Dev was still bemused by the whole experience of being knighted, as this was something he had never expected. Firstly, he had not ever really trained as a knight. Secondly, he was not a member of any of the nobility. Usually, knights came from the ranks of the nobility.
While it was not unheard of for a commoner to be knighted, it was unusual. While he had been uncomfortable the first few times someone addressed him as 'Sir Cantor', Lord Benaldin told him he would get used to it in time, and congratulated him on his new title.
It was fall, again. While the air was getting chilly, the day was very nice. Dev decided to take the day off, and go riding. He informed Lord Benaldin of his intentions. He was told to enjoy himself.
While he had gotten used to being in the city, his training with Lord Benaldin was such that he still kept his eyes open. He also cast an awareness spell, which would inform him of anyone's long-term attention to himself, from anyone close by.
'It is a handy thing, being able to do magic', Dev thought to himself.
Dressed in his newly tailored clothing and wearing his new cloak, Dev thought he looked very good indeed. He had chosen green for the color of his tunic and trousers, black boots, and a dark forest green for his cloak.
His horse was glad to be out of the stables, and he pranced as he went along. Dev smiled at that, and patted his horse's neck. He would have to pay more attention to his horse. The horse was a tall leggy bay, and had a distance-eating stride.
His horse could trot for hours at a time, and never tire. He could even cantor for long periods, with just short breaks in between. After leaving the city, Dev nudged his horse into a cantor and was headed down the east road. This was his first excursion out of the city.
An hour later he came to a manor house. It was a large, two story affair. It was made of fieldstone. There were a number of people working around the outside of it. He turned into the road leading up to it and reigned in.
"Hello, how may I help you," an old man asked Dev.
"I was wondering if I might get some water for my horse? While I brought a little with me, I was thinking to find a stream or river for him to drink from by now," Dev answered.
"Of course, my lord," the man said.
"Actually, I am only Sir Cantor. I am not a lord," Dev responded to that wrong form of address.
"My apologies, Sir Cantor. I meant no offense," the old man said.
"None taken. Feel free to promote me all you wish," Dev responded good-naturedly.
Dev was led to a watering trough. He let his horse drink its fill. Dev talked with the man, and was told that the estate was owned by a Lord Mumphry, and that he and his lady were currently at their residence in the city.
"Well, this is certainly a beautiful home from what I have seen. Thank you for the water," Dev said to the old man.
Dev remounted his horse, and road back to the East Road. There, he paused. He was beginning to get hungry. While he had money on his person, he didn't know how far it was to an inn. He should have asked at the house.
He sighed, and turned his horse back to the direction of Taslon. This time, he paid more attention to the little cottages that dotted the landscape as he went towards the city. He noted that all of the fields had been harvested, and were empty now.
By the time Dev got back to the city, he was well and truly hungry. He decided he would not wait till he got to the Eagles Claw to eat. He would stop at the first inn that he saw.
About five minutes into the city he found a likely place to eat.
The sign proclaimed it the Stags Head Inn. He left his horse outside with a boy who accepted a copper penny from Dev, as he assured Dev that the horse would be looked after until Dev returned for him.
Dev entered the inn, and took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dark interior. A long bar took up most of one side of the inn. Rough plank long tables were placed in the center of the room.
He could smell cabbage in the air, as well as a number of unwashed human bodies. He almost changed his mind, but hunger won out. He went to the bar and asked what the innkeeper had that was ready to eat.
"Cabbage soup and venison," the innkeeper responded.
"Very well. I will have that, and a tankard of your best ale," Dev ordered.
Dev soon found a wooden bowl of soup, eating utensils, a plate of venison, and a tankard of ale set before him. He paid the innkeeper, and started eating. The spell he had cast earlier to detect interest in himself, was informing him that almost everyone in the inn was interested in him.
While he was eating, Dev took the opportunity to glance around casually. Most of the people in this inn were dressed in homespun clothing. A few had better clothing, but not many. Dev was definitely the best dressed in the entire inn.
As he was finishing his meal, which was not to bad at all, he had noticed a man who was coughing frequently into a rag he was using as a handkerchief. Thinking quickly, Dev
got up and went over to the man.
"Excuse me, Goodman, but that cough sounds very bad. Have you had a healer look into it for you?" Dev asked with real concern.
"I have no money for healers. I know what it is. It will do for me, and soon, if I am any judge," the man responded bitterly.
Dev took only a moment to think about it. His compassion won out, and he took out his flask of 'potion' he had taken to carrying with him at all times, and unscrewed the cap. He poured a cap full of the golden liquid into it, and told the man to drink it down.
The man took the cap and emptied it into his mouth, swallowing quickly.
"Here, now! That was not a shot of brandy," the man said indignantly.
"No, it wasn't. That was a dose of potion," Dev responded quietly.
"Potion? You wasted potion on the likes of me?" The man gasped out.
