The Capital

Law hadn't been in the special forces for nothing; he had come to Ancelstierre at the age of twenty five, having already undergone training for compulsory national service in his home land, Diego. He hadn't found a job as an engineer, or anything else, so he joined the army. He was fit and intelligent, and had shot up the ranks to Master Gunnery Sergeant, before thirty two. He had been behind enemy lines before, and he treated this the same, avoiding detection by anyone. It was considerably easier here. There was no war, and there were miles between civilisation (as in households and villages) in some parts of the country. By the time he arrived in the capital, it was spring and some kind of festival was in full swing. He had spent two months or so making his way here, the long way. He had gone around, through, or over mountains, rivers or valleys, taking spectacular measures in order to totally avoid people. It hadn't been easy, but he had succeeded, in avoiding people and in arriving at the capital without being enslaved or nibbled or something. His stealth skills were as sharp as ever, having been honed through hunting and hiding. Despite having lived rough for the past couple of months, he was presentable, having shaven and trimmed his hair at a small stream which would eventually lead to the Ratterlin.

His plan was to find his way into the palace and talk to the Abhorsen. With a bit of luck, she would remember his face, or recognise something else about him. He had come into the city without even being searched, and had spent all day slowly making his way to the palace, through the celebrating citizens. For the people, this was a day of celebration, but apparently, this didn't quite extend to the city/royal guard. He had resolved to watch the shifts and their changes closely, but seized the opportunity to enter the palace when an altruistic guard rushed to help a young woman who dropped a basket of painted fruit. He almost missed the opening, through the novelty of fruit being painted, but he took full advantage of it.

Law hadn't expected entering the palace grounds to be this easy; but he hadn't expected security around the palace proper to be so damned difficult either. He had skulked around the grounds for the past forty six hours. Everything was well guarded, or so open as to be public and useless, and he was getting desperate. At the moment, he was stalking a pair of guards at a distance of five meters. It was now twilight, and the guards were possibly the most boring human beings on the planet. A half hour and not a word. Law heard a clatter, a small group of people running in armour coming from around the corner the pair were about to turn. Law quickly went off to the side of the path and ducked behind a small birdbath that would help break up his outline, if nothing else.

"Guard the park reservoir entrance!" one of the guards called to the pair he was stalking, they set off at a run. He waited until the dozen or so guards passed him, making good time, and then sprinted after his pair. The guards reached three caves in the side of a hill long before he did; he only arrived in time to see them sink into the shadow of the central one. There would be no sneaking past them, and he refused to kill a pair of honest men.

He circled around the hill, the problem outside seemed to have been resolved; Law could hear the sound of celebration again. He spotted a monument on the hill, being watched over by a pair of young oak trees. He made his way to the monument, quickly but quietly. No sense in moving slowly; a lone figure in Ancelsterrian winter camouflage and a worn ranger's cloak would stick out like a sore thumbin the middle of the palace park; it wasn't that dark yet.

"A monument to those who served and died in the Corvere insurrection." This one would read, he recognised the general shape of the bronze statue; a crossing point scout and a royal guardswoman supporting a wounded southerling refugee. A couple of his friend's names were on this one, and his name would be on a plaque on the side, along with about twenty others. He couldn't imagine himself saying 'I'm here to help, see? That's me!' He sighed and crawled as close as he could to the lip of the cave. He hoped the guards would show the same restraint he planned to in the following confrontation.

Law cancelled his plan. He couldn't see himself dropping in on the guards and subduing them without killing them or getting killed. It was ridiculous. It would be easier to garrote the poor guys, or bayonet them in the dark, which were both out of the question. Ignoring the moral issues, it would be inconvenient later on. He decided to wait for an opportunity to present itself. Or for the guards to fall asleep. In the cave, a door unlocked loudly.

"Still in here Maddock?" the guy who had entered the cave/exited something.

"Yes sir!" Maddock.

"Trouble's over. Just some damn fool who wasn't aware oil burns. You can leave now. You too Brie." He guessed that was Maddock laughing. It could have been the other guy. They all went through the door, talking about some travelling artists or something. The door closed behind them. No one was even breathing in that cave. Law hoped the door would be unlocked.

