This is the first part of Midnight Riders.
*********
“Are they gone yet?” Dana asked.

Jayden glanced out the barn’s only window. “If anything, there are even more soldiers than before.”

The barn had seemed a good place to spend the night. Dry, clean, empty after its animals had been confiscated to feed the army, it had been the perfect home for a wanted criminal and his, sidekick? Partner? Dana wasn’t sure exactly how she was supposed to describe herself after following Jayden for over a year. Maybe follower worked, but that made it sound like he was her master, and that really didn’t describe their relationship.

Morning found their campsite a prison when they woke to hundreds of soldiers marching down the road. The men stopped by the farm to refill their canteens at a well. The farmer watched them, more bored than scared, as he had nothing left they could take. Soldiers marched down the road, only to be replaced by still more soldiers.

“Where are they going?” Dana asked. The barn was far enough from the road that the soldiers wouldn’t hear her unless she shouted.

“Zentrix,” Jayden said. He still wore heavy winter clothes over his black and silver uniform, and was busy studying one of the spell tablets she’d found for him. “I fear Lootmore and his people are going to face the worst of the king and queen’s fury this summer.”

“Do you think they’re ready for it?”

“No. They will fight competently and courageously, and they will fall in spite of their valor. They lack the manpower to match the forces against them.”

He set the granite spell tablet aside and got up to stretch his arms. “For that to happen there has to be a battle, and I aim to prevent it. There is an old saying that amateurs study tactics and professionals study logistics. Food, medicine, draft animals, tents, warm clothes, these are essential to an army’s survival just as much as armor and weapons. Too many commanders ignore the essentials of life, assuming they can seize what they need from conquered territory.”

Jayden turned to her and waved in the direction of the soldiers. “If they run out of food weeks before the fighting starts, if they don’t have horses and oxen to pull their wagons, if medicine for common illnesses all armies face doesn’t arrive, they fail before the first sword is drawn. That’s one of the reasons we’ve come here.”

Curious, she asked, “What’s the other reason?”

“In the past, you’ve pointed out that I would have an easier time defeating the plans of the king and queen if I had more help. I can’t deny the point, especially after all you’ve done for me, but finding men willing and able to assist me is no easy task. Few would take on an army, even snapping at one’s heels as we are, and fewer still for the paltry rewards that have come our way.”

Dana put her hands on her hips. “Paltry? We’ve both got magic swords.”

Jayden chuckled. “You have no idea how much fighting men charge. Even the magic and riches we have secured would not be enough to interest most capable warriors, nor keep them long if they did come. Thanks to Clevner, I have a lead on men either bold or desperate enough to work with us.”

“Clevner wasn’t exactly the trustworthy type. He might have recommended someone as dirty as he is.”

“You make a fair point, for the men we seek could easily be enemies. Clevner spoke of a group called the Midnight Riders. Details on them are sketchy, but tales tell of a large body of horsemen dressed in black who attack army storehouses, seizing fortunes in goods before disappearing into the night. They say nothing as they load their packs and saddlebags with food, oil, candles and other goods. They only attack unguarded targets and inflict only minor injuries on the men watching the storehouses.”

“It sounds like Lootmore’s doing,” Dana said. Then she frowned. “Wait, he doesn’t have that many men, and the last time we saw him he was stealing armor. Food and candles aren’t important enough for him.”

“I thought the same thing myself. Still, they’re not your run of the mill thieves or bandits, either, or else they would rob less risky targets such as farmhouses. I believe they are either foreign agents or revolutionaries. I wish to meet them and judge the quality of their character. If they are worthy men, there is the possibility of an alliance. If they are villains and rogues, I need to stop them before they hurt people I actually like.”

Jayden looked out the window and scowled. “We aren’t far from the last reported attack by the Midnight Riders, but with so many soldiers outside we might as well be on the moon. Even looking at them disgusts me. So many following orders with unthinking obedience, attacking a nation we’ve never been at war with and have no reason to fight. I wonder what excuses they use to justify bringing horror and suffering to a neighboring land.”

Jayden’s expression changed from disgust to curiosity, and he waved for Dana to join him at the window. “Our mission is more dire than I’d feared. Look.”

Dana came over and peered out the window to see armored men carrying bright banners coming up the road. There were only a few dozen of them, but soldiers pointed and stared, some even calling out to their officers.

