Chapter 53: Cleaning up one more mess

I awoke to the cook moving around in the kitchen well before dawn. I had finally fallen asleep sometime in the middle of the night while sprawled in the overstuffed chair that dominated the main room. She started kneading the dough with the occasional thump against the counter and I think that the thumping is what woke me. I checked my stitches and they seemed to be healing nicely.

Cook, that's what she insisted on having me call her, was very generous with her food and gave me a plate of fresh fruit to tide me over to breakfast. Although, it probably wasn't her food, it would have been Lord Grant's. That didn't really matter this morning I would have killed for a friend, and though she was nice she was afraid of me. Not that I blamed her, I probably terrified most of this town. The food that she provided helped me recover my strength from all of the healing that I have done the last night. Unfortunately I had to wait until the meal digested before I could try it again.

I wonder how Megan slept?

Quit it, Charlie. You have to let her go. Pining after her like a lovesick twit won't bring her back.

I drew water and asked the cook to heat some up for me. I was tired of shaving with cold water, and figured that since I had a chance I'd extend the life of my last razor. When we got to Fairhaven I'd have to order a straight razor. Maybe Chandra can shave me, or at least give me lessons. I wasn't about to let anyone else near my neck with a sharp blade.

I physically felt better after my morning ablutions, almost enough to feel human. Well a human with a heart made of ash. I felt hollow inside, and was still moving slowly without any real direction. I knew that I was moping but couldn't help myself.

Seeing Megan in the morning didn't help any, she looked tired too. That was a first. Normally she looks perfect in the mornings, and today her eyes had bags and she too was moving slower than normal. It tore at my heart to see her looking miserable.

"Morning, My Lady. I hope that you slept well, for today will be another long day." I tried to smile. I really did.

She gave me a ghost of a smile before replying, "Yes, My Lord. It will be. I hope the weather stays nice. If you will excuse me I would like some breakfast." She passed me in the hall, careful not to touch me, and adjourned to the dining room.

I tapped on Chandra's door to see if she was awake, and she said that she was getting dressed. I left her to do that, and checked my room for anything that I might have left. The four pouches were still sitting in the corner where I left them when I returned from having the wizard burned. My emotions were muted enough that I could stand looking into them and see what they contained. There were three that contained coins. More money than I expected, in fact. There was more money in the three pouches than I could expect anyone to spend in a year in this small mining town. Maybe Grant could, if he was a true spendthrift, I just didn't know. The largest pouch had miniature glass vials individually inserted in a thin leather bandolier so that they would not break. Each of them looked to be sealed with wax securing an assortment of stoppers, some metal, some wood, and some cork. Poisons of some sort would be my only guess, unless wizards needed ingredients for their spells. I didn't know enough.

"My Lord, are we meeting the men at the sergeant's house?" Chandra was peeking into my room, trying to see what I was doing. I waved her in.

"Do you recognize any of these? I got them from the wizard that I killed."

She glanced at them, keeping her distance from them. "No, milord. They don't look like spices. They might be poisons. You could ask the Daughters of Julius or the Hands of Bane."

I didn't want anything to do with the Hands. Hopefully the Daughters would know. I wrapped the bandolier back up and returned it to the pouch that it came from.

"Pack these with your things, those three are money bags. Place a cloth in them so that they don't jingle so much. Stay here with Megan and make sure that everything gets packed. I want to leave as soon as I return."

"Yes, Milord." She was still being solicitous. I thanked her and left.

I checked on Hector, who was readying the horses, he said that they would all be harnessed before the sun broke the horizon.

"Make sure that you get plenty to eat, today will be long."

He acknowledged my request with his usual 'Milord, ' and then returned to saddling Chandra's horse.

I walked to the Sergeant Tate's house hoping I wouldn't have any more to do in this shitty town.

There were five men waiting for me, one was the sergeant from yesterday. Thankfully the house was cleaned of blood and bodies. Death was still present though, the stink of the accumulated bodies would not be easy to eliminate.

The windows were still boarded, I pointed out that removing the boards would help dissipate the stench. "Did you find any writings that I would be interested in?"

"No, Milord."

I found that odd. With most of the wizard's wealth here, why would he not have anything else with him? "Not even Sergeant Tate?"

"No, Milord."

"Do you know the wizard's name?"

"No, Milord."

'I know, Na-tink.'

It looked like I had a Sergeant Schultz on my hands.*

"You are lying to me. Just tell me what you know, so I don't have to get unpleasant this early in the morning."

He looked uncomfortable but still stonewalled me.

"Since you are incompetent, I will have to take your weapons and revoke your right to lead men. You shall be a soldier in this principality no longer."

That got him to act. He went to draw his weapons but I beat him to the punch. His dagger was free but not in position to block my sword that was already touching his chest.

The three of the other four men drew their weapons also. The fourth just backed away from the confrontation.

"If anyone moves, I kill him first. Now drop your weapons." The nameless sergeant fell backwards, landing on his ass, hoping that distance would save him. I let him fall, I wanted him alive, but the rest were dead men. In the cramped and cluttered space of the main room speed would help more than strength. I didn't know what they were hiding, but it had to be something,