A Royal Sacrifice Ch. 09

The Queen's freeing of the maid servant offered even more evidence that she thought as much with her heart as with her mind. The tales regarding the woman's crime and incarceration all varied slightly, but shared enough common points to lend them credence. The Queen surely took a great risk in allowing the woman to return to her duties if even half of the rumors were true.

Now nearing the village, Guy once again pushed aside musings about the opportunities presented by the new Queen's apparent naivety. He trusted the man he must meet this day no farther than one could see in the deepest part of a moonless night. He knew that he must remain sharply focused on the task at hand, having seen the signs of greed in the man during their last two meetings.

Guy had no intentions of walking into the situation unprepared for any eventuality.

****

"You have it?" Guy asked the raggedly dressed man lurking in the lee of a tanner's shed, purposely speaking as little as possible to avoid breathing in the stench of the place.

"I have it. You can pay?"

Guy rolled his eyes and produced the coin. "Now, my arsenic, if you please?" He didn't react at all to the faint sound of a twig snapping. He knew the men were lurking beyond the bushes. He'd known they were there even before he approached.

"I think it may be more this time," the filthy poison peddler said with a wide, toothless grin.

Letting out a resigned sigh, Guy's fingers closed around both the coins and the hilt of his rapier. "So, you have at last allowed your greed to outweigh your senses?"

"Rumors – probably started by you. I wager you can't hold a blade, much less use one. I got help, too."

The two burly men emerged from the bushes, equally filthy and toothless as their leader. In a single smooth motion, Guy deposited his coins back in his purse and drew his rapier. "There is still time to conduct our business without bloodshed."

"Yes. Deliver all your coin and you can walk away with all your blood," one of the men warned, and then let out a quiet, evil chuckle.

"I think not," Guy responded, setting his feet in a defensive stance.

"Quick and quiet," the poison peddler instructed his bruisers in clipped grunts, drawing a long-bladed dagger.

The two men rushed Guy, their blades raised high for an overhand strike. One man hesitated for a fraction of a second, and that was all the time Guy needed. Easily side-stepping the clumsy blows, a quick snap of his rapier disarmed one of the men. Blood spurted in fountains from the man's opened wrist, even around the other hand clasped over it.

Overextended when he found his target no longer where it should be, and distracted by the other man's blood squirting over him, the second assailant barely managed to put his rusty sword in line to deflect Guy's next stab. Fast as a viper's strike, Guy whipped his sword back and stabbed again, easily penetrating the man's pitiful defenses and opening his throat.

Skidding to a halt in his rush to attack, the poison peddler's eyes opened wide as he watched his two men dispatched with such speed and lack of effort. Guy spun and sprang forward, the point of his sword leveled within inches of the surprised man's face.

"The poison," Guy said in an ominous whisper, extending his hand.

Dropping his dagger to the muddy ground, the filthy man nodded his head in an exaggerated manner, digging into his pockets. Guy kept his distance, prepared to leap away at the first sign of any unusual motion or change in his frightened opponent's expression.

The man removed the glass vial from its hiding place, extending the vial in a trembling hand toward Guy. "They tricked me. I wouldn't do this. You know me." His voice trembled more than his hands, and the words emerged in a rush, filled with apology.

"Indeed," Guy responded, taking the vial. "I should kill you, but I find you useful. I trust there will be no more such mistakes in the future?"

Shaking his head hard enough to cause his sparse, matted hair to flap against his cheeks, the man answered. "Never again. You have my word." He let out a sigh of relief as Guy's sword slipped downward.

The motion of Guy's weapon immediately changed, thrusting forward into the filthy man's chest. Withdrawing the weapon, Guy sneered, "Your word is worth less than a bucket of night soil." The dying man had no answer, blood bubbling into his lungs and trickling from his mouth as he fell to his knees. Guy wiped off his sword point on a comparatively clean portion of the man's breeches before finishing the job with a clean cloth.

Letting out an irritated sigh, Guy dragged the man back into his shack. With some effort, he did the same with the other two men. The fire he started when he finished was small, but would quickly spread when it reached the carefully placed combustibles nearby. He would be a fair distance away when the hungry flames grew from a flicker to a roar. Only bones and char would remain by the time anyone discovered the blaze.

His tracks covered, Guy rode to a secluded location to change his clothing, burning the blood-stained garments he wore with a snort of regret. The clothing was fine, and he knew he should have worn something else before embarking on this day's business. What is done is done, he thought as he mounted Judas. A smile spread across his face as he anticipated Rachel's visit in the night.

****

Sitting unseen on his horse only a few feet away, Bagdemagus watched as Guy's horse receded into the distance. I may have use for this one.

***000...-o-...000***

I hope you've enjoyed this chapter of the continuing story. The authors to this point have created a wonderful setting with fascinating characters, and I'm happy to jump into the mix.

Take a moment to vote, and perhaps comment. That's all the payment a free author gets, and every one is much appreciated!