“I’ve never seen soldiers or mercenaries like them before,” Dana said.

“They’re neither one nor the other. Cimmox the necromancer claimed the king and queen had cast a wide net for allies, gathering up the despicable and vulgar from other lands. I see he told the truth. Those banners proclaim these men to be gladiators from Battle Island. Gladiators kill daily for pay, and they are skilled and brutal in equal measure.”

“At least there aren’t many of them.”

“That handful is worth five times their number in ordinary soldiers. If they get their hands on magic weapons and armor, they’d be worth ten times as many. Pray the king and queen are too distrustful or stingy to properly arm them.”

Army officers met the gladiators and showed them which road to take. The gladiators showed little obedience and no respect in return, but they marched on with the rest of the army. Jayden and Dana watched for three hours until the soldiers were gone.

“We must assume the rest of Cimmox’s claims were not idle boasting,” Jayden told her. “That makes every hour wasted a serious loss. We must find the Midnight Riders before they are killed or leave for safer hunting grounds.”

Dana and Jayden left the barn and kept to backways and cow paths far from any major road. This slowed them down since such routes were rarely straight and never properly maintained, but they were safe from discovery by soldiers and mercenaries. They traveled through pastures and forests, rarely seeing people.

Two days traveling brought them to a small city not far from the border with Zentrix. From a distance the city looked peaceful enough, its buildings in good repair and the citizens well dresses and healthy. A river ran along the south side of the city and had considerable boat traffic. Dana spotted soldiers, but not nearly as many as she’d expected.

“Welcome to Trenton Town, so named for its founder, Erving Trenton,” Jayden declared.

Dana saw people enter and leave the city unchallenged. “Where are all the guards?”

“They were likely absorbed into the army when it passed through,” Jayden replied. “Only a minimal force was left behind to maintain order. I am sorely tempted to work mischief here, but finding the Midnight Riders takes precedence.”

“How do we find these guys when the authorities can’t?” Dana asked. “I don’t think your magic detection spell is going to help, because it sounds like they don’t use magic.”

“Given their success rate they might, but it’s more likely they’re simply careful planners. Finding them won’t be easy. My intensions are to question the locals. Buying a few rounds of drinks does wonders to improve men’s moods. If I’m right, someone in this city knows who the Midnight Riders are and where to find them.”

Dana gave him a disbelieving look. “You’re a wanted criminal. Who’s going to drink with you?”

“I’ve found a shocking number of people are happy to do so. The king and queen have gone to considerable lengths to upset their subjects in most provinces and cities. High taxes, confiscating goods and conscripting citizens into the army doesn’t make friends. We just have to be careful about which bars to patronize.”

“You have contacts who either like you or are terrified of you in some of the places we visit,” Dana pointed out. “Is there anyone here who could help us?”

“Not this time. I was here years ago and made friends with a family of blacksmiths. I helped them escape the kingdom when the king and queen ordered them brought to Armorston and put to work producing weapons. With their departure there is no one here I know and trust.”

Unlike some cities they’d visited, Trenton Town lacked a city wall, and they were able to enter the outskirts of the city without drawing much attention. Jayden still wore his winter cloak over his black and silver clothes, including a hood over his messy hair. This meant the few people to pay them any attention gave at most a passing glance.

“Getting kind of warm for clothes that thick,” an older man said to Jayden.

“If you have summer weight clothes to spare or money to buy them, I would be most appreciative,” Jayden replied.

The old man chuckled. “I have no surplus of clothes or coins, and no hope of that changing. Sympathy is all I can share with you. Stranger, a word of warning.”

Jayden stopped. “Yes?”

The old man nodded at Dana. “Take your girl out to the countryside and leave her there. We’ve had soldiers, mercenaries and now gladiators coming through the city like a parade. Most are louts, and some no different than monsters. I wouldn’t want to see what happens if they saw a young lady.”

“Your warning is much appreciated. My niece and I won’t stay longer than we must.”

Once they were far enough away to avoid being overheard, Dana said, “If that’s how they’re acting in a city, heaven help girls living on farms they pass through. Jayden, if these men are as bad as he says, they’re going to drive honest men to rebel.”

“They might, but mercenaries and gladiators would make short work of farmers and shopkeepers.”

