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  Endless Flight

  Benjamin Ashwood Book 2

  by

  AC Cobble

  Text Copyright © 2016 AC Cobble

  All Rights Reserved

  Better Be Running

  Ben woke up. He was shirtless and his pants were damp. He ached from sleeping on a hard floor with no padding. He shifted and the chill autumn air slid over his bare skin, raising goose bumps and sending a shiver through his body.

  He was lying in a small gazebo on the late Lord Reinhold’s estate. In the madness of the night before, it seemed just as good a hiding spot as anywhere else.

  Ben sat up and saw Mathias was also awake. The barkeep was peering over a railing into a foggy, grey morning. Mist drifted by the gazebo. The entire world was silent. The moisture enfolded them in a tight embrace.

  Ben didn’t like fog. He didn’t like the lack of visibility. After the past year, he preferred to see where he was going.

  Mathias was relaxed, though. Watching him, the tension drained from Ben’s body. Mathias wouldn’t be sitting so calmly if he felt there was a threat lurking out of sight.

  Rolling to his feet, Ben wrapped his arms around his bare skin. He had been lying back to back with Amelie on the floor of the gazebo and the warmth from her quickly vanished.

  Mathias turned when Ben rose and nodded a good morning. Ben settled down next to the veteran. Stretching and rubbing his hands over his arms and shoulders to loosen up and keep warm, Ben nodded back.

  “You think she’s going to be ready to move this morning?” Mathias whispered, glancing at Amelie’s sleeping form.

  Ben shrugged. “She has to be.”

  Together, they stared out into the gloom.

  A bell later, Amelie began to stir underneath Mathias’ fleece-lined lambskin coat. She rolled over and saw Ben occupying the same position Mathias had when Ben woke.

  “What’s happening?” she called in a low voice.

  Ben smiled down at her. “Good morning to you too.”

  She rolled her eyes and sat up.

  “Mathias went back to the City,” Ben explained quietly.

  Amelie’s eyes shot open.

  “I don’t know if that is a good idea,” she protested. “The Sanctuary is going to be looking for us, looking hard. And if they find us, well, suffice to say I think we need to get away from the City as quickly as possible. If they catch him…” She left the rest unsaid.

  Ben nodded. “He knows. We talked it over before he left. What else can we do? We threw half of our clothes into the river last night, and we have no food and no supplies. We need information before we start running in any direction.”

  Ben stood and began to pace across the small space in the gazebo. “They won’t know Mathias was involved yet, we hope. He has the row boat and can tie up at one of the smaller docks, one where they won’t have guards. He can slip in, gather supplies, contact our friends, and be back out before the mages even hear his name.”

  “They’ll know more than you think and quicker,” challenged Amelie. “We can’t stay here long.” She paused and then continued with a sigh, “But you’re right. We have to get supplies and learn what we are up against.”

  “What do you think…” Ben swallowed nervously. “What do you think Meghan told them?”

  Amelie sighed. “I don’t know. Everything?”

  She shifted around on the wooden floor. “Meghan was growing distant over the last several months. The only thing she thought about was studying, learning faster, and progressing to the next step. Anything they’d ask, she would do. Anything they told her, she would believe.”

  Ben frowned. “What kind of things?”

  “Our instructors say the Sanctuary exists to serve the greater good,” responded Amelie. “It’s a compelling message, that we are part of something larger, something that is important. They suggest the more complicated history of the Sanctuary is because the mages were pursuing a worthwhile end, and it justified some questionable means. Maybe they really believe that, maybe they don’t. I can say for sure though, Meghan believed it. She really thought she would do great things. Not just for the Sanctuary, but for all of Alcott.”

  Ben sat on the railing and kept listening.

  “I think that is how the mages are able to accumulate so much power and never get challenged,” continued Amelie. “They say it’s to help everyone. It’s easier to believe that they want to help than it is to challenge them. They have a lot of power, more than any individual lord does.”

