one to be allowed in until someone arrived from the capital.’
‘For a week?!’ One of the young men let his emotions get the better of him again. ‘We’ve got our belongings, money and documents in there!’ he blurted out in one breath. ‘We have to go back, or they’ll accuse us of desertion!’
‘What can I do?’ The dwarf threw up his hands.
‘As I understand it, you were sharing a room?’ Darius wanted to frown, but he knew he shouldn’t let on that something didn’t sit right with him.
‘Yes, a four-bed room, sir.’ The innkeeper bowed, and the Watchmen seemed to remember the situation they were in. ‘The corner room facing the courtyard, on the first floor.’ He hastened to clarify.
‘I'm sorry.’ The young man who had just broken loose looked remorseful. ‘If we don’t get the documents back and return to the garrison by the end of the week, they’ll hang us.’ He complained, his voice breaking slightly.
‘Then tell me, one by one, exactly what happened here, and I’ll personally make sure you don’t get into any trouble.’ Considering what he knew, what he’d heard, and what he’d somewhat expected, he preferred to start slowly and calmly. Often, the most information could be obtained not through threats or violence, but precisely through hope. ‘You are. . .?’ He paused expectantly.
‘Senior Watchman Darragh McKinnon,’ replied the calmer of the two. ‘And this is Watchman Albert Ethman. On the Colonel’s orders.’ He clicked his heels.
‘From the beginning, please,’ said Darius, just as Rex walked through the door leading onto the square in front of the inn.
‘The colonel is asking about Caim,’ McKinnon said, his tone somewhat calmer. ‘We’d have to go back over a month to the beginning. Basically, the three of us served together from the moment we joined the Watch. You could even say we were best friends. Out of the blue, Caim suddenly announced that he had to go home to sort out family matters, and that he’d applied for a transfer to the army. We were surprised, but these
