Preserving Hope Page 8

  The team’s emotions as they reconvened were upbeat. Matilda, an attractive and stately young woman, had been a popular visit of those men looking to buy; she thrilled over the attention she’d gotten. “Two of them proposed marriage,” she whispered to Eva. “Was that appropriate?” Will barely stifled a laugh. Arthur had the community so unused to the concept of marriage already that she couldn’t fathom something like that happening. At least the men proposing to Matilda were very nearly her age, rather than thirty years her senior.

  Gerald, the solider, had spoken to a number of the men purchasing the swords, daggers, and knives, and had asked about local preferences on blade type, level of decoration, and preferred lengths. “I can use this information when we return to our village to make sure our crafts meet current preferences,” he explained to Will, who recognized this as a basic form of market research. Gerald was thrilled that his success in trading the weaponry was so dominant that buyers were asking him for guidance on the best type of weapon to purchase. Gerald liked the sense of power such questions provided him.

  Eleanor was quite skittish; the news of the random, violent attacks sounded so nearly like the one that had left her widowed, childless, and impoverished that she very nearly elected to spend the day locked in the women’s room at the inn. But she recovered, and did a fine job working with Matilda to sell the collection of quality fabrics and clothing the village had produced. Will sensed that he made her nervous; she wondered how he learned his techniques for understanding people, and worried that Will, perhaps, might be a Trojan horse himself for their village. She was unable to hide the fact that she hovered more closely by her coin purse when Will joined her and Matilda throughout the day. Will elected not to feel offended.

  Aldus had tremendous success selling the woodcrafts and beer. The wood was of a different grain than this town had seen before, and the locals were accustomed to wine rather than beer; the novelty of these products helped drive sales. “Make sure to tell them not to drink beer and wine the same day, or at least not at the same meal,” Will whispered. “They won’t like you at all if they do.”

  The team retired to the inn, and after washing the dirt and dust from their hands and faces, joined the other guests of the inn for dinner, seating themselves at a separate table. Nicholas, the innkeeper, remembered the generous fee Will had paid earlier that day, and he ensured that the cook and serving girls kept the best of everything coming their way. The table was soon enjoying the type of revelry Will had seldom seen since the night his life had changed and his world had turned upside down.

  He’d felt at home in the future in a sense; people were cordial to him, and politely applauded his successes. His son, Fil, had treated Will poorly for the purpose of encouraging Will to want to leave and travel to the distant past to fulfill his destiny. Beyond that he’d felt welcome there, more than he’d ever expected to feel again after believing his wife and son murdered. Yet though it felt like a home, it did so more in the sense of visiting extended family once every few years. Will still felt a sense of isolation, as if he’d never truly fit in. Intentional or not, it wasn’t what he’d come to expect in the household he and Hope had built.

  Yet here, with these Traders, he did get that sense. He’d known them less than a week, and yet there was a sense of true bonding. Eva was already someone he considered a friend and trusted confidant; other than the skittish Eleanor, the other Traders were people he admired and enjoyed spending time with. Most notably, his wife-to-be in the distant future lived here as well, though as a girl in her mid-teens and under the thumb of a tyrannical and abusive father. Will knew he could kill the man, and he wanted to do so; he also knew his duty was to preserve the future as already written, and that future said the man would live another twelve centuries at least. He needed to free her of the man’s clutches, and the men and women with him here tonight were of a similar mind on the subject, for they loved the redheaded girl named Elizabeth. He was confident that the people sharing a meal, a drink, and a laugh with him that night would, with no nudging necessary, join him in the effort to free the girl from her captivity, and that increased his sense of bonding and friendship.

  For the first time in what seemed like a thousand years, Will felt that he was truly home.

  VIII

  Invasion

  The Traders stayed up late into the night, enjoying the tales told by Nicholas, the innkeeper. Most of the stories revolved around local folklore, well-known among the residents, and thus the man rarely had much of an audience. They listened with rapt attention, alternately laughing and gasping in horror, as the stories unfolded. He was a gifted storyteller, and Will found himself enthralled.

  As the stories ended, the team made inquiries about the recent thefts described by the guards at the gate. “We were stopped entering the city,” Eva explained, “and were told that the thieves entered by hiding their numbers and weapons inside wagons they claimed held goods for trade.” Nicholas confirmed this. The thieves would typically arrive in the early afternoon, trade in a clumsy manner until nightfall, and then corner merchants heading home with their remaining goods and money earned on the day. The men dressed in darker clothing and were difficult to see in the twilight, and the victims could never see where the men ran after committing the crimes. They could not identify the men with any certainty, for even the guards at the gate would not recognize them. “If they stopped you when you entered the city, it’s likely that your manner of travel made the guards think you were repeating the same process,” Nicholas explained.

  The Traders finally retired for the evening, enjoying the soft beds after spending the two previous nights sleeping on the rocky ground. They were all soon fast asleep.

