KGWrites

James

The Stoop, Spring District, Kingdom of Aldiron

It was all James could do to keep from crying out in pain with every step.

He’d been given a leather cuirass, a piece of armour that strapped in place over his torso, holding his bandages tight and not giving him room to twist his broken rib if they ran into trouble. It would protect him far better than the cloth he had been wearing and it was light enough not to fully restrict his movements.

The downside was that it was tight and unyielding, meaning that every step came with a smack of his chest against the hard leather.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, he marched onwards.

James didn’t really know what to think about the past few hours. He cursed himself for falling for such an obvious ploy as the trap at the inn. He’d gotten so preoccupied with the fact Lillian had been an extra mouth to feed that he had leapt at the first opportunity, an opportunity that had actually been a viper waiting to strike.

Then had come the fact that he and Alyx were apparently back in Aaron Trident’s notice, and that he remembered their last encounter. Few prospects terrified James as much as that, and he wasn’t sure what to do about it.

Not that he’d had much time to think about it at all of course before he’d nearly died. The pain screaming from his chest was enough of a reminder of his mistakes for him to worry about for now.

After that had come the encounter with Haster and the guards and their arrest. Alyx had never told him about her rescue of the princess until they’d been led to their cell in the dungeons. And looking back on things, he could safely say his sister had showed some impressive initiative in getting them to some form of safety. Unorthodox, and very risky, but impressive, nonetheless.

And then to top the cake, had come the wild offer of staying in the palace and whatever task the king had for them after that. Which was so far beyond wild that James wasn’t entirely sure he hadn’t died back in that tavern. He still didn’t trust the offer at all, but time in the palace was time not on the run in the Winter District, and that at least was an easy choice.

The one thing he was sure of though, was needing to get home, to find Lillian and make sure she was safe. Not knowing where the girl was had been eating at James almost since the moment she’d ran ahead.

He became aware that next to him, the guard leader, Haster, was looking at him.

“Sorry. What?” He said, shaking his head slightly to bring himself back to the present.

“I said, if it’s not too forward, that you look like you’ve had quite the hardships. And not just from tonight.” Haster observed, looking James up and down. James shrugged.

“The Winter District tends to lead to that, for anyone living there.” He replied, as dismissively as he could. Haster considered his words for a moment before replying.

“It’s your business. But I don’t see so many people down there with missing fingers and even less being actively hunted by other criminals.”

James tilted his head, agreeing with Haster.

“Maybe not, but then not so many of them have as much of a habit of pissing off the big fish as Alyx and I do.” He said after a moment. His mind flashed with Alyx standing over Spyder, then of Aaron Trident’s grinning face, a burning pain in his hand and rush of fire and smoke. Closing his eyes he clenched what was left of his hand into a fist and took a long, deep breath.

The air was clear and open. The night breeze from the bay was cold on his skin and he walked free. That pain was past. And the past couldn’t hurt him.

Yet.

Opening his eyes he saw Haster was still looking to him. Concern and interest was plain in his face.

“I heard Alyx’s story, about why she attacked and maimed this… Spyder Xeros, when she told it to the king. But you… who is it that you caused grievance to to make them hunt you, and maim you like they have.” He asked. James laughed mirthlessly, lifting his hand to his few, grunting slightly as it pulled at his side.

“This? I didn’t cause grievance to have this done to me. Not unprovoked anyway. I just tried to defend my family from a murderer. A monster.” James’ eyes darkened and he looked away from Haster, out across the bay.

“I can make a guess.” Haster began slowly, making James turn to look back at him. “Aaron Trident?” He asked and James’ eyes widened in surprise. Surprise that quickly gave way to anger.

“You know? The guards know about him and what he does, and you’ve done nothing?” He growled, rage clear in his voice as he drew close to Haster. The group around them came to a stop as Haster took a step back from James, holding his hand out to stop his men from grabbing him.

“What we know is all rumours and hearsay. And believe me, we’ve tried to act on them. But every time we’ve tried to arrest Trident, or link him to a crime, he’s found some way to weasel out. Either there’s not been any actual evidence, or the witnesses won’t come forwards, or a thousand other reasons. And any time that we do manage to arrest someone allegedly linked to him, we can’t find that link. He stays on his estate outside of the city, manages his trade caravans and rarely meets with anyone. We can’t get close.” Haster explained, his tone calm and collected. Though his face betrayed frustration to match what was rattling around James’ mind at that moment.

James took a long breath, looking up into the evening sky and letting the cool sea breeze douse the burning anger in him. Haster clearly wanted to be doing more, it wasn’t his fault that Trident was as slippery eel that no one seemed able to catch.

“Alright. I’m sorry.” He said, looking back down to Haster who shrugged and turned, continuing to walk down into the lower districts. James fell into step beside him.

