Assassin's Curse (12 page)

“Clara?” Mave asked.

“Clara’s our baker.
 
She took your brother and those babies in for the night.”

“I see.
 
Do you know where they are now?” Mave said, pressing the villager.

“Took off with Clara and her old mule early yesterday morning, they did.
 
The whole lot went over to Rocher.
 
Clara makes that trip twice weekly, trying to sell her bread and such.
 
Seems a bit of waste to me though, like we’re not good enough for her bread.
 
Every time Clara leaves, we have to wait for fresh bread else eat that mess Widow Younger makes.
 
She makes bread so bad the smell alone will turn your stomach.
 
Me, I just wait for Clara to get back.
 
Yep, you need just follow the road south…”
    

Mave found out what he needed.
 
Jeda and the babies were headed to Rocher and he was only one day behind them.
 
The village was a two-day walk to the south.
 
If he left immediately, he might catch them before Jeda could disappear into the wilder southlands with the twins.
 
The hunt was going better than he expected and, at this pace, he should have things wrapped up by week’s end.
 

The Masters will be pleased at how quickly I have completed their errand,
Mave thought, knowing his promotion would soon follow.

“Thank you.
 
You’ve been a great help,” Mave said to the villager.
 

“I’m glad for that,” the villager replied.
 
“I hope you find your brother soon.”

Mave nodded and shouldered his pack.
 
Once outside the village, he took off at the same mile-eating pace he had left the city with.
 

***

“I feel just terrible lettin’ you and the little ones leave like this,” Clara said to Jeda the next morning, wringing her hands in distress.

She stood with Jeda at the edge of the village of Rocher while he was preparing to leave.
 
He was in a hurry to be off.
    

“You’ve done more than enough for us,” Jeda replied.
 
“Please don’t worry.
 
We’ll be fine.”

“I just feel so bad telling you Gelda was here in Rocher.”

“But she was here until recently so there’s nothing to feel bad about.
 
You didn’t know Gelda set up shop in Willows Peak,” Jeda said.
 
“Besides, it’s the next village over.
 
The girls and I will take a nice, country walk and find her easily enough.”
 

“A nice country walk?
 
It’s a good two- or three-day walk south of here with nothing in between.
 
It might be a bit harder and longer than you think.”

“Well then, all the more reason we should get going.”

Jeda adjusted the twins’ papooses while Clara held his travelling pack.
 
She had walked with them to the edge of the village, but was going no farther.
 
Much as she might have fantasized about running off with this mysterious man, it would never happen.
 
Aside from the fact that Jeda did not seem interested in her, the plain truth was he scared the wits out of her.
 
He was a complicated man, displaying a tender gentleness with the babies, but projected a menacing countenance when dealing with others.
 
That sense of danger was enough to warn off most folk, but he was the first man that had piqued Clara’s interest in a long time.
 
Even knowing his violent nature, she found herself caring about what might happen to him and the babies.
 
She handed him his pack.

“This is a bit heavier than I remember packing,” he said.

“I put some extra bread and cheese in your bag,” Clara said.
 
“I figured you and the girls could use a little nibble of something nice while you’re travelling.”

Jeda’s genuine smile of gratitude surprised her.
 
“Thank you again for all your help,” he said, reaching into his pocket for a copper.

Clara held up her hands and took a step back, refusing the coin.
 
“No, not this time.
 
You and the girls will need it more than I.”

Jeda nodded to the baker and, with a final adjustment to the papooses and his pack, turned and headed down the road.
 
Clara stood watching until they turned a bend and winked out of sight.
 

“Such a man,” Clara mumbled to herself.
 
“Back to business now.”
 
She turned and headed back to the wagon and her old Jed.
 
There was packing to do if she wanted to leave the next morning and she had no more time to muse over a wayward man and his charges, no matter how good-looking he was.

***

Mave continued his pace well into the evening, but as the stars came out, he began to feel the effects of his non-stop search.
 
As much as he wanted to continue, he had to stop and rest or suffer the consequences.
 
He could not afford to find Jeda while he was fatigued.
 
He had to be at his best when that happened.
 
Finding a small, hidden clearing behind a copse of trees, he set up a cold camp.
 
After a simple meal of road rations and a brief stroll in the woods to take care of his personal business, Mave wrapped himself in his cloak and lay down on some pine boughs to get a few hours’ sleep.

Early the next morning, Mave packed up his camp and continued on his way.
 
One of the good things about travelling light was the quickness of breaking a camp.
 
It took Mave less than ten minutes to pack, eat a quick snack, and get back on the road.
 
Of course, travelling alone did pose dangers to the unwary traveler, but Mave considered himself to be the top of the peril list.
 
There were not too many people in the kingdom who were more deadly and he knew it.
 
It gave him a sense of being the
top dog
wherever he went and most people gave him a wide berth.
 
The villagers mentioned it was a two-day walk to Rocher, but with the pace he kept, Mave figured he would get there early this evening.
 
Now that he had rested and eaten, there should be nothing to slow him down.

The sun was nearing its apex when Mave spotted the wagon coming his way.
 
It was a typical wagon used by most locals to bring their goods to market, but what caught Mave’s attention was the driver.
 