  Will woke even before he heard the shouting. Something was very wrong. He jumped to his feet, opened the door, and headed to the main room of the inn. He found Nicholas there, hovering over two men who appeared to be injured. As Will approached, he could see noticeable lumps on both heads, and blood was staining their clothing. Nicholas, who had been seeking cloths and water, saw Will and stopped. “I hope we didn’t wake you, sir.”

  Will shook his head. “What happened?”

  “The hidden thieves. They must have been here yesterday. We didn’t see them. These men were jumped from behind on their way home from the pub. Relieved of all of the coins they made earlier in the day.”

  “How long ago were they attacked?” As he asked the question, Will had an inspiration, and ordered his healing nanos to split up and move into the two men and help cure their injuries. He could sense the nanos’ departure; with luck, they’d accelerate the healing process even with only half the usual number working in each man.

  “They arrived here about fifteen minutes ago; I’d guess they were attacked in the past half hour.”

  Will nodded, and walked to the door. “Hey!” Nicholas shouted after him. “Where are you going? Didn’t you hear me? These men were attacked not long ago!”

  “I know,” Will said. “It means their attackers are still nearby.” He walked out the door, to the incredulous stare of the innkeeper.

  Will sent out a blast of Energy, seeking out strong emotion. Most people were asleep, and any emotions they might experience due to dreams were heavily muted. He sensed two men, perhaps a quarter mile away, and the emotion was one of violence and greed, the thoughts of the large number of coins they’d stolen.

  Gotcha, Will thought. He teleported to the spot.

  He appeared behind the two men just as the thieves were joined by a third man, one Will recognized as a rather unskilled trader he’d transacted with earlier that day. He realized as he emerged from the teleportation that he probably should have avoided such an act. Thankfully, the men didn’t see him appear in the darkness. Will used his push-Empathy skills, and the three men were suddenly quite aware that they were being followed, and were frightened about what might happen to them. They turned, skittish, and found a single man behind them, armed with… nothing.


  Their nervous laughter quickly turned to the evil cackle of men ready to perpetrate a crime. Will could feel their greed and anger, and sense their glee at finding an unarmed man to provide them an even greater haul of treasure without needing to work, for they recognized Will as one of the master Traders who had profited so greatly throughout the day. The three men drew their swords and advanced on Will.

  Will sighed. “This happens to me all the time. Three guys with swords attack me when I’m unarmed. Is there no honor among you thieves?”

  The man who’d joined the two who had jumped the local residents cackled. “Cut the fancy talk and hand over your gold.” He swiped his blade at the empty air in front of him, and the sword created a swishing sound meant to intimidate Will into surrender.

  Will considered the demand, then shrugged. “No, I think I’ll hang on to what I have. And the three of you can return what you stole.”

  The thieves looked at each other and burst out laughing. Then they advanced on Will, blades at the ready. “Hand it over, now!” The leader of the trio seemed to prefer the option where Will refused again, so that they could rough him up as they’d done to the others. Will guessed this without even needing his telepathic or empathic skills. Not wanting to disappoint, he complied with the unspoken wish. “I rather like my coins, so I’ll just keep them.”

  The leader of the thieves laughed. “I’m not giving you a choice.” The three thieves pounced on Will, swords slashing at the man.

  Their swords slashed through empty air, each man striking one of his companions. They were in shock, partly due to the savage wounds the blades had inflicted, but partly because they had no idea what had happened to their target, a man who just a moment earlier had been surrounded without means of escape by their tightening circle.

  “You gentlemen okay?” Will called from behind them. “I hear there are some criminals on the loose. You should find shelter before you get hurt.”

  “How… how did you get over there?” the leader spluttered. “We had you surrounded… and… you can’t be there, because you were right here!”

  Will frowned. “I’m not certain what you mean, sir. I’m standing here and asking if you and your companions are well. Oh, dear.” Will saw the blood staining the men’s clothing. “It seems the criminals have found and attacked you. Did they take your money?”

  “No,” the leader replied. “They—” He slapped at his pockets. “Hey, where did the money go? I just had it here in my pocket!”

  “Yeah!” one of the others snapped. “The loot I took from that guy is gone now. Where’d it go?”

  “Don’t look at me!” the third growled. “My money is gone too!”

  Will arched an eyebrow. “You’re all injured and you’ve all been relieved of your coins. It sounds as if you’ve been robbed and hit on the head. Let’s get you over to the Dented Sayler and see if we can’t stop that bleeding.”

  The three thieves stared at Will. Was it possible they’d imagined him earlier? Had they actually been robbed and not realized it? The leader of the trio, the man who had feigned being an incompetent merchant, glanced at Will, glanced back at his companions, and shrugged. He walked after Will, and the other two followed close behind.

