Jabin stealthily approached the barracks keeping to the shadows. He was well in the clear of the castle guards now, but it was better to be safe. Would be a fool's luck to get caught by a guard sneaking off to pee. Jabin knocked the memorized rhythm only other soldiers knew. Three slow knocks followed by a triple wrap and a single hard tap with the toe of your boot.

A small door opened, and an eye appeared in the slot. “Prince,” He gasped. “It is the middle of the night.”

“You shall call me Field Master when the King or the first prince isn’t present Lian. Now, will you let me in it is quite cold and starting to drizzle?” Jabin hunched over to keep the cold drizzle off his neck.

“Yes, Field Master.” Lian stepped back and clumsily pulled the heavy bolt out of the door. Jabin stepped in and nodded to the shorter heavier man. Lian was a husky soldier. He had broad shoulders and fought like a wild badger. Jabin had fought within yards of Lian in a battle on Windal ridge two years earlier. A mistake he would not make again as he was almost knocked out by a wild swing.

Lian had bludgeoned a pack of twelve enemy Spear men. Something no man with a club should be capable of. He had burrowed through the enemies inside defense. He broke their bones with both a heavy club and iron knuckles. Jabin had been so caught up in the ferocious sight he had nearly been stabbed by his own foe. Lian hadn’t even worn armor that day, he fought shielded only by his black hairy chest and back. After the battle, Jabin made him seventh in command if only to ensure he would be close enough in battle to see it again.

“I need to speak with Captain Junz immediately and discretely. Do you understand Lian?”

Lian merely nodded. He grabbed a flaming scone from off the wall and walked with Jabin down the hall to Junz’s private quarters. Lian tapped the rhythm on the captain's door. Junz grunted loud enough to be heard from the door. Lian slowly pushed the door open and saw Junz’s lightning blue eyes from the light of the door. The young commander sat up and slipped on his pants heading to the door. Lian stepped back, “Forgive the intrusion sir, The Field Master is here.”

Jabin jabbed Lian in the back and flashed his eyes to the other doors in the hall hoping no one else had heard. The door swung open and Junz stood in his darkened door looking intently at the prince. He bowed after a pause and motioned with his hand for Jabin to come in. Jabin stepped into the dark room as Junz squatted down to light his fireplace.

“I had not realized the cold season was already upon us or I would have already lit the fireplace, Field Master.” He chuckled to himself.

“I am here on an expedient mission, not to warm up from the cold, and you know my name, Captain.”

Junz spun on his heels and saluted. “I am sorry Jabin.”

Jabin narrowed his eyes suspecting sarcasm. Perhaps the Captain was simply irritated at being interrupted in the middle of the night. Jabin decided to ignore it for now. “Relax Junz. Just have a seat with me.” Jabin turned to the small round table by the fireplace. The full moonlight shined through the window onto the table face making it the least dark place in the room. Junz sat across from him in the darkness. “I am on a mission to save the life of an innocent man against the will of the king. I do not wish to involve you against your will so I ask rather than command you, will you help me save this man’s life.”

“Who is this man?” Junz leaned in clearly intrigued.

“My brother.” Jabin sat back and exhaled as if he had dropped a heavy burden, but Junz failed to follow.

“Your brother is the first prince why would he want to kill the inheritor of the throne?”

“Not Terin. I have another brother. He was a bastard of my father. Nabal was never told his Crull mother was seduced by the King.”

“You have a Crull stepbrother named Nabal?” Junz sat back and chuckled.

“Yes, now they are going to exterminate him like a castle rat.” Jabin clenched his teeth.

“Maybe he should be exterminated, he could try to usurp the throne.” Junz raised his brow.

“He is my brother Junz. He is an innocent man. He doesn’t even know.” Jabin exhaled loudly. “I cannot allow it. You are my best sword and most trusted officer. I need you with me.”

Junz studied the tabletop a moment. He appeared to be deep in thought. “I cannot go with you this time Prince.” He looked up into Jabin’s eyes with a coldness reserved only for the lowest of Crull scum. “I will however give you an hour. I smell advancement in the air.” He leaned forward his white teeth gleaming in the moonlight. “You always loved sport Jabin. Now you shall receive the very best. I will pretend this conversation never happened and you go ahead and seek your bastard brother. In your absence, I shall take command of the King’s army and hunt you like a rabid dog.” His voice dripped venom as he finished his sentence.

Jabin cleared his throat shocked and stood from his seat. He had to do a double take as he could not believe his ears. He clenched his teeth. He had worked with Junz for several years. “I saved your life.” He had half a mind to run the insolent man through the heart. His men had discouraged Jabin privately not to promote Junz but Jabin had considered it jealousy. He had always despised jealousy.

He knew some of the men were jealous that Jabin had been placed in charge of the King’s army at sixteen, but Jabin had worked hard. Perfecting his skill daily since childhood, it had not been simply handed to him. He had not foreseen this in Junz however. He had not suspected Junz to ever turn on him. Jabin had seen only passion and ambition, now he saw the man as he was. A fox looking for a hole in the fence. He shook his head and glared at the unarmed commander. “Pray you do not meet me personally while you are in uniform, I shall cleave your arrogant heart from your chest.” Jabin spat through gritted teeth.

“You can have it now for free. Little chance I would be able to defend myself from the prince in my bedclothes.” Jabin only glared, Junz spread his night shirt wide, bearing his chest. He showed no fear in his eyes. He was fully aware Jabin was a man of honor. He sighed and closed his shirt, “we must continue this at a later hour then.”

