The Alabaster Staff - Edward Bolme [97]
"Pleasure, sir," said Demok, bowing ever so slightly as he turned away.
Kehrsyn huddled by the fire, wrapped in her blankets. Occasionally she turned her clothes over or rotated them around to expose fresh portions to the fire. She smiled as she saw them slowly drying. They would feel good to put on, nice and warm and dry.
A knocking at the front door sent her scrambling for her rapier before she realized that, of everyone she'd seen come and go, only Demok would have the consideration to knock. She chuckled in relief and embarrassment, quickly gathering her blankets around herself as he entered.
"Hi," she said. "I didn't expect you back so soon. Is everything all right?"
"Yes," said Demok with a dangerous smile. Though his cloak hung limp and dripped rainwater, his eyes had a satisfied gleam like that of a cat. "I am to kill Ekur."
Beside the fire, Kehrsyn closed her eyes in thanksgiving. Massedar had heard her story, and her life had been spared.
"Well," she sighed, "I for one won't shed any tears when he dies."
"Need your help."
Kehrsyn's eyes popped back open. "You need my help?" She laughed nervously. "I've never killed anyone. Well… one, but I didn't have a choice and I didn't want to and I can hardly remember any of it anyway, it was so fast. I don't see how I can be much help to a warrior like you."
"Ekur has guards," Demok said.
He looked Kehrsyn in the eye and waited.
"You want me to draw the guards away from Ekur so you can kill him?"
Demok nodded once.
Kehrsyn looked back into Demok's eyes, steely and penetrating above the determined set of his craggy face.
"I can do that," she said, for his confident demeanor bolstered her courage against the fear that clawed at her heart.
"Good," said Demok. He stood and started to walk out of the room. "Get ready. We'll catch him while he's still out."
Kehrsyn grimaced as she turned back to the fire.
"And my stuff was almost dry," she grumbled, reaching for her clothes.
Demok waited outside for Kehrsyn to prepare, speaking gently to his horse beneath the slim shelter of an overhanging roof. He saw Kehrsyn open the door, her figure silhouetted by the reflected light of the fire. He mounted up and rode over to the base of the ladder. He held his hand out to help her up behind him.
She took his hand and paused.
"So what do I do?" she asked.
"Mount up. Talk as we ride."
"No, I mean, how do I get up there?"
"Never ridden?"
Kehrsyn shook her head with an embarrassed look.
Nimbly sliding off the horse, Demok stepped behind Kehrsyn, gripped her by her slender waist, and lifted her onto the horse with one mighty heave. Kehrsyn squealed in mixed fear and delight. Once she was up, Demok mounted behind her and took the reins.
Through the rain-washed city streets they moved, Kehrsyn riding in front of Demok, gripping his arms to stabilize herself. She seemed glad to hold onto the rock-steady soldier, and, for his part, he did his level best to ignore it.
They discussed the plan as they rode, Demok constantly alert for the sights or sounds of any of the Wing's Reach guards.
"Can't I have the horse?" asked Kehrsyn. "That way I'd be sure to get away."
"No," said Demok. "Can't change. Left with a horse, have to ride back on one."
"You could say I took it from you," said Kehrsyn, turning over her shoulder to look at Demok. In answer, all she got was a wry smile.
They continued to search, crisscrossing the city streets and gradually moving closer to Wing's Reach.
"That's them," said Demok. "Lie down."
Kehrsyn lay low against the horse's back, one arm reaching forward to grip the front of the horse's harness, the other arm held close to her body with the hand tightly gripping the horse's mane. She hid her head to one side of the horse's large neck. Demok slung his cloak over her to conceal her form as well as he could. For the rest,