‘Malik’s place’, the tavern Utnas had picked was located near the city’s stables, so Sudi decided to head over there and choose some good horses for the last part of their journey. Malik himself, a man of mixed Issirian and Lorian blood, stopped for a moment to talk with Lord Nattas.

While not the most recognizable face, Storm was a well-known figure in Alden and people often approached him to ask for favors. Malik sensing his mood decided to keep it professional, which in tavern-dialect meant he talked long about his considerable wine collection and his white cheese, overly disappointed Lord Nattas hadn’t tasted the latter. The last thing Storm wanted with this heat, was eating a chunk of stinking cheese.

“I thought he’d never leave,” Storm commented, when the tavern’s owner left them to go torture another table.

“I thought he’d offer us some of his wine for the road,” Titus replied pensively.

Storm turned to scold the clearly inebriated man, his eyes taking in the scenes unfolding around him. Utnas standing in the street again, a misstep away from getting trampled over. Fucking idiot, Storm thought. Titus burped validating his earlier thought, a couple getting between them all smiles and sweet words. Next to them Parkor, face red as a mature apple, grinned for whatever reason and behind him the man wearing the raised woolen hood, popped in and out of focus.

“I just want to eat fish,” The woman said, tongue staying on her lower lip a moment longer than necessary. “Any fish.”

She had a long neck, blond hair caught behind her small feminine ears. Light blue eyes and a face full of freckles. Some men find it palatable but not Lord Nattas.

Her lover, a man obviously favoring spotted skin, opened his mouth to answer but before he’d uttered a single word, someone pushed him away.

The man with the ridiculous heavy hood shading his face, stepped forward and raised his hand over his head. Storm blinked unsure on what he was seeing, then he caught a glimpse of the blade held in the man’s fingers gleam and froze. The assassin’s hand moved deftly, the small blade tossed his way from less than four feet. Storm wanted to move away, somersault his way out of trouble, but he was a man on a bad leg and never that good in gymnastics anyway. Parkor’s face filled his vision, a strange thing Storm thought, as one would expect something of more fuckin' substance, to be the last picture a man sees before the end.

“KNIFE!” Titus roared.

Then everything happened all at once, time speeding up after it had almost crawled to a stop.

Parkor spat blood on his face and fell on him as if kicked. People screamed, either scared for their lives or just excited to see Lord Nattas getting slain as a well fed pig. Storm tried to hold the injured young man, but couldn’t and buckled collapsing on the ground, Parkor following on top of him.

“Move, you bloody fool!” Storm yelled, suddenly full of adrenalin again. Parkor mumbled something ineligible, spitting more blood, some of it caught him in the eye and it stunk something fierce, so Storm had to shove him off of him. A patron almost stepped on his hand, missed at first, but before Storm pulled it away he squashed his pinky finger with a heavy boot, just as another kneed him in the kidneys making him howl in pain, cursing all the gods of men and women.

Titus was the one who lifted him off the floor some time later. A captain of the city guard had arrived, men-at-arms following and had forced some heavy-handed order in the tavern’s porch. Storm looked at his bloated, deep-red finger shocked. He probably couldn’t move his hand at all. He tried it just to be sure.

Nope. He could just fine. Not the finger though. There the damage seemed severe.

“They tried to kill me,” He murmured and anger replaced fear. “Have you caught the ruffian?”

“He got away,” Titus replied looking worried. “Nibble son-of-a-goat.”

“You were drunk,” Storm spat. “Pretending you’re worried now offers me no solace!”

Titus frowned. “I’m not worried. And you’re fine.”

“Why you insolent—”

“Kid caught a blade in the back. Went through his lung,” Titus said stopping him.

Storm grimaced. “At least they didn’t kill us both.”

“My lord. He saved your life.”

Nonsense. Idiot tripped his way into trouble per usual. Storm thought. Then again…

He assumed a hurt look. “Lad valued my life more than his own,” As he should. “Just like his poor mother,” Titus seemed less than convinced by his performance. “Send word to the King. We must control the narrative.”

“There is one?”

“No. Not yet. But I will think of something.”

“Are we still going to the tourney?” The former soldier asked.

“Aye,” Storm gave another look at his hurting finger. Good Gods this looks hideous! “I’ll need to take care of this,” He said troubled.

“What about the kid?”

“Well…” Surely someone could take care of the body, he thought.