“I thought the mercenaries revolted and ran off.” Dana and Jayden had helped mercenaries from Skitherin Kingdom learn that girls from their homeland were being sold in Meadowland Kingdom. The knowledge had enraged them to the point of rebelling against their employers and fleeing with the freed slaves.

“Mercenaries from Skitherin Kingdom rebelled, removing thousands of men from the king and queen’s armies, but I doubt the royal couple hired men only from that blighted kingdom. Men hired from other lands would have no reason to be upset by Skitherin women and children being sold as slaves. They might even buy some.”

The city streets were slowly coming to life as more people left their homes. Normally this happened at dawn, but it was nearly noon. Had they stayed indoors to avoid the armed men who’d recently traveled through their city? That fit with the older man’s warning. Men gave them suspicious glances when they saw both Dana and Jayden carried swords.

“Who are you with?” a woman demanded.

“No one save ourselves,” Jayden answered.

“Then why are you armed?”

Dana said, “We’ve been traveling between cities. Not all the roads are safe.”

The woman relaxed. “I can believe that. Just, keep those blades out of sight. They make folks nervous.”

Finding a bar was easy. The city was lousy with them, small places that were only now hanging up signs with tankards painted on them. Jayden went in one with a few tables already crowded with customers, and the bartender said, “Outsiders pay upfront.”

“Fair enough,” he replied, and placed a copper coin on a table. He chatted with the bartender and customers while Dana kept watch at the door.

“Your girl is being mighty skittish,” the bartender noted.

Jayden sipped his drink. “You’ll have to forgive her concern, but one of your fellow citizens gave her a fright. He said she would be in danger if mercenaries saw her.”

A man near Jayden downed his drink in one gulp. “He was right, and she’s right to listen to him. Used to be a fellow was safe if he didn’t do anything stupid, like walk the streets at night. Then it got so a guy needed friends and neighbors to back him up in broad daylight when bullyboys in uniforms swaggered about. Now a man’s not safe even if he’s got a sword and twenty men behind him.”

“Here we go again,” another man grumbled.

“Don’t you give me that!” the first man yelled. “You saw what happened to the food stalls yesterday. Every one of them was emptied out with nothing to show for it but IOUs. Have any of you ever seen one of those slips of paper honored? I’ve got four of them, and I’ll fly before I get the gold they promise!”

“We’re all hurting,” the second man replied. “The rest of us don’t keep talking about it.”

“Easy for you to say,” the first man retorted. “Nobody robs quarriers. All you have is rocks.”

“I’ve got IOUs for the pay I was supposed to get,” retorted the quarrier. “I’ve been living off my savings since last year.”

“Gentlemen,” Jayden began, “we all suffer. I was hoping one of you might know where I could purchase supplies such as cooking oil. I know many who could use it.”

“There’s barely enough to go around here, and less every day,” the first man told him.

Dana kept her eyes on the street. “I’ve heard lots gets stolen at night.”

“Not from us it doesn’t,” the barkeeper replied. “Thieves take from those who have.”

The conversation went on for a while as men repeated tales of woe. Jayden visited three more bars and made inquires on where he could get common goods, or what should be common, and who could provide them. Each time the answer was the same. Few men had anything, and those who did were rapidly running out. He bought drinks for men whose clothing was threadbare and money pouches were empty, earning a little goodwill, but the answers stayed the same.

Jayden and Dana stopped that evening and got a small but filling meal from a man pushing a cart loaded with food. Most of the stores or stalls were empty. The few selling goods were either mobile like the food seller’s cart or easily concealed like the neighborhood bars that could take down any proof of their profession in a matter of minutes.

“These people look like they’ve got experience hiding their stuff,” Dana said after they’d left the cart.

“The soldiers and mercenaries we saw heading toward Zentrix were likely not the first. I imagine earlier groups failed to pay for what they took. This could make our search harder. If the Midnight Riders are nearby, these people have no reason to betray them and every reason to hide them.”

“What for? They don’t benefit if government storehouses get robbed. They might even get in trouble. Hungry soldiers could clean them out if they can’t get food from the army.”

Jayden studied the emptying streets. “You might be surprised how much support the Midnight Riders get. The goods they steal are low value. If they want to turn those goods into coins, residents of Trenton Town would be only too happy to pay for them.”