It wasn't. Law tried the knob, then lit a match because he couldn't even see the damn lock. He saw that like the cuffs, the lock was relatively modern. He picked it with a set of picks he had fashioned after selling Tarryn's horses and giving her a good, hard backhand for being so damn evil. He was surprised to see that this country had standardised the pin and tumbler locks used worldwide, which suited him just fine. On the other side of the door was a staircase, illuminated by torches every twenty steps or so. There were two torches, and a dark patch in the middle. He managed to avoid breaking his neck passing it. At the bottom of the steps there was a small dock, and a pair of iron rings, for tying up boats of some description. He couldn't see very far into the room, but he could see that the floor was actually water, and that the room stretched an indeterminate distance ahead of him, and to his left and right. Not the nation's drinking supply, so what the hell? He didn't really care, he just grabbed a torch. The water was about waist deep; Law slid into it with barely a ripple, and walked so as to always be able to see the reservoir wall to his left. A minute or so later, he was in a corner. From here, he could see a fiery glow, off to his right. He doused his torch and crouched in the water, moving so as to press up against the wall. With his torch doused, Law saw another, further, fainter glow, across the reservoir.

The top of the passage he had chosen led to a grey stone wall. Obviously a secret passage. He pressed against the stone. Then he tapped around it, then he stared at it and blinked at it. Nothing. Possibly only open to people who could do the funky magic shit. He decided to try the other passage. He made his way down the one hundred and fifty odd steps and slipped into the water. He started making his way towards it when he heard steps echoing across the reservoir, down the passage he had chosen. He headed to the middle and found some columns, which he hid behind. Seven guards or so were riding a raft without even pushing or rowing, or something. Lucky bastards. They were headed towards the staircase he had just left, and had come from the passage he had been going to. As they passed, he moved into the wake of the raft. They reached the small dock and tied the raft to one of the iron rings. "Look, it's wet here," one of the guards said, "He's been here."

He had been detected somehow, which wasn't surprising. He climbed onto the dock after they all filed into the passage. He followed them up the stairs twenty steps or so behind, thinking of home all the way. Up ahead, he heard a door slide open. Stone on stone, the passage. He quickened his pace, but not enough for his combat boot s to squelch. Then he realised that they didn't used to do that, he immediately put it down to the inexplicable crappiness of this goddamned country. The guards were filing out of the staircase, he quickened his pace a bit more, wishing the squelch away. He was almost trapped again, and he was also almost detected as he squelched onto a fluffy red carpet. He had emerged in a very large room; a hall overlooking the entire city. The city was awash in firelight; presumably from the festival, hopefully not from that damned fool and his fire retarding oil. The guards were still crossing the large hall, which didn't seem to be a banquet hall or anything. They weren't even halfway across. He decided to follow, feeling more than a little lost. He knew his new favourite trick wouldn't work for much longer; he was surprised it had worked a second time. He would at least follow them with more distance between them, now that he could see. A pair of guards broke off from the rest of the group and stationed themselves on either side of the entrance. Law gave up and crouched behind a sculpture of a man, a man with a funky bandolier and a big sword. The guards were out of the hall now, but more came in, protecting someone. Law shrank back behind the statue, wishing for the first time that he was shorter. He repositioned himself, and found that he could see past the statue, under it's outstretched arm which was holding a scroll. The people that the guards were protecting were still too far to hear. It was a regal looking man of around fifty and a guardswoman, considerably younger than Law, and a lot younger than the old, regal guy. They looked agitated, at the moment, the old regal guy was rubbing his eyes with his palms, hard. He turned to the window.

"Which entrance." he asked, before clasping his hands behind his back and standing perfectly still.

"This one." replied the guardswoman. The old guy jumped as if stung.

"What?" he spluttered, "I want this person found, captured, and killed if need be!"

"A full search was ordered when we first saw signs of an entrance, you're majesty," the guardswoman said to the king, "This person is obviously a major threat, having some charter magic at least. I've called the best mages in the city and the whole barracks are searching." The king exhaled deeply.

"You've done well Tonin. Please, see to Sameth and Ellimere personally. And put you're best at the Ambassador's door. And be careful." he finally said.

Law drew his bayonet and sword as silently as possible. Then he stood up and threw them aside.

"I'm alone," he said, "And I need to speak to the king."