  They arrived at the Dented Sayler and entered the building. Nicholas breathed an audible sigh of relief at seeing Will unharmed, but looked anxious as the three strange, bleeding men entered his inn. But he moved to fetch more cloths to use to cover the cuts and gashes. The thieves sat on chairs around a table, looking dazed, while the two men they’d robbed earlier look at the trio with great apprehension. Finally, one of the victims swallowed and addressed the thieves. “You… you’re the ones who robbed us earlier. Why are you here in this inn?”

  The leader looked at him, dazed. “Did we, now?”

  The victims looked at each other, and then at Will. “What did you do to them?”

  Will looked confused. “I didn’t do anything. I went to see if anyone else had been hurt, and found these men several streets over, injured, and complaining of missing coins. Since I knew Mr. Nicholas was already caring for victims, I thought I’d bring them back here as well. I don’t think there are any more injured people out and about tonight, though.”

  Nicholas walked in, and nodded. “That’s good, Mr. Will.” He looked ready to add something else, but seemed to think better of it. Will pulled another gold coin from his pocket and handed it to the man. “You’ve been serving these men, though they aren’t even guests of your inn, giving up sleep to do so. We’ve done well this trip, and I’d like to use some of my proceeds to thank you for taking care of them. You’re a good man, Nicholas.” With that, Will began to walk away.

  He paused, as if remembering something. “I almost forgot,” he said. Will reached into another pocket and pulled out two large coin purses. “I found these while I was walking, and thought they might be yours.” He tossed the coin purses to the two victims, then left the room.

  Will didn’t go far, however. He paused, trying to read the thoughts of the thieves. It seemed unlikely that three men could be responsible for the wave of crime in the city brought on by outsiders; someone would have recognized a pattern by now. Even if they rotated the three men between the role of the trader and the role of cargo, they’d eventually have to repeat the pattern and risk exposure and the end of their scheme. That could mean he was seeing one of two possible scenarios. The first possibility was that the men would only visit each town and city three times, rotating the “visible” person each trip, before leaving and moving on to the next town. If that were the case, then there could be other towns and cities they’d robbed, and more that they planned to go to next. The other possibility was that they were part of a larger group that rotated teams of men among towns and cities. With that type of organization, the criminals could attack multiple cities at once without allowing time for warnings to to travel to other towns and cities they’d eventually target.

  He needed to know which scenario was occurring, and the only way to be sure was to invade the thoughts of the three criminals. He reached out with his Energy into the minds of the three men, sensing primarily confusion. They were doubting whether he’d ever been in their clutches at all, for surely it was impossible for a man to move so quickly. The other thoughts were filled with worry, concern over their fate should they return to Richard empty-handed. The last group to do so had… well, they hadn’t gone on any further treasure hunts. Will scoffed internally. People could use words to make anything sound noble; assault and robbery simply didn’t have the same air of nobility as “treasure hunt.” He’d learned that this was a larger scheme, though, orchestrated by a man named Richard.

  He needed to know where to find this man, the general of an army of thieves. This crime wave needed to be stopped at the source. Stopping three of his men would simply tell Richard that he needed to send other men to Richland, or modify his scheme. No, Will decided, he could do this, using his abilities to prevent the robbery of good and decent people like those here in Richland.

  Will walked back into the common room, feigning a yawn. Nicholas glanced at him. “Having trouble sleeping?”

  Will nodded. “A bit too much exercise so late at night, and apparently it’s not helping me.”

  Nicholas nodded at him. “I’ll fetch you some wine; that should help.”

  “I’d be most grateful.” Nicholas hustled off.

  Will glanced at the two men victimized by the thieves. “How long have you lived here?”

  “All my life,” one replied. The other nodded in agreement.

  Will glanced at the thieves. “And how long have the three of you lived here?”

  “We are not from here,” one replied. “We’re from—”

  “Shut it,” the leader snapped. He faced Will. “We’re simply weary travelers looking to trade honestly for a few coins and then will be on our way.”

  Will nodded. “I know the feeling.”

  He glanced up at Nicholas as the
innkeeper hustled back into the room with his wine. Will sipped it; it was watered down, but he had no actual need for the alcohol. His conversation had gotten the reaction he’d wanted. The men hadn’t named the location of their headquarters, but he had gotten something even more valuable.

  They’d visualized their homes when Will had asked about them.

  Will chatted briefly with the five men, and offered to walk the two injured men back to their homes. “You gentlemen enjoy a good night’s sleep,” Will said to the thieves, and beckoned for Nicholas to follow him for a private conversation before departing.

  “You’ll want to alert the sheriff come daylight; those men are responsible for the robbery of the two men I’m walking home. I don’t think they’ll cause any more harm, though, so you should get some rest until morning.”

  Nicholas glanced at the thieves, a nervous look covering his face. “I’m uncomfortable leaving them unguarded.”

  Will smiled. “Trust me, they’re not going anywhere.” As he spoke, he sent a small portion of his nanos to the three men, forming them into encasing shells, and ordered the nanos to prevent the men from standing up.

  Nicholas tried to smile. “If you say so.”