"Alright, Amos," Halt started
Amos cut him off. "That's not my name. My name's-"
"It's your name now." Halt pushed Amos into the hotel room he kept regularly.
It was in an old inn that wouldn't stir up notice amongst the people or soldiers. The inn was in a village near Castle Araluen. The room was dirty and sparsely furnished. A small thin bed sat in the corner and beside it (there wasn't room elsewhere) stood a washbowl and pitcher, filled with cloudy water,on a nightstand.
Amos stumbled into the room. "The packet is under the bed."
Will glanced to Halt and mouthed "Bright."
Halt stooped and pulled the packet out. "Thanks Amos."
"My name isn't Amos." he muttered.
Halt and Will glanced to him. "What'd you say?" They asked in unison, grinning.
He sighed. "Nothing."
Halt and Will searched the room, every centimeter of the tiny space. When they were satisfied they had found all there was to be found, some of Amos' clothes and a few weapons, they left for the nearest guardpost.
~X~X~X~
Days later. . . Halt pulled Abelard to a stop. "Welcome to your new home, Amos."
Amos slipped off Abelard's back and grunted. Halt and Will followed suit. After instructing the horses to stay, they drug Amos into the post, the sun hanging low in the horizon behind Halt.
The sentries at the gate squinted at them. "Rangers."
Halt nodded in acknowledgement. "I need to see the man in charge."
A sentry turned. "Come along."
They entered a small room with nothing in it. The dim light from a small window shone on the wood floor and stone walls.
The sentry held a hand up. "Wait here."
Minutes later he came back with another man. The new man stuck out his hand "Sir Henry Wallace."
Halt shook it. "Halt."
Sir Henry's brows raised. "Ah, yes. I've heard many stories of you."
Halt sighed internally, and waited for the inevitable.
"Thought he'd be taller." Sir Henry mumbled to himself.
And there it was.
Will smirked. "Will Treaty"
Sir Henry shook Will's hand. "I've heard of you as well. What do you two need?"
Halt motioned to Amos. "I need this man held for attempted murder, and breaking and entering."
Amos' head came up. "C'mon, you already got the attempted murder. Do you have to stick the other? The door wasn't even locked."
Halt glared at him then turned back to Sir Henry. "His name is Amos."
Amos huffed. "My name Adam Halburn."
Halt turned to him with raised brows. "Amos Adam Halburn." Amos sighed.
Halt and Will left Amos with Sir Henry, then headed back out.
Will swung up on Tug. "Are we heading back today?"
"Not enough daylight." Halt slid onto Abelard. "We'll make camp, and go home tomorrow."
Halt urged Abelard forward, Will right behind him.
"You know," Will piped up, "that was a mean thing to do to Amos, telling Sir Henry that's his name."
Halt raised an eyebrow. "He tried to kill me."
Will shrugged. "True."
~X~X~X~
That night Halt and Will bent over the contents of the packet. It contained a map, detailed instructions of how to exacute the assassination, and even a sketch of Halt.
Will glanced over the sketch. "That's impressive." he held it by Halt's face. "Uncanny."
Halt shuffled the parchments together and slid them back in their envelope. "It means that whoever hired Amos has been watching me. Or knows me."
Will's eyes widened in mock shock. "Who wouldn't like you? You have the sunniest disposition." Will handed Halt the sketch.
Halt stuffed it in. "Very funny. Also, they're Hibernian."
Will's face clouded. "Was anyone besides Ferris out for you?"
Halt's younger brother Ferris had attempted to have Halt killed on multiple occasions, Ferris was desperate for the throne Halt would inherit.
Halt thought for a moment. "I'm not sure, they all believed me dead." A memory surfaced; Halt turned it over, then dismissed it. "But we do have one lead." Halt motioned to the envelope. "The instructions are written in a Hibernian style, and there are a few phrases only a Hibernian would use."
The coffeepot was perculating happily, Will poured himself a cup. "Obviously Hibernian."
Halt poured himself a mug as well. "Yes, and, the parchment here is a special kind used mainly by select nobility in Clonmel. It can only be obtained in a small village in Clonmel called Kanclis."
Will paused mid-sip. "Are you saying it's probably someone in Sean's court?"
King Sean was Halt's nephew, he had been made king following the death of King Ferris, Sean's uncle.
Halt took a sip. "No. Their parchment supplies are marked with their insignia. These are blank. Which means they were purchased in a small amount in the shop itself."
Will stoked the fire. "Wouldn't they expect you to figure this out? If they know you like they must, then they knew you would stop Amos and find these."
Halt nodded. "They would. Which means this is a trap."
"So?"
Halt's face was grim. "So, we're going anyways."