Dana’s attention was drawn to shouting by the river. She saw a large barge bump into smaller ones, as if its crew could barely control it. Men on other barges shouted insults and obscenities as the larger barge muscled its way through. “That barge is low in the water, and there’s a tarp over it. What could it be carrying that’s so heavy it could sink a boat that big?”

“I see Cimmox was being honest in all his threats. Do you see the symbols carved onto the side of the barge? GW, Golem Works. It’s a dwarf corporation that specializes in producing golems.”

Dana’s heart sank. “They brought a replacement for Wall Wolf?”

“Wall Wolf was so large it would have sunk that barge outright if someone was foolish enough to load so heavy a cargo. More likely they’re bringing a stone golem. They are smaller and lighter than Wall Wolf, if only slightly, and nearly as dangerous.”

The Golem Works barge moored itself to a dock in the city, and armed dwarfs took up guard positions around it. Any man who came too close was told to leave, and threatened with spears if they argued with the stocky dwarfs. Clearly, they weren’t going to risk losing their property.

“I imagine the stone golem will join the army heading for Zentrix,” Jayden said.

“You could burn the barge,” Dana suggested.

“Appealing, but no. My fireball spell would do little to no damage to the golem. At best I would cost them the barge, a replaceable commodity.”

Dana whistled. “Soldiers, mercenaries, gladiators, a golem, they’re not taking chances.”

“The king and queen seek to win with overwhelming force and then move on to their next target. This war could be over and Zentrix made a province in Meadowland Kingdom before autumn. We’re going to have to find or manufacture a miracle to prevent that from happening.”

“We need a place to spend the night.” The sun was going down, producing a gorgeous sunset that Dana would normally love to watch, but darkness was coming. One of the men at the bar said it wasn’t safe to travel at night. Did that mean there were thieves? Monsters? Ghosts?

“I saw an inn earlier in the day.” Jayden led the way through the city as shadows stretched across the streets. Dana kept a close eye on their surroundings, worried that they’d run into an ambush. She saw people hurry into their houses, followed by loud clunks as they barred their doors.

Strangely, some people opened their doors as night fell. Men hung temporary signs from their doorframes and set out tables. Goods offered included drinks, games of chance and meats Dana couldn’t identify. Were these people eating monsters?

“This is new and discouraging,” Jayden said as they walked by a stall selling huge feathers.

A woman at the stall shrugged. “A girl’s got to eat. Selling griffin feathers never hurt anyone besides the griffin.”

“My needs are more basic. Food, drink, oil and the like for myself and those I care for.”

The woman laughed. “You might find someone offering those, but you better be less squeamish about it than you are with me. Nothing for sale at night came here honestly.”

Jayden was questioning the woman when Dana heard squeaky wood wheels. She turned and saw wagons rolling into the city as if it was broad daylight. Men climbed down from the wagons and did brisk business with furtive citizens. “Who are they?”

The woman at the stall looked over and rolled her eyes. “Competition. They only come to Trenton Town when they’re sure they aren’t going to get their cargo commandeered by the army, the nobles, mercenaries or whatever flavor of official thieves are in the neighborhood.”

Shocked, Dana asked, “Your mayor allows this?”

“As if he could stop armed men from taking everything they lay their hands on,” the woman said with a smirk. “He sends his staff to buy from smugglers the same as the rest of us. See those old ladies with wheelbarrows? They’re on his payroll.”

Dana watched men sell food, livestock, cloth, firewood and construction timbers. At first, she couldn’t figure out why these people felt the need to come at night. These were legitimate goods and couldn’t all be stolen. That meant they were scared of being robbed. The army must have done a lot of looting to generate this much fear.

Then she saw him, a man she knew too well selling armfuls of candles to eager customers. “Problem.”

Jayden looked over from the woman selling griffin feathers. “What is it?”

Dana pointed in the rapidly dying light. “Look.”

“Who are you pointing at?” Jayden squinted and then raised an eyebrow. “It can’t be.”

“What’s this about?” the woman asked.

Jayden slapped a gold coin on her table. “For your time and honesty. Come on, Dana. Let’s go meet our friend.”

Dana’s fear vanished, replaced with a near murderous loathing. She kept her sword sheathed but gripped the hilt tightly. Jayden had a hand on his own sword as they jogged after their target. A few disreputable looking men saw them and hurried out of their way.

