The Prince's Mark

Chapter Twenty Six

The moment Tracou and Ina stepped inside the stable Pendaer cried out and rushed over to them.

"Close the door! I did what you wanted while you were gone and I won't let my efforts be wasted!"

"What are you talking about?" Tracou asked, shutting the door.

Pendaer threw up his hands. "The pigeon, you idiot!"

Tracou's jaw dropped. Had Pendaer actually caught a pigeon for him? He had expected Pendaer to, at most, pace around the stable while cursing.

Beyond all expectations, there was a single pigeon perched on Pendaer's horse. Tracou stared at it, blinking owlishly. It stared back at him.

If only he had been able to watch Pendaer try to catch this pigeon! Regret filled his entire being.

Pendaer himself was only slightly more ragged than he had been when they had left him. It was almost a shame. Still, getting the pigeon must have taken him some effort or he wouldn't have been so annoyed at the door. He kept glowering at the bird, as if daring it to take flight.

Ina slipped behind Tracou, staying a decent distance from the bird. "Wow! How did you catch it? It's night time!"

"It doesn't matter," Pendaer said in a tone that did not invite further questioning.

It very much did matter to Tracou, but there was no point in asking if Pendaer wasn't going to tell them.

"Does this mean you're going to give me back my wand?" Tracou asked, struggling to keep a smile off his face. Hope was foolish at this point, but he couldn't help it.

Pendaer looked at Tracou coolly. "That depends. Did you learn anything?"

"The elf that was arrested is likely being kept in the castle," Tracou said, glancing at the pigeon. In this case, a rat or a mouse would be more useful than a pigeon.

Pendaer must have realized this at the same time because his glower at the pigeon became a scowl at Tracou.

"So you want me to catch a mouse for you next, is that it, dezmek?"

Leaning backwards, Tracou grimaced. How was he supposed to know that Pendaer's pigeon pinching wasn't as useful as they might have hoped? Pendaer didn't have to attack him over it!

"We can still use the pigeon!"

Pendaer sneered. "A pigeon inside a castle would be much more noticeable than a mouse! Not only that, but they're far easier to catch with your bare hands than a mouse!"

"Stop it," Ina said firmly, her hands on her hips. "You're like children!"

Both Pendaer and Tracou went quiet, startled by Ina's intrusion.

"Can't you use both? A mouse for the castle and a pigeon for our escape route?"

"An escape route?" Tracou repeated.

Pendaer grunted, tapping his foot on the stable floor. "I suppose we'll need one... We can't walk around with two elves."

"We could if you let me use magic."

"Anyway," Pendaer said, ignoring Tracou completely. "Did you learn anything else?"

"One of the men at my table, he said he saw the elf," Ina said.

Tracou turned towards her. This was much more significant than what Tracou had learned. "Really?"

"He said that an elf and a woman rode a wagon into town a few days ago."