She was a woman that fit the description the villagers had given for Clara, the baker.
 
He stopped running and stood to the side of the road waiting for her to come closer.

“Hello there,” Mave called out congenially as the woman pulled up alongside him and reined in her mule to a stop.
  

“And a good morning to you,” Clara replied.
 

“I’m heading to the village of Rocher.
 
Have you just come from there?
 
Could you tell me how much farther it might be?”

“I left Rocher early this morning, but my old Jed here keeps a steady pace.
 
I reckon it’s still about a day’s walk from here on foot.”

Clara was not a distrustful soul, but from dealing with people all her life, she thought herself a good judge of character.
 
The man in front of her had an edge to him that didn’t sit quite right with her.
 
He seemed nice enough on the surface and his manner of speaking was pleasant, but there was something a bit off about him.
 
Clara could not rightly say what that was, but she was wary nonetheless and wanted to be on her way.
 

“I am looking for my brother and I was hoping you might have seen him during your journey.
 
He would be hard to miss because he is travelling with his two infant daughters.”

Clara immediately became alarmed at the mention of the two girls, but she tried to hide her fear behind a wide, if somewhat nervous, smile.
 
She realized this man must be one of those who were chasing Jeda and the girls.

“Sorry I can’t help you there,” Clara replied.
 
“I haven’t seen anyone like that.
 
Now I must be on my way, but you have a nice day.”

Clara clucked Jed forward, but Mave reached out and grabbed the reins before the wagon could move.
 

“Please, can you spare me a moment?” Mave pleaded.
 
“I really need to find him.
 
I’m afraid I’ve done him a terrible disservice and I am trying to find him to make amends.”

Clara became angry when Mave grabbed the reins.
 
She reached down beside her to grab a cudgel she carried for such occasions like this.
 
“Let go of the reins.”
 
She raised the cudgel threateningly.

“Miss, that’s not necessary.
 
I’m only trying to find my brother and nieces.
 
I’m the only family they have left.”

Clara had heard enough.
 
Whoever this man was, she didn’t like him and she knew he was lying.
 
“Really now?
 
The only family?
 
What about their grandmother?
 
I hear she’s quite keen on finding them herself.”

Mave’s gray eyes became cold as he listened to the woman prattle on.
 
From the sounds of it, Jeda had broken the assassin’s code of silence and told this woman about the guild’s client.
 
This mess was going to take a bit longer to clean up than he had expected.

Damn you Jeda.
 
I’m getting tired of cleaning up your mess.

“It’s really too bad that boy had such a big mouth,” Mave said.
 
“He should not have told you about that.
 
I really had no intention in harming you, but now...”

“You won’t get that chance,” Clara yelled, swinging the cudgel at Mave’s head and slapping the reins to get Jed moving.

Mave jumped back to avoid the blow and reached into his sleeve for a throwing knife.
 
The knife was not his preferred weapon of choice, but in this case, it was the best tool for the job.
 
As the wagon lurched forward and Clara gave a cry of triumph, Mave threw the knife at her exposed back.
 
Her cry of success changed quickly to one of pain as the knife struck her in the back.
 
She slumped over in her seat with the reins loose in her hands.
 
Without the urging from Clara, Jed slowed to a walk and stopped.

Mave came up beside the wagon and looked at Clara.
 
She was still alive, though her breath came out in a rasping gurgle.
 
“Now about
my brother,”
he asked, pulling the knife out of her back.

“You can go to hell,” Clara wheezed.

“No, I don’t think I will today.”
 
He pulled Clara down from the wagon and dragged her off to the side of the road.

Clara tried to scream, but it came out as a muffled cry.
 
The knife had punctured her lung and she could barely breathe.
 
When the assassin dumped her in the ditch, she cringed when she looked into the eyes of the cold-blooded killer.
 
He tied her hands and looked down at her, studying her curvaceous
body
as she lay helpless.
 

“I really hate it when people lie to me,” Mave said.
 
He sliced open Clara’s dress, exposing her naked body.
 
“The last person who lied to me didn’t fare very well and I’m afraid you’ll soon join him.
 
But not quite yet, I think.
 
I believe a little diversion is in order before I send you on your way.”

Mave unbuttoned his breeches and straddled Clara.
 
She tried to struggle, but he was too powerful for her and, with each thrust, Clara prayed for death.
 
Mave grabbed Clara’s hair, watching the fear in her eyes.
 
Her blood and the sex heightened his appetite for violence.
 
“You stupid bitch,” he growled, slapping her face.
 
“No one lies to me and lives.”

With one final thrust, he had his release.
 
As Clara lay cringing beneath him, Mave gave her what she desperately prayed for.
 
Taking his knife out, he circled the blade in front of her eyes before slowly shoving it into her chest.
 
As the knife penetrated her heart, he watched her writhe in pain until the final light faded from her eyes.
 
The ecstasy of his release and kill coursed through his veins.
 
He savored the feeling for a few, delicious moments before removing his knife and wiping it on Clara’s torn dress.
 
Standing up, he casually slid the knife back into its hidden sheath and re-buttoned his breeches.