by Peter Wacht
"You were right about that," replied Thomas. "I just wish they'd move faster."
About an hour later, a figure in a white cloak followed by more than a dozen cowled figures appeared before the milling mass of reivers, then trotted their horses out through the gate. The reivers followed after him, still trying to find some semblance of order.
Thomas dropped down to the floor, letting go of the two bars of his jail cell he was using to see out through the window. The past day had done wonders for his tortured body. The pain remained, but his spirits rose appreciably. He was even a little excited. Their opportunity for escape was creeping closer and closer.
Thomas counted fourteen warlocks riding out with Killeran, which meant that only two remained within the fort. Killeran was in desperate need of more miners, and either he was extremely confident that he had found a new source of workers, or he had reached the point where he had to take more risks. When he returned to the fort, Thomas was certain that he would view his latest expedition as a mistake.
Oso dropped down to the floor. "The raiding party is on their way." Just like Thomas, the day of rest had proven to be extremely beneficial for Oso. Much of his strength had returned, and he felt rejuvenated.
Thomas nodded. "Then we wait."
He planned to give Killeran time to get several leagues from the fort. As soon as Thomas made use of the Talent, the warlocks with Killeran would know. He wanted to ensure that no matter how long it took them to put their plan into action, the warlocks would not return in time.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Decision
"A good evening to begin a raid, milord," said one of Killeran's sergeants. A tall man, with a wispy mustache.
Killeran was in no mood to talk and ignored the attempt at conversation. It was a good evening to begin a raid, but something nagged him. He felt as if he had forgotten something. For the hundredth time he rethought his decision to leave those two boys alive. A small voice in his mind kept telling him that he had made a mistake by not killing them.
In the beginning, he had been intrigued by the small one with the intense green eyes. He thought he should recognize that one, since he seemed familiar enough. He just couldn't put the pieces together. During the month the two had been in the fort he had tried many times to break them. Still, they remained defiant.
Killeran berated himself mentally. If he could break those two, just think what it would do to the other Highlanders. Production would increase tenfold. Yet they hadn't been broken, and the Highlanders were getting more difficult to deal with because of them. Enough was enough. Those two were having the wrong effect on his workers. When he returned, they would die. Then he could be rid of them once and for all.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Taste of the Talent
Thomas and Oso waited impatiently as the minutes passed. Every so often, Oso climbed the bars to look out through the window and watch the moon move slowly across the sky. He then paced in his small cell, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. Thomas sat quietly against the wall, enjoying the feeling of the cool stone on his back. It would take more than a day for his wounds to heal, but the cold alleviated some of the pain. He spent most of his time trying to relax, though it was difficult with the tiny pinpricks that constantly shot through his body. He wanted to be rested when the time for action came. He would need to concentrate.
As he sat back against the wall, for some strange reason a picture of the girl he saved in the Burren formed in his mind. He hadn’t thought about her for quite some time, and he had no idea why he did now. She truly was beautiful, and there was a spirit within her that he found hard to resist. If she was the daughter of the king of Fal Carrach, he was certain that she would be an excellent queen some day. He had seen it in her eyes.
Abruptly, Thomas rose to his feet. "It's time. Killeran is several leagues away."
Oso stopped in his tracks and looked down at the floor sheepishly. He had been pacing back and forth along the same trail for hours. He half expected to see that the stone beneath his feet was worn down a few inches. Distracted, Oso didn’t think to ask how Thomas could be so precise with respect to Killeran.
"What do you need me to do?" he asked in anticipation.
"Nothing just yet," replied Thomas, seeing a flash of disappointment on his friend's face. He smiled. His friend was as anxious as he to be gone from this cursed place. "Let me take care of the remaining warlocks first. Then we leave."
Thomas turned around and looked up at the window above him, catching just a glimpse of the stars. Closing his eyes, he delicately took hold of the Talent. A surge of welcome energy immediately consumed him. With the power flowing within him, he felt more alive than he had in a very long time. Thomas took a few moments to relish his closer contact with the power of nature, letting it play across his body and through his heart and spirit.
He then turned his attention to his task. Thomas stretched out his senses carefully, not wishing to alarm the warlocks. He had guessed that only two remained, but he could be wrong. He couldn't afford to make a mistake now. While engrossed in what he was doing, he would be vulnerable to an attack by someone with knowledge of Dark Magic. If that happened, his chances for escape would disintegrate. His only alternative then would be death.
Slowly he reached out, pushing his senses toward the warlocks' barracks. Thomas pulled his senses back quickly. He had been right to be careful. He had miscounted. Three warlocks remained in the fort, all asleep. Luck was smiling down upon him, at least for now. He would have to concentrate all the more because of the additional warlock.
Thomas extended his senses once again, until he was at the very edge of the three warlocks' awareness. Crossing over that obscure line would alert them to his presence and give them time to defend themselves, so he remained where he was and gathered his strength.
