folk at the palace.”
“What? He left town? What exactly did you see?”
“Well, that bedwetting fool that was always at his heels kept looking behind them saying, ‘He could be here any moment. They looked to be eager, Sir.’ I jus’ figured they were leaving because they owed gold to half the vendors in Stanton. James himself was taken for a good deal, especially when you consider what he charges for a meal.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this when I spoke with you earlier?” Osric was frustrated, and Gordyn fidgeted at the sight of the dead man and the anger in Osric’s voice.
“I thought he was escaping the gold he owed, not this.” Gordyn nodded at the frozen face of the dead man. “Ain’t nothing you could have done about a Konsult stealing from the food vendors.”
“The murder of a Wizardly Union official,” Toby huffed, “for that, you could even put a Konsult in prison. You can bet that they will be here to find out what happened to him, too.” Toby nervously met Osric’s gaze. “The last thing we need right now is a bunch of Union officials poking their noses around here while we try to rebuild.”
Osric was having difficulty breathing, and he walked out the door. The cold air of the darkening night met him as he stepped out. The frustration he felt was beginning to weigh down his mind. He didn’t know what to make of the new situation. He couldn’t think straight when something horrible seemed to greet him at every turn. Starving people sleeping in the streets, a murder by the Konsult, the Palace isn’t rebuilt yet, and now the Wizardly Union is a threat too.
“Sir.” Toby was running toward him from the direction of the tent, followed more slowly by Kenneth. Osric hadn’t realized he had wandered toward the treeline.
“What is it, Toby?”
“Not that I blame you for wanting the time and quiet to think, but you shouldn’t be going hunting without telling someone.” Toby indicated Osric’s tight grip on his sword hilt with a nod.
“I wasn’t going hunting. I just needed fresh air.” Osric released his grasp on the sword, unaware he had even been holding onto it, and kicked a rock in frustration. “I wish I was though. It’s been one problem after another since the explosion at the palace. I can’t remember the last time my mind felt rested and clear, never mind the last time I had the pleasure of a good hunt.”
“Go in the morning,” Toby shrugged his shoulders, “nobody will miss you.”
“Have you taken a blow to the head? How can I do that with all of this going on?” Osric motioned toward the rubble pile and back at the tent where a murder had just occurred. He immediately wished he could take the comment back. An image of Gus saying nearly the same thing to him in a cave flashed in his mind. With the image of Gus came a memory of Bridgett, and he yearned to hear her voice again. Focus. It’s only been a few days. He looked back up to see Toby watching him with a curious expression.
“You already have the Vigiles looking after the people at the Palace grounds, nobody from the Union could have heard about this yet, Ryhain Domnall will be resting for the next few days, and the construction of the palace is underway. I hate to retain the responsibilities of your position, but I think we can spare you for a day or two. I wish I could go too, but Archana knows you need the time away more than I do, with all you’ve been through.”
“I have responsibilities here, Toby. I can’t just abandon them to go hunting when I am needed here.”
“He’s right, Os,” Kenneth spoke softly.
“Are you saying I have done a poor job of running things here while you were gone?”
“No, that isn’t what I meant. Look, you have done a fine job. You should have been the one to take this position in the first place. But I have an obligation to these people now that I am back.” Toby smiled at Osric’s stuttered recovery, but the joy failed to reach beyond his mouth.
“Osric, I admit that you could spend the next several months here swamped in paperwork and easily find more than enough to do to fill every hour of the day. Stanton will take a very long time to recover from the devastation at the palace. But the union officials will come