To whom it may concern, I have updated chapter 3 slightly, fixed some mistakes then and there. I'm also very sorry for not updating for a few days, I've just been busy with my tutoring and Methods Maths course.
Chapter 5
"This is bad." Baron Damien paced back and forth in his study, mumbling. It had only been an hour since Alan Trot had been discovered dead and already the news had spread like wildfire. Many people were panicking due to the content of the note that Maddie read. Most people assumed that the note had meant that for every day, ten people will be killed. This caused people to fear they might be one of those unlucky few, as unlikely of a chance that is. Nearly two hundred people had already flocked out of Gorlan, seeking another place to live.
"I'm sure it's not that bad." Tim said optimistically. Battlemaster Chuck and Maddie had gone to the baron to report the incident of Alan Trot and Baron Damien had summoned Tim a short while later.
"Yes it is, Tim. Yes it is." Battlemaster Chuck shook his head gravely. "Already the people are panicking, many shops and businesses are closing down and we simply cannot afford for this to go on any longer or the economy of Gorlan is going down quicker than Morgarath's army." He deliberately made a reference to the defeat of the former Baron of Gorlan.
"So the only way we can stop people from fearing they're next on the kill list is finding out who's behind this and arrest them." Baron Damien said. "Your majesty, I'm sure you have an idea of who's doing this." Baron Damien addressed Maddie. He was taught by his father to trust the Ranger, they can always get you out of bad situation.
Maddie spoke, rising from her seat that she was previously sitting on while Baron Damien was still pacing the study. "I do know a few things, whoever these 'Masters of Death' are, they clearly want people to fear them. Sir Chuck, you said Alan Trot was one of your senior knights, correct?" the knight in question nodded. "And was he a capable warrior?" Sir Chuck nodded again.
"One of my best." He said
"So by showing that an experienced and capable knight could be killed by them, it implied that they kill you, no matter your position in life or how much protection you have." Maddie said, making sure everybody understands. "Baron Damien, they were clear signs that Alan had been tortured before his demise, do you know if he held any information that needed to be extracted?"
Baron looked thoughtful for a few seconds, then answered. "The only thing that I can think of would be the schedule of castle Gorlan's watch and servants, and possibly the layout of the keep."
"Wait, if they want to know those specific information." Tim said. "Don't you think they might be targeting you, my lord?"
"I have considered that possibility, my death would definitely bring pandemonium onto the fief." Baron Damien nodded in agreement.
"Then we have to relocate you to somewhere safer, my lord." Battlemaster Chuck said, worry evident in his voice.
"No, I will stay." Baron Damien shook his head. Maddie raised in eyebrow at his response.
"But, my lord… I cannot allow you to be killed." Battlemaster Chuck pleaded.
"Think about, Chuck, do you know of any other place in Gorlan fief safer than this castle?" He spoke calmly, trying to help Chuck see his reasoning. "And I've got a plan."
"A plan?" said Sir Chuck and Tim in unison, their tone surprised. Maddie, however, knew where Baron Damien was getting at.
"If the Masters on Death are indeed coming for my life, then let them have it." Damien said. Sir Chuck looked at his lord as if he just grew four fingers from his bellybutton.
"I don't actually mean let them kill me." The baron explained. "But use me as a bait, lure them into my residence at the top floor of the keep, and then trap them in it." Before Sir Chuck could object. He continued.
"Don't worry about my safety, two guards will be hiding in my bedroom while I pretend to be asleep as an extra safety measure."
"I would like to take part in this." Maddie said, finding the plan very interesting.
"But your majesty! You simply cannot." Tim leapt to his feet at Maddie's words.
"What did I say about calling me your majesty or your highness again?" She folded her arms on her chest.
"Uh, not to call you by those titles anymore." Tim's volume decreased by ten folds. He couldn't help but feel like a child being scolded by his mother.
"Correct. And now why do you think I can't handle myself?" She lifted an eyebrow, the classic Ranger expression.
Tim nearly used stupid answers like 'Because you're a girl' or 'because you're royalty and you need protecting.' Luckily, he stopped himself because he knew saying would probably warrant a kick in the crotch from Maddie. On his career list, getting kicked in the sensitive region by a princess wasn't very high up there. So he simply stayed silent.
Then Baron Damien barged into the argument. "If you may consider, Ranger Maddie." He cautioned around the word 'your majesty' due to seeing her scolding Tim for using it. "Your safety is one of the most important thing in the kingdom right now. If you were to lose your life, your mother- the Queen of Araluen would have no heir."
