Book 2 Season's Change Spring's Revenge

Part 47 The Trap

Dash looked Avriel up and down. He didn't think that he'd be able to keep up with him and the gang. Avriel just smiled. Dash then turned his attention to Katana. He just stared at her for a long while then looked back at Avriel.

Avriel nodded. "We're ready. Don't stop until we've lost them."

Dash raised a brow and watched as Othello disappeared under Avriel's cloak. "Try to keep up."

"Right." Avriel and Katana spoke at the same moment. It took a second for Dash to move but he was off and running with Avriel, Katana, Tripp and several others in tow. They split up, moving through the streets, up and over rooftops, through buildings and stopped in an old, abandoned space. A fire was burning in the center of the missing floor. There were several other fires burning in rings all around.

Dash stopped and moved to the main fire. "You run really good, Mister." He nodded at Katana. "You too, um, Lady." He looked at her and cocked his head to the side. "I know he is human, but he doesn't move like any I have seen. You -- you are not human. Why can't I see your ears?"

"Do you need to, Dash, or do you know what you know?" Avriel handed Othello back to Katana. Othello wrapped himself around her shoulders and relaxed. His little heart was racing. Avriel looked at Tripp and shrugged then nodded toward Katana. Tripp walked over to her and put his small hands up. He wanted to hold Othello again, but Katana was not about to let Othello go. She reached down and picked the child up so he could pet the ferret while he rested on her neck. Dash's eyes went wide. "She's a-"

"She's a what? Does it matter? Has she offered you any harm? No, I think not. Why? Why not see a person for that person?" Avriel spoke in the same tone his father used with him when he needed to learn something important. "Let her hold him so he can pet Othello. It will hurt no one. We promised you. We will not hurt you. If you thought we would, why did you bring us here? My name is Avriel. She is Katana. That is Othello that Tripp is petting there. We have one other friend. His name is Fet. He is back in our room." Avriel spoke slowly, calmly and softly. He kept his voice strong but not aggressive. He did not want to offend or upset the children. They were all children. Dash appeared to be the oldest of the group. Katana looked over at Avriel and smiled. Avriel smiled back at her and got momentarily distracted. He turned back to Dash. "I owe you more than coin. I am in your debt. How many of you are there?" Avriel bowed a deep bow from one prince to another. The young boy, master of his kingdom, was stunned but returned the bow with strength and depth. Slowly children started assembling on the floor around the fire. It was a small contingent; maybe twelve or thirteen of them. They were all dirty and all dressed in threadbare rags. Avriel wanted to cry. Katana did.

They spent the day with Dash and his gang of orphaned children listening to their stories and discovering the ties that some of them had to Thalion. Dash was an orphan because of him. It angered Avriel to no end. They retrieved Fet from Avriel's room and gathered as much food as they could. They fed the children in exchange for street knowledge, at least that is what they told them. Katana and Avriel would have fed them regardless. Avriel spent some time teaching the children how to garden and showed them some of the places they could grow and nurture plants that would help them in lean times, as long as they took care of them.

Later, Avriel and Dash sat up on the roof and looked out over the lower part of the city as they talked. Through Dash, Avriel learned the mercenaries' plans for him and Katana and set about one of his own. "Dash?"

"Avi?"

"Can you and your gang help me follow them?"

"You forget who you are talking to?"

Avriel nodded and smiled. He liked the boy. "Will you help me defeat this man? I don't think Katana and I can do it alone."

"Yes. He killed my mother. I am not strong enough to avenge her. Will you do this for me?" Dash's tone should have surprised him. It didn't. The intensity he found in the boy's eyes was a mirror of his own, indicating the fire that was in both of their hearts. He nodded solemnly. That he would do. He smiled slowly. "We will set the trap tomorrow. For tonight, let's eat." 

That night Avriel and Katana made sure all of the children were fed well and were warm before they left them. This time instead of taking the back wall to their window Katana boldly walked in the front door right beside Avriel. They sat for a while in the tavern and watched the room. Dash and the boys were right. They were being followed and by more than one person. They retired to their room knowing an attack would come just before the dawn.

"Everything is in place. Are you certain?" Avriel's eyes held Katana's; green-brown locked to silver.

She nodded and chewed on her lip. It was dangerous what would happen next. Thalion had hired mercenaries to capture them; well her. Just her. Avriel was to be left unharmed. That would be hard to do unless that was what they allowed to happen. "Yes, Kotas. I am. It is the only way."

"I don't like it. Why only you?"

"So you will come for me."

"You know I won't let him have you."

"He knows that too. You came for me before. You will do it again. He will be counting on that."

"He can."

"I know." She put her hand on his cheek as she looked at the fire in his eyes. He would always come for her and her for him. "As you said. We will use this against him. He does not know that we know anything of his plans. It will work. I am certain he only paid them to capture and hold me until you arrive. Your timing must be perfect."

"You will need to be perfect and your timing the same. Don't kill him. But don't let him hurt you either. You must be prepared for anything. We don't know what he wants with you." His hands migrated to both her shoulders and held them as he looked into her eyes. She had never seen that expression on his face. He spoke as if he were speaking the most important set of words to the most important person in his life; he was. "I will come for you. Keep your blade hidden but ready. Your weapons will be there when you need them." He looked over at Fet and the animal sat up. Fet knew his responsibilities to his friends and the role he and Othello would play in their plans. He put his head back down and curled up with Othello to rest while they could. "They will likely try to take you from here."

"That seems logical. Avriel?"

"Yes?"

"They will have specific expectations of us."

"So?" He looked at her sideways and let his hands fall from her shoulders. "What do you mean?"

"They will not expect to find us sleeping on the floor in front of the fire. They would expect us to be in bed."

"Okay."

"Together."

"Why?"

She just looked at him surprised that he honestly did not know this. "You are too precious Stupid Human." And shook her head. "They think we are lovers."

"We are not." He really did not get it. "And we don't sleep in beds, but okay." He shrugged. "They'll come for you in the early morning light." He just stood there and looked at Katana with a serious and innocent look in his eyes. She shook her head again and touched his face. "Araguah."

They stood in the middle of their rented room and just looked at each other for a long while. There was nothing more to be said. Without a word, they started to move through a hand-to-hand routine that danced them all around the room with the smooth and easy grace that was their dance. They danced the dance of combat until the first light of day then lay down to rest. They were ready; more than ready.

As they had expected, the mercenaries came for Katana at first light. It was a struggle for them both to not fight the men that came for her. Katana screamed and Avriel cried out as they grabbed her and drug her from his arms. She fumbled and fought and did her best to play the part of a near helpless woman. She played it well. Avriel took a blow to the cheek, rolled with it and let his body fall back on the bed. He closed his eyes and lay perfectly still, trusting Katana to her part of the plan and hoping he was playing his part half as well as she was. He almost believed that she could not properly defend herself. They took her and her clothes and left him there unconscious on the bed.