“Nothing to apologise for,” Haster began, a thin, grim smile briefly crossing his features. “For me, Trident has only caused frustrations. But for you, he’s done much worse. That’s clear to me without any further prying. Which I swear I won’t do, you need only tell me what you wish too, and if that is nothing, so be it.”

His words reassured James somewhat. He’d always believed that at their core the city guards were a force for good. Truly it was the fact that he and Alyx had been forced to become criminals out of necessity that had made him avoid them. But from what he’d seen of Haster, maybe that had been one caution he hadn’t needed to worry about.

Still, there were people who had known James Cobalt for years that hadn’t heard his story, and that wasn’t about to change. He remained silent.

After waiting to see if James would respond, and seeing that he had shared all he wished to, Haster nodded and turned back to focussing on the road ahead.

The group of armoured guards, with Haster and James at their centre, crossed the bridge above the main Winter District, staying away from the site of the tavern fire and the risk of any of Spyder and Trident’s men remaining nearby.

It was surreal, moving amongst the guards like this, and James had to keep fighting down an urge to bolt down alleyways and escape. Not that I’d get far. He winced as an uneven cobble sent a surge of pain up his side.

He gritted his teeth and pushed down the urge to bolt, opting instead to move towards the front of the group, leading them into the Winter District and through the warren of streets. All the while, his eyes scanned crowds, alleys, windows and rooftops, looking for anyone who was watching them for a second to long, or any groups that seemed armed. It was odd though, due to the guards with him, James found himself watched in some way by nearly everyone they came across, which didn’t exactly calm his frayed nerves.

They wouldn’t even need to be Trident’s thugs. The district hates the guards enough as it stands that they might just murder us for being here.

James led the group forwards, his unease causing him to forget his injury for the time being and driving him forwards faster. The sooner they found Lillian and left the district, the safer they’d be. He wished the suit of armour he’d be given had come with a cowl or cloak. But without it, speed would need to be his best defence.

He quickly found his way to familiar streets, and led the group down them, weaving and ducking around corners suddenly, making the guards hurry to keep pace with him. He wasn’t trying to flee them, but rather moving out of habit. Shifting through the streets erratically and suddenly helped him and Alyx keep any followers from finding their home. And with the possibility of Trident’s followers watching for them, James wasn’t wanting to take any chances.

A couple of streets over from the entrance to the Kindling, James came to a stop and soon after, so did the guards around him. He stood for a second, eyes quickly scanning for any unwanted observers to the group. He didn’t find any, but still, that didn’t mean they weren’t there. He turned to face Haster.

“We’re close now. You and your men wait here, I’ll find my way there and get the girl.” He said, stretching out with a pained grimace. But Haster shook his head, his brow sinking into a menacing scowl.

“I’m not exactly about to let you lead my men into unknown territory and then slink off on your own. Especially not when you, by your own admittance, are a criminal with connections to Aaron Trident. You could just be getting clear before your allies attack us. You’re taking us all the way.” Haster replied, his voice stern and commanding. James took a half step back in surprise, his mouth falling open and half shaking his head in disbelief to what he was hearing.

“Your king holds my sister hostage in the palace to guard against exactly that. Besides which, I’ve told you my history with Trident, I’m not about to work with the bastard just to take out a few city guards, commander or not.” James reasoned, his voice sharp with defiance. Haster seemed to consider his words and James thought back to their conversation before. Haster seemed to have as strong a hatred of Trident as James himself and they had seemed to understand that much of each other easily enough. James had to hope that was common ground enough.

“Look, I trust that you and your men are here to help me. But right now, being alongside me would do the opposite. You’re easier to follow, and if this offer the king has doesn’t work out, then we have to come back to our home here, which won’t be safe if Trident followed your men to the front door. And beyond that, if our ward sees your guards before I have a chance to explain, then she’ll run. And she’s damned good at that. But I won’t be leaving the district until she’s safe.” He looked Haster in the eye, his face serious. “Night’s going to fall soon Lord Captain, and if you think we’re not safe now, just wait until it gets dark. Staying here you can see up all the main streets, so you can see trouble coming and you can get out fast. I understand that you want to look out for your people here, but I need to do the same. This helps us both, I just need you to put a little trust in me to do that.”

Haster seemed to hesitate, looking around at their surroundings. As James had said, they were at a junction in the streets, with wide long roads stretching off in three directions and only a couple of smaller alleys nearby. It would be a terrible spot to set an ambush, but good to stay safe from one. He looked up towards the setting sun.

“Alright Cobalt. We’ll do this your way. But you have until the sun fully goes down. After that, you’re on your own.”

James looked at the setting sun, the bottom of it was already beginning to disappear behind the shanty buildings of the Winter District. There was likely barely even a half hour before it was completely dark. This was going to be tricky. But he got the sense this offer from Haster was the best he would get, so he nodded.