"Yes." Maddie agreed, and Tim felt a spark of hope that Maddie would not take part in capturing the Masters of Death. "It would be very unfortunate if I were to die. It would be expected of me to stay in a safe place while the plan is under way." Maddie nodded and Tim's spark of hope ignited into a blazing fire. "But that would only happen if I was a helpless girl, instead, I'm a Ranger." And Tim's hope was extinguished quicker than an ember in a blizzard.
"Plus," She added. "In case that these assassin manage to escape, you would need someone able to track him at night. Come on, it's not like I'm afraid of breaking my fingernail or some stupid excuse like that."
"All right, you made your point." Baron Damien sighed. "Not only are you capable of handling yourself but your skills are potentially necessary in capturing the Masters of Death."
"Finally, someone who lets me do something for once. Tim is so over-protective all of a sudden." Maddie pointed a thumb at Tim. "I know he's supposed to protect me and whatnot, but that doesn't mean I'm a damsel in distress."
"But it's my duty…" Tim started to argue but Baron Damien held up a hand to stop him. The gesture seemed to say please stop.
"Now that everything has been agreed upon, all we need to do now is assemble a team to ambush these Masters of Death. I trust you to do that, Chuck." The baron said.
"Yes, my lord." Battlemaster Chuck bowed and exited the study. His footsteps could be heard as he descended the stairs.
"Great, now that everything's underway, I have one extremely question to ask you, Baron Damien." Maddie said and the said Baron expected the female Ranger to ask a life and death question or something of similar importance when Maddie spoke. "Do you have coffee in this castle?"
It was the dead of night, a cloaked figure wearing a skull-shaped mask laid prone in the thick grassland north of castle Gorlan. He was armed with an assortment of weapons; throwing knives, a small one-handed crossbow and also an extremely acidic substance that he bought from a merchant who said he bought it from the best healer in Araluen.
The masked killer knew that there is only one guard on the north wall and the guard shift will change in the next five minutes. During that time before that, the current guard will no longer be alert, and will instead be bored and tired as he looked forward to be relieved of his duty. Now would be the best of all times to strike.
The assassin lifted himself into a crouch and made his way steadily over to the base of the wall, climbing down the dry moat. He was lucky that the moat didn't have sharpened stakes placed in it, because one slip can mean death for him.
The figure took out a rope hook and used all his strength to launch the hook over the wall, hitting the about-to-be-relieved guard right on the jaw, knocking him out. The assassin then reeled in the rope, until he heard a solid clank of the hook embedding into the stone battlements above. He tugged at the rope to test if the hook would be pulled out if he climbs up, and decided that the hook would hold.
He jumped on the rope, climbing methodically yet quickly at the same time, reaching the top of the wall in no times. Once on the top of the wall, he dragged the fallen guard to one of the battlements and leaned him against it in a way that you would think he dosed off on his watch. The masked figure then made his way over to the north-west tower and stationed himself to the right of the door that allows guards in the tower to reach the top of the wall.
A couple of minutes later, the door opened outwards to the left, so that the assassin was concealed by the door from whoever opened it. The guard that opened the door saw his unconscious comrade laying on the stone wall and ran to check on him. But the guard didn't take more than four steps when he felt a searing pain in his neck, he wanted to scream out in pain but found he couldn't, blood has flown into his windpipe. Then the world went dark.
At least the others only have to kill eight now. The killer thought, as the guard crumpled to the floor, dead. The assassin entered the north-west tower and descended onto the courtyard below. As expected, the courtyard was empty, not a sign of movement. A bit suspicious, at least some men at arms should still be here, chatting after they've been relieved of their shift hours ago. But then again, it was probably the last shift of the night, and surely most soldiers in the castle were deep in their sleep.
The cloaked killer then made his way to the keep. Facing the wall, the made sure that his stone brick coloured cloak would conceal all of his features. Then, walking to his side slowly, he got to the section of the wall closest to the keep. The assassin crouched down and inch his way to the way, making sure that no guards from the walls and towers can't spot him.
Once he got to the keep, he opened the door into it carefully, making no creaks are heard. If the door was to protest, it would mean the end of his mission. And his life.
As he stealthily entered the keep, he looked over his shoulder briefly, to see if he has been spotted, but no one had. According to the information they extracted from that knight, all servants in the castle should be asleep in their quarters, so there was no need to be stealthy anymore since he was inside now.
He located the stairs spirally upwards to the right and frowned. It was a common defence strategy to have castle stairs that spiralled to the right. A defender would only have to expose his sword arm in order to swing, while the attacker has to expose his entire body to strike. If someone had known he was here, they could've easily hidden on the stairs, waiting for the perfect time to strike. Then he shook that thought away, if someone had known, surely the Baron would've been informed and further fortified the castle. But it was always best to be safe.
