The Rugged Edge

Chapter 32: Instruments and Infiltrations

The lion is missing from his pack
But he has not gone astray.
No, he has stricken a blow to the king,
Though how it was done he will not display.
We wonder and ponder and wonder and think,
But we simply cannot tell what he won't say.

. . . . .

The next night when we returned to the camp, we found that Rufus was missing.

"Gone off this morning and hasn't come back," said Curtis.

"I think he must have gone to town," said Roland.

"Without telling us? Not so," said Cyneric.

This led Geraint and I to go to talk to Bessy the next day.

"Bessy," I started. "Do you know what Rufus did before he started the rebellion?"

"No," said Bessy thoughtfully. "He never told us. He's from another village, but he never told us which of those, either."

Geraint and I glanced at each other, but today I didn't have time to think about it. I wanted to look for something.

We walked down the hall, looking for Fabian, but when we saw Eldon, I decided he was just as likely to know what we wanted to know.

"Eldon," I called.

He turned, a little surprised since I had never addressed him before, and came back down the hall. "Yes, Your Highness?"

"I have a question," I said. "Do you know of any place where we can find musical instruments here?"

"Instruments?" he asked, taken aback. "Well, yes, Your Highness. But if you do not mind my asking, why do you need them?"

"I just wondered," I said quickly. "Everyone tells me there was music before, in Rokenmeine, but I simple can't figure out what happened to the instruments. Do you know where they are?"

"Yes," said Eldon, slightly confused. "Collum put them in one of the towers. I don't remember which; I didn't help move them."

"Move them?" I asked.

"Yes, Your Highness," said Eldon. "Collum had them moved from the cellar to one of the towers. I think it was because they cluttered the storage room up, or something, and no one used them. So he moved them to where they wouldn't be in the way."

"Thank you, Eldon," I said, and smiled.

Eldon nodded and turned away, his confused expression still resting on his face.

. . .

"They aren't in Professor Alastair's study," I said.

"And they can't be in any of the defense towers," said Geraint.

"So they must be in one of the forward center towers," I said pensively. "I went up to the right center tower once, to investigate, but the staircase ended with a trapdoor and it was locked. So I went and looked in the left center tower, and it was locked, too. I don't know what they're for. Storage of some sort, I guess."

"Ise," said Geraint. "Now that we know where they are, why does it matter that we can't get to them? It's not like we can just pick them up and hand them out to the people right now."

I hesitated. "I know. Only... music is something I've never known, and I wish I did. A place with no music! In every story I read there's music. And I promised Aliyah I'd get her her fiddle back."

Geraint watched me sadly. "I know. And when you're queen, you can. But let's deal with that when we come to it."

. . .

The next night, we went back to camp. There was quite a bit of chaos.

Apparently, Rufus had come back with his map complete. He wouldn't tell anyone where he had been, and it was clear that he hadn't been in the castle, so no one knew how he had completed it. But there was only one thing on everyone's mind: Rufus had announced that the long-awaited infiltration would occur in a week's time. In the meanwhile, he would send spies in at night to make sure there were no deterrents to his entry plan.

Geraint and I were told to meet him in his tent.

"You two can go on as you are," he said, the lion-like smile on his lips. "You may still be able to get us valuable intel. But we are going in. Finally, it is time."

He smiled wider, and he looked wild, fierce, even maniacal. He was very clearly pleased with the occurrences.

"This is what will happen," he said, still smiling madly. "I'm taking the best of the rebellion into the castle. That's twenty people I've chosen, including you two and myself. We will enter by climbing the west wall. My scouts have informed me that the stones are uneven there and should be very climbable, in addition to what Geraint has told me about the guards not looking for threats so close to the castle.

"Once we've climbed over, we will enter the building through the back entrance. I'll send groups of three to take the towers: Broderick, Cyneric, and Curtis to the northeast tower, Zelda, Maverick, and Roland to the northwest tower, Griffin, Lane, and Jarvis to the southeast tower, and Rueben, Jacqueline, and Myra to the southwest tower. I will take Niles, Aldith, Nadine, Cerise, and Tristian to take down Collum. We will meet you on the main staircase for you to join us.

"Meanwhile, the rest of the rebellion will be tasked with going to Runa and riling the people there up against Collum, in the hope of raising our numbers. They will bring as many people as they can into the castle to join us."

Geraint and I both nodded.

"For the rest of the week," said Rufus. "I will continue sending spies into the castle to make sure that our entry plan has no flaws."

We nodded again.

"Very well. That is all," said Rufus, and we exited the tent.

. . .

"But how did he complete the map?" asked Geraint as we hiked back to Rokenfort.

"I don't know," I said pensively. "And he won't tell us. What is that all about?"

"No clue," said Geraint.

And though our discussions continued, we got no farther than this in our reasoning.