Return to Canifis

accent was strange, and the words of the Common Tongue did not come easily to him.

“No. Too much blood,” he rasped. “The scent is lost.”

Pia shook her head.

“They were here. I swear it.”

“She tells the truth kind mistress-we have been hiding here for two days now,” Velko added. “Jerrod returned today from some errand in the east, and then he and Sulla and another of our party called Barbec returned to Varrock. By the southern road.”

“Again we miss them by bad luck alone,” Kara spat grimly.

“So it seems,” the blue-robed woman said. When she brushed her hair back Pia saw that she wore a small silver tiara. Her cold eyes settled on Velko first and then shifted to Pia. “Tell me-you and Pia both-of what you know.”

“You waste your time, Arisha.” Gar’rth interrupted angrily. “I can find no scent of them.”

Pia felt Jack nudge her discreetly, and he murmured in her ear.

“It was Gar’rth who tracked me all the way from the Flying Donkey in Varrock. I don’t know how he did it, but they caught me when I had decided to return to the city for help.”

“They were here. Both of them,” Velko persisted. “But it ain’t bad luck that’s allowed them to escape you. I know, you see. I travelled from The Wilderness with them after Sulla took charge of our band, after he tricked Leander, which is something I didn’t think I would live to see.” The bandit stood and laughed eerily. “They have help, you see. Jerrod has visions.”

“What visions?” Gar’rth demanded.

Was that fear in his voice?

“I don’t know. But twice in The Wilderness he told us how to avoid trouble. The first time was the very afternoon we left Leander behind. A group of Kinshra horsemen, about two dozen, would have run straight into us if we hadn’t followed Jerrod’s instructions.” Velko laughed. “They must have found Leander though. I wonder what they did with him?”

“We saw them,” Arisha said. “They did have someone with them, but they were too far away for us to identify them. Whether this was Leander or another captive, I cannot say.”

“He’s had dealings with them before. Perhaps they spared him. Perhaps he’s bargained with them for what he knows about Sulla. You see, I know a bit more, as well.”

Pia felt Velko’s eyes fall upon her. The mutilated man drew a hand across his throat in a clear warning to remain silent.

Sulla’s blackmailing, she knew. That is what he wants to trade.

“These visions of Jerrod’s concern me,” Kara said. “I never knew he could do that. Did you?” She looked to Gar’rth, who shrugged.

“Maybe Lord Drakan is helping him. From Morytania. Guiding him.”

“But why now?” Arisha asked. “Why not six months ago?” Kara motioned, and the three companions strode back next to the barn to converse in secret. Pia saw Gar’rth shrug again, and shake his head. Finally, Kara sighed.

“Arisha, Gar’rth, find out from Velko the names of his dead companions,” she said resignedly. “I don’t think we can catch up with Sulla-he’ll be in Varrok now, and we are already late. I promised Theodore we would be there for the Midsummer celebration.”

“Do you have paper, Kara?” Arisha said. “For the names?”

Suddenly Pia felt Jack move at her side.

“I have some, in my bag,” he said eagerly. “You can have it if you would like?”

Jack took the parchment from his bag and handed it to Arisha.

“Where did that come from Jack?” Pia asked her brother.

“You gave it me at the inn. It was the message that was passed on by the innkeeper.”

Pia gasped.

From the squire, Theodore, who so nearly ruined my plan.

Arisha took it and read the first line. Coldly, her blue eyes fell on the siblings.

“Explain this,” she said. “It is addressed to Kara.”

“What? What is it?” Kara strode back from the barn and took it. Her eyes passed over the short message and then fell back to Pia. “It’s from Theodore. You must have read this.”

“I…” Pia looked at the ground. “Neither of us can read,” she admitted.

“What does it say?” Gar’rth asked, his eyes narrowing visibly.

Kara looked at him steadily.

And coldly.

“He is most concerned with you and Arisha. He received Arisha’s letter telling him that we had gone into The Wilderness, and he wonders why neither of you are with me.”

“Is that all?” Gar’rth said.

“He also writes how worried he is that we are pursuing Jerrod, even all three of us.”

“Nothing else?”

“Nothing else, Gar’rth.” Kara folded the paper and put it in her satchel.

Suddenly Velko laughed, and he nodded in Pia’s direction.

“Jerrod? You should ask her about him. You cut him, didn’t you, girl? You made him bleed his black blood.” At his words, a look of absolute surprise appeared on the faces of Kara-Meir and her two companions.

“You cut him?” Gar’rth said. “How?”

“I found a dagger in the cellar. A two-bladed one. There is a cupboard there, and I used the knife to cut my bonds, and when I tried to run, Jerrod caught me.”

“And you are still alive? That is a miracle,” Kara said.

“Something happened to him, to Jerrod,” Velko offered. “The dagger made him ill.”

Kara’s eyes fell eagerly upon Pia.

“Show me.”

The girl led Kara back into the barn, but when the smell of blood hit her she wobbled. She felt Kara’s hand steady her.

“Take a moment,” she said calmingly. “It is a horrible sight, even to me, and I have fought in many battles.”

“I have never killed anyone before, Kara,” Pia responded. “How can you do it? They say you killed a hundred men in the siege of Falador.”

But Kara-Meir said nothing.

“And how could you see them, in the dark?” Pia asked as she recovered.

“I grew up with the dwarfs under Ice Mountain,” Kara explained. “My younger years were spent in very dark places. My eyes became attuned to see in such.” She gave Pia another moment to steady herself. “Now, are you ready?”

Pia nodded and found her way to the cellar. Stepping off of the ladder, she moved to the cupboard, where six of the two-bladed daggers still sat on a shelf.

“I heard someone say that Jerrod was a werewolf, Kara,” she said. “Is that true? Do such things truly exist?”

“It is true, Pia. Jerrod is a dreadful enemy, and I don’t understand how you could wound him with such a weapon as this.” Kara examined one of the daggers in detail.

“I saw his face, Kara,” Pia replied. “It was horrible. But then I saw it a few seconds later, and it was human. I thought I was imagining it. He said the dagger was cursed by Saradomin. Even being close to it seemed to make him sick.”

“Interesting, Pia.” Kara said. “Very interesting.” She sniffed the blade, and then, with a wary look up the ladder into the barn, as though she didn’t want to be seen, she tucked one of the knives into her satchel. Then, after a moment of consideration, she took four of the remaining five and did likewise.

“Tell no one of this, Pia. No one. Do you understand?”