The gate was standing by, its iron teeth agape to the road behind it.
The eyes of Solved, however, were not upon the horizon, but fixed upon the knight leaning idle on his spear.
The same man. The person that had stolen Henrik his silver and allowed Elera to escape to be smuggled.
The man did not even startle in their approach. A mere bored look, the smirk of a person who believed that the world was too small to matter.
Solved slowed his horse. Andrew gave him a look. "Problem?"
Solved, dismounting, said, "Opportunity, Solved."
Past the guard he passed as carelessly as a traveler with straps.
But with one look--fiddles with his fingers on the purse, lips pinching at the name of Henrik on the coin scratches his face--he had him.
The tone under which Solved spoke was gentle, and all the words caught beneath the skin of the knight.
Solved said, like it were but conversation, "Henrik Millwright." "Poor man lost a daughter. Pity that the guards did not catch a sight. I wonder... did the Captain hear about bribes at his gate?
The knight stiffened. His eyes darted left-right.
"I--I don't know what you--"
Relax," Solved interrupted, moving closer, low tones. "I don't need you punished. I need you useful." His hand touched the spear of the knight--not, it were, threatening, but intentional.
The patrol leaves the west road to-night unmanned. And at two struggle There will espouse you, loyal servant, there. Loudly. Publicly. Make yourself seen. Get it abroad that the Millwright girl case is your own business.
The knight gulp. Solved never lifted his voice, never sat up.
He had only left the words to wind round the conscience--and reputation of the man.
In case the knight did not comply, he would be under suspicion. In case he obeyed, he was the pawn of Solved.
Andrew blinkingly watched Solved ride back to his horse. You will never stop to amaze me.
Guess am not a one trick pony," Solved, staring at the road.
The knight was in motion, and, in the presence of one of the soldiers, who was also barking at him to take the west road patrol. His voice too loud, too eager.
Andrew laughed to himself. "Strange and dangerous."
Solved only smiled.
[ STRATEGIC MOVE LOGGED ]
Manipulation Check: Success
West Road Patrol Guard.
Small Talk Starts to Spread: The Millwright case important.
Local Reputation +2
Dust started up, hooves blundered over the desert plain, each beat on the ground as the beat of a war drum announcing their ghastly mission.
Two riders rode on--Solved, hardening in his saddle and Andrew, whose gesture was as natural as the breeze beating his cloak. Into Campoff, and there, with it, peril, went their way.
You are not bad, you are first-time rider, said Andrew, and his eyes were momentarily deceived by a hint of a smile before they flicked back to the horizon.
Guilty as charged," Solved thought, and tightened his grip on the reins as the horse broke beneath him.
Having heard nothing in a short time, interrupted just by the sound of hooves, Solved inquired, What shall we do when we come to Campoff?
He swiveled around to consider Andrew awhile. Ask me--how sharp thy blade is?
Years of mastery said Andrew without a moment of hesitation. His jaw was firm. Good enough to put a fight out before it begins.
"Perfect." The lips of Solved turned in the slightest smile. Here I have a way of play, you have a way of play: I have steel, you have thought. My head, thy sword--We fill the blind places of one another. Then we are not fighting but always gaining.
Andrew looked at him, as though he were considering the validity of those words. Finally he nodded, and a rare warmth penetrated his sternness. You are not known, but you may be--you will be--you will be what you say to me.
Solved was narrowing his eyes even as they rose the hill. On the horizon a black column of smoke tore furiously at the sky, in warning.
I am losing time, he said to himself.
The System gave a cold jangle in his head:
[ 01:30:12 Left ]
An hour, Solved grumbled to himself. "Not enough."
They are loading up," Andrew said, and started his horse. "We need to hurry."
Solved was sweating beads along his forehead. In Tokyo back, time had been twisted to his guesses. In this case, time was the foe and not the riddle.
"Any shorter routes?" he barked.
Andrew looked to the left--out to a canyon making the plain look like an open wound. "There's one. Dangerous. Bandits, rockfalls... worse."
The jagged cliffs were studied by Solved. The dust at its mouth jutted out bleached bones and a murder of crows wheeled overhead screaming with apparent mockery at their decision.
I can not kill myself, but I will be eat up by the conscience should I not, Solved muttered. Show me the way."
The lips of Andrew draw up in a tight smile. "Then hold on."
He turned his horse towards the canyon. The trail was devoured, and darkness was closing in, and the earth itself seemed determined to mistake their will.
There were bones and broken wagons that were active evidence of those that had gone before them both through this canyon. The odor of rust and decay was tenacious to the air, and Solved hardly shuddered--the scene of crime in Tokyo had been more dismal.
Yet something was off.
Shadows moved inappropriately. One behind the broken hull of a cart, a gleam of steel. Enclosed in a narrowing of the eyes the tallying of the counted, Solved. Five beneath... three above the land. Crossbows. Blades. Classic chokehold.
Turn in, Turn in, Solved yanked, Turn in. His horse reared, and struck dust with his hooves.
Andrew came to a stop beside him and clenched his jaw. "We don't have time."
The vision of Solved came in the form of the System pulsed:
[ 00:56:23 Left ]
"Damn it..." Solved muttered. "We just have to--"
The canyon roared. Behind them the stones fell in a waterfall like thunder, and blocked the exit.
The bandits appeared out of the wrecks, five black cloth-draped, face-covered shadows, with the eyes blazing with avarice. There were three crossbows cocked high on the cliff, and Five was below, chopping at the scanty light.
One of them smiled, with his jagged teeth. "No escape..."
Perfect timing. What this rescue operation was actually in need of, was a diversion into amateur hour.
Solved's gaze flicked, fast as lightning--measuring distances, angles, weapons. He wasn't thinking fight. He was thinking how to break their formation before Andrew swings his sword.