  Amelie took a deep breath. “It’s intoxicating, the first taste of power, and Meghan is on track to become one of the most powerful women in Alcott. That is something I don’t think she ever imagined before. There are a lot of things people will overlook to achieve that. There are a lot of compromises along the way.”

  “It’s just…” Ben struggled to find the words. “It’s just that the girl I grew up with, my sister, wouldn’t do something like that. She betrayed us! Meghan is kind, she is loyal. I wouldn’t have thought anything would make her turn her back on me.”

  Amelie smiled sadly. “You are right, Ben. She is loyal, just not to us anymore.”

  Early morning turned to mid-morning and the fog lifted. Ben and Amelie stayed huddled down in the gazebo, waiting. They were about two hundred long strides up from the river. The gazebo was perched under a rise in the manicured lawn. The rise blocked their view of Reinhold’s estate and their hope was that no one would be wandering the grounds on such a foggy, unpleasant morning. Also, before long, word of what happened outside of Arrath would get to Reinhold’s estate and the place would be in utter chaos.

  Based on Ben’s description, Mathias surmised that the Coalition forces blockaded Arrath to prevent anyone spoiling the ambush. Once the battle was over, Lord Jason would let the people out, and they would find the bodies. The word would spread like wildfire. The disruption outside of the Sanctuary would be assumed to be part of it. Amelie thought the Sanctuary would encourage that guess, it made things nice and tidy for them.

  Any confusion would help Ben and his friends. The bodies at Arrath and the events outside the Sanctuary would be the only thing anyone talked about within one hundred leagues of there. They hoped the distraction would allow them to slip away unnoticed.

  Still, waiting wasn’t easy. They knew the Sanctuary and the Coalition would be out there looking for them.

  “The Sanctuary will not stop until they find us,” Amelie explained in a hushed tone. “What I know about their magic would be enough. With what we know about their politics, they cannot let us go free. If we get to Whitehall and tell Argren they betrayed him, I-I don’t know what will happen, but it won’t be good. The ships last night were just a taste of what they are capable of. They would do anything to stop us. The guards, hunters, and mages…they will all be on our trail.”

  Ben rubbed a hand through his hair and stared down at the river where he hoped Mathias would return soon.

  “What do we do?” he asked. “Do we make for Whitehall? Issen?”

  Amelie thought and answered slowly, “Issen is months away. By the time we made it, we could be too late to warn the Alliance. If they can’t find us soon, the Sanctuary and the Coalition will react long before I could make it home. I think Whitehall is the only option. My father and I joined Argren’s Alliance. We have to trust he will be faithful and help us.”

  Ben nodded and placed a reassuring hand on Amelie’s shoulder.

  Whitehall. Why not? He couldn’t think of anything better.

  They settled down to wait, but by midday, they were getting impatient. They knew Mathias would be gone several bells, but sitting in the small gazebo was driving them mad. They decided to have a look around.

  Ben and Amelie crept up the sh
ort grass of the lawn and wiggled to the top of the rise where they could see Reinhold’s massive estate spread out in the distance. It was quiet. Tendrils of smoke drifted out of a forest of chimneys thrusting up from the slate roof. There were no signs of people.

  “It’s almost noon,” muttered Amelie. “I cannot believe there would be no activity at an estate this size. Is the staff sleeping in with their lord away?”

  Ben nudged her arm and pointed to a dark shape by the side of Reinhold’s gate, at least a quarter league from where they lay.

  “I think that’s a tipped over wagon,” he guessed. “They aren’t sleeping in. They’ve left. Look over at the stables. All of the doors are open but no one is moving about. Reinhold’s staff must have taken all of the horses and fled. Judging by that wagon, they took a lot of other stuff too.”

  Amelie peered down at the silent estate. “What should we do?”

  Ben glanced behind them at the river then back ahead. “I think we go in. Let’s leave a mark for Mathias to let him know we’re still around, and then see what we can find. It won’t be long before someone else comes along. The Sanctuary, another lord, looters…someone will be here soon. Now is our only chance.”

