and nothing to identify the owner. It was old but well made and cared for. In his other pocket he found a tintype of Sun, clearly her. He recognised it; it was from her academy file.
The man groaned, Kalys watching him with narrowed eyes.
"Who are you?" Kalys asked when the man's dazed eyes met his.
He blinked a few times, trying to process Kalys's words, possibly disoriented from the blow to the head.
"Who are you?" He repeated, his voice harder than before.
"My wife, where's my wife?" He blurted, his eyes wide and looking around.
The woman in the carriage?
"You answer my question first," he pressed.
"Thore. Please, my wife, was she killed? There was so much blood!"
"Yes, if your wife was the woman helping you steal my sister, she was killed. The same will happen to you if you don't answer my questions."
His head dropped then, tears falling from his eyes, his shoulders shaking. This was not the hardened criminal he had expected.
"Why were you trying to take my sister?" He pressed.
"We were hired to; we didn't know she was your sister."
"So you know who I am?"
"Lord Illusen," he replied miserably.
"And who hired you?"
"I don't know. The offer came in a letter; it was delivered to our home with a tintype of the girl we needed to take. It never said her name; we didn't know she was yours."
"Why you?"
"I don't know. It just promised great sums of coin to complete the task, enough to save our farm."
"You're farmers?"
"Yes, milord. We've never done anything like this before, but we needed the money. And it said not to hurt her, just keep her asleep. We thought... since they didn't want her hurt..."
As if that justified it!?
"I want to see that letter."
"It's gone. We were told to burn it and the tintype, but we kept that – we didn't want to get the wrong girl."
"Where were you supposed to take her once you had her?"
"Home. That someone would come once we had her."
So they were being watched; it would be the only way to know if they had her or not. Whoever wanted her was being very careful about leaving no link to them. Enlisting random strangers, dangling enough money to fix their lives... He would have to be reasonably wealthy or never intended on paying them and was planning to kill them anyway once he got what he wanted.
"When did you receive this letter?"
"Three days ago."
That likely ruled out Vorris then; it had to be tied to what happened in the capital.
"What's going to happen to me?"
Given what he'd learnt, Kalys hadn't decided yet. It would have been easier if the man were an unrepentant offender. Perhaps losing his wife was lesson enough.
What a mess.