Chapter 12: Eavesdropping


Karigan found them at the practice courts. Both were practicing their staff work in an off handed manner, neither taking the bout very seriously. She heard the softer sound of wood hitting flesh and Tharin let out a yell. "Ouch!"

"Your hands weren't positioned properly. You haven't had that problem in months…what's wrong with you? You're distracted, I can tell."

Tharin turned his head as if looking for that distracting thing and saw her standing at the edge of the armory shadows. "Karigan!"

She stepped forward. "Sorry to interrupt your practice, guys. Just wondering if you had the honor to be questioned like I did. "

Sal's eyes narrowed and she walked over. "As a matter of fact, yes. Not by that cocky Vyllord though, by one of his little lackeys. Jonen, Doman, Goman, something like that. Obsequious little toady. You could just tell he worshiped his overlord." She leaned against her staff. "Come to think of it though, where did he pop out from? He's not army, we'd know."

Karigan sought to pull together everything she had learned. "I think he's some sort of Crown Investigator. You know, delicate investigations that involve the gentry, direct threat towards the Crown, that sort of thing."

"I thought the Weapons took care of the King's security." said Tharin.

"So did I, but I guess that's not the case. You have to admit that when they specialize, they do it right. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any king that was assassinated in spite of their protection, though Zachary probably came the closest."

"Sorcery."

They all looked at Tharin, but nobody said another word. The assurance of safety had forever been shattered, and it had become appallingly clear there was little protection in that sphere.

"Sooo…what are we going to do about it?"

Karigan looked at Tharin in painful amusement. She should have known he of all people could not resist a possible "adventure" as conceivably exciting as this. For all that he was older than her; sometimes he was as transparent as a first year. "What do you mean?"

"That little matter last night, of course. Don't tell me you don't have just the teensiest desire to get to the bottom of it?"

"Let me give it to you straight, guys. You both talked with Constable Gomen, right? Well, I had the honor of conversing with Javoris Vyllord himself. He told me in no uncertain terms that I was to stay out of the way, except for questioning. I've got some lord I just met last night attached to me as though I'm his only friend in the world now that his uncle's dead. Sora, the greatest general of the Northern Legion we've ever had is dogging my footsteps, and I'm not sure in what capacity, and on top of everything, the king is…well, he's making a damned nuisance of himself."

They both gaped at her openly; whether she had shocked them with her speech, or very likely because she had called the king a damned nuisance. "Well he is!" She said a shade defensively. "And if he were here I would tell him—"

"You would, would you? And why is that?"

Karigan turned, but was in no mood to be placating. "Why do you sneak up on me like that?"

The King smiled in such a way that those who were paying attention took a step backwards. It wasn't that it was overtly dangerous…just unpredictable, and no one wanted to take the chance that he would give them any attention.

"But Karigan, I hear the most interesting things like this. Straight and uncensored so to speak. But do go on, I'm ever so interested."

Tharin leaned over to Sal and tried to give the semblance of a stage whisper. "How does she get away with talking to him like that?"

"I don't know", she answered, "But who would want to?"

"Good point. Do you think we should leave?"

"I don't know, it's like a wagon wreck…you know what's going to happen, and it won't be pretty, but it's hard to look away."

The arguing pair seemed not even to have heard the byplay.

"Well, your Majesty, since you're so good at eavesdropping, I hardly need to go into the circumstances. I'm sure you've heard everything relevant."

"Since we're on the subject of last night's festivities, I suppose I should just tell you now then."

"Tell me what?"

Zachary was no longer smiling. "I understand Vyllord interviewed you this morning; that he asked you to keep out of the investigation. I don't care if you are bored stiff about being at loose ends on your leave time, but I want you to stay out. Even if you were at a hundred percent, you should still—"

"WHY does everybody just ASSUME that I can't wait to jump in and cause problems? I can reason, I'm relatively intelligent, and I would hope that others were of the same opinion!"

Zachary dropped his voice to the barest whisper. "Is this about what happened last night? If I had known, I might have, well…"

"What?" Karigan whispered, "Not said anything? I think we both know each other too well to lie to ourselves like that. I need time and space. I'm not even saying you'll get your way in the end, but everywhere I turn, there you are, matching me pace for pace.

'Step back a moment, placate Duke Coutre. Give me a chance to accept that one of my only true friends has taken off, leaving me saddled with a mess."

His face was still, and Karigan didn't think that she could see any amusement anywhere on it. "Are you quite finished?"

"No." she lowered her voice even further, barely able to hear herself. "What is the deal with your pet wolf?"

Zachary's almond eyes squinted. "My what?"

"Vyllord; he's creepy, I don't know, disturbing somehow. How can you let someone work for you in a position like that whom you don't trust absolutely?"

He glanced at the audience of her friends, stretching an ear for any word they might catch, and grabbed her arm, drew her close to him. "Karigan, there's a lot I want to explain, that I need to explain. If you'll only give me the chance…I promise, I won't make any demands on you, no pressure." As if feeling her hesitation, he became more urgent. "Just to talk over dinner."

Karigan flinched.

"We'll talk over breakfast then, lunch, in all the blazes, I don't care! After running away so much, you owe me this, a chance to explain everything."

I am drawn to him, Karigan thought, I can't help it. "OK, yes, whatever." She gave her arm a weak shake and stepped back. He gave her a nod and looked assessingly at her gawking friends; they turned their eyes from him. He gave a slight bow to Karigan, then walked away.


