More Trouble
As much fun as all the social events were. Kel was feeling like she needed a little time by herself. After a morning of arms practice and working on Raoul's candidate lists, she saddled Peachblossom with Jump alongside her and headed out for a ride in the Royal Forest.
The Royal Forest had been a sanctuary for her since she was a knight in training. Countless times she and Peachblossom had escaped the pressures of school and people of the city for the cool shaded paths and grassy meadows of the forest. She needed that escape now.
It had been hard for her after the explosion. No one else had experienced it like she had and she was having trouble explaining why she was still jumpy to her friends. The fact that the explosion had taken place in a location where she felt safe had shaken her to her foundation. She had expected enemies abroad during the war, she hadn't expected them at home. The pain of the physical injuries was familiar. The pain of the anxiety of encountering danger in a place where she usually felt safe was not. It felt to her like no place was safe anymore. She found herself bracing for an explosion as she entered a room or looking constantly for suspects and suspicious items that could be bombs. She had to find a way to let that go. She was having trouble concentrating on work. She was tense and irritable. Riding was a good distraction and Peachblossom needed some time out of the stable.
They were riding in an area that was popular with picnickers. It was a grassy meadow with large trees placed on the edges for shade. As Kel was riding, letting her mind wander, suddenly, she jerked to full alertness as she became aware of the shapes of several bodies hanging from one of the trees at the far side of the meadow.
Kel took a deep breath and called on her Yamani calm. "Calm like a lake", she spoke to herself as she took a mentally full two fisted grip on a rapidly rising wave of panic. Swallowing the knot in her throat she said to Jump, "Circle the area and see if there is anyone around." She wished her sparrows were with her.
"Peachblossom, what do you think? Is anyone still around?" She took his blasé reach to scratch his foreleg with his muzzle to mean "No.". If there was danger she would have expected him to be ready for a fight. His calm attitude confused her. She would have thought the smell of the bodies would have alerted him. Jump returned with the same, unconcerned, reaction. "Ok Jump, can you go tell Daine to meet me here & bring help?" Jump immediately took off through the tall grass.
Kel didn't have any weapons with her, other than Peachblossom, but still she had to see if there was any life in those bodies, any way she could help. She forced herself to move Peachblossom toward the tree. As they grew nearer she recognized the kimono colors often worn by Prince Eitaro and his wife and the robes of two of the Carthaki delegates to the peace conference. Their hair, in disarray, blew in the breeze. She could see dark red splotches on their clothing as if they been stabbed. Kel stopped Peachblossom and scanned the area again for signs of the attackers.
She must have been sitting there for some time when several members of the Kings Own, including Dom, rode up with Daine.
Kel gestured to the tree, "I was just going to investigate." She said with her eyes fixed on the bodies.
"By Mithros, what is going on?" Dom exclaimed when he saw the shapes swinging under the branches.
"Peachblossom and Jump say there isn't anyone around." Kel reported quietly.
"Let's not take any chances. Everyone, swords at the ready." Dom called to his squad, "Flank the tree, Kel and I will ride straight in." He paused and glanced at Kel who's eyes were fixed on the bodies. "Daine, can you call to the birds to watch for trouble?" he added.
"I'm already on it." Daine answered answered. "They say it's clear, but we'll keep watching."
They were extremely close when they realized the bodies were actually very detailed effigies, fake bodies made to look like real ones. Their faces were papermache masks, painted to look like the Carthakis and the Etaros. Even though she knew they weren't real, Kel's breath was still having trouble coming as they cut them down. The one of Prince Eitaro's wife even wore a necklace like she did.
"It looks like they are marked with real blood, it could be any animal or grabbed from a butcher's refuse. The clothes may have actually been taken from the people they are modeled after." Dom mused and noted as he examined them. Kel remained silent.
They had just cut the 'bodies' down and wrapped them in canvas when several carriages came down the forest road. It was the peace delegation, out for a break from their work. When the carriages stopped, staff began to set up a luncheon for the group.
Kel and Dom watched and looked at each other uncertain what to do. "Daine," Kel finally said, "Can you have the animals check to make sure there aren't any attackers or explosives around further out?"
"Absolutely." Daine answered. "I'll even lead with a bird's eye view." And with that she changed form into an eagle, a form Kel had seen her take before. She and Dom and the rest of the King's Own riders stayed on guard on the edges of the meadow until the picnic was over and the delegates returned to Auld House. Then they discretely loaded the effigies into a wagon to take back for further analysis.
Kel and Dom brought up the end of the procession as he sent the squad forward with their orders. They had bid Diane goodby at the meadow & she'd flown home to her children.
"What do you think would have happened if the delegation had seen the 'bodies'?", Kel asked. "They were spooky enough for me, can you imagine if it was one of you? Or of someone you'd been working closely with for the past few months?"
"I would think the Carthakis and Yamanis would be suspicious of everyone else and everyone else would wonder if they would be next. Not a good atmosphere for brokering a peace agreement." Dom answered. "They are so close, but something like that might have been enough for some of the members to leave. Especially with the use of the actually clothing of the person's involved. It was a message that they could be reached, that they were vulnerable." Dom added.
"Let's get this information to Raoul tonight," Dom continued.
Kel nodded. Instead of the rest & healing she was looking for that day, she had added another worry to her list. She marshaled her strength and mental energy the way her Yamani masters had taught her, focusing her mind and calming her body. She needed to be calm to solve the problem, but it was hard when all she would think about was what the person behind it all had in mind next. Next time, would the bodies be real?
Another Misfire
He was angry. The hanging bodies should have put a cold chill of fear and suspicion on the peace proceedings, it could have ended them. But instead the delegates had a beautiful day and a relaxing picnic. The sense of fear he had intended to embed in the delegation was instead replaced with the community of breaking bread together. This time his anger had a focus, he was angry at Kel. She had interfered with his plans too many times. He was working on a final plan. It should take care of her and many of the others that would stand in his way.
