for mercy echoed off the walls that surrounded him. Natram — zar must have known he was going to die, but that didn’t matter anymore, only that the pain stop.
Esk kar gave the signal to stop. “Give him water, then we’ll hear what he says.” A soldier brought a ladle of water from the well and held it to the man’s lips.
“Now, talk, and if you lie, you go back into the flames. And speak up, so all can hear your words.”
Natram — zar sucked in gulps of air before he could speak, then his voice croaked with pain and fear. “It was Caldor. Caldor paid me. Caldor, son of Nicar. I was only doing what the nobles wanted.” His voice trailed off and tears streamed down his cheeks.
A murmur of disbelief ran through the men in the courtyard, while Nicar cried from the wall, “No! It can’t be true.”
Even Esk kar felt surprise. He expected the man to name Nestor as the one who hired him. That was foolish. Of course Nestor wouldn’t want Trella killed. He might want Esk kar out of the way, but he had no grudge against Trella. He’d been more than kind to her at all their meetings. But Caldor? Could he be that stupid? A wave of anger went through Esk kar.
This was his fault. He should have taken care of Caldor sooner.
“Who else, Natram — zar, who else?” Esk kar grabbed the man by the shoulder and shook him. “Speak, or I’ll put you back in the fire!”
The words poured from Natram — zar. Now he would do anything to avoid the flames. “Nobody else… only Caldor… and his servant, Loki.
They approached me in the tavern… asked what I would do for gold, a lot of gold. He offered me… ten gold coins to kill her. I told him I’d need a horse… to escape, so he gave me twelve silver coins for that as well.”
“Where did you buy the horse? Who sold it to you?”
The wretched man mumbled the name of Zanar, a liveryman. “Send someone for him, Gatus. Hold him in the street outside and have him describe the man who bought the horse, when he bought it, and how much he paid.”
Esk kar turned back to the would — be assassin, who trembled uncontrollably. The smell of Natram — zar’s burning flesh hung in the air. “If the liveryman’s story differs from yours I’ll put every part of your body in the flames, piece by piece. Now tell me! Why did Caldor want Trella killed?”
“He said it was for the good of Orak. I don’t know why.” Natram — zar saw the black look on Esk kar’s face and screamed again. “I don’t know! I asked, but that’s all he would tell me. I swear it.” The man began to sob.
Esk kar had no doubt that he spoke the truth. “When did all this happen?” He had to shake the man hard to stop the sobbing. “Tell me the day and the hour!”
“Three days ago, Noble… in the tavern of Dadaius. I swear it. He gave me the gold and told me never speak to him again. Only Loki, when he brought the silver for the horse.”
Esk kar asked a few more questions. The man had lived in Orak for less than two months, avoiding the work gangs and living off his wits and his knife.
Leaving Natram — zar hanging there, Esk kar walked over to the nobles.
They looked ashen — faced after watching the torture, their fear plainly visible. Their guards remained in the street outside. The nobles were at Eskkar’s mercy. He could kill all of them, and no man would protest.
“Not pleasant to watch, is it, Nobles? A man tortured for information.
It’s easy to sit in a tavern and pay someone to murder, but not to watch death take a man. And it takes a special coward to pay for the murder of a woman.”
They flinched at his words, but he no longer cared what they thought of him. He stepped in front of Nicar. “Where is Caldor, Nicar?”
Nicar appeared incapable of speech, just shaking his head.
Esk kar turned to Sisuthros. “Find Caldor. If he’s not in the street outside, he’s probably at home. And the servant, Loki. Make sure you search Nicar’s house thoroughly. There may be hiding places within the walls or floors. Tear it down if you have to, but find him.”
Nicar tried to protest, stepping toward Esk kar, but Gatus shoved him back so hard that he bounced off the side of the house. “Stay where you are, Noble. Unless you wish to join your friend over there.”
Esk kar knew how fond Gatus was of Trella. The old soldier would be more than willing to kill anyone who’d tried to hurt her.
“Bantor, make sure nobody leaves the village, and keep the extra guards on the walls all night. I want a horse patrol to ride out first thing in the morning to run down whoever held the horse. We’ll get his name from Natram — zar. I want him caught. Have the trackers ride out at first light.”
“Well, Nobles,” Esk kar faced them again, “is there anyone else who knows anything about this among you?” He stood directly in front of Corio. “Answer me!”
“Captain, I swear I know nothing about this. I like Trella, you know that. I would never try to hurt her.”
Esk kar repeated the question before the others, getting the same answer, until he came to Nestor. “Well, Noble Nestor, what of you? Do you know anything about this?”
Nestor shook his head. “Captain, I know nothing about this. Nothing, I swear it by all the gods. I would never harm Trella.”
Staring into Nestor’s eyes and trying to read his thoughts, Esk kar felt tempted to believe him. The man hadn’t said anything to deny that he might bribe a man to kill the captain of the guard, but Trella was a different story.
Disgusted with them all, Esk kar stepped away. He wanted to think, and it would take a while before they found Caldor. He turned to his men.
“Keep them here. Gatus, come with me.”
Esk kar left the nobles standing there while he went into the house, Gatus following. Inside, he stopped and gripped the old soldier’s arm. “Watch them, Gatus. I don’t want any of them speaking to each other or sending messages to anyone. Have your men with them at all times.”
Gatus nodded and returned to watch over the nobles.
Inside the house, Esk kar found the big dining table cleared. The servants had finished washing it down, and now they scrubbed the blood from the floor. They looked up as Esk kar entered but his grim face turned their eyes quickly back to their work.
Esk kar ran up the stairs to the bedroom. Ventor and Annok — sur sat perched on stools on either side of the bed. To his surprise, Trella had regained consciousness. Her eyes turned to him.
Her guardians rose and left the room, leaving him alone with Trella.
Esk kar took Ventor’s place on the stool and picked up Trella’s hand, trying to keep his from shaking. “Are you in much pain?” He leaned down and kissed her cheek.
She smiled. Her voice sounded weak but steady. “It’s not so bad, husband. Now I know what a warrior feels from his wounds. Your hand shakes, Esk kar. Is something else wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong, Trella. We caught the man who did this. Just a common thief hired to do murder. Caldor paid him ten gold coins, plus a fine horse, to kill you. I should have killed both him and Nestor as soon as I returned to Orak.”
He shook his head in disgust at his failure. “We’re searching for Caldor, and we’ll find him soon. No man will risk hiding him, and the village is sealed.”
Her eyes closed for a moment, and her next words surprised him. “Poor Nicar, to endure this. He knew nothing of this, I’m sure. Don’t hurt Nicar, Esk kar. You need him.”
Esk kar shook his head. “This will cause a blood feud between us. Caldor dies tonight and Nicar will never forgive his death. Better that he and his family go the way of Drigo. No one in Orak cares. None will deny me my revenge.”
“We need men like Nicar and his son, Lesu. They’re good men and must not die over Caldor’s foolishness. Find some way to avoid killing Caldor.”
Her eyes closed before he could protest, but Esk kar knew she was thinking, so he waited, holding her hand.
She opened her eyes and began to speak. He had to lean closer to hear her words. When she finished, he looked at her. “It may not work, but I’ll try.”
