~
Dawn was fast approaching. Overhead, a large meteor shower sent scintillating streaks arcing across the sky. Beside the compound, the forbidding walls of Gort rose up like a gigantic sentry. Lyall and Alondo lay flat against the sand, watching the enclosure. A collection of low wooden buildings, bounded by a rectangular wooden palisade, its single gate was dominated by a guardhouse. There were lights in the guardhouse, but the other blocks were dark, casting rhomboid shadows over the scarlet-tinged earth.
“All right,” Lyall whispered. “Once we get to the guardhouse, I kick the door open, then you let fly with the vortex arm. I will take care of anyone who isn’t immediately stunned by the blast. The tributes should deal with any remaining opposition within the compound. We distribute their weapons, take out the guards on the fortress gate as quietly as possible and then make for the armoury. Clear?”
“Sounds too easy.” Alondo smiled in the darkness. “Shouldn’t we give them more of a sporting chance?”
“Very funny,” Lyall responded dryly. “Are you ready?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Then let’s go.”
Both men rose up from the sand and started down the dune’s windward side. Crouching low, they moved rapidly toward the guardhouse. They reached the foot of the dune and crossed the short distance to the gate. Lyall was already adjusting the cloak’s control to feel for the push of lodestone. He leapt and cleared the palisade, landing inside the compound. As he turned toward the guardhouse, Lyall thought he saw a dark shape move at the side of the building. He looked directly at the place but there was nothing. Was it just my imagination? No matter. They were committed now.
Lyall went to the gate, and unbolted it. He pulled one side open just enough to admit Alondo. The gate creaked slightly and he winced, looking round but the silence descended once again. He motioned Alondo forward and they crept over to the guardhouse door.
Alondo had the vortex arm in the ready position. Lyall prepared to charge the door. Before he could do so, he heard a succession of muffled thuds and muted cries coming from inside. He held up his hand and listened. After a few moments, the sounds died and silence descended once again like a blanket. Lyall waited for long moments, straining his ears, but there was nothing. Finally, he reached back and kicked in the door. The door flew back on its hinges with a thump.
Bodies lay slumped on the floor, against walls and over tables. Unmoving. Lyall counted six…no, seven, including one cloaked figure, a Keltar. A lone figure stood over them in a terrible tableau. Another Keltar–a woman with sharp features and long dark hair. He could see white blood staining the diamond blades of the staff she held. Lyall stepped forward, raising his own staff on impulse.
The stranger raised a hand. “Hold.” Lyall stopped in his tracks. The woman continued, “I know who you are and why you have come. You must get out of here.”
Lyall was still holding his staff in a defensive posture. “If you know why we are here, then you know we are not going to leave. The tributes must be freed.”
“You do not understand.” The woman’s eyes blazed. “They know of your plan. They are ready for you. There are another two dozen soldiers and four Keltar within the compound. They do not intend for you to leave here alive.”
“But how–?” Lyall stammered.
“It doesn’t matter how. You cannot free them. If you want to live, you must leave. Now.”
“Who are you?” Alondo demanded.
“I am…I was a Keltar. You must go. Collect your morgren and take the road east. I will catch up with you.”
Lyall looked around at the scattered bodies. “You are not coming?”
“No, I…have some things to take care of first.”
Lyall felt as if he were in shock. There was nothing he could do. He turned to leave through the door. Behind him, he heard Alondo’s voice.
“We owe you our lives, stranger. May I know your name?”
“Keris,” the woman replied. “I am called Keris.”
<><><><><>
Chapter 10
Lyall marched across the yielding sand without looking back. Alondo had to jog to catch up with him. “Lyall, listen to me. We can’t just leave. Shann is still in there…. Lyall!” He grabbed Lyall by the arm and pulled his friend around to face him. He saw with shock that the tall man’s eyes were filled with tears.
He watched as Lyall seemed to collect himself. “I know. I will get you to a safe place. Then I’m going back there for her.”
“You’re not going alone, surely?”
Lyall turned and strode away. Ail-Gan was an incandescent yellow lamp, low in the west. Already, the temperature was moving from warm to hot. Pretty soon it would be oppressive, like a heavy hand over everything that moved.
Alondo hurried in Lyall’s wake. “At least let me help,” he pleaded.
“No.” Lyall’s voice was firm. “I won’t put anyone else at risk over my mistakes.”
“This is about Persillan, isn’t it?” Alondo persisted. “What happened back then wasn’t your fault, and neither is this.”
“It has nothing to do with that. I…I just have to make it right.”
Alondo was speaking to Lyall’s back. “I understand. We will get her out. But let’s come up with a plan first. We are no good to Shann if we’re dead.”
Lyall stopped and whirled around. “I was the one who sent her in there, Alondo. I am responsible. Me. I have to get her back.”
