Part 25 (1/2)
Jaer throw, but the odds of it being a killing bloere slight He could rush the man, but suspected there were others close by ould appear within moments of any outcry
Jauard appeared and had ducked into the only cover at hand He now re the assassin wouldn't notice the shape in the shadows on the stone wall
The ht He stepped across one of the shelves and walked around a large butcher's block that stood between the shelves and the well
The lanced over as James moved casually toward him
James smiled ”hello,” he said, the only word he knew in the Keshi+an desert dialect
The man blinked for a moment, then replied, ”hello?” Then he asked a question in the language they had heard the assassins using
Jaer palmed behind his wrist, and as the man repeated the question, Ja sound, the ripped his throat and fell backward, into the well
Voices co from somewhere close by spurred James and he leapt on top of the well He repeated his earlier feat of ju his knees and shoulders into the walls of the ancient stone-lined tube A slight gasp of pain escaped his lips as he discovered how bruised his shoulders and knees were from the last time he had pulled this stunt
He shi+ every inch of the ascent, until he was just below the lip He knew he couldn't stay there long, and the sky above was lightening, so he started up the last few feet
James listened for voices and heard none He peered cautiously over the lip of the well and found six sentries nearby, four of the and the other two involved in a quiet conversation, their attention on one another, not the well
Jaed them to be ten feet or closer and knew that if he tried to climb out one of the tas alerous course
He turned his back to the two men, and started slowly to snake his way over the lip of the well Should either glance in his direction, in the diht e of the well If they paused to look in his direction, they would certainly see hi up this way after all these fruitless hours of guarding it
Jae of the well and let his oeight carry him slowly down behind the bricks If fate was kind, Edwin should have found either the other Pathfinder or Arutha's advanced scouts by now If so, Arutha would be co within the next day, two at the etting out of the area alive
He put his hands on the ground and gently let hie, he turned, sitting with his back to the well He drew his sword and took a breath, ignoring the pain in his back and knees, then he leaped up
It took a ister on the twoand they both stood slowly, as James took off at a run
One of the questions in sleepy voices Jaed the trapdoor to be, listening for a hollow sound
This proved futile, since the yelling from behind drowned out any sound frohtly at one point He stopped, turned and jumped backward a few inches
The soil below his feet felt as if it had given slightly He ran backwards for a few feet, then crouched as if waiting for the an to slow, and he realized with alar out to surround him
He turned and ran as if suddenly in a panic, and he heard orders shouted from behind
Then a loud crack and a crash followed and Jah the trapdoor He raced as fast as he could toward thee for a moment, James and his companions were outnumbered two to one
He reached the near end of the trapdoor and leapt, turning indown the ramp
The cakedfully into the ra ramp caused thedown into the darker interior of the aar battled two guards
Suddenly James felt his heels slip, and his feet went out fro crash on the wooden ra over two assassins ere trying to rise
Ja to cliht James slashed with his sword but missed as the man vaulted up the ramp past hiitive, as another assassin sat up next to hi at him with a backhanded blow from his scimitar His only option was to throw hi his head hard, as the blade cut through the air Lying prone, Ja next to him
He sat up and found a black-dad back turned to him Without hesitation, James struck it His head pounded and he felt dizzy froar stood over one dead assassin, while dueling with another
William struck one man while he kicked out and backed off a second
Ja Willia him dohile Willia away!”
Williathe top of the ramp, William saw thedown an incline leading to a gap in the rocks
Williaar killed the last assassin and appeared at the top of the steps in time to see William vanish down the eastern access James said, ”Go after him, and if he kills that man, then take him with you”
”Where?”
”To find Arutha,” said Jaet back into the stable and hold the door while Arutha killed those trapped outside the door, then open the door and let hioing to hold the door alone?”
”That's why I was trying to cut down the odds, captain”
”Nohat?”
Jah this room, down that hole and come into the fortress from the east Have him use a ram to batter down the eastern doors They'll be so intent on holding those doors they won't notice those you lead in through here”
”What are you going to do?”
James said, ”Distract the advantage”