Acclayne Book 1: The Game Begins
Chapter 26

We'd set up camp just outside the city and, apart from my brief visitto get food, I had been confined to base. I'm always the one left tomind the sodding bags; 'oh, mind this for me while I go to the toiletwill you?', 'I just love this song, be right back!', 'you don't mindwatching this while I'm busy over here eating this guy's face off doyou?' all well and good but it's never just a couple of minutes isit? Then you're sat on you're own looking like a tool untileventually everyone thinks you're the designated bag babysitter- Iswear; I've contemplated bringing a raffle-ticket book out with me onmore than one occasion. Earn some money out of it. Juney had told meshe'd 'be right back' about two hours ago, she'd probably broken arecord. Apparently I'd be too easily recognised to go with her -I'dlove to know how seeing as, strictly speaking, nobody knows I exist.I'd put the point to Juney who explained that superstition and folklore were taken very seriously: apparently my mother's coming hadbeen pre-ordained, which is easily enough claimed in hindsight. Giventhe fact that I also look remarkably like my mother, Juney reasonedthat people were liable to draw their own conclusions. It all soundeda little far-fetched to me, but then this whole experience wasentirely out of my comfort zone- apart from minding the bags; I couldtotally do that, so I reluctantly agreed to stay behind.

Methyn had taken thekids for a bit of a tour; give them a bit of a lesson in history andculture. We all knew he really wanted to go and stock up on hisbeloved teabags but if he wanted to hide his motives behind the guiseof being a concerned educator then that was his business. If I'mbeing entirely honest then I think I would rather him get histeabags; he'd been bad enough to be around when we'd run out ofbiscuits. I could only imagine the grump that would descend if he wasforced to go without tea for any length of time.

Juney's absence was dueto the fact that she'd agreed to meet with some 'contacts' upon herreturn to Cortharen; I have come to learn that to be code for:'secret assassin stuff that's none of your business.' Which is justfine by me- I think I'd rather not know. I mean, I'm aware that Juneyis a total bad-ass, but I do not need the mental images of hergutting people with her bare hands – which I'm almost positive thatshe's capable of, and probably enjoys. Eurgh.

I tell you what, whenyou boil it down, this 'hero' stuff is actually pretty damn boringwhen you consider the amount of time I've had to spend sitting arounddoing nothing. I lay back on the now dry grass and squinted at thesky. The sun was dipping low behind the trees now; the day was comingto a close. I breathed a sigh of relief; it had been a hellishly longday; and given the meandering pace of time here that was reallysaying something.

I closed my eyesbriefly to bask in the evening sun and when I opened them again myattention was immediately drawn to Twin-Blade. I know it might sounda little like crazy talk, but I could have sworn it was looking atme- I honestly felt like I was under some sort of scrutiny.

“Stop it.” I saidaloud, “You're freaking me out.” And, even though I knew it wasstupid, as soon as I'd said it I kinda felt more relaxed. Iconsidered it for a moment, maybe I should have been using this timeto practice. I reached out for Twin-Blade while still lying on myback and grasped the hilt. My hand tingled as I made contact but Ididn't pull away, I was starting to get used to it- I figured that itmust be some sort of residual magical vibration or other. I was evenbecoming used to the sensation, worryingly enough. I laid Twin-Bladedown the length of my body, who was I kidding? I was too tired toeven seriously think about practising, instead I relaxed under thereassuring weight of it on top of me. Had I been left alone muchlonger then I probably would have slept; even though it still made menervous I knew I would be safe to long as I had Twin-Blade with me.It was an odd yet comforting sensation. As serendipity would have itJuney sauntered into the camp just as my eyelids became too heavy tokeep open.

“Lazy ass.” Shesaid loudly. I sighed, my eyes still shut.

“Some people justhave no respect.” I opened one eye and smiled, despite theinterruption I was pleased to see her. “So what's news?”

“I got us an audiencewith his highness.”

“That was quick.”

