Mirages
Part 10

Ray knew Azura was planning something, but he had no idea what it was. His only concern at the moment was getting free of his bonds and getting to Florian before something terrible happened.

He'd managed to work most of one hand free and was trying frantically to finish the job without drawing attention to his actions. He cast a glance at Azura and wasn't surprised to see the dull gleam of a small knife.

When Florian was knocked unconscious the room had erupted into chaos with men shouting and women screaming. The pirate leader had ordered some of his crew to return the other passengers to their cabins and the stewards to the second class dining area.

There had been complaints and tears as the passengers were removed, but Ray, Azura and Laila had been restrained and placed against the wall to wait for Florian to revive. Ray had taken a blow to the head to stop him from getting to Florian. He’d been dazed for a short while, but thankfully his head was clearing.

Ray had done his best to reassure Laila that Florian would be fine, but he hadn't completely believed it himself - he had no idea what these pirates wanted. If this was a regular pirate raid, they'd have been searched much more thoroughly and relieved of wallets and watches, but instead, the leader demanded their cabin numbers and sent his men off to search.

Azura had been tense beside him, waiting until the men returned. When he realized that they'd found every one of his hiding places and all of the documents and books he'd wanted to conceal, Azura was furious.

Ray had known the man long enough to know that he wouldn't do anything impulsive to draw attention to the materials. Azura would wait and plan, watching for any opportunity to get free and take back his belongings. It was less certain that Azura would make any effort to save the rest of his associates.

The pirate leader certainly seemed to think Florian was concealing important information. Ray suspected it was something to do with the famous Rochefort diamond, the Queen's Flame, but he wouldn't have been completely surprised to find that it was something else instead. The Rocheforts were an ancient family line, there was likely to be a more than one long held secret.

He wondered how annoyed Azura would be when he discovered Florian's connection to their quest. True, Azura wanted a flask, not a diamond, but Ray didn't think the matter would be let go. The sooner he got Florian away from Azura, the better it would be for all of them.

A soft snap brought his attention back to Azura. The last of his ropes had been cut and after hiding the knife, he was apparently holding them in place to make it seem as if he was still bound. Ray suppressed a surge of irritation that Azura hadn't at least passed him the knife. Well, he'd just consider this good practice - he never knew when Noir might have to wriggle out of rope bindings.

Ray had freed himself and was waiting for the right moment to charge his guard when the pirate leader was handed a knife. The man stood behind Florian, legs braced against Florian's back and placed one hand on his head. The hand with the knife was raised, the blade catching the light.

As the pirate leader brought the knife down, Laila cried out and lunged forward. Ray used the momentary confusion to charge towards Florian. He evaded several attempts to stop him and reached Florian's side just as the first lock of white-gold hair fell.

Ray barely felt the sword point at his back as he dropped to his knees to try and shield Florian. He pulled the man into an embrace while shoving hard against the pirate leader's legs.

There was a moment of confusion and a cry of distress from Laila as the three men fell in a tangle, the knife still held in the pirate's grasp.

Five pirates surrounded them, swords pointed menacingly at Ray and Florian. Slowly they untangled themselves and knelt on the floor together as directed while the leader righted himself.

"Since you have an objection to shaving this man's head," the leader said as he moved around to stand in front of the pair. "You may do the honors." He was about to hand Ray the knife, then added. "If you do anything other than shave his head, you will both be killed."

Ray nodded his understanding before accepting the knife. He stayed on his knees, turning towards Florian. He set the knife down for a moment and removed his jacket, draping it over Florian's shoulders.

"I'll be careful, but you need to stay very still."

Florian bit his lip and nodded, lowering his head again. Ray picked up the knife and gently ran it along the side of Florian's head beside his ear. Florian shivered but stayed still. Ray tried again, just above the first stripe. More strands of hair fell.

He worked quickly with neat, short strokes, taking small clumps of hair with each pass. Soon he had finished the edges and was working towards the crown of Florian's head. He was almost there when he found something unexpected.

"Is that a tattoo?" he asked. It was dark brown and small - a symbol of a dagger just like the emblem the pirates wore.

"Yes," Florian said meekly. His secret was out and he felt a strange sense of relief. He wasn't happy about having his head shaved, however.

