Part 23 (1/2)
They didn't have to wait for long. Within an hour the murmur of activity could be heard. James said, ”Wait here,” and went to investigate.
He came back shortly and said, ”It's a hornets' nest out there. The cook must have awakened to find the mess I left, and they think Edwin's climbed up to the surface.” To William and Treggar he said, ”You wait. If I'm not back in an hour, a.s.sume I'm dead and do what you think is best.” To Edwin, he said, ”Come with me.”
Left alone in the dark again, William said, ”Captain?”
”Yes?”
”Does it bother you to take orders from a squire?”
Treggar laughed. ”If you'd asked me a week ago, I'd have said I never would. But James is not like any other squire I've met.” Then his voice dropped and he said, ”Besides, he's got the Prince's authority, and I would never argue with that. Does it bother you?”
”Sometimes,” William admitted. ”But that's mostly because he's so d.a.m.n c.o.c.ksure.”
Again Treggar laughed. ”That he is.” After a moment, he continued, ”But being c.o.c.ksure, or at least looking that way, isn't a bad thing in a leader. Always remember that. When you're a general or duke, and your men are looking at you, make sure they see a man who's certain of what he's doing. That counts for a lot.”
”I'll remember that.”
They fell into silence as the sounds of alarm spread throughout the fortification.
James and Edwin moved cautiously. The noise of running men had died down. James had exhausted unused routes, and now they were working their way through a series of former storage rooms that were being used by the a.s.sa.s.sins. Two rooms and a connecting hall remained between their present location and the stabling area and the east gate.
Edwin clutched a short sword James had liberated in the previous room. He wore the stolen robes and looked like an Izmali a.s.sa.s.sin.
Movement ahead caused James to halt. He didn't have to tell the Pathfinder to do likewise. He might not be a thief, He might not be a thief, James thought, James thought, but he knows how to move with stealth. but he knows how to move with stealth.
Two men were coming toward them. James quickly pushed Edwin in front of him, and tried to keep close to the wall, so at first glance the a.s.sa.s.sins might judge them two more of their own number.
The ruse worked for a moment, but as they got close, one of the men's eyes widened. That was all the alarm Edwin needed, and he took two quick steps and threw himself at the first man.
The second man was drawing his sword when James's dagger took him in the chest. Edwin sat atop the first a.s.sa.s.sin, and quickly cut his throat.
”We've got to move these bodies out of the way,” said Edwin.
”Over in that room,” said James, dragging one by the arms. Inside the room they found an empty weapons trunk, and put the bodies inside.
They took one quick look to make sure they hadn't been spotted, then hurried to the stabling area.
When they got there, they found it still in a state of frenzy, though it was clear the last squads of riders were being dispatched. All but half a dozen of the forty stalls were empty and the two large corrals were vacant. James whispered, ”They've got nearly a hundred riders out looking for you.”
”Good,” whispered Edwin. ”That much confusion will make tracking easy.”
A band of men stood in the center of the large underground stable, conferring. They wore dark robes, but they looked more like the ritual robes of priests than the a.s.sa.s.sins' garb worn by the others.
Finally the priest turned and moved toward an exit in the western wall of the stable.
When they had vanished, the stable was almost empty save for a pair of guards at the gate and a couple of men still saddling horses. James suspected they would be used as gallopers, to recall those out on the search should the fugitive be caught.
James motioned toward the two men readying their horses. Then he and Edwin moved in stages, from stall to stall, hugging the shadows, toward the unsuspecting men.
When they got next to the two stalls where the riders were preparing their mounts, James signaled and Edwin moved out, pa.s.sing the first rider, who glanced up for a moment, then seeing one of his fellow a.s.sa.s.sins pa.s.sing, returned his attention to tightening the girth on his saddle. He looked up when an unexpected movement caught his eye and he saw the newly-arrived a.s.sa.s.sin had stepped behind the rider in the next stall and now that rider was slumping to the ground.
He never knew James was behind him until a dagger struck deep in to his lower back.
James nodded and both men led the horses out of the stalls, mounted, and started riding toward the guards.
One guard looked at them and it took him a moment to realize one of the riders wasn't wearing black garb. He shouted, and his companion looked over, unaware of what had triggered his comrade's warning.
Edwin leapt out of the saddle, taking the first guard down to the stone floor. The second guard pulled out a curved scimitar as James threw his dagger. The man ducked to one side and instead of a killing blow, the blade glanced off the man's shoulder.
”d.a.m.n,” said James, leaping from the saddle and drawing his blade. ”I hate it when they don't stand still.”
Edwin wrestled with his opponent and got his own sword across the man's throat. With a sudden downward jerk, he crushed the man's windpipe.
James almost walked into the point of the scimitar, dancing backward from an unexpected thrust. ”Now I'm really mad!” he shouted, smas.h.i.+ng the blade aside with a violent blow, then slas.h.i.+ng sideways toward the man's neck.
The man pulled back, blinking in shock at the speed of the move, the point of James's sword narrowly missing his throat.
He leapt backward two steps, then crouched, sword at the ready. James marched forward, swinging his sword in the opposite direction. The man lunged, and James hesitated, letting the sword-blow pa.s.s. As the man fell back, James pressed again, at the same pace as before.
Three more times the man swung, James hesitated, then pressed forward. The fourth time, as the a.s.sa.s.sin began his swing, James suddenly stepped forward and impaled him with the point of his sword.
Looking toward Edwin, James said, ”Never fall into a rhythm. It'll get you killed.”
The Pathfinder nodded once, and silently leapt on the back of the closest horse. With a slight wave of one hand for a goodbye, he kicked hard at the horse's flanks. The horse was two steps off into a gallop.
James hurried to close the gates before anyone appeared. He muscled the two bars into place, a feat that drenched him in perspiration.
He dragged the two bodies into the nearest stalls and covered them with hay, then did the same with the first two a.s.sa.s.sins they'd killed.
Abandoning stealth for speed, he ran from the stabling area and into the two rooms that led him toward the abandoned portion of the fortress.
He was nearly out of breath by the time he reached William and Treggar. He sat down and lit his last taper. Between gasps, he said, ”Edwin's away. With luck, Arutha will know what's happening and where we are within a day.”
”With luck,” said the captain.
”What do we do now?” asked William.
James caught his breath, then he asked, ”Have you eaten?”
”Yes,” said Treggar. ”We finished off our portions. We left a bit for you. Just in case.”
”Thanks, but I'll eat later, if I can.” He looked at his two companions. ”Arutha has two hundred men with him. If he comes straight here, he may find some of the searchers still out looking for Edwin.
”I've killed my share of Nighthawks. In an open fight they're just like other men. Their strength is reputation, stealth, surprise, and fear. If Arutha catches any number of them outside, he'll crush them.”