He ascended the stairs, keeping to the far left and anxious for that blow, but it never came. He made it to the fifth floor and highest floor of the keep, where the Baron of Gorlan fief-his target- is supposedly asleep in his bed chamber. The baron's study should be linked to his bed chamber and the masked killer knew that it should be to the far left.
He made his way to the study, opening the door slowly, there were no creaks, and it was as if all the doors in the castles have had their hinges oiled recently. Well, more convenient for him. He scanned the study briefly and entered confidently, thinking that his mission will be a successful one.
Then out of nowhere, he heard heavy footsteps and four fully armoured knights and a figure wearing a mottled cloak barred the door leading outside the study. The assassin gasped in surprise and terror. He would have no chance against four armoured knights. He scanned the room at lightning speed for an alternative exit, but there were none, all the windows were either too small or too far away. In that case, the best he could do killing off the baron quickly and then kill himself in order to avoid capture.
The assassin sprinted to the bed chamber, which he knew was to his right. As he barged through the door, he was assaulted by searing pain from is thigh. He fell to the floor, screaming in pain, clutching his quadriceps where a green-shafted arrow had stuck its way deep inside the muscle. The desperate assassin whipped out his crossbow at amazing speed, despite his pain. The crossbow had been already loaded with a poisoned arrow, he aimed it at the sleeping form of the baron in his bed, less than three metres (10 feet) away. Just before he pulled the trigger, however, another green-shafted arrow buried itself into his arm, causing the weapon to fall out of his grip. Another scream of pain teared through the room.
Two knights went over to him and picked him up by the armpit. They dragged him in front of the cowled figure wearing the mottled cloak, who was holding a powerful longbow. The assassin looked up as the figure threw her cowl back.
The archer was obviously female, young and very attractive. Her blond hair fell down to her shoulders and her green eyes almost sparkled when they assessed the assassin. Then his face drained of all its colour when his eyes fell on her collar. She was wearing a silver oakleaf, therefore this young woman was a Ranger. The masked assassin was a superstitious man, he believed in magic and knew that Rangers practiced black sorcery, they wore enchanted cloaks to make themselves invisible to the eye and used magic arrows that always hit their targets. The assassin screamed in terror, kicking his uninjured leg, trying to crawl away from the female Ranger. He thought that she was deciding whether to turn him into ash with her magic.
Maddie stared, with great confusion, at the terrified assassin trying to get away from her while the knights try to hold him down. "No!" He pleaded. "Don't turn me to ash!" It wasn't until one of the knights took off the assassin's mask, revealing a bearded, middle-aged man, and produced a length of cloth, which he used to gag the killer.
Tim appeared by Maddie's side, looking at the assassin who was staring at Maddie with horrified eyes. "He seems scared of you." He said.
"I wonder why." Maddie said. Tim stared at Maddie with an incredulous expression. Did she really not know what people really think Rangers are? Tim was just about to explain to her about the assassin's behaviour when he stopped himself, it would be funny to see people soil their pants while Maddie is confused out of her mind.
Baron Damien entered the study from the bedroom, wearing chainmail. It was one of their safety nets in case the assassin manage to get close to him. He motioned for the knights to take out the gag and kneeled down to the killer, who had calmed down a little. "Who do you work for?" Damien questioned. The assassin spat at the baron's face. An armoured fist came from one of the knights, landing solidly on the man's face. Maddie winced at the blow. The man probably lost a tooth or two.
"Tell him!" The knight shouted harshly, Maddie recognised the voice as Battlemaster Norris. The man was intensely loyal and would do anything to protect his lord. Now he was angry and how disrespectful this assassin was. He was about to strike again when Baron Damien put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head disapprovingly when he looked back.
Baron Damien asked the killer again. "Who do you work for?"
The assassin considered for a moment and said. "The Masters of Death."
"Well, that seems to confirm it." Tim whispered to Maddie. She nodded.
"And where would they be?" Baron Damien asked.
"Like as if I'd tell you." The assassin sneered.
"I bet that Ranger over there would love that answer." Damien gestured at Maddie. "Maybe I should tell her to turn you into a worm so I can squash you." The assassin's face drained of all its colour.
Maddie was about to argue that she could do no such things when Tim stopped her. He mouthed the words. "Look what will happen."
"They're hiding in the forest south east of the town, near Lake Crystal. We have twenty people there, most of them can fight. Albert is our leader, he chooses the targets. We wanted people to move out of the fief so we have more villages with low populations to raid." The assassin spilled out everything hastily.
The baron considered what he just been told and thought it was probably truthful. He had a thoughtful expression on his face as he stared into space."My lord, what are you thinking?" Asked Sir Norris.
He baron looked at his most trusted advisor and friend. "I just planned a very nasty surprise for these Masters of Death." He smiled.
