The first thirty citizens of Bogtown gathered long before Farek had specified. The wide town square located a block north of Mazaar Ranisar’s mansion was abuzz with their conversation while Farek and his guards waited for more to arrive. It had been a busy few days, full of missing people and the veiled presence of Farek’s desired target—the scoundrel Lannon truly seemed to be here, in Bogtown.
Farek had often been the center of attention, either at parties or business meetings. Speaking to a public gathering of a town’s populace was… another matter entirely. This decision would surprise his friends and his enemies, he hoped. He felt his nerves trembling a little and passed the time by mentally analyzing everything he had learned so far.
“Talk me through it,” Matek offered, as they stood waiting.
Farek smiled. His friend could doubtlessly see the gears turning. “First it was the girl, Alaia. We followed the lead—her missing parents. We went to the house where the party had been, the night before last. No sign of them.”
“Nor the party’s host and hostess,” Matek continued. “That makes three missing. And a broken vase on their second storey the only clue.”
With a nod, Farek remembered it. There had been no sign of fighting inside or out of that quiet household. The alleys showed no tracks beyond the days-old signs of beggars and the like. The cobblestones outside were clean—or at least as clean as any stones in Bogtown were. “So, we looked for anyone who knew the Tenadar family. That brought us to Oniar. A guard who seemed to have—like many others—skipped his shift. It’s no way to run a military force, my friend.”
“Of course not,” Matek said with a roll of his eyes. “This is as backwater as water gets, sir. Ranisar’s men can’t be expected to work the same extensive hours as we do.”
Farek shook his head. “Fine. But Oniar wasn’t resting or drunk in some tavern. He is as missing as the Tenadars or Alaia’s parents…. So what am I missing? How do four people disappear without a trace in a town this size?”
Matek shrugged. “I haven’t the slightest.” More people had arrived. A few hundred were within earshot now, though many milled about the market stalls or the fountain in the middle of the square.
“We’re missing part of this puzzle,” Farek whispered. He watched as a group of men emerged from one of the taverns across the block. They stared at the wooden gallows where Farek and his guards waited. Bogtown was nearly ready to hear what Farek had to say.
When the townspeople finally packed the cobblestones densely enough, their murmuring was louder than a rainstorm. Farek took Matek’s shield in one hand and bashed it against the wooden beams of the gallows. It was the only structure that resembled a stage enough for a public address. The summoned populace fell quiet at the metal racket and all eyes settled on Farek. He gulped dryly.
“Citizens of Bogtown!” he called out. His voice echoed off the walls across the square and then silence, even deeper than before. “As you may have noticed there have been a great deal more guards in your humble town these past few days. The reason is: I am looking for a man. This man is not a thief. He’s not a thug. He is a murderer.”
A murmur went through the crowd and Farek let it. He needed them concerned. “This man has murdered innocent people—cooks and maids—people that could have been your sister or your father. He hurt my own sister, and so, I am hear to stop him.”
“See that you do!” replied one worried man. A few people commented on his angry-sounding shout.
“Citizens of Bogtown, this man may be in your midst. He has wronged House Gallendris, but more importantly he has wronged the families of Soros—of Var Nordos! We have not found him yet, but what we have found is that Bogtown has people missing, a family missing.” Farek paused once more. Their hubbub was returning, scared and angry. “Parents and friends: you ask me what you should do? I have been here searching for a week now, without avail. But I won’t pull my guards away and give up just because I haven’t found the man I seek. If it was up to me, I’d give you a hundred more men to find one of yours who is missing. I beseech you: please help me! Please help yourselves for the very reason I am here. Help me find this man and I will help you find your own. Perhaps the two are connected if the Matriarchs favour this day.” Farek raised his hands out from his sides and called out, “Please help me bring order back to Bogtown!”
A hurrah went up from the crowd. It wasn’t a cheer of thanks for his service for the town. It was a rising din of conversation, discussion, and cries like, “We’ll get him!” or “We’ll help!” Groups of citizens began to stride out into the town before Farek’s guards had even begun handing out the pamphlets with Lannon’s face on them.
If Farek’s fifty-five guards couldn’t find the saboteur and his ilk, maybe ten thousand could.