After returning to the Endrin Military Academy, Takota took up a spot at the archery range and trained with his crossbow for an hour. Although he was starting to notice improvement and even landed a few hits on the center bullseye, it wasn't enough for him. He recalled that when armed with his longbow, he could fire shots rapidly and precisely without any issue. Takota has learned a lot when first given the crossbow for his training with the Sable Marine Company but he still wasn't as good as when he fought with a bow.
Despite his frustrations with having to change weapons, Takota never thought about leaving the Sable Marine Company. He had long envied the marines that flew the skies of Korvosa on the back of hippogriffs and wondered how it would feel to fly in such a manner. It certainly helped that Takota excelled in the other areas of training required by Marcus. Although he missed his friends, he was at least thankful that they guided him toward joining the Sable Marine Company. Once he finished his training, he hoped that he could spend time with his former companions.
In the back of his mind, Takota hoped that with the money he earned from working with the Sable Marine Company, he'd be able to plan a trip to the Cinderlands. It was still hard to truly fit in with the people of Korvosa, and although he made true friends, the Cinderlands was where his home was. Although his parents were dead, Takota hoped that the Shoanti would accept him back once they heard his story. Traveling to the Cinderlands would be a long journey but it would be worth it.
"Takota!" Marcus called out from behind the trainee.
Although taken by surprise, Takota turned around and stood at attention. "Commandant Endrin, sir!"
"At ease, Takota," Marcus said and Takota relaxed. "How long have you known Vencarlo Orisini?"
"We met once when I worked with the Korvosan Guard," Takota answered. "I know more of his reputation than I do him."
"Be that as it may, he's sent a message asking for your help," Marcus told Takota. "I don't know exactly what it is you're doing but I owe Vencarlo a favor. Some of the best recruits the Sable Marine Company had were suggested from the Orisini Academy. We'll count this as a field mission for you. Take your equipment and report to Vencarlo at his academy."
"Yes, sir."
Takota holstered his crossbow across his back and was nearly ready to leave. He already had his armor on and his handaxe was sheathed on his belt. Once he returned to his bunk and retrieved his backpack, he was ready to set out on his mission. Takota was curious as to what Vencarlo wanted from him. During their meeting, he didn't do anything to stand out to the duelist compared to the rest of his companions. It was strange that Vencarlo would pick him of all people for help.
While Takota never visited the Orisini Academy before, given that it was in Old Korvosa along with the Endrin Military Academy, he had a good idea of which way to go. After a few minutes, he arrived at the famed school. He noticed the parchment attached to the front doors, telling students that classes were canceled, and knocked twice. A few seconds went by before Vencarlo opened the door with a serious expression.
"Good to see you, Takota" Vencarlo spoke quickly and stepped aside. "Come in, please."
Takota stepped inside and Vencarlo closed the door. "Is everything okay?"
"I hope so," Vencarlo said and took a quick breath. "I don't think anyone followed you. Trust me, this will all make sense shortly."
Vencarlo didn't wait for Takota to reply and walked down the hall without further explanation. Although he was worried that something was off, he didn't think that the old duelist had ill intentions in mind. Takota followed Vencarlo down the hallway and the instructor opened a door leading into a dimly-lit study. The Shoanti noticed that windows in the study were covered with dark drapes and realized that whatever task he was to do would be discreet.
Due to how dark the room was, Takota didn't immediately notice that there was someone else in the room until he saw movement. The woman wore a wide-brimmed hat that made it more difficult to see her face and her red hair was long and curly. When she stepped forward, Takota blinked in surprise when he finally recognized her.
"Trinia?!"
"It's you again," Trinia smiled. "I hardly recognized you with your hair so short. I'm sorry about the trouble I gave you and your friends in the Shingles a few weeks ago."
"You two know each other?" Vencarlo asked after closing the door. "I wasn't aware of that."
"Well, Takota did put me behind bars, but I trust him," Trinia explained, taking a step back nervously. "He'll help us."
"Help with what?" Takota asked. "What's the meaning of this?"
"Allow me to explain," Vencarlo said. "The night after the botched execution, I was surprised to find Trinia and that troublemaker Blackjack on the doorstep of my home. I've had dealings with the 'people's hero' before, many years ago, and he was quick to tell me what had happened before disappearing into the night. He entrusted Miss Sabor into my care, and although I don't know Blackjack's motives, I trust his judgment, so if he says that Trinia is innocent, I'm more inclined to believe his word over the tantrum of the queen."
"I see," Takota said softly.
Truth be told, Takota always wondered what happened after Blackjack saved Trinia. Although he wanted to follow them, he couldn't risk being caught after helping them escape from the execution. As time passed, their disappearance slipped his mind multiple times but always found a way back into his thoughts one way or another. Even though Takota believed he never would find out where they went, he was at least content thinking that they were safe. He was right thinking that now that he stood before Trinia.
"Korvosa is no longer safe for our beautiful renegade," Vencarlo told Takota, who noticed Trinia blushing at the compliment. "I've arranged for friends in Harse to take Miss Sabor in until this foolish assassination business is over. Still, the first leg of this journey is the most dangerous. There are people still looking for her, and with the Gray Maiden's introduction, I am more worried than before. I've already turned away several guards who were searching for her and it's only a matter of time before someone forces their way into my academy."
"Then maybe I should find some of my friends for help," Takota offered.
