Daemon Gates Trilogy by Black Library Read Free Book Online Page B

for a moment, and then he nod­ded. 'You have grown up, Alaric,' he said, grudging respect in his tone. 'You are no longer the little boy who refused to follow orders just because they were orders.'
    'I still hate orders,' Alaric said with a grin, and Heinrich laughed.
    Then he stepped aside.
    'I will tell the servants to prepare your horses. I believe your man is down in the kitchen, or near it.' Heinrich held out his hand. 'Good luck, Alaric.'
    Alaric took it and clasped it firmly. 'Thank you.' He hes­itated. 'Tell Father and Mother... I am well. I am all right, and I have found my calling.'
    'I will,' Heinrich assured him. He smiled. 'Now go. The trail will grow cold otherwise.'
    Alaric nodded, not sure what else to say, and stepped past his brother, and out into the hall. The room was on the third floor, it turned out, and he found Dietz sitting in a room down on the first floor, chatting with one of the
    servants while chewing a sausage he had skewered on his knife. Glouste was curled up in his lap, chittering happily and stealing bits of sausage with her quick, clever paws.
    'We're leaving,' Alaric informed him as he strode into the room.
    'You're better, then?' Dietz asked, standing and finishing the sausage, before sheathing the knife and joining him. He didn't look surprised or concerned about Alaric's sud­den appearance or statement. Glouste chirped a warm hello as she shifted to her usual spot around Dietz's shoul­ders.
    'I'm well enough,' Alaric replied, although he felt a little light-headed from taking the stairs so rapidly. 'I should eat something, though.' He could tell his friend wanted to ask what had happened, but shook his head. They'd have time to talk later. For now, he just wanted to get out before Heinrich changed his mind.
    Dietz must have sensed his haste, and did not ask any­thing else. Instead the older man led him into the kitchen, where he apparently knew all the staff by name, and Glouste was clearly a favourite. The kitchen staff quickly set Alaric up with a plate of food and a mug of ale, and he had finished all but a few bites when a servant came to say that their horses were ready. Dietz knew the way to the sta­bles, and Alaric followed him, after accepting some food and a wineskin that the staff pressed upon him.
    The horses seemed well-rested and had clearly been well looked after. That was no surprise, though; a good soldier knew the value of caring for his steed. Their clothes and other gear had already been packed into the saddlebags, along with fresh supplies. Alaric thanked the stableboy and handed him a coin. Then he pulled himself carefully into his saddle, wary of over-exertion before they'd even left. He felt fine, however. A few minutes later they were riding down the street and away from the von Jungfreud house. Alaric refused to look back.
    'Did you speak to your brother?' Dietz asked, watching him closely.
    'I did.' Alaric glanced over at him. 'I take it you did as well.'
    His friend shrugged. 'He wanted to know what had hap­pened to you. I told him. Seemed a decent fellow.'
    Alaric thought about that one. 'He is,' he admitted after a second. 'He really is.' Then he shook off thoughts of fam­ily. 'We've lost several days,' he pointed out. 'Those cultists will be long gone by now.'
    'It couldn't be helped,' Dietz replied. 'You were very ill.'
    'I appreciate you finding me help,' Alaric answered. He saw the older man relax, and understood. 'Taking me there was the right thing to do,' he assured his friend.
    Dietz nodded, clearly content to let the matter drop. 'Where to now?' he asked.
    'I don't know,' Alaric admitted. He thought back to that night, and to the marks he had seen. The city was far qui­eter, now that Geheimnisnacht had passed, and, although a few remnants of the celebration remained, most of the decorations had been cleared away. That might work to their advantage, since the bloody marks would stand out more against Altdorf s usual decor, provided the marks