"What do you mean, 'the likes of you'? You're a man aren't you? That's enough for me," Dev responded angrily.
"I meant no offense, my lord. It's just potion is so expensive and I can't pay you for it," the man said, breathing much better by now.
"I don't recall asking you for payment. I saw a man in need. I happened to have had something that would help him. So I helped him," Dev responded gently.
"My name is Ralph Lintel. If you ever need for anything, you just come down to the east end. Most know where to find me. Can I ask your name, my lord?" Ralph asked.
"I am Captain Sir Devlin Cantor of His Majesty's Horse. I am not a lord, but a Knight!" Dev responded proudly.
"Well, Sir Devlin, you have my thanks," the man said.
He was almost in tears with his immense gratitude.
"You are welcome. I was glad to help you," Dev responded, going back to his place to finish his ale.
Dev finished up, and went outside. He saw the boy standing by his horse. He thanked the boy, and gave him another copper penny. The boy's eyes lit up at the extra payment. Dev smiled at that, wondering at how such a simple thing could bring a person such pleasure.
He mounted and was ready to leave when the door opened and a man hurried to him.
"Excuse me, Sir Devlin, but could you help my little one? She is awful sick with an infection. Please? I only live round the corner," the man begged.
Dev thought about it for a moment, then decided to help. He hated the idea of children being ill. Dev nodded to the man. He rode as the man jogged ahead of him, leading the way.
It was a very small house, of just two rooms that the man led Dev into. As Dev dismounted, he cast a spell over his horse, to ensure it would still be there when he got back.
Dev entered the little house behind the man, and saw that a sleeping pallet had been placed close to the fireplace, so the little girl would stay warm. The home was simple and clean, but sparsely furnished. A woman sat on the floor by the girl, holding a wet rag to the girl's forehead.
Dev took one look at the little girl, and knew pity and concern. She was flushed and sweating, and her left hand was swollen at least twice its normal size, and discolored. Dev quickly went to the girl and kneeled.
He took out his flask, and poured a cap full of the potion into the little girl after getting her mother to sit her up a bit. The effect was startling to say the least. The girl had been panting before, but now her breathing slowed to a more normal pattern.
The swelling on her left hand and arm started to reduce to a more normal size. Her color started to return to normal. Soon her eyes opened and she stared up at the people looking down at her.
"Mama?" The little girl asked.
With a cry, the woman wrapped her arms around the little girl, hugging her tightly.
"Mama? You're squeezing me to tight," the little girl gasped out.
The woman, kept one arm around the little girl as she turned her attention to Dev.
"I can't thank you enough for helping her. We don't have money to pay you, but I will scrub your floors, wash your clothes, fix your meals... anything you want," the woman said with tears in her eyes.
"Now, now. Who said anything about payment? It was my pleasure to help your little one, Ma'am," Dev responded.
"Surely you must want something. Healing potions cost a lot of money," the woman stated.
"Ma'am, I grew up on a farm. My house was only slightly larger than this one. I got lucky, in that I was able to join the Army. I got the attention of some very important, but very good people. I was raised as far as a common person could imagine. I know how it is," Dev said.
This was how he explained why he didn't want payment. Eventually she allowed him to escape.
Still basking in the glow of having helped a couple of people who needed it, Dev let his attention slip a bit. He was going through the city. He was just about ten minutes from where he stabled his horse, when it happened.
A wagon pulled out in front of him, causing him to reign in sharply. A man who had been walking quickly ran into Dev's horse and dropped a package he had been carrying. He heard the tinkle of breaking glass. A whiff of perfume reached his nose.
"What's wrong with you? Are you stupid? You broke a very expensive bottle of perfume!" The man who had run into Dev's horse said furiously.
"There is no need to be insulting. I am sure we can work this out..." Dev started saying but was cut off.
"There is nothing to work out. I will see you on the field of honor, unless you're a coward," the man said coldly and loudly.
Dev realized right then that this had been a set up. The wagon, the man running into his horse... all had been preplanned He considered his next words carefully.
"I see. Since you have gone to so much trouble to set up this little incident, how can I refuse you? Where and when would you like to meet?" Dev asked just as coldly.
"Outside of the north gate in two days time at the noon hour. The field is just a mile from the gate. It is on the right hand side of the road. I am Hara Paskle," the man said as if that meant something to Dev.
"I am sure you already know who I am, but I will play along. I am Sir Devlin Cantor, and since I am the challenged party, I chose swords," Dev rejoined.
"Until then," Paskle said and bowed from the waist, to Dev.
Dev nodded very slightly in return (which was a grave insult, in and of itself), and said with conviction, "Yes, and none too soon!"
Dev had no further mishaps on the way back to The Eagle's Claw. He ordered his horse to be groomed, and then to be put up with oats in his feed. The hostler started to comment about the cost, but Dev cut him short.
"This one is worth the cost!" he said.
