Chapter 10

“When did he leave?” Radu asked, his voice tight.

“Nine days,” Joric responded, his eyes looking from his Emperor to the Emperor’s Right Hand in confusion. “He requested leave; he’s never taken leave before, so he was due. I thought nothing of it. Is something wrong?”

“You didn’t ask where he was going?” Vondi asked, ignoring Joric’s confusion.

“It didn’t cross my mind,” Joric admitted, his confusion growing. “We own his life as a soldier, but his personal time is his own. I never even asked, simply told him to be back by the third week of Mephae. What’s this about?”

Radu didn’t respond, merely turned to his sister. Vondi tilted her head at him and he nodded slightly. Without taking her eyes off her brother, Vondi answered. “The Emperor has eyes everywhere. A man matching Arlade’s description was seen purchasing passage across the Strait of Morrud.”

“Why would he be going to Wenland?” Joric asked in confusion.

“A question we’d like to ask him ourselves,” Radu sighed, turning to his friend. “Even more, we’d like to know why he was purchasing the hold-space of an entire merchant vessel – a merchantman that seems to have vanished without a trace. He was seen accompanied by at least two score men and women and possibly quite a few more; a merchantman can hold close to a hundred people. People who, by their description, are members of the Red Guard.”

“Impossible!” Joric exclaimed vehemently. “Even if he sails with only forty, I’m certain I don’t have two squads worth of people on leave.”

“We checked,” Vondi replied quietly, her eyes turning from her brother’s face to the head of the Red Guard. “You don’t. In the three legions, there are only twenty-two people on leave. We’ve been able to locate twelve in the short time we’ve been looking; they’re with their families or otherwise disposed. No, the men he has with them are not members of our legions. They’re something else; imposters, perhaps. Or, worse, a rogue contingent of some kind.”

“‘Rogue contingent’?” Joric questioned quietly, his brow creased. “Heading to Wenland? Why would a ‘rogue contingent’ head to Wenland? Did no one question them?”

“Who would?” Radu snorted. “The success of the Guards in its short life is legendary; they are considered the elite. Even the Imperial Guard defers to them in many matters; a situation which will be addressed shortly.”

“Are we certain it was Arlade?” Joric asked, his face creased in heavy thought.

Vondi looked at her brother; he merely raised his eyebrows in question. “We’ve had Arlade under surveillance for some time. A revolving contingent of the Imperial Guard.”

“Surveillance?” Joric gasped, his face turning between Radu and Vondi. “Why? And why wasn’t I notified?”

“It started when he was training Audette,” Vondi explained. “At first, only during the training sessions but... “ Vondi paused, frowning. “I’ll be honest. For some reason, I’ve never liked him. He just seemed – slippery. Dangerous – but I could never find fault with him. When the Imperial Guard found nothing awry, I felt foolish. It wasn’t until I started going through the daily reports when I found something passingly strange.”

“What did you find?” The older man asked.

“He drinks,” Vondi said with a frown.

“He drinks?” Joric’s voice was filled with incredulity. “He drinks? Nearly all of the Reds drink, Vondi. I myself accompany some men to a tavern at the end of a day to have a drink or two.”

“He doesn’t go with other members of the Red Guard,” Vondi explained uncomfortably. “Ever. Every night, without fail, he reportedly went to the same tavern and drank with the same group of men and women.”

“That is pretty thin, Vondi,” Joric accused tightly but his face was troubled.

“Yes, it was,” Vondi admitted. “I thought perhaps my paranoia was running away with me. You have to admit, it was odd, though. I decided to give the surveillance another month and then let it go. It was lucky I did. Always before, he would head to the tavern, drink with the same group and then head home. Towards the end of that month, however, his visits to the tavern started to last longer and longer.”