“Injury is serious,” His man insisted.

That fool is still breathing?

“Ah. Then we will have to leave him to the Palace’s Dottore.”

“He may not make it,” Titus pointed out, but by now Lord Nattas was thinking on the repercussions of this attack and how best to take advantage of the situation.

“Let’s pray he does. Abrakas will guard him, I’m sure,” He replied, although it was doubtful, the great Abrakas gave two shits about the young man.

The Captain of the city guard’s detachment, pressed his lips into a thin line. It made his square face, standing atop a square body, with hard-angled shoulders and shortish legs, appear even squarer, than it was humanly possible.

“Every effort is being made to apprehend the suspects,” He spat.

Storm sighed pensively.

“Any results?”

“We have a couple in custody. A man and a woman,” The captain announced pointing at the duo Storm had witnessed earlier, kept separate from the other customers.

“I was attacked by a hooded man,” Storm repeated hoping to get some sense into the daft soldier.

“No such individual was found Lord Nattas.”

“Yes, because my man chased him off. He run...’ Storm paused for emphasis. ‘Away. Are you guarding the gates at least?”

“Of course. Can you describe the culprit Lord Nattas?”

Storm smacked his lips.

“Not really. It all happened so fast,” I had blood in my eyes. “You believe the couple saw him up close?” They could have, he thought.

“Probably working together,” The captain decided.

“Ah. So the process now is… to question them?”

“It will be done shortly.”

“Can I take a bite at them? Captain…” Storm trailed having forgotten his name already.

“Cornerblum.”

“Yes. Captain Cornerblum, heard quite a tale of your exploits. You’re from Asturia? The Legion was stationed there, no?”

“Anorum.”

“Of course, a northern lad, big and… brave as they say.”

Captain Cornerblum smiled shyly. “Well, thank you my lord.”

“Can I question the couple dear captain Cornerblum?”

The captain frowned, then nodded. “Don’t see why not, my lord.”

Abrakas this was painful, Storm thought, then smiled through his pain.

“Excellent.”

Storm watched as captain Gerwig with a ‘v’ Cornerblum brought the couple to him. It was probably a waste of his time and the finger was hurting enough to make him forget about his swollen leg, but sometimes information comes from unlikely sources they say, Storm resigned. People saying it, probably had no sources to begin with.

“Lord Nattas, I hope you’re well,” The man said politely.

“It’s my nephew I worry about,” Storm lied with a straight face.

“Speak your name!” Captain Cornerblum roared. The man blinked shocked.

“It’s Orri… ahm, Sunweather. This is my fiancé Maja.”

The woman with the freckles and the blond hair, about twenty something Storm guessed, smiled nervously.

“Well mister Orri, have you seen my attacker?”

“Not really my lord.”

There goes nothing. Then again, he answered rather quickly, Storm thought.

“You were standing less than a foot from him.”

“I wasn’t… paying attention.”

“Hmm,” Storm looked at the Captain. “Can I talk with the woman alone please?”

“Of course my lord,” Cornerblum said. “Take him away.”

Storm watched as they removed the man from his presence. The worried look on his fiancé’s face was interesting. Pretty girl, he decided. His mind wandered to the whore he’d left in Novesium for some reason.

“He didn’t do anything,” She said, while Storm stared at the table’s surface to collect his thoughts. “He travels, buys his skins and then sells them. He’d never dare attack you lord Nattas.”

Storm raised his eyes on her face. Caught a good glimpse of her bust and well-proportioned body underneath her thin summer dress as well. He cleared his throat, once again distracted by trivial matters.

“I’m afraid, I have some grave news Maja,” He said solemnly and watched her squirm in worry with a good amount of pleasure. “There’s been a conspiracy.”

“No.”

“Aye, it’s unfortunate. My poor nephew paid the ultimate prize… almost.” His hurt pinky finger bothered him again so he paused to breathe. “Your husband is involved,” He said flatly. Her eyes popped up alarmed.

“My husband… he’s not. We’re not married,” She stammered. Clever lass, Storm thought.

“Well, still… one has to wonder. How far this thing has spread? Who else could be involved? Hmm, personally I think you had no idea on what he was planning in his long absences.”

“I hadn’t,” She shook her head, blond curls dancing free from her small ears. “I can’t believe… I’ve known him for six years.”

“We don’t really know another’s soul my dear. Not really. Not ever. There are few men one can trust in this life, I’m afraid.”