“Apparently my time is short I must make the best of it.” Jabin bowed sarcastically.

“Proceed Field Master.” Junz relaxed his hand from the dagger stuck to the underside of his table. He sat back and placed both heels on the table crossed at the ankles. “I’ve timed you at every sparring bout since you promoted me, Jabin. You had better pray we don’t meet blade to blade it may be your heart I present on a platter to the King. Run along now, I shall catch up presently.”

Jabin turned and stormed from the room. Junz had always appeared to Jabin as an image of himself. Young and ambitious as he and an equal fanatic of the blade. He had never even imagined the boy would ever betray him. He turned into the hallway and brushed past Lian. Lian fought to keep up. “What is it, Field Master?” The shorter hairy man walked double the pace of Jabin to stay right behind him.

“I am no longer the Prince or the Field Master.” He stopped turned and growled so fast that Lian ran right into him. “Junz is your Field Master now.”

“He is not my Field master. I maintain my loyalty to you Prince Jabin.”

“You were listening to the door?” Jabin took his eyes off Junz’s door and locked them on Lian.

Lian cleared his throat. “Forgive me, sir. Although if I had not you would have marched out of here into the rain as alone as you came in.”

Jabin studied the man a moment. What kind of man was Lian really? “Well, I intend to retrieve my things and leave in a few minutes. If you intend to go with me, I suggest you do the same.”

“I will meet you at the stables, sir.”

“Why the stables? I need to find Nabal in Crull district we can walk.”

“Prince Jabin I am a Crull, you cannot just walk into Crull district even with log ash in your hair. You are too easily recognizable. You are wearing a silk shirt for the Ancient’s sake. Besides, I saw Nabal several nights ago leaving Minna’s Pub. The Myaru are looking for him right now. He made some dangerous enemies before he left. I just happen to be the only one that knows where he went.” He paused waiting for Jabin to ask but Jabin simply stood waiting. “He left the city out into Windal Wood where he spends most of his time. Sativatti has been waiting for him to return with evil intent. If Nabal were back in Crull district already he would be dead most likely.”

“What did he do?” Jabin asked.

Lian shrugged. “Made the wrong men mad somehow. Rumor says he may have been in league with a traitor.”

So not only was Nabal being hunted by his father and brother but even his own people. It may be harder than he expected to save Nabal’s life. “I thought the Crull were Hecate worshipers?” Jabin referred to Lian’s mention of the Ancient.

“Not all Crull sir.” Lian looked at his feet. “She never called to me. I find her and her priestesses vulgar. I don’t fit in with the Crull Prince. I am called a Tarsh lover.”

“Doesn’t sound like the Crull have forgiven my family yet.”

“Your grandfather was rather brutal with the Crull, Prince.”

“Stop calling me Prince. I am Jabin. Now let me gather my things and meet you at the stables. Perhaps you could aid me with your tracking skills.”

“Nabal is a harder man to track than most. He is more of a woodsman than even I. Nevertheless, I shall give it my best effort field- I mean Jabin.” He studied his toes again after saying the prince’s name.

“Good, then we must hurry. Get your things and meet me outside if you really wish to go.”

Jabin turned and walked briskly to his room. He gathered his maps and placed them in his leather satchel along with Woolie’s treats. He turned and crept toward his door. Would Junz truly give him an hour or was he already assembling his men? He opened the door and stepped into the hall. He walked not toward the door he came in but down a different hall that led to a side door. Jabin pulled the bar from the door and silently sprinted through the dark wet grass toward the kennel.

Woolie smelled him before he even reached the kennel and began to jump and rattle the wooden door. Jabin reached into his satchel and felt around for the bag of treats. He pulled out a wooden ball he had carved for Woolie. He opened the kennel door and stepped back from the inevitable pounce. Woolie leaped on him putting his front paws on Jabin’s shoulders and licking his face with his long-wet tongue. Jabin shrugged him off and wiped his face off with his sleeve. He showed the wooden ball to the long-haired black dog. Woolie dropped low on his front paws and lifted his rear end high in the air wagging his tail.

“We have some hunting to do boy.” Jabin knelt down and tossed the ball to the dog. Woolie pounced on the ball and began gnawing on it obsessively. Jabin stood and patted the back of his leg for the dog to follow. Woolie clamped the ball in his jaws and followed his master.

Jabin reached the stables by the side; he hung back in the dark. The stable master would be in there somewhere. He would have to sneak up and saddle Comet silently. If the stable master heard him, he may have to thump him on the head with the butt of his sword and hope it would take down the stubborn old man. He was about to slip around the building when he saw the stable master step out with his lantern lit.

The scarred-up old man drew his sword and looked out in the darkness for something Jabin could not see. Jabin squatted lower. Had Junz already come after him? Lian jumped into the light of the lantern and struck the stable master in the face with a single flying punch knocking the stable master on his back like falling timber. Jabin jumped out from behind the stable after watching the man collapse. “Why did you hit him?”

Lian turned to Jabin his light brown eyes catching the firelight of the lantern. “I thought you said this was an urgent mission?”

Jabin came to a stop overlooking the breathing but unconscious man. Arguing now would be futile. He had considered knocking the man out himself after all. He dropped enough coin on the man's chest to see him looked after by the best apothecary and buy a few drinks to rid him of the headache. Then he turned and marched into the stables to saddle Comet. He patted the white speckled horse along his jaw and placed his forehead against the horse’s forehead.

“I hate to interrupt your moment Prince but am I riding double with you, or should I procure my own horse?” Lian grinned.