Karigan sat in a corner of the Rider's common room in a comfy old rocking chair. It was deserted. Not surprising though, at three in the morning. The last drunks had made it to bed by this time, but the early risers were still tucked away. She figured that as long as she stayed in Rider territory, the King couldn't invite her to dinner. Dinner, lunch, breakfast, or whatever.

Sending a Green Foot wasn't the kind of thing he would do in this situation, and she knew she had gone and truly chickened out. "I'm such a coward." She muttered.

"Are you?" She stiffened, and the oak door clicked softly. The cloaked figure threw back his hood and strode forward into the flickering lamp light in front of her. There, he sprawled into a red-stuffed wicker chair.

Karigan had half risen. "You aren't allowed here, Inspector. This is Rider territory."

He just slumped and locked his hands over his midsection. "Besides," she said, "It's three o'clock in the morning." Battling her demons all night had left her too tired to deal with the unexpected ones. She leaned forward and turned up the lamp wick; it would not do to be alone with Vyllord in the dark. "What do you want…sir? I haven't touched your precious investigation."

At first he just closed his eyes and lounged. "I find you interesting. You intrigue me, I may have said that once before. I just want to get to know you better. Also, stop calling me sir. I know you don't mean it, and your sarcasm just insults both of us."

True. Karigan tried hard to remember what Mapstone had told her, what was it? Riders, King, Clan…she couldn't remember…Right now, there just seemed this small world, a bubble of light encased in night and Vyllord was her only companion. "Join the club, it seems everybody finds me interesting these days. Tell you what. I'll trade you."

"Oh? What?" His eyes opened to narrow slits, but she could see the light shining off of them.

"Answers. I have questions about you too. I'll trade you an answer for an answer, as long as I feel like playing."

"I'm game. You first."

"The basics then. How old are you?"

Vyllord smiled as if he expected the question. "Thirty two. My turn. I already know you're eighteen, so I'll ask what you're doing here at three in the morning when I know the crown provides you with a comfortable bed."

"I…was thinking. About life…and decisions."

"Would you care to elaborate?"

Her cheeks grew hot. "No, I would not. I answered your question; my turn. Where were you born?"

"I don't know."

"Wait a minute, that's no kind of an answer!"

He just crossed his ankles. "And what kind of an answer is…I was thinking…about things? Unless you want to expand on your previous reply?" He raised one eyebrow.

Karigan gripped the chair arms. "No."

"Well then, I shall continue. You mentioned a "small injury". If it was just your ankle, it should be better by now."

"I sprained it coming off a cliff on a message run."

"Just a sprain? Like I said, from what I hear of your original injury, you should be back on duty by now."

She couldn't help the blush that went to her cheeks. Hopefully the dim light would hide it. "I went walking one night, and my foot got caught in a rabbit hole. Destarian said I shouldn't do anything strenuous, lest my ankle never heal, so the King pulled me off even the light duty list."

"Oh the King did, did he? Interesting. Your turn."

"Tell me about who you are."

Vyllord tisked and waved a finger. "Too broad. Narrow it down."

"Oh all right," she grumbled. It was strangely intoxicating, taking these risks, but the lure of knowledge was too great. "What appeals to you about your job here?"

He stilled. "Since you ask. The challenge mostly. Hunting, tracking, but infinitely more dangerous than the bear or the cougar. And then, every now and again, I meet a gem like you."

"Whatever." She could feel her eyes wanting to close. So sleepy…

"So, what's the real deal between you and General Sora? For the first time in decades, our lauded General ventures from his northern domain. But for what?"

"I don't want to answer that." She snapped, roused out of her stupor.

"Don't you want to ask me another question? Besides, you still owe me one, I've answered three of yours, and you've only answered two of mine."

"I don't cheat. I just don't want to say."

"It can't be that scandalous. Maybe I will guess, and you can tell me if I'm right. You're his secret concubine…and you had a child by him when you were fifteen, and he's come to see if you…"

"Stop, stop!" Karigan could feel the unwanted laugh surfacing. "I'll tell you." Besides, she had thought of a question she wanted to ask him. Answering wouldn't be that painful, just awkward. "He wants me to marry him."

For the first time, Karigan saw a look of surprise and…could it be, annoyance? cross his face. "Marry you? I thought you just met him last night."

"I did. I suppose you could call it respect from afar, given form last night."

"I don't get it. He respects you so much he wants to marry you? What did you say?"

"I don't believe that comes under the category of what is between the General and me. It is my turn. And I want to know who your suspect is in the death of Baron Halkins."

He suddenly seemed very dangerous, his shadow bigger. "I don't discuss my cases."

"That makes us even then. The game is over." Now she could breathe a sigh of relief. If he didn't answer, she was off the hook. If he did, she had information would have been hard to come by otherwise. "If you're done, then I'll wish you goodnight. Please don't come here again."

"Not so fast. I'll answer, but only because you promised to stay out, and I've seen you can keep your word... if you want to. I have no single suspect; I suspect a conspiracy, the purpose of which I do not know yet." He stood, tall and looming, over her. "And now…will you tell me what you are to my Lord the King?"

Karigan shrank back as far as she could go into the hard seat of the rocker. The light wavered so low it almost went out, and Karigan had the feeling she was back where she started. "I can't…No." the last came as a whisper.

Vyllord stepped forward and Karigan closed her eyes. A cool finger touched her cheek, traced it an inch towards her neck. "I thought not. I'll leave you, but I'm still owed a question."

When she dared open her eyes what seemed like hours later, he was gone.


Mmm, what a tasty little interview. I'll have to be careful not to like my own characters better than Britain's.

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