"Are there more?" Ray wondered.

"There should be one more - isn't that right, Florian du Rochefort? On the other side there should be the symbol of a harp."

"Yes," Florian said just as meekly. His eyes strayed towards Azura and he almost flinched at the threat in that man's eyes. If they ever got out of this, Azura was going to punish him severely.

"Relax," Ray said softly, placing a hand on Florian's shoulder as much for comfort as to remind him to remain steady. "We'll face Azura together."

When the last of Florian's head was bare, he bowed his head even farther and let the pirate leader take a good look at the two symbols he'd borne since he was a young child. It was a family tradition to mark each male child with these symbols - although he hadn't known that until he accepted his title and was allowed to read the secret family history.

"You're one of my clan!" Laila cried, having done her best to stay silent while Florian's head was being shaved. Now that the knife was safely away from her friend's head she couldn't stay silent any longer.

"You think we're related?" Florian asked. The pirate leader laughed.

"Perhaps not related by blood but certainly by a bond. Legend tells of a pair of men who came to the city of Carthage after having been betrayed by members of their own party. The men were near death but the Queen ordered them treated and after a long recovery, they were ready to return home. The night before they were to depart, there was an attack on the city. The men fought alongside the citizens and saved the Queen's healer and one of her Advisors. To reward them for their bravery, the Queen offered them the choice to stay in the city with land and enough wealth to last them the rest of their lives, or to leave with many chests of treasure.

"One of them chose to stay and the other left to return to his family home. After a few years, there was concern about the safety of the Queen's treasures and the advisor who had been saved by the strangers came to the one who remained and asked him to take one of those treasures in secret and carry it back to his country where he and his descendants would safeguard it.

"After consideration, the stranger agreed and with much planning he was able to leave the city, arrive at the treasure's hiding place and take it away. Soon after the advisor - the only one who knew what had happened to the treasure - died taking the secret with him until years later when a trusted servant in the stranger's house told this story to his son and begged that it be written down and shared with the teachers so that when the time was right, the treasure would be recovered.

"The stranger was marked before he left and promised that every one of his descendants would bear the same marks so that they could be identified. "

"Why the dagger and the harp?" Laila asked. "I thought a person was only allowed to carry one of the marks."

"The dagger is worn by the protectors - that part is obvious, but the harp represents teachers. The stranger taught our people many things. Perhaps it was hoped that one of his clan would return some day and share more of their ways. Some of the mixtures our healers use were taught to us by the strangers."

The pirate leader leaned down to Florian and put a hand under his chin, looking directly into his eyes.

"Tell me, Florian du Rochefort who wears the marks of a protector and a teacher, will you follow the path of your ancestor or will you die?"

"The item my ancestor promised to safeguard is still safely hidden. I have no knowledge of the other items, nor do I wish to possess them." Florian felt the weight of his long-held secret lift now that the true story was known. Over the years his family had fabricated a second origin story for the diamond – about betrayals and the murder of a Sultan’s daughter. It had been done to add another layer of protection for the Queen’s Flame but over time, most of the family had forgotten the real story and only remembered the false one. Even Florian’s mother didn’t know the truth and that had been a heavy burden on his heart.

"Rise, Florian du Rochefort, and I will greet you as kin." The pirate leader’s happy greeting brought Florian back to the present. He nodded his thanks, especially when the pirate turned to one of his crew and ordered that he bring fresh clothing for Florian.

While they waited, Ray pulled Florian to his feet and helped him into his undamaged pants, socks and shoes. Ray chaffed Florian’s wrists to restore circulation, using that as an excuse to hold in close and share some of his warmth. Florian's skin was like ice and his lips were blue at the edges.

"You're my kin too," Laila told Florian. She was delighted by the idea of having him as a big brother - she already had practice taking care of him and teasing him. "You'll have to meet my whole family."

"I'd like that," Florian said, smiling, although he was feeling a little overwhelmed by everything. And his scalp itched.

Thankfully the pirate arrived with some of Florian's own clothes and Florian dressed faster than he ever had in his life. He was much happier to be clothed and could already feel himself warming up. If he could convince the leader to ask someone for hot tea and perhaps something to eat, he was sure he'd feel much better.

