Caracara's Hunt

It was still dark when they set out. The innkeeper gave them a long look, but did not say anything.

Arawn yawned while riding at the back of the group. He hadn't found any rest at night, but nothing had come to his mind. Just like Sylvester, he didn't believe that they had any chance to assassinate the king by themselves.

They needed more allies, but where to find them?

His thoughts strayed to Rain and her mercenary band. If they could help… But why would Rain help? She had been adamant that she would not risk the safety of her people for others' gain.

And Arawn didn't have any money to speak of, let alone enough to hire her or any other mercenaries. It was an idea he hadn't heard being shut down yet, so he urged his horse to Sylvester's side.

The doctor was sitting on a grey mare with his eyes almost closed. The reins hung loosely in his hands, but the horse did not stray from its path.

After Arawn shared his thoughts, Sylvester's eyes opened, and he glanced over with mild surprise. "You've actually been thinking!"

"Does that mean it's a good idea?"

Sylvester shifted in his saddle and looked into the distance for a moment. "Not bad, but not great either. You'll need someone with the funds to hire all the mercenaries in Mairya to assist you, and even then there's still the question if the mercenaries will join.

"They're not true soldiers, and they pick fights that they can win. After all, what's the point of earning big if you're dead?"

"I can bring over Scarlet Treason," Mutallu said suddenly.

Both Arawn and Sylvester turned to him. "Corwal's mercenaries?"

Mutallu nodded. "I command a third of it, and if I convince the others that Corwal needs us to fight against the king, Quinna and Peter will bring their people too."

He didn't sound sure that they would join, but a third of the most renowned mercenary band on their side of the world was still a lot. It might even convince some other groups to join the battle.

There was one question though. "If you're their leader, what have you been doing here all this time? Shouldn't you be like… leading them?"

"Unnecessary." Mutallu pulled on the reins, and his brown stallion snorted in contempt, but slowed down. "Scarlet Treason is too large to march the whole army everywhere, so it was split in three to act separately in small, domestic affairs.

"Corwal nominated me to lead, but no one there needs a child to order them around. We work better together when I'm not there."

"And you're going to march them here how?"

Mutallu glared daggers in Sylvester's direction, but replied nonetheless. "I'll make them listen."

"That's what everyone says before failing miserably." Sylvester chuckled and turned to Arawn. "So you're going to look for that Rain girl?"

Caught off-guard, Arawn blinked a few times. "I am?" He bit his lip to keep himself from saying anything else stupid and thought for a moment. "If we knew where she was, it would be the best course of action, but… I don't think I can find her."

Sylvester tilted his head with his eyebrows furrowed. "We don't?" He raised his hand to support his chin as if he was in deep thought. "I thought Broken Talon was sighted by the borden and forced into the woods by the Mairyan army…. Hmm… I guess it is too much of a bother to go so far."

"What did you say?" Arawn almost jumped out of his saddle. Mutallu also turned back to look at Sylvester with disbelief. "How do you know that?"

The doctor shrugged like him knowing things that Arawn couldn't hear in the town was of no significance. "I heard it being mentioned in passing."

"And pigs fly."

Arawn's lips rose a little at Mutallu's comment, but he was less interested in how Sylvester obtained the information and more in whether he was sure it was correct.

"I can really find her there?" he asked while already thinking of ways to convince Rain.

It wouldn't be easy, but if he could do it… King Bretan was the enemy of all the living. No one could have any peace with him around, be they farmers, mercenaries, or people with a little too much ether.

"She's there," Sylvester said and grew serious once more. "I was told Broken Talon was led by a young woman when it was attacked. King Akiia really wanted to capture her so he could present another traitor to Ayersbert in a show of his good will, but she managed to escape the encirclement and hid in the woods.

"The Mairyan battalion doesn't have enough soldiers to root her out, but getting through them would result in heavy casualties. Her mercenaries aren't as well equipped or have enough mages. However, if she waits, Bretian army will catch her from behind and squash her like a bug."

"I need to go there!"

Arawn raised his reins to redirect his horse toward the border region when he realized he wasn't sure where that was. He froze mid-motion, then glanced at Sylvester with a plea for help.

"Take Mutallu with you. He can navigate, and he'll need to make a detour anyway. There's no more taking the main road back to Ayersbert."

The young assassin nodded and pulled his horse out of the column. He motioned for Arawn to do the same.

It was a sudden change of plans, but they didn't have time to waste. The Bretian army had already crossed the border and was marching forward at a rapid pace. If they didn't hurry up and stop it, they might no longer have the chance later on.

Before they could ride out though, Val galloped to their side. He was still pale and gaunt from his ordeal, but there was a fire in his eyes.

"I'll do everything within my power to rile up the nobles in the area to fight," he swore. Keith pulled on his arm to stop him, but Val shook him off. "I know it'll be dangerous, but I want to help. Mairya is still our home, and those people were the ones who killed father and framed our family!"

Keith could not deny that, and his shoulders slumped. Even if he didn't want to accept it, he knew that unless Mairya prevailed over Ayersbert, they would not see another spring.

"Trust me!" Val repeated through gritted teeth. "I'll make that damned king pay for entering Mairya. He will regret stepping into our home."

"Right, right. Now enough of this melodrama. Let them leave." Sylvester shooed him away with his hand. "It's better to do things and surprise others than to proclaim about what great deeds you're gonna achieve and then fall at the first stumbling block."

Noticing Arawn's worried gaze, Sylvester rolled his eyes. "I'll take care of this fool, don't worry. He won't get himself killed until you return." When no one believed him, he sighed. "Do you find it surprising that I might have a few unresolved disagreements with the king as well? I wouldn't shed any tears if he just fell over and died the next moment."

His words reminded Arawn of what Corwal had told him about the past. To call what Sylvester had gone through a difference in opinions was an understatement of gigantic proportions. With the way his life was ruined right from the start and his personality, it was a surprise he hadn't poisoned the king already.

At the thought of that, Arawn couldn't help but narrow his eyes at Sylvester. Could it be that the king was alive not for the lack of trying on the doctor's part?

It would explain why he would know the king's defenders so well and that no one simple scheme would work…

"Something the matter?" Sylvester asked.

His voice was cheerful and upbeat, but a chill ran down Arawn's back. He gulped and urged his horse to leave.

It didn't matter whether his guess had been correct or not. For a time, he had forgotten that Sylvester had gone through a lot of the same training as Corwal.

He wasn't just a kind and compassionate doctor with a prickly personality.

No, he was a hound who could fake whatever he wanted faked. If he wanted to be friends with someone, he would be, and if he wanted to hurt somebody, that person would not have a good time.

"Take care!" Arawn shouted out and gave a half-hearted wave back.

As he rode forward with Mutallu, he wondered if he was making another huge mistake. He was trusting an almost-hound who was helping him because of his relationship with the hound who had betrayed him.

It sounded like the worst idea he'd ever had, but it was also his only option.

"Please, let the past not repeat itself," he whispered under his breath.

Mutallu glanced at him, but did not ask about it. Even if he didn't know what that was about, it wasn't hard to guess.