The battle with the undead left Eddred exhausted and he slept until well past sunrise. When he finally woke, he groaned and sat up. His body ached from shoulders to calves. He had been far too lax in his training. That would have to be remedied.
“Good morning, King Eddred.”
He nearly fell out of bed when the soft, feminine voice spoke. In the shadowy corner of the room, the lovely figure of Naja sat in the only chair. She rose and bowed to him. She wore the same billowing black dress and veil which left only her eyes visible.
“Is that one of your assassination techniques?” he asked. “Scaring someone to death?”
“I’ve used it before. But frightening you wasn’t my intention. I am here with bad news.”
Of course she was. How come no one ever brought him good news? “Let’s have it.”
“The guild master has rescinded the contract on Wolfric and Otto. Your gold will be returned to your ship by the end of the day.” She shook her head. “I am sorry, but it was the only way to save the city. We will not accept another contract on either of them or their families. This is the bargain we struck.”
Relief flooded through Eddred. The whole assassination business had always sat badly with him, especially after what happened to the city. Having the matter closed for good took a weight off his mind. True, they still needed to find a way to stop Otto and Wolfric, but now they could focus on finding a more honorable way to go about it.
“Thank you for coming to tell me. We’ll be taking our leave in the next day or so. While I hope to return some time, if that doesn’t come to pass, it was a pleasure to meet you.”
“You are a good man, Eddred of Markane. Whatever happens in the future, I wish you all the best.”
Eddred sighed as she slipped silently out the door. He needed to talk to Lord Valtan. He doubted the Arcane Lord would take the news well.
The voyage back to South Barrier Island seemed to Eddred the longest of his life. The hours ticked by like days and every minute he couldn’t stop thinking about the death and destruction his quest for revenge had caused. Lord Valtan claimed they were trying to save the world, but from Eddred’s perspective, it seemed they were only making things worse.
“Land ho!” the lookout in the crow’s nest called.
From his place by the helm, Eddred could barely make out the narrow strip of green that was the island.
Another six hours passed before they finally tied up to the longest dock. The moment the gangplank hit into the wharf, he hurried down; for some reason Eddred, who normally loved being out to sea, felt an overwhelming need to feel the earth beneath his feet. Uther and the rest of the crew followed at a more sedate pace.
Eddred sighed. “It’s good to be home.”
Beside him, Uther snorted. “This little patch of dirt is no more your home than it is mine. Where is your master? We need to plan our next move. You know that bastard Shenk isn’t going to be sitting still for long.”
As if summoned by Uther’s words, an ethereal projection of Lord Valtan appeared a short distance away. Everyone but Uther bowed.
“What happened?” Valtan asked.
“The assassins lost their nerve!” Uther said before Eddred had a chance.
“Two Garenland ships loaded with wizards showed up in the City of Coins’s harbor,” Eddred said. “Wolfric demanded the assassins be handed over or they’d burn the city to the ground. Otto’s war wizards made a credible start the first day. And that night he set a bunch of ghouls loose in the streets. They killed more people than the fire.”
Valtan shook his head. “Is there no depth the man won’t sink to?”
“The city lords decided to make a deal,” Eddred continued. “The leader of the assassins promised not to accept a contract on Otto, Wolfric, or their loved ones in exchange for the city being spared. I have our payment on the ship.”
“So what do we do now?” Uther demanded. “It’s been nearly a year since I arrived and we’ve accomplished exactly nothing.”
Valtan turned his glowing gaze on Uther. “You are not a prisoner here. If you wish to take your chances elsewhere, by all means, go. A boat can be arranged by the end of the day.”
“I don’t know how to sail a boat,” Uther growled. “I just want to save my father and free my people. Killing Otto Shenk would be a nice bonus.”
“I share your frustration,” Valtan said. “But this was never an enemy that would fall quickly or easily. Though I had high hopes for the assassins.”
“I’ve had enough.” Eddred spoke so softly the others didn’t seem to hear him. “I said, I’ve had enough.”
Every gaze focused on him and his throat went dry.
“What are you saying?” Valtan asked.
“I’m saying, all we’re doing is making things worse. How many more people have died because of our efforts? If we’d just minded our own business, Garenland would have left us alone and our families would still be alive. Hiring the assassins only caused more people to suffer in the City of Coins. Worst of all, we’ve accomplished nothing to even slow Otto’s efforts. It’s time to let it go.”
Uther took a step towards him and for a moment Eddred feared the angry prince might strike him. “Let it go? You mean forget that my land has been conquered and my father made a slave?”
“Your father started this mess.” Eddred didn’t care what Uther did. He wouldn’t let the younger man pretend his precious father didn’t play a major part in the chaos that had infected the continent. “If Straken had curbed its ambition, none of this would have happened.”
“Enough!” The force of Valtan’s roar nearly put Eddred on his backside. “If Otto Shenk succeeds in his quest, what has happened up until now will seem a pleasant memory. Arcane Lords consume and destroy. It is what we are. Only by the narrowest of margins did I escape that fate and only then after seeing the horrors the others committed. Power and lack of experience will cause Otto to overreach, probably killing thousands in the process. He. Must. Be. Stopped!”
Eddred swallowed a sigh. That was exactly the response he’d expected. “Do you have a new plan? If it seems feasible, I will continue the fight. But not at the expense of more innocent lives.”
“Thank you, Eddred. Unfortunately, I don’t, as of yet, have a new plan. Take some time. Rest here. When I think of something, I’ll return.” So saying, Valtan vanished.
There was a modest, seemingly deserted village not far from the dock. Maybe they could find some fresh food and a clean bed. For now, that was the best Eddred dared hope for.