They reached the collection of wagons as the last of them sold off their goods. Business had been brisk, but it also appeared that none of them had brought much cargo to avoid losing too much if they’d been caught. The men were climbing back into their wagons, some of them already leaving town, when Jayden burst into a run and leapt onto a wagon.

“Hey, what’s going on?” one of the men demanded.

“Tell them we’re friends, or I tell them the truth,” Jayden whispered.

Jeremy Galfont the graverobber kept his eyes on Jayden. “It’s all right, lads. Him and me know each other.”

Jayden was close enough to spit on the man, which Dana would have done in his place. “Yes, we go back quite some time, don’t we? Almost a year.”

“Rather surprised you recognized me,” Galfont said. There was a big difference in his appearance since Dana had last seen the man. Back then he’d barely escaped horrifying monsters released from the Valivaxis, a magic gateway to the tombs of ancient elf emperors. He’d been dressed in rags, his hair long and ragged, and there had been shackles on his wrists.

Life must have been good to the graverobber (no doubt at someone else’s expense), for his clothes were finely tailored leather and his hair neatly trimmed. He drove a wagon showing no sign of wear, and the horses pulling it were young and strong. Dana didn’t consider herself a vengeful person, but seeing this repulsive man so prosperous made her blood boil.

“I believe we parted on good terms last time we met,” Galfont said.

“Indeed we did,” Jayden replied. “The passage of time has clearly been good to you.”

“That’s a tale best told in private.” Galfont’s eyes drifted to bystanders watching them.

Jayden helped Dana onto the wagon. “By all means. We’ll be glad to join you.”

Much to Dana’s surprise, Galfont didn’t panic. He drove his wagon to a small house not far from the city.

“It’s not much, but it meets my needs,” Galfont said as he tied up his horses outside the house.

“This is an interesting change for you,” Jayden replied. “Graverobber to smuggler? Thief?”

“It’s a bit more complicated than that.”

Dana jumped off the wagon and held up a lone candle. “I’m pretty sure you didn’t find this in someone’s grave. Who did you take it from?”

“I don’t rob graves anymore,” Galfont protested. “I thought you’d approve that I’ve taken up a new line of work. You were certainly mad enough about my last one.”

Dana jabbed him in the chest with the candle. “You mean was I mad that you snuck into cemeteries, dug up dead bodies, looted them and pawned the jewelry those people were buried with? Leaving their families brokenhearted, and their friends and neighbors terrified that the same thing could happen to their parents and grandparents? Yes, I’m furious!”

Galfont stared at her for a moment before asking Jayden, “So, did you find that Vali-whatever it was?”

“Found, sealed, disposed of. Galfont, you were useful to me once, and there’s a chance you could be useful again.”

“I’d really rather not.”

“That statement implies you have a choice in the matter. I’m looking for some exceedingly dangerous men who have been known to operate in this area. They use the name Midnight Riders.”

“It rings a bell,” Galfont admitted.

Jayden waved his hand at the darkened city behind them. “The good people of Trenton Town knew little to nothing about them. I think that’s because they are good people, not likely to associate with men who’d break into army storehouses. You, on the other hand, are not exactly good.”

Galfont said nothing. Jayden continue speaking.

“We saw you selling goods those people needed badly, so I am moderately grateful, except I wonder where you could have gotten your cargo. I think you stole what you were selling. The Midnight Riders also steal goods in this region. I imagine you’d rather not have competition, or have to deal with the armed response the king and queen are certain to send to deal with their depredations. You should be only too happy to tell me everything you know about them, in return for a generous reward if the information is accurate, and a terrible punishment if it’s not.”

Galfont looked down. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

Jayden leaned in close. “Try me.”

Galfont took a deep breath and said, “I’m the Midnight Riders.”

Dana dropped the candle she was holding. “Wait, what?”

“I am the Midnight Riders. There isn’t a bunch of men stealing. It’s just me.”

Jayden stared at him. “I’ve had several drinks today. I believe I need more.”

“That I can help you with,” Galfont said. He opened the door to the small house and ushered them in. The building’s interior was simple, with wood furniture and well stocked cabinets. Galfont brought out a bottle and cups, serving himself first before sitting at a table.

“Start your story at a point where it makes sense,” Jayden said.