Vencarlo shook his head. "Time is of the essence and the less people I know, the better. I talked to Griffin earlier today, and although he doesn't know what we're up to, he did suggest that you would be able to help."
"Of course," Takota said, surprised that he didn't hesitate at all.
"Thank you," Trinia nodded in thanks. "I knew you'd keep me safe just like before."
Takota knew that by helping Trinia, he was risking everything he had. It didn't matter if Trinia was innocent when everyone believed that she was guilty of murder. If Marcus found out the details of the mission, there would no longer be a place for him in the Sable Marine Company and he'd likely be wanted for helping the accused assassin escape. There might even be a chance that his companions would also face trouble due to his close association with them.
Yet, it was the right thing to do. Takota always had a feeling that Trinia was innocent even before he met her. He wasn't as savvy as Griffin was when it came to the world of politics but the Shoanti had a hard time trusting others, especially those with power. Given that there were rumors that Ileosa murdered her husband, it was easy for him to see that she was looking for a scapegoat. Even if the rumors weren't true, it was better for Korvosa to focus on someone else in the queen's mind.
"What's the plan?" Takota asked.
"I leave the details up to you but I would recommend a subtle approach," Vencarlo suggested. "You can leave with the afternoon merchants as they should be leaving the city in another hour. You'll likely be able to catch them at High Bridge and leave through one of East Shore's gates. They're less fortified than the North Bridge closeby."
"And then once we're out of Korvosa, I escort her to Harse?"
Vencarlo shook his head. "I won't ask you to go that far. I have a friend, Jasan Adriel, who'll meet you at an inn by the road, Trots, tomorrow morning. He'll make sure Miss Sabor makes it to Harse."
"But if you wanted to come all the way to Harse, I wouldn't mind," Trinia told Takota with a wink. "Should we get going?"
"We should," Takota nodded. "Is there anything else that we should know before we leave, Vencarlo?"
"I may not be able to join you two but I can at least pay for a night's stay at Trots. I wish you both a safe journey."
Vencarlo handed Takota a pouch of gold before ushering the two out of his academy. Time was of the essence as their best bet to leave the city unnoticed was with the merchants. Takota didn't see any flaws with Vencarlo's suggested plan and silently followed it. Although it was tempting to try to fly away on a hippogriff and ignore the guards on the ground, doing so would gain too much attention. He would wait for another chance to fly on a hippogriff.
Takota knew that he wasn't much of a talker. Growing up alone on Korvosa, he didn't have any friends to talk to or any reason to try to make one. Escorting Trinia south toward High Bridge, he didn't speak a single word. Although he expected for her to start a conversation, Takota realized how worried Trinia was. Now that she was no longer hidden in Orisini Academy, she kept looking over her shoulder and trying to avoid any guard's gaze. While she was as quiet as the Shoanti, she walked close by his side to feel safe.
During their time walking toward High Gate, Takota did his best to guard Trinia. He kept an eye out for any patrols and guided the way through alleyways to avoid any guards. Takota knew that it might make their escape a few minutes longer but he could tell that his companion appreciated his dutiful nature. Although Takota took such precautions, he wasn't worried about any of the guards recognizing Trinia. Anyone looking for her was searching for a woman with short blonde hair when the hat and red curls that she wore hid her recognizable features.
Soon, the two found their way to a line of merchants heading toward High Gate and followed behind them. A few minutes later, more merchants joined the group, and as more time passed, Takota and Trinia found themselves in a large crowd heading toward their destination. They could see one of the gates leading out of Korvosa ahead open with several visitors to the city already on the road heading elsewhere.
Although Takota thought that there wasn't anything to worry about, Trinia grabbed his arm tightly. He turned to see where she was looking and saw two Gray Maidens stationed by the gates, watching the merchants. Although Takota didn't consider himself paranoid, he knew better than to trust the Gray Maidens. They were dressed for war during a time of peace and the way their helmets hid their faces made him even more suspicious of them. It was difficult to tell if they spotted him but he planned not to give them anytime as he pressed on alongside Trinia.
Takota and Trinia passed through the gates without the Gray Maidens stepping out of their position to stop them. It was possible that they didn't notice the two or that they didn't think they were up to anything. At the very least, Takota's uniform might have convinced the queen's soldiers that he was to be trusted. Trinia released her grip on Takota and sighed in relief. It wasn't until the walls of Korvosa were well beyond them that she finally spoke up.
"I think we're going to make it," Trinia said, slowly smiling. "Vencarlo told me about the Gray Maidens before you arrived so I couldn't help but worry when I saw them."
"There won't be any patrols to worry about now that we're outside of the city," Takota told Trinia. "We shouldn't waste any time."
"Right," Trinia nodded. "Let's get going."
The two pressed on along with the merchants although Takota planned to break away from the group when the opportunity presented itself. Soon, it became hard to make out Korvosa in the distance. He wondered briefly if his companions would notice that he wasn't in the city any longer and hoped that they wouldn't worry about him for too long.
A/N: Although we haven't seen a lot of Takota lately, he's not going anywhere. I'm actually pretty excited for some of the plans I have in mind for him as this story continues.
It took me more time to get this shorter chapter out than I would have liked during NaNoWriMo. Fridays and Saturdays aren't good days for writing due to my work schedule. Still, 27,000 words is making progress. I intend to press on with writing and assess my plan for the rest of the month after Thanksgiving.
Until next time.
