Kyler and Lola chuckled. Ryder, taciturn as always, barely reacted.
Brandt stared at his empty mug for a moment before looking up.
“What was worse?” Lola taunted. “Almost getting buried alive, or meeting with the governor and telling him your foolishness almost got you buried alive?”
“Do I have to choose?” Brandt asked.
The five wolfblades sat in a corner booth at one of the local taverns, huddled around a round table that comfortably seated three. The tavern was doing brisk business tonight, though, and the table was all that was available. Brandt imagined if they flashed their unit crests, space would clear for them, but they preferred the relative anonymity.
Brandt leaned back in the booth, willing himself to relax.
“You going to tell us about it, or are we just going to keep drinking your beers for you?” Lola asked.
Brandt ran a hand through his short hair and sighed. “The governor wasn’t upset.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Kyler asked.
“He ordered us to return to the mountains to find the man who trapped Ana and me.”
“And that’s a problem because…” Kyler prompted.
“It’s the wrong decision.”
“Of course it is,” Lola said, the sarcasm dripping from her words. “Only you would know better than the governor.”
“I do,” Brandt replied.
Despite the good-natured ribbing, when Brandt made the claim, the others listened. His wolfblades weren’t ones to show outward respect to their sergeant, but they didn’t need to. Brandt knew they would follow him to the gates and back.
“If,” Brandt emphasized the possibility, “this bandit is still in the mountains, hiding among the cliffs, we would be doomed if we found him. Given the strength of his affinity, even we aren’t good enough. The mountains are a battleground he controls.”
“But that’s not all, is it?” Ana, as usual, seemed like she could read into his thoughts.
“Nothing about this bandit makes sense. Look at the testimonies of the merchants that brought us here. By all accounts, we were supposed to be dealing with a weakly talented bandit, probably self-taught. He never took more than coin and left the merchants unharmed. None of that lines up with the man we encountered in the mountains.”
Brandt paused, wishing now he had that beer at hand. His throat was parched. “If he possesses this kind of power, why isn’t he using it? Why is he stealing petty amounts of money from merchants?”
“Maybe it’s not the same person?” Lola suggested.
“Possibly,” Brandt admitted. Something was getting under his skin, but he couldn’t figure out exactly what it was. The details didn’t line up.
“There’s something else,” Brandt continued. “As I was leaving the governor’s mansion today I ran into Zane Arrowood.”
Even Ryder cursed at that.
“What’s that snake doing here?” Ana asked.
Brandt shrugged. “He didn’t even acknowledge my presence, and I didn’t ask. But his being here worries me.”
Ana didn’t mind speculating. “Maybe he’s here about the bandit, too?”
Lola shot that idea down. “The Arrowoods don’t have any affinities in their family. They’d have no chance. And they don’t leave the capital for mere bandits.”
Kyler glanced from one woman to the other. “A lack of affinities has never stopped Zane Arrowood’s enemies from passing through the gates. He’s a dangerous man.”
Brandt cut off the speculation. “We could guess all night and never come close to the truth. That family has enough secrets to fill a library. I would like to believe that if we were both chasing the bandit the governor would have told me, though.”
Brandt didn’t need to explain his distrust of coincidences to the others. His fellow wolfblades had served together long enough. True coincidences were rare. Finding Zane Arrowood and an impossibly strong bandit in the same region wasn’t one.
“So, what’s tomorrow’s plan?” Kyler asked. He grounded the group and kept them focused on their next steps.
“Well,” began Brandt, “you still have to go to the academy.”
Kyler swore. “I hate children.”
“And yet you’re the best with them.” Brandt leaned forward. “I had an idea about the bandit, though.”
Lola shook her head. “Against orders, I assume?”
Brandt managed to look offended. “The governor’s orders don’t make any sense. Even if we could find him, he’d just send us all to the gates without a second thought. Besides, from what Ana and I saw, I don’t think he’s living up there. I think he’s only using the isolation for training.”
Brandt paused to ensure he had everyone’s attention. “I want us to focus on the road south of town. It’s where the bandit has been striking, and that is where we’ll find him. If we fight there, perhaps we’ll have an opportunity.”
Brandt’s confidence convinced most of his wolfblades. They nodded, agreeing with his logic. Despite their orders, they’d follow him.
Ana alone didn’t look convinced. He understood. The depth of the man’s affinity beggared belief. Even on flat ground, against a power like they had encountered in the mountains, they might not have a fighting chance. But without a better suggestion, she capitulated.
Brandt turned to Ryder. “Send a message to the captain. Request reinforcements. I’ll include what Ana and I saw.”
“Should I also inform him you’re disobeying a direct order from the governor?” Ryder asked.
“I was hoping you would leave that part out.”
A grim smile flashed over Ryder’s face.
“Also, I don’t want anyone wandering around town alone. As much as possible, all of us stay together. If you do encounter the bandit, don’t engage alone.”
Kyler looked hopeful. “Does that mean you’ll come help at the academy?”
Brandt laughed. “No. If you can’t survive a room full of children, you deserve your fate.”
Kyler swore as the others chuckled. The large man stood up. “Well, if I have to be in front of children tomorrow, I’d like to get drunk tonight. Another round?”
A round of agreement answered his question. Kyler glanced to Brandt for approval.