He felt a wave of relief pass through him and he staggered against Ray, who caught him and held on until he was steady on his feet again.

"Kinsmen, may I ask for some tea for my friends?" Laila asked, realizing that the pain of the blow to the head and then the stress of everything that had happened afterwards had probably made Florian ill. Since she didn't want to leave him to retrieve her potions, tea would be the best alternative.

Before anyone could respond to her request, one of the pirates called out and they all turned towards him. It took a moment to realize his distress but it was soon clear to everyone - Azura had escaped.
 

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Azura slipped away in the confusion, taking advantage of his captor's overconfidence. He had an excellent memory and put it to good use now as he made his way to the deck by the servant's access ways. He had to hide a few times to dodge pirates patrolling, but after watching for a time he was able to determine their routine. It helped that it was a rainy day and there were plenty of shadows to conceal his movement.

He found a butler's pantry and helped himself to some bread and cheese, bypassing more interesting food for the basics - items that would travel well. He also took a bottle of wine, knowing it could serve as a weapon in an emergency. He was tempted to go back to his room and retrieve his weapons but knew that would be guarded. Instead, he'd make do with his whip and the small knife he carried and would buy something more useful once he was safely ashore. With those decisions and arrangements made, he continued on his way to the deck.

He made it to the lifeboat and lowered it as quickly as he dared, glad that it didn't make too much noise. It was awkward doing it by himself, but finally he was in the water and pushing away from the ship. He paddled smoothly, not wanting to alert anyone to his escape.

He was in open water now, just far enough away from the ship to be faintly visible. He judged the coast to be off to his right and set the boat in that direction.

He was almost convinced he had made it when the alarm was raised.
 

+++++
 

"We're heroes!" Noel cheered as they neared the other ship. There were a lot of people on deck waving and Noel waved back enthusiastically.

"We can't go over there," Tassel reminded his son.

"I know, we have to stay here and make sure none of the pirates sneak onto this ship."

"That's right," Solomon confirmed. "If you'll excuse me a moment, I'll see if I can get any more information."

The ship's crew were doing their best to keep the passengers occupied and to answer what questions they could, but there was a lot of confusion on deck and it took Solomon a while to get through it to a crewmember.

"Can you tell me what is happening on the other ship?" he asked the harassed looking crewman.

"The ship is secure sir. The pirates are gone and the passengers are unharmed." The way the man said it made Solomon wonder if there was something he wasn't being told. On impulse he asked one more question.

"Can you tell me if Florian du Rochefort is onboard that ship?" He wasn't sure why he even asked - as far as he knew, Florian was in Morocco.

The crewmember's polite smile slipped for a moment, revealing nervousness and discomfort. He stammered and then spoke in a low tone that required Solomon to lean closer.

"You'll need to see the captain, sir. If you'll come with me..." he turned and led the way through the confusion to the bridge where the crewman spoke to several officers before Solomon was taken to the captain himself.

"You're an acquaintance of M. du Rochefort?"

"I am." He held out his hand in greeting. "Solomon Sugar, sir. I've been sent by Florian's mother with an urgent message. If you know of his whereabouts?"

"I do. But this is not for the rest of the passengers to know, you understand. M du Rochefort and his companions - Count Courland and M Romwell as well as one of their servants were taken by the pirates when they left the ship a few hours before we arrived."

"Is anything being done to find them?"

"We're putting together a rescue party, but there isn't a lot of reliable information. They only clue we have is that one of the stewards overheard a mention of Carthage."

"I'll like to join the rescue party."

"I'm not certain that's a good idea."

"I am a trained detective," Solomon stated calmly. He wasn't about to let Florian be taken away when he was this close to fulfilling his promise to Florian's mother." He could see the captain wavering – he had more concerns than chasing pirates and a few missing passengers. "I won't take no for an answer, Captain. I'll follow on my own if I must."

"Fine, fine. But you must take your belongings or entrust them to one of the other passengers. And, we are not responsible for your safety. If you choose to do this, you are responsible for yourself."

"Agreed. Thank you, sir." He took his leave, hurrying back to his traveling companions. Noel was upset that he was leaving, but M Tassel understood and tried to calm his son.