He then walked the short distance to the palace. He made his way to Lord Benaldin's office. When he got to the outer room, he asked the clerk if Lord Benaldin was in. The clerk not only said that the lord was in, he said that Dev was welcome to immediately enter, if that was what Dev wanted to do.
Dev told Lord Benaldin of his day. He particularly emphasized the challenge. Lord Benaldin leaned forward on his elbows and listed closely. Dev was able to relate each word, and every 'body language' movement of the secondary characters. Finally, Dev wound down and waited for Lord Benaldin to speak.
"You are right. It was a set up, pure and simple... and you fell for it," Lord Benaldin said absently.
"Yes, I know. Do you have anything on this Hara Paskle? I would like to know the capabilities of my opponent, my lord," Dev asked with interest.
Fifteen minutes later they both were pouring over a scroll. There was precious little information... but what was, there was very alarming. Hara Paskle was an assassin. His preferred tool was sabre. He was a professional duelist. He was hired for large sums to commit murder under the guise of a duel. There also followed a list of people he was known to have killed in duels.
"Ok, who would pay large amounts of money to have me killed?" Dev asked in amazement.
"Oh, I can think of several people, mostly from the kingdom of Ralm. You were very instrumental in an intelligence coup down there you know. It is definitely someone in the Ralm embassy, I am almost sure of it," Lord Benaldin mused aloud.
"You mean because of that guy that had followed me who turned out to be from the Ralm embassy?" Dev asked.
"Exactly. You follow someone who was following you to the Ralm embassy. Then just a few weeks later you are challenged. I don't believe in coincidences," Lord Benaldin stated firmly.
The day of the duel was a cold but clear day. Lord Benaldin had elected to act as Dev's second in this matter. Another man rode behind them whom he did not know at all. They reached the appointed place, one mile outside the north gate at the clearing on the right.
Harah Paskle was already there, waiting on him. He too had a second but that was it.
"I see you are prompt and I did not have to go looking for you," Paskle said with a sneer.
"Resorting to implications of things not true? My, you must not think too much of yourself if you have to resort to this type of behavior. But those unsure of themselves are ever like that," Dev responded cheerfully.
Dev dismounted and passed the reigns over to the third man of their party. He still did not know who he was, other than Lord Benaldin said he might be useful. Paskle drew his sword and cut the air with it.
"Lets get this over with. I have a lunch date and I do not wish to be late," Paskle said.
Dev removed his cloak and drew his sword. It was not the long cavalry sword, but one slightly shorter and he had much better control over it on the ground. The two faced each other and readied themselves.
There was no signal spoken, but suddenly the two moved as one and the duel was on. Dev Blocked several slashing strikes and the two swords rang with the clash of steel on steel.
Dev launched a series of cuts and thrusts that backed his opponent up, but Paskle managed to block or elude those. Then both settled down and fought at one place for several minutes.
The sneer was gone from Paskle's face as he realized that Dev was a much better swordsman than he had thought. Dev kept his face impassive as he fought, and tried to find a weakness in the defense of the man he was fighting.
Steel on steel was the only sound in the clearing, with the exception of someone breathing heavily. Dev noticed that Paskle was tiring! He was actually slowing down a little.
Dev figured this man must go all out at the beginning of his fights, and was probably good enough to win in those instances. However, Dev had been trained everyday for a year by someone much better then the man he faced now.
Dev decided to press the man, and started a flurry of cuts and thrusts that were almost guaranteed to do some damage if what Dev thought was true. Within just a few seconds into his plan, Dev scored on Paskle, cutting his side with a partially blocked cut.
Dev stepped back and Lord Benaldin stepped forward.
"Are both parties satisfied that honor has been settled?" Lord Benaldin asked.
"I am," Dev responded.
"No," Paskle gritted out.
"Then let the fight continue," Lord Benaldin said and moved out of the way.
Dev was angry that this was still going on. While he had succeeded with the cut to some extent, he had let Paskle block most of the cut, because he did not want to kill someone over something stupid.
They fought for another five minutes, and Dev was starting to feel tired himself. This was going on far longer than he had assumed it would. Dev studied his opponent looking for an opening.
Shortly he found the opening he had been looking for, and thrust his blade into Paskle's stomach. Paskle stiffened and his eyes opened wide and his mouth opened in a soundless scream.
Dev withdrew his sword and Paskle grabbed his stomach and fell to his knees.
"Hara Paskle. I have potion that will heal you. I will give you a dose if you will tell me who hired you," Lord Benaldin told the kneeling Paskle.
Paskle looked up with shock, and with then hate.
"Go to hell, you..." he said.
He gurgled for a few moments, and then fell over, dead.
"Well, whoever hired him did not get their money's worth, this time," Lord Benaldin said with satisfaction.
"Actually, they did. After all, we still do not know who hired him," Dev countered.
Edited by TeNderLoin