As James turned to leave, Haster gestured to one of his men who drew his sword with a nod before passing it to Haster who turned it to grip it carefully by the flat of the blade, proffering the hilt towards James. James stared at it for a while before he chuckled softly and pushed the hilt gently downward with a shake of his head.

“I’ve got broken ribs, a three fingered hand and not the faintest idea how to use a sword, keep it. Besides, if I’m in the situation where I need it, I’m already fucked.” He said and Haster chuckled, nodding and passing the sword back to his soldier.

Then James took off at a painful jog, away from the guards and down the streets of the Winter District.

He’d started out by going away from the Kindling, down the wrong street, before ducking into an alley the moment he was clear of sight. He couldn’t be too careful, and as much as he wanted to trust Haster, there were more people than just him around. Because of this looping, safer route however, the sun was rapidly disappearing when he eventually ducked into the little yard that made up the homes of the Kindling.

Moving fast, James crossed to the corner of the space and ducked down, finding the rickety wooden door and pushing against it. It swung open with barely a creak and revealed nearly pitch darkness beyond. There was no immediate sign of anyone here. James swallowed, his mouth suddenly feeling very dry and his heart pounding in his ears. Pushing down the worries of what he’d do if Lillian wasn’t here, James stepped inside the darkness of the home.

And right onto a rope strung across the lower part of the door like a tripwire. With a sharp twang, the rope came away and a sheet dropped down over James’ head, blinding him and sending him stumbling sideways. A second later he hit the pallets that formed Lillian’s bed and tripped, slamming painfully down onto the ground.

Which was what ended up saving him as he felt someone trip in the darkness and land clumsily next to him with a grunt. The voice was soft, and sounded young. Lillian. He didn’t have much time to consider his young ward’s appearance however, as another sound cut through his thoughts as she hit the ground, the soft clink of metal hitting stone.

His mind rushing, James remembered that Alyx hadn’t worn her dagger to the tavern earlier that day, thinking it would be simpler not to have a weapon that would draw attention. Lillian must have picked it up once she’d made it home.

Scrambling to his feet, still wrapped up in the sheet and blinded, James reached his hand out towards where she had hit the ground.

“Whoa! Lillian it’s me. It’s James. You’re alright.” He spoke quickly, his other hand reaching up to grab at the sheet and pull it away from his head, letting him see again.

And bringing into sharp focus the dagger blade glinting in the setting sunlight, only an inch or so from his face.

Behind it, Lillian’s blue eyes were wide with panic and wet with tears. It was clear to James that her attack had been a move of desperation rather than a calculated strike.

“James?” She asked, her voice shaking and uncertain. He nodded, carefully unwrapping himself from the sheet and stepping forwards, pushing the dagger to the side.

“It’s me Lillian. I’m sorry I frightened you. You’re alright, it’s all alright.” He told her softly, his voice calm and gentle. With a whimper, the young girl threw the dagger aside and wrapped her arms around James, muffling her sobs into the leather of his armour. Hugging her back, he began to run a hand through her black hair, ignoring the pain from his rib as she squeezed him tight.

They stood together like that for a moment before Lillian’s breathing returned to normal and she drew her head back to look at James properly.

“What are you wearing?” She asked, confusion clear in her voice. And only then did she look around past James and realise that someone was missing. “And where’s Alyx?”

James ignored the question about the armour. He could answer that one later. But to her second he sighed.

“Alyx is… safe. I think. She’s in the palace.” He explained, watching Lillian think about his words.

“The palace? In the dungeons?” She asked, horror and worry clear in her voice. Both of which were clearly replaced with confusion when James shook his head.

“No, she’s not in the dungeons. She was, we both were. But the King let us go.”

“Oh. But why did the King let you go? And why is Alyx still there?” Lillian asked, pouring out new questions before James could even think of answering the last one. He sighed.

“Good questions Lil. I wish I knew the answers. He says he’s got a job for us that he’ll tell us about tomorrow. He wanted us to stay in the palace tonight. Alyx stayed so we could always stick to the deal.”

“Why didn’t you?” Lillian asked, looking up at him. James smiled, reaching down to pinch her nose gently, making her giggle.

“Someone had to come get you.” He explained and she whimpered, hugging him again. Then he crouched down to her level.

“Listen, Alyx and I think that staying the palace and hearing what the king has to say is worth it, even if it just keeps us safe one night. But I’m not going anywhere without you. So what do you think? Will you come with us?” He asked her seriously. Lillian chewed her lip for a second, twirling her hair in her fingers, before she looked up at James with a nervous smile.

“Will there be food?” She asked and James laughed, standing and placing one hand on Lillian’s shoulder as she sheathed Alyx’s dagger on her belt.

“Gods I hope so.”