  The massive silver-studded oak doors of Reinhold’s estate stood open. They rose twice Ben’s height and led into a large open chamber braced by two sweeping marble staircases. Below the staircases, hallways led deeper into the building.

  One hundred strides across, the foyer was covered in marble and little else. The walls were studded with places where rich sconces, tapestries, and paintings may have once hung, but now, everything of value had been stripped away. The vast empty chamber echoed with their voices.

  Amelie glanced to Ben. “Are you sure we should be doing this? If we get caught in here, there will be nowhere to run.”

  Ben nodded. “Let’s be quick. They took the candlesticks but may have left something we can use.”

  They moved quickly through the front part of the estate. It contained offices, reception areas, and meeting rooms. It appeared to be where Reinhold ran his merchant banking business. Everything portable and of value had been taken. Some fine furnishing and carpets remained, but neither had any interest for Ben and Amelie. They noticed open drawers and cabinets that looked to have been looted as well. Scatters of loose paper lay around the floors and doors hung open with irregular shelves of documents missing.

  “Reinhold’s business advisors,” muttered Amelie. “They would have taken any documents describing Reinhold’s business. They’ll sell it or use it to barter for employment with his competitors.”

  After ducking into several of the offices, they gave up on that wing and moved deeper into the estate. They needed food, clothes, and supplies for traveling.

  The building was massive and there wasn’t time to explore every room. Ben thought the place could house every resident of Farview with room to spare. The silence in a building that size was unnerving. They could hear only the soft slap of their bare feet on the cool marble floor. Shoes were definitely an item Ben wanted to find.

  Deeper into the building, they found grand ball rooms and open verandas for strolling. It was built for entertaining large numbers of guests. Ben realized they would find nothing useful here. Just like the foyer, the valuables had been taken. Only large, heavy items remained. It gave them hope though. If looters focused on the valuables, maybe they had left more common goods like clothes behind.

  Past the entertaining spaces, they finally found something useful. The kitchens. There, the looting had been minimal. Long pantries containing a wide variety of delicacies and basic foods items lined the narrow hallways off the main kitchen. Ben found sacks full of potatoes which they emptied out and began stuffing with food they could easily travel with.

  Amelie eyed a shelf of marmalades, passed them over for a sack of dried beans, and sighed. “That is one thing I will miss about the Sanctuary. The food.”

  Ben grinned. “You don’t like my cooking?”

  She snorted. “I don’t like my cooking.”

  They collected a few more useful items like a frying pan and cutlery then left the pantry to continue exploring. They didn’t get far before finding something completely different.

  Behind the kitchen, in a large room which must have been the staff mess hall, they opened the door and paused in shock. The floor was painted in blood. Bodies were scattered about, the results of a violent confrontation. At least two score of them by Ben’s quick count.

  Ben looked at Amelie before tentatively stepping into the room. The lifeless corpses were dressed in Reinhold’s livery. Most appeared to be servants, but there were three guards also. Ben edged around the pools of still tacky blood and realized he knew one of the guards.

  “I recognize this one,” he told Amelie, pointing at the dead man. “He was at Arrath and fled when I hid. He must have come straight here after the attack.”

  She glanced around the room thoughtfully. “That explains the looting. He would have brought news of what happened. If he arrived yesterday like you did, there would have been plenty of time for knowledgeable servants to strip the place.”

  “Yes, but what happened in here?” asked Ben, waving a hand at the surrounding carnage.

  “A disagreement, perhaps,” answered Amelie. “It looks like it was internal, whatever it was. Maybe some of the staff resisted the looters?”

  She was right. All of the bodies were wearing Reinhold’s livery and were either servants or guards. Ben eyed a few of the guard’s weapons and thought about taking them. He had managed to hold onto his Venmoor steel longsword and the hunting knife Serrot had given him. He didn’t need any of the guard’s weapons and they looked to be too heavy for Amelie’s use, so they passed out of the bloodstained mess hall and kept searching.