With a lightning quick strike he attacked, focusing the full force of his will on theirs. The speed and strength of his assault shattered their magical defenses and destroyed the minds of the three warlocks, who would never wake. It certainly wasn't the bravest way to fight someone, but it was effective. And at the moment, that was all that Thomas cared about. Having eliminated the primary threat, it was time to put the rest of his plan into action.
"It's done," said Thomas as he turned back to his friend. “The warlocks are no longer a problem.”
“But how …” began Oso, before what he saw next dried the words in his mouth.
Thomas had focused on the lock to his cell, laying his hand on it. In a flash of blue light, the lock melted. Thomas pushed the door open and then did the same to Oso’s cell door.
Oso had never seen anything like it before. He was both amazed and frightened. Yet, now was not the time to think on it. It was time to act. Oso leaped out of his cell, glad to be free of it, and followed Thomas up the steps that led to the reivers' barracks.
Thomas motioned with his hand for Oso to stop and remain silent as they reached the large steel door at the top of the stairs. It was, of course, bolted from the other side, but Oso didn't worry about that after witnessing what his friend had done to the other locks.
A small part of his mind told Oso that he should fear his friend. The more rational part acknowledged the benefits of Thomas’ newly displayed abilities. He knew how the Shadow Lord created warlocks, imbuing them with Dark Magic. He also knew the stories of those with abilities similar to those of the warlocks, but who applied their skills in the fight against the Shadow Lord.
Thomas again extended his senses and was pleased by what he found. Killeran had taken more of his men with him this time than Thomas had expected. Only a quarter of the reivers remained, and some of those were on guard duty. Three were awake in the barracks, playing cards. Even better, they were in the small room on the other side of the steel door. The rest of the reivers were asleep in the main hall, which was all the way down the corridor. If he and Oso were quiet, they could make it out of the barracks without raising an alarm.
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"There are three in the room beyond the door," whispered Thomas, using the door as a canvas to show where they were situated. All three sat with their backs to the door in the far corner of the room. Thomas considered using the Talent on these three as well, but decided against it. It would have made things easier, but he wanted to conserve his strength. He knew that he would need it before the night was over, and the constant work and torture had weakened him. "We eliminate them quietly. I take the one on the left, you take the two on the right." Oso nodded, pleased that it was time for him to play a part. "The rest of the reivers are in the barracks. If we do this right, we get out without any problems, then head for the cages."
Thomas focused on the steel door, contemplating it for a time. He would have to do things a little differently since the lock was on the other side. Extending his senses, Thomas formed a picture of the mechanism in his mind. He then sent a thin stream of energy into it, which melted the bolts within the door soundlessly. Oso had moved up right next to the door while Thomas was at work and kept his hand against it so it wouldn't swing backward and alert the reivers. In a few seconds, Thomas finished and joined Oso on the top step.
"Ready?" he asked.
Oso nodded again. Giving the door a gentle push, they stepped through the opening on silent feet. The reivers never knew what hit them. Thomas and Oso reached their quarry at the same time and took hold of their heads from behind, giving them a quick jerk. The first two reivers were dead before the third even looked up from his cards. Oso moved behind him and broke his neck with a quick jerk as well.
They dragged the three reivers from their chairs and put them on the other side of the steel door, pulling it closed. The bodies on the other side would prevent it from swinging open. If anyone came into the room, all would appear normal. Completing that task, they left the room and went down the hallway that led to the main door.
Oso was about to pull the door open when Thomas' hand on his forearm made him stop. Thomas motioned to an open room off to their left. Oso looked at his friend and smiled. The storeroom, and it was filled from top to bottom with weapons. They trotted into the room marveling at their luck. Oso bent down and dug into a pile of swords, looking for one that would suit him. He almost jumped back in surprise.
"This one is yours," he said, handing Thomas his grandfather's sword.
If Oso recognized the blade as anything more than a plain but finely crafted sword, he didn't show it. After Killeran took it from him, Thomas never expected to see it again. His luck certainly was good tonight. While Oso quietly rummaged through the many remaining blades for one of his own, Thomas searched for something else. After a few minutes, he finally found it — a large leather bag.
He went back to his friend, who was admiring the blade he had just found. It was of excellent quality, with intricate designs carved into the base. Oso grunted in satisfaction after testing the balance and swinging it through the air a few times.
"Fill this up with anything you can — daggers, swords, whatever — while I check outside," said Thomas, thrusting the bag into his friend's hands and making his way to the main door. Oso quickly went about his assignment, trying to stuff as many steel blades into the bag as would fit.
Thomas extended his senses into the courtyard before opening the door. No one was around. It hadn't taken long for the guards who regularly walked along the top of the walls to slack off in Killeran’s absence. They had all congregated in one of the watchtowers playing a game of dice. Opening the door quietly, Thomas stepped outside. The moon was beautiful, but it was also a hindrance. He would have preferred a dark, cloudy night rather than one with a full moon.