“You must believe me lord Nattas.”

She was looking at him now with renewed interest. Survival is a great aphrodisiac.

“What did the man look like? You’ve seen or heard something.”

“I… he said,” She hesitated.

“Yes?” Lord Nattas probed with a smile.

“You’ll pay for his brother my lord.”

“So where’s the girl?” Sudi asked him some time later. He’d just arrived from securing their horses for the final stage of their journey. Lord Nattas thought about canceling it at first but he decided against altering his plans. The shock of the attack had worn off somewhat but not completely. His hurting finger a strong constant reminder of what had almost happened.

“I’ve sent her to Cartagen with Titus. She’ll stay in my house for now.”

“In your house…” Sudi repeated. Storm glared at him.

“Some things she said struck me as peculiar,” He growled.

“Ahm… she’s involved then?”

“I don’t think so.”

“So what, she’s a guest?” His man probed. Storm grimaced. “Right. It seems my Lord you were lucky.”

Storm stared at his bandaged finger. “I almost died.”

“Your nephew probably will,” Sudi seemed unfazed about the ordeal. “You know it could have been worse.”

“That’s not exactly comforting you idiot. Still, it is not as bad as that time in Scaldingport,” Storm shuddered at the thought.

“That wasn’t an attempt on your life boss,” Sudi corrected him annoyingly. “An old tile fell from the balcony near you. No one was involved.”

“It got me on the shoulder!” Storm exploded. “Almost left me a cripple.” That would be twice over. “Two people were punished for the act!”

Sudi sighed. “Killed. And they were not responsible.”

“Pfft. How about trying to protect me from getting killed or maimed you damn fool? That’s why I’m paying you!”

“If they wanted you dead. There are other methods,” Sudi commented probably enjoying the subject too much for his own good.

“Like what?”

“Poison.”

“I’ll have you taste my meals henceforth,” Storm replied readily.

“Or you could try fortifying yourself,” Sudi fired back.

Storm frowned.

“Can you be more specific?”

“There’s a dottore, he can help you build resistance to most poisons. Some of my people were doing it back home.”

Issirs were a breed of psychopaths, Storm thought.

“You want me to poison myself, so I can avoid being poisoned?” He asked.

Sudi paused to think about it for a moment. Then shrugged his shoulders.

“Aye.”

Next morning found them on the road again. Utnas had stayed with his nephew and Titus was probably already on the boat sailing for Cartagen with the young woman. Sudi and a couple of hired guards made up their small party. Lord Nattas felt tired and they had another week of journey ahead of them at least. He hated traveling that much we have thoroughly established, but it seemed it was all he was doing these days.

“She mentioned a brother,” He said to his man. Sudi was riding next to him at a comfortable pace at his insistence.

“The wench?”

“Yes. Said the assassin talked about wanting me to pay for his brother,” Storm explained adjusting his arse on the saddle. It didn’t help him at all.

“Well. It’s as good a reason as any, I suppose,” Sudi replied. Lord Nattas whipped his head towards him.

“Do you know who he is?”

“I have no idea.”

“Well, have you killed anyone lately that may be related to the culprit?”

“Only at your orders my Lord.”

Strom grinded his teeth. “You’re not helpful.”

“I wouldn’t know. I don’t check on their relations,” Sudi said. “It would make for awkward conversation asking a man about his family before killing him.”

Lord Nattas checked their guards were out of earshot. “You should check it out. That sailor? Or the other guy.”

“Titus saw him?”

“Not really. He was wearing a bloody hood.”

“Then it’s difficult to guess. Not really helpful,” He paused. “Of course that means there’s no conspiracy. Just revenge. Makes matters simpler.”

Storm nodded. “I suppose.”

“Unless the woman lied,” Sudi added.

“Why would she lie?”

“No idea. Why do people lie?”

Storm checked to see if he could smack him from where he was, without falling down the horse and breaking his good leg. Sudi pulled smartly away, as if guessing his thoughts. “I want you to look into this,” Storm hissed, suddenly everything bothering him. His leg, his injured finger and his back.

“I will. Don’t worry boss,” Sudi said with a small grin. “I won’t let them hurt you.”

“Let me guess,” Storm replied deictically. “I pay you a fortune, am I close?”

“Almost,” Sudi deadpanned showing two rows of good teeth. “But I could do wit a raise.”