“Ooh, that would be in my childhood, but I’m sure you’d prefer a later date than that.” Galfont drank deeply from his cup and refilled it. “After we last parted ways, I tried to go back to my old profession. I thought I’d be able to start right back up again as if nothing had happened.”

“Because that’s what people living here need, more despoiled graves,” Dana retorted.

“You need to stop feeding her raw meat,” Galfont told Jayden. “Anyway, it didn’t work. Taxes were so high and opportunities so few that people weren’t burying the dead with their jewelry. They were pawning it to buy food. The one time I got a solid lead on a silver ring, I found four other fellows trying to take it. I told them we could sell it and split the money, which I thought was a reasonable suggestion, when they all pulled out knives. By the time the fighting was over and bandages applied, we found there was no ring. Gravediggers had taken it before burying the body. There’s no honor anymore.”

Dana rolled her eyes. “There’s irony for you.”

Galfont scowled at her. “As I was saying, circumstances forced me to adopt a new career. In my wanderings I came across storehouses filled with goodies. Anything a man could want and more, just sitting there. I asked around and found this was meant for the army. Now me, I’m a pacifist. I never carry weapons even when I’m on a job.”

“You’re robbing the storehouses,” Jayden said.

“Robbing isn’t quite the right word,” Galfont told him. “I’ve come up with a better way. I steal from people who want to be robbed.”

“I must have done something to deserve this,” Dana moaned. “What was it?”

“I’m serious!” Galfont protested. “Storehouses with really nice things like arrows and spears, those get heavy guards. Storehouses with little things people need, boots, rations, lamps, sometimes they don’t get guards. Not enough men to go around, I’m told.”

“You’re told by who?” Jayden asked.

Galfont sipped his drink. “Clerks man those storehouses, keeping records on what comes and goes, cleaning up and so on. Those clerks are present whether there are guards or not. I figured out who these clerks were, chatted them up, spread some wealth and said, ‘Hey, you, let’s fake a robbery and split the money.’, which went over very well.”

Jayden perked up. “How does this work?”

“I figured there’s no market for armor, weapons or saddles around here. Boots, clothes, I leave those behind, too. If a fellow buys boots I stole from the army, there’s a good chance soldiers will see him and wonder where he got them. I told the clerks to tell me when they have things that can be used up. Food, cooking oil, candles, people need them, but they won’t keep them around for long. They eat it, burn it, use it and it’s gone, no evidence to get them in trouble. The demand is constant, so my customers always buy more.

“The clerks send word to me when they’ve got goods I want and there are no guards, and I show up late at night to load up my wagon. If there’s a lot I’ll come back a second time. The clerk tells the authorities about these mysterious black robed riders who robbed them. I rough the place up a bit, bash open the doors with a hammer and give the poor man a few bruises so it looks like he tried to fight back and lost, not his fault.”

Dana glared at Galfont. “I thought you were a pacifist.”

“It’s better than the clerk being suspected and hung! I sell the goods in cities like Trenton Town and give the clerk his share of the cash once the heat dies down. I’ve done it five times.”

“Astounding,” Jayden said. “This plan is so stupid it actually works. The biggest flaw is sooner or later the king and queen will post guards at all their storehouses, or set a trap at a storehouse loaded with goods you traditionally steal.”

“The thought had occurred,” Galfont said drily. “I’m already seeing more storehouses with permanent guard details. I think I’ll have to change professions again. I was planning on leaving for a less warlike home, but all the borders are closed. What’s a fellow to do?”

Jayden set his drink aside and smiled at Galfont. “You should get rich with one last robbery, with me as both partner and customer.”

“I’m not sure I like the sound of this,” Galfont said.

“I’m sure I don’t,” Dana added.

“Contact the clerks looking after the storehouses,” Jayden told him. “I need a list of places with the kind of goods you don’t bother with. Weapons, armor, wagons and more. Come nightfall you will lead me to them, I shall destroy them and pay you well.”

Galfont stared at Jayden. “How well?”

“Two hundred gold coins if you lead me to at least three full storehouses, with payment made only after I’ve destroyed all three.”

Dana’s jaw dropped. “Do we have that much?”

“We do. And Galfont, as a bonus, you can take whatever you want before I burn the rest. Do we have a deal?”

Galfont refilled his cup and drank it in one long gulp. “Welcome aboard, partner!”