"I will see you again. Perhaps we can even return to France on the same ship," Solomon offered, trying to comfort the boy. He had to admit he would miss the cheerful child.

Quickly packing a few belongings, Solomon arrived on deck as the other members of the rescue party - six in all counting Solomon – were getting last minute instructions from the captain himself.

"I've made arrangement with the authorities in the nearest town. You'll be going directly there and receive your instructions. If they have enough personnel and you are not needed for the rescue efforts you are to report here. Otherwise, we will meet you in Carthage in one week's time."

The men were dismissed to climb aboard one of the lifeboats. Solomon thanked the captain again and joined the others in the small boat. He introduced himself around and greeted the other men, noting that none of them were happy with his presence. He was glad that the shore wasn't too far away and he'd be out of this boat and on land soon.
 

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Laila sat beside Florian and ran her hand over his forehead. He was lying down on a hard bed and trying not to think about his stomach or seasickness. Laila wished that she had taken the time to go back to the cabin and get her potions, but it was too late for that. She just hoped they'd land soon.

Once they realized that Azura had gotten away, the pirates - she still thought of them like that even though they weren't really pirates – returned all of their belongings including the notes, maps and Florian's harp, and hurried to follow Azura.

"How is he?" Ray asked as he entered the captain's cabin where Florian was resting. Florian had been doing well until they'd settled aboard the small ship and set sail as fast as the wind and their oars would carry them. The sudden motion along with all the excitement of the previous hours had proven too much. Florian had turned an interesting shade of green and spent the next ten minutes heaving over the side of the ship.

"He's in need of some tea and a nap, preferably on solid ground," Florian offered with a weak smile. "How are you?"

"Fine." Ray rested a hand on Florian's shoulder. "Rest. I'll call you when we're ready to land so you can freshen up."

He waited for Florian to close his eyes and then motioned for Laila to join him. Together they quietly left the cabin and joined the pirate leader, whose name they finally learned, was Marcus.

"We've been looking over the maps and notes," Marcus explained. "Ray tells me that your associate is looking for the Queen's Tears, which is in this direction." He traced a large circle on the map he was using - large enough that he wasn't actually giving away any useful information. "But none of the material he has here tells him that directly." He looked up at Ray. "You said that he was intending to start in the temple ruins at Carthage and use the clues to find his way from there?"

"Yes, he was hoping that there would be something there that, combined with the hints in the riddle, would guide him to the treasure." Ray searched his memory for any other possibilities, but knew that the ruins were their best starting point.

"So we need to get to the ruins before he does and wait for him," Laila interjected. She frowned and added," He has a head start."

"Not by much. We'll be there before him, don't worry."

Laila nodded, accepting his word easily. She was so glad to be with a kinsman and on her way home that she easily brushed aside any anxiousness. If everything went well, she'd be with her family by tomorrow.
 

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Azura leaned back in the shadows and watched as Ray and Florian arrived at the ruins. He had spent the last two days since escaping from the ship preparing for this. His anger had been honed and refined and was now focused almost exclusively on Florian.

The boy had lied to him about the diamond, Azura could accept that. But he had also withheld that diamond’s connection – and his own – to the treasure Azura wanted. That was a sin Azura would not forgive.

Watching Florian and Ray huddle together as they consulted a paper that had to be a copy of the riddle, Azura smiled coldly. It would soon be time for him to make his move and when he did, he’d have his treasure, and his revenge.
 

+++++
 

“Take this.” Laila pushed a small clay figure into Florian’s hand. It was the one she’d made while at Azura’s to use as a remembrance. “It will protect you.” She wasn’t at all happy with the plan Marcus and Ray had some up with to bring Azura out of hiding. They’d decided to use Florian and Ray as a lure, pretending that the two men were using Azura’s riddle to find the Queen’s Tears in a hidden chamber in the temple ruins. They had modified Ray’s gold flask to resemble the legendary artifact – distressing it and adding carvings to match the legend. They’d even filled it with one of Laila’s herbal concoctions. It wouldn’t fool anyone for long, certainly not Azura, but it might distract him long enough for them to get him out of Carthage.

Marcus had promised that no harm would come to Azura, only that he’d be sent out of the city and banned from returning. By giving Azura the artifact, even though it was a fake, Ray’s agreement would technically be completed and Florian would become his.