“Yeah, well I'm surethey want to get this mess sorted out as quickly as we do.” Sheshrugged, I didn't know how she could be so nonchalant, though Isuppose it was all in a days work for her. In fact she was probably alittle disappointed that she wasn't in for a good old fashionedfight.

“Don't blame them. Imean, if there's problems between monarchy then there could beanarchy... haha.” She quirked an eyebrow at me, “Rhymes.”

“Maybe you do needsome sleep.” She smiled and sat down next to me. “So what's thisabout then?”

“Well I was going topractice...”

“Right-”

“...but I got comfy.”

“Hmm.”

“So what's the plan?Rest up and pay them a visit tomorrow?”

“Nope, we're goingnow.”

“I had a feeling youwere going to say that, don't ask me why, just one of those gutinstincts that something was going to come between me and sleep- sofar the contributing factor has usually been you so why stop now...”I watched her as she ignored me and started rooting through the bags.“What're you looking for?”

“Kaylaer has beenholding on to something for me, I need it back.”

“Ah.”

“There it is.” Ididn't see what it was; she pocketed it straight away. I figured itwas probably best not to ask. “Are you ready then?”

“Excuse me?”

“We're going.”

“What about theothers?” I sat up.

“We're meeting themthere; I ran into them earlier. It was hardly worth them coming allthe way back here was it?”

“I suppose not.” Ilooked around, “What about the bags? We won't manage all thisstuff.”

“We'll cover themover and pick them up on the way back, there's nothing too importantin them.”

“Saves carrying themI suppose.”

“Exactly, now get afew essentials together, strap on your sword, and we'll get going.”

“I thought you saidthis was going to get sorted quickly, I assumed that meant cleanly aswell!”

“Oh probably,” shewaved off my concern, “better to be safe than sorry though right?”I didn't know what it was but a terrible feeling of uneasiness wasbeginning to knot itself in my stomach – even under the reassuringweight of Twin-Blade.

“Okay.” I saidreluctantly as I stood. I strapped Twin-Blade to me. Think I mightneed you later.

***

By the time he reachedthe camp site Alaina and Juney had long gone. Darkness had descendedcompletely and the embers of the small camp fire had gone cold.Alistair searched around desperately trying to replace a sign of anyonebut to no avail.

He stood still andtried to control himself. Slowing his breathing completely heattempted to lock on to the pulsing sensation coming from the stonegrasped tightly in his hand. He thumbed it gently; attuning himself.It's counterpart was not here: they were heading for the palace. Hewas too late.

***

“You cannot do thisto me! I am an ambassador from the Corthus Institution for the Studyof Magic and Wonderment! I am expected by your superior!” was whatMethyn desperately wanted to say to the armed guards that now heldhim , but fear was keeping his mouth firmly shut. All he managed wasan indignant yet altogether terrified “Meep!”

Juney had told them towait for her in the city centre come nightfall- that she and Alainawould meet them; and together they would attend their audience withthe King and Queen and get everything all straightened out. Happy,with his pack now re-stocked with enough Cortharen teabags andbiscuits to last the average person over a year, and having just hada pot full of the stuff, he agreed. If not for the tea his nerveswould have been shot as he contemplated the enormity of thepeace-keeping task ahead of them.

After Juney had left,and his mind now clear to think of other things, Methyn decided thatit might be best to replace the children some accommodation for thenight – much to their protestations to the contrary. It was allwell and good, he argued with them, taking them on a cross-countrytour; showing them different cultures and putting them through theirpaces – but he was not happy about being the one responsible forknowingly putting them in the middle of a political situation thatwas fraught with danger. He stuck to his guns and, using the last ofhis spending money, rented them a small room above a quiet Inn forthe night. He tried his best to overlook the calibre of the otherclientèle ; as a stocky and unkempt looking fellow barged passedthem while he was signing for the room. He was glad now that he hadas he was hauled ungraciously away by four heavily armoured guards.There was a misunderstanding here, there had to be. Instead ofinsisting as much, he remained quiet. The girls would sort this outwhen they found him missing. Or at least, he hoped.