DREAMWIELDER Book 1 of The Dreamwielder Chronicles

Chapter 11: BENEATH THE DARK CITY

Caile sat watching Lorentz run his men through combat drills in the training yard of Lightbringer's Keep. Across the yard, outside the armory, a small audience had also gathered, comprised of soldiers from the Imperial Guard and Cavalry. It was commonplace enough for soldiers to observe and weigh one another's worth on the practice field, but Caile knew this was more than casual observance: there was animosity between the troops. Caile's men were confined to private barracks—little more than a dungeon, really—located in the basement beneath one of the palace wings. It was all Caile could do to convince the Emperor's chamberlain to allow his men an hour a day to practice in the yard, and even that seemed to be an affront to the Emperor's troops. There was nothing for it though. As much as Caile put on a facade of being a loyal servant, the truth of the matter was he wasn't, and with the potential for trouble, he wanted to keep his men as sharp as possible.

When Lorentz finally called a halt to the drills, the lot of them joined Caile to sit in the shade for the last few minutes they had before returning to their barracks.

"Where's your shadow?" Lorentz asked, looking for Meinrad amongst the onlookers near the armory.

"I've been reassigned a new liaison," Caile informed him. "Apparently the Emperor didn't take kindly to Meinrad getting fall-down drunk last night. My new liaison is the giant lout there with the bushy black beard and the battle-axe. His name is Lindy."

Lorentz narrowed his eyes and glared at Caile. "What sort of tomfoolery have you been up to?"

"As far as anyone else knows, just that: tomfoolery. A few ales, a few drams of spiced spirits. That's all."

"I know you better than that, Caile. Your foolishness doesn't stop with a few drinks."

"Foolishness?" Caile said with mock indignation. "I'd hardly say finding my brother's killers is foolishness."

"You're serious?"

Caile nodded and leaned back onto his elbows so as to get closer to Lorentz but still look casual to the onlookers. "There's an underground society, Lorentz," he whispered, so even his own men couldn't hear. "They want to overthrow the Emperor and kill Wulfram. They claim to have a sorceress in league with them."

"But they killed Cargan?"

"By necessity. He was unwittingly bringing the Emperor's men right to them."

"And yet they let you just walk away?"

Caile shrugged. "I was alone, and I offered my help."

"Pyrthin's arse, Caile," Lorentz hissed. "You're going to wind up dead just like your brother. What were you thinking? You didn't tell them anything else did you?"

"I didn't have much choice in the matter," Caile said, remembering what he had glimpsed in the dim light of that basement. "They had cross-bows trained on me, and they wanted to know whether they could trust me or not."

"What did you tell them?"

"Mostly what secrets I knew about Bricio, but they seemed to know about all that already. They were more interested in Kal Pyrthin. They said the houndkeepers are after someone—a sorceress. I told them about the firewielder, and then..."

"You didn't tell them about Taera?"

Caile looked up at his friend and protector. "You know about Taera?"

"I'd have to be a lackwit not to, Caile. I was watching over you when you were a child, and the two of you would play. I was there when the firewielder attacked. I certainly know it wasn't you who read the future. How could you tell them about her, Caile? Your own sister."