  In a distant wing of the estate, they finally found what they were looking for, the servant’s and guard’s quarters. Reinhold had hundreds of employees on staff and the rooms spread out across several hallways and floors. It felt more like a huge inn than an estate. Most of the rooms showed signs of a quick exit. People had hastily packed their things before fleeing.

  The majority of Reinhold’s guards had been with him in Arrath, though, so those rooms were intact. Ben was able to find wardrobes full of clothing and boots. He searched until he found some that fit and breathed a sigh of relief as he dressed. He left behind his still damp pants and changed into a simple set of britches, tunic, and cloak. A worn pair of marching boots completed the outfit. He strapped on his longsword and knife before grabbing two more changes of clothing and stuffing those in his potato sack.

  Back in the hall, Amelie had also changed. She carried a backpack with her and held it up. It looked to be packed for a trip. “Flint, steel, twine, and a few other useful things.”

  “Good find,” Ben replied appreciatively. “We’ll need that. Now, let’s get out of here.”

  It was afternoon by the time they made it back over the small rise in Reinhold’s lawn and saw the gazebo. From a distance, Ben could tell Mathias had returned and was hunkered down behind the railing.

  When they drew close, he stood and waved.

  “All clear at the estate?” called the gruff barkeep.

  “Nothing left but bodies,” Ben answered.

  Mathias raised an eyebrow.

  Ben explained, “We think an argument broke out between what was left of Reinhold’s staff and what was left of the guards. It turned ugly.”

  “Aye, not surprising. You cut off the head of the snake and the body doesn’t know what to do.” Mathias gestured toward the pack and potato sacks. “It looks like you found some supplies. You were more successful than I was.”

  “How was it?” inquired Amelie. “Any sign of a search for us in the City?”

  “Nothing overt,” replied Mathias. “But enough that I wasn’t going to stick around long. There were disguised guards at all of the bridges, and watchers stationed around key intersections. I spotted one outsi
de the Flying Swan. After that, I didn’t even bother with the Issen Consulate or the brewery. But I did track down one of my employees, someone we can trust, and told him to get word to Renfro, Saala, and the others. We can’t wait on that, though. There’s already plenty of heat in town and my man said that the army is being assembled.”

  “The army?” asked Ben. “I didn’t think the Sanctuary had much of an army.”

  “They don’t have a standing one, aside from the guards, of course,” Mathias answered. “But they do have a reserve they call in times of need. Supposedly, it’s to investigate and protect against what happened in Arrath. They’re spinning it like it was an attack on the City. I think it’s safe to assume, the real reason is us. If the full force of the army is looking for us, we need to move fast. Any thoughts on where you want to go?”

  “We’re thinking Whitehall,” answered Ben. “And I agree, we should leave today.” Ben paused, then asked, “Mathias, are you sure you want to come with us?”

  Mathias sighed. “I don’t think I have much choice. If they’re watching the Flying Swan, then they must suspect I was involved last night. There’s no way I can risk being taken in for questioning. That’ll be the last anyone sees of me.”

  The barkeep rubbed at the stubble on his chin. “Whitehall. That makes sense. Try to get help from Argren. Let him get word to Lord Gregor. The problem is, that will make sense to the mages, too. They’ll be waiting for us.”

  “Like you said though,” replied Amelie grimly, “we don’t have much choice. Where else can we go?”

  They all looked at each other. No one had an answer to that.

  “Whitehall it is then,” declared Mathias after a long pause. “Following the Venmoor River north is the obvious route. We can’t do that. The main roads are just as bad, with the army involved they’re sure to have that covered. There are some back roads through the mountain towns we can try, or maybe go off the map and rough our way up to Kirksbane. We might be able to do it. The Sanctuary doesn’t have much of an army, and they aren’t professionally trained. They’ll be spread thin the further out we get.”