Secrets of the Swords, Book 1

Chapter 28: Questions from Both Sides

"Suthe?"

Ulsper's brow creased as he registered the crick in his neck, and his eyelids flickered open as he realized he had let the name slip out in his half-conscious state. Slowly, he raised his head, taking note of the straw-littered floor, the high-beamed ceiling, and the bored-looking guard standing across the way by a wide wooden door.

Ulsper's eyes narrowed as he assessed the guard. He couldn't afford to be mumbling things in his sleep with one of Kalasha's lackeys looking on. He'd have to be careful, especially with residual snorpvine sap running through his veins and making him sluggish.

Rolling his neck to ease the crick, he continued to lazily assess his surroundings, trying to figure out how long it had been since he'd lost consciousness. The whole night must have passed by now, given all that had already transpired. There had been no dignity in being stunned by one of Kalasha's henchmen, tied up and blindfolded, loaded onto a hand cart, and dragged to an empty barn on the outskirts of the city to be interrogated.

Though perhaps 'interrogated' was too nice of a word for it. Judging by how he was currently tied to a chair set in the middle of the room, Kalasha's team had something more akin to torture in mind than just asking questions nicely. Ulsper also caught sight of a table to the right with a few metal instruments laid out across its surface, further supporting his theory.

Definitely torture. He supposed it wasn't so surprising. Kalasha was always one for drama and excitement – he had read her reports, and just bringing prisoners back to Sylterra for the government to take care of would be far too dull for her taste.

At that moment, footsteps sounded outside, and the guard at the door straightened to attention as the door swung open.

"I knew we were in the right place when we heard about a foreigner breaking the fingers of a poor man just trying to have some fun at a brothel a couple weeks ago," Kalasha gloated as she strode in, flanked by two of her soldiers.

Ulsper tried to catch a glimpse outside, but unfortunately, Kalasha also knew the importance to a prisoner of getting one's bearings, and quickly shut the door before Ulsper's eyes could adjust to the brightness.

"So, would you like to tell me what you've been up to?" the captain asked, stepping forward until she was only a few feet away. Ulsper caught the way her eyes flicked to the table at the side of the room – she was eager to get started. He gritted his teeth. She had always had a morbid appetite.

"I had a great night's rest," Ulsper replied slowly, testing the bonds at his wrists. Rather than rope, they were leather straps, which meant he would have a harder time of getting loose from these than Uhi's stonemason knot, but it was better than being in iron shackles. "Thank you for providing such luxurious accomodations."

Kalasha's smile was cold. "I did my best."

"I'm sure you did. The atmosphere is quite rustic, and we must be safely out of the range of any wandering clockwork soldiers. How far from Fai are we? Somewhere down the mountainside – on the western slopes, perhaps? I've heard they have talented tapestry weavers thanks in part to all their sheep – "

"Enough with the chitchat, Ulsper," Kalasha interrupted. "I haven't gone to all this trouble just to talk about Andilirish shepherds."

"Oh?" His feigned nonchalance must have been wearing on her patience. So she had taken them west – if he had been wrong, she would have just laughed in his face. "What do you want to talk about, then?"

Kalasha crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, staring him down with a rather haughty look. "I suppose we could start with the simple questions," she said. "How long have you been hiding out in Andilir?"