Ray didn’t believe it would be as easy as Marcus thought it would be, but he went along, making sure that there were measures taken to ensure Florian’s safety. Laila would remain safely out of the way with some of the other protectors.

When they were satisfied that they had done all they could to prepare, Ray, Marcus and the others set out for the temple ruins. One of Marcus’ men had already planted a few clues that led to a secret chamber where the gold flask had been hidden. They’d been careful to match the clues to items in the riddle so it could appear as if Ray had simply misread it.

Marcus had also made arrangements with the local law enforcement to keep people away from the ruins so that no bystanders would accidently walk into what might be a dangerous situation.

“Ready?” Ray asked Florian. He wanted to kiss him, to give them both some reassurance, but it couldn’t be done in front of so many people. Instead, Florian reached out and rested a hand on Ray’s arm.

“Ready,” Florian assured him, managing a smile. He looked towards Marcus and Laila, nodding once before setting off, Ray at his side, the riddle and Laila’s clay figure in his jacket pocket.
 

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It was easy enough to follow Ray and Florian unseen, there were plenty of shadows and convenient recesses. There was also a suspicious lack of people wandering the ruins and Azura was wary. He knew they were expecting him to try for the treasure. The question was whether they had actually found something, or were just laying a trap for him.

Azura rested a hand on the handle of his whip and then checked the dagger he carried. He had a small knife in his boot, but that was to be saved as a last resort.

Ray was leaning in close to examine something behind a carved column and Florian was standing beside him, completely exposed. It was tempting just to eliminate the man now, but Azura calmed the impulse. Florian might prove useful yet and Azura wasn’t one to cast aside anything that would give him an advantage in getting what he wanted. He shifted back, farther into the shadows and waited, following along silently as the two men led him to what he hoped was the prize.
 

+++++
 

Ray could feel Azura’s eyes on him as he moved through the clues. He’d been given a vague description of what he was looking for – but only enough to make sure he didn’t miss something important. The details had been left for him and Florian to discover – a way of making their efforts look more authentic in case Azura was watching.

Ray knew his old friend would be there in the ruins and he wasn’t disappointed, although this was one time he would have been glad to be proven wrong. He worked hard to play his role – that of someone on alert and expecting trouble but who didn’t know for certain that he was being watched.

Florian was proving to be a help with that – his interest and enthusiasm for following the clues, even though they were fake – was making it much easier for Ray to pretend. By the time they’d found and interpreted the third of four clues he was even beginning to catch a little of Florian’s excitement.

Reaching what he expected would be the entrance to the secret chamber, Ray sobered again. He took a quick, covert look around them as he searched for the latch. He couldn’t stop the smile that lit his face when the rock wall gave way, sliding aside and revealing a hidden chamber inside.

One last look around and Ray went in, knowing that the Azura would be joining them very soon.

“Is that it?” Florian asked in a low voice, lifting his lantern up to reveal a cobweb-covered altar with a gold flask set into a recess near the top. He reached for it, but Ray stopped him by grabbing his hand.

Florian was about to object when he caught the warning in Ray’s eyes.

“Are there traps?” he asked nervously. He was caught up in the excitement of their quest and had almost forgotten that this was being staged for Azura’s benefit.

“There usually are,” Ray replied, studying the altar. He took out his knife and prodded at a small projection near the flask, pushing himself and Florian back as a set of small darts thudded off the rock where his hand would have been.

“Poisoned,” Ray commented, noting that Florian remained a step back from the artifact. Ray continued to study it, most of his concentration on the puzzle, but a small portion on the doorway behind them. He used his knife again and pressed another bit of rock. This time there was a shudder, like a small tremor, and the flask slid forward and dropped neatly into his hand.

Before he could even turn to show Florian, a whip snaked between them, coiled around the flask and pulled it backwards. At the same time, Florian let out a cry and was pulled back as well.

“Nicely done,” Azura congratulated Ray as he pocketed the flask, traded the whip for a dagger, and pulled Florian towards the exit. “We’ll have to visit again soon,” he said as he backed out of the small chamber and pressed the release, leaving Ray inside.
 

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