The entire fort was deathly quiet as Thomas walked a few steps out into the muddy courtyard. The reivers had closed the gates after Killeran left. Thomas assumed that the men on the battlements figured they would have enough warning if they actually were attacked. Well, they had never thought an attack could come from inside the fort. That would work to Thomas' advantage. Off in the distance he saw the five steel cages that housed the Highlanders. It wouldn't be long now before the freedom they craved would be theirs once again.
Oso silently padded up next to Thomas, having filled the bag now hanging over his shoulder to bursting with daggers, swords and maces.
"Ready."
"Good," said Thomas. "On to the next step."
Thomas had laid out his plan for escape earlier in the day. Oso approved. He was fairly certain that he and Thomas could escape from the fort quite easily on their own thanks to Thomas' unique abilities, but he worried over Thomas' refusal to go anywhere without the rest of the Highlanders. Oso also wanted to free as many of his people as he could, but he thought it might be more difficult than Thomas envisioned.
Oso nodded. Hugging the wall of the reivers' barracks, he and Thomas moved stealthily through the night, edging closer to the slave pens.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Thieves in the Night
Anara leaned backed wearily against the steel bars of the cage, softly humming a lullaby to the two small children lying in her lap. Their mother had died a month before and the shock had not yet worn off. The children thought that their mother would always be there for them. They were forced to learn the harsh lesson that that was not always the case, especially when you worked in the mines. She really didn't mind taking care of them. Someone had to look out for them, and there were too many children here without parents as it was.
Anara continued to hum, absently stroking their hair, if for nothing else than to occupy her time now that the children slept. Her voice was soft, but her expression harsh. She gazed out through the steel bars with daggers in her eyes. Brushing a strand of dirty auburn hair from her face, she wished for a good steel blade.
Before she was captured she had been very good with a dagger. She imagined throwing it between the bars and striking her target. In this case, the middle of the reiver's chest who stood guard near the cage. She smiled at the thought. He was only a dim shadow in the darkness, but she knew that her aim would be true. Normally there were two, but with Killeran having taken the bulk of his forces on another raid, the skeleton force he left behind was stretched thin.
She laughed softly at her defiance. She had not yet given in to the hopelessness that pervaded the cages. The mines were deadly enough, but they weren't the main reason people died here. Most who died here had given up hope. They no longer cared about living. It had happened to the mother of these children, even though she had something to live for. After surviving in the mines for several months Anara knew that was the first step on the road to death. And she wasn't ready to die just yet. Not after what those two boys had done for her.
When the two reivers approached her she knew immediately what was on their minds, yet she could think of no way to stop them. The other Highlanders couldn't offer her any help, since all the men had already entered the cages. A part of her simply gave up, knowing that what was about to happen was inevitable. Then the two boys, the one with the sharp green eyes and the large one with long blond hair, came to her aid.
She had never seen anything like it before. The ease with which they killed the four reivers shocked her. Afterwards, the tall one stood over her like he was her guardian. She felt safe in his arms, and she had not wanted to let go. There was something about him that stuck with her. She didn't know what it was, an awareness perhaps, but it was as if they belonged together. She soon discarded the idea as a daydream, a trick of the mind to get through the drudgery of working in the mines. Nevertheless, the thought still appealed to her.
One of the girls sleeping in her lap shifted slightly, trying to find a more comfortable position. Gazing down to make sure she was all right, Anara continued to stroke their heads. She had learned after two sleepless nights that it helped to make them feel safe. She had never thought she would become a mother at such a young age, even if not in the traditional sense of the word.
She was about to drift off when out of the cor
ner of her eye she saw a flash of movement. Looking up quickly, she twisted her neck around, trying to find the source. Nothing was there. It must have been her imagination.
Wait a second! The guard! Where was the guard? His familiar, if unwanted, silhouette was gone. Then she smiled for the first time since she had arrived at the Black Hole. Two shadows — one large, one small — ran toward her. It seemed as if her daydream might not have been a daydream after all.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Breakout
Thomas and Oso reached the back of the reivers' barracks without incident. It would have made things easier for Thomas if it was darker, but he'd just have to make do with the full moon. The first cage was only a few hundred feet beyond where they were hiding. The sloping roof of the building offered Thomas the darkness he desired. But they could not see the other cages from their current position.
Sneaking up on the guards would be much more difficult than when he freed the Highlanders the first night he had met Oso. The grass in that clearing had been up to his waist, thus helping to conceal his approach. Here, there was nothing but a muddy field. He would have to try a different approach. Thomas motioned for Oso to remain where he was.
"Wait until I signal for you," he whispered.
Thomas rose from his crouch, put his sword back in the scabbard he had fastened to his back, and pulled his dagger from its sheath. Then, as if he was going for a leisurely walk in the moonlight, he strode confidently toward the guard.
Oso was too shocked by Thomas' audacity to stop him. "What the—"
In a blink of the eye, Thomas disappeared. He had been walking just a few feet away from the barracks, and now he was gone! Oso rubbed his eyes, thinking it might be a trick of the moonlight. When he opened them again, all he saw was the cage and the guard standing before it.