“And just how do you propose to do that? Think, Lyall. Two dozen soldiers and four Keltar. Wasn’t that what that woman said? You can’t do this without help.”
Lyall let out a sigh. “Look, I appreciate the offer, really I do. And I know you want to get her back as much as I do. But in this instance, one person on their own stands the best chance.”
“All right, all right, but you can’t go there now. The moment someone goes to inspect the guardhouse, the place will be in an uproar. At least wait a while.”
Lyall paused, deep in thought. “Very well, we wait till Ail-Kar, the white sun rises. Then I will go in. You stay with the morgren. Wait till the white sun sets. If I am not back by then, take the road east. I will catch up to you.”
They crested the windward side of the dune. Their tiny encampment sat in the slack; white awnings undulating in a gentle breeze; the morgren, standing stoically off to one side. Lyall and Alondo scrambled down the dip side, kicking up sand as they went. Lyall sat down in the shade. Reaching for a water skin, he took a long draught, and offered it to Alondo, who accepted it gratefully.
The two sat in silence for a while. Alondo wanted to ask what he should do if his friend didn’t catch up to him–if he never returned. But he could not bring himself to frame the question. Instead he asked, “Lyall, how is it that they knew of our plan?”
Lyall was staring at the lightly shifting sands. “I wish I knew. Neither Hedda nor Moina knew of our destination. Even if they had, they would have died rather than betray us. Shann was with us the whole time until…”
“Until we sent her into the compound.” Alondo completed the thought. “Could she have tipped them off?”
Lyall was shaking his head. “No, it’s impossible. I know the girl. I’ve lived with her these past few days, worked with her. I know how she feels about the Prophet and everything he stands for. Besides, there is no way that they could have gathered six Keltar at the compound in that time. They must have known what we were up to long before that.”
Alondo felt a surge of relief. Shann had an innocence and a vulnerability about her, coupled with bravery and determination in a way that was very endearing. In the last several days it felt as if the three of them had knitted together into a close family. He did not want to believe that she could have betrayed them. He quickly changed the subject. “There’s another thing. Why would one of the Keltar turn on their own?”
“Why indeed?” Lyall mused.
“I know of only one other person who tried that. And he wasn’t nearly a
s successful. He only had one Keltar to deal with, and he could still only manage a draw.” Alondo smiled to himself.
“Are you ever going to stop bringing that up?” Lyall’s annoyance quickly subsided. “Still, she took out half a dozen soldiers and another Keltar. I never saw or heard anything like it.”
“And she saved our lives into the bargain,” Alondo reminded him.
“True and I never even thanked her.”
“Maybe you will get your chance?” Alondo speculated.
“I hope so.” Lyall leaned back on his elbows. “I have a feeling we are missing a big piece of the puzzle. I also have a feeling that that woman Keris is the key.
“Anyway, I have an important job to do, so for now I need to get some rest. Can you stand watch?
“Certainly,” Alondo confirmed.
Lyall lay down under the awning. Alondo watched as his breathing became slow and even.
I hope this is one battle you win. For Shann’s sake.
~
As soon as Shann returned to the enclosure, it was evident that something was wrong.
A group of four tributes, one of whom was the boy who had first approached her, pulled the ore cart across the sand like beasts of burden,. The cart had sleds, but was still apt to get bogged down on occasion, causing them to have to strain every muscle. The haul was poor, which made their task a little easier but also put the guard in a foul mood. As soon as any one of the four stumbled, they found themselves on the receiving end of a swift kick.
Shann trailed behind with the group of two dozen others. Two other ore carts stood out of the way, beyond the gate, signalling that two identical parties had already returned. As they passed the guardhouse, Shann saw a group of four soldiers in iron studded leather armour crossing the yard. Then two more. Then coming round the corner of a building, a dark cloaked figure. No, it couldn’t be. A Keltar. What were they doing here?
She continued with the group of tributes as they walked towards the hut where they were sequestered. There was a sound from behind her. She turned to see two more Keltar coming out of the guardhouse, accompanied by more soldiers. Shann felt a rising sense of panic. Lyall had assured her that there were only ever a few soldiers on guard at the compound at any one time. What was going on?
She caught Leskin’s eye. The old man looked at her but said nothing. They were herded inside their hut, and the guard bolted the door from the outside. A rough wooden construct, it was lined with pallets. Tributes sat or collapsed, exhausted. There were no windows. The last light of evening was filtering through a small iron grille set in the door.
The boy, who Shann had learned was called Roanol, came up and offered her an earthenware cup of water. “Lock down,” he explained. “They must suspect that something’s up.”
But how was that possible, she puzzled? It had to be some sort of co-incidence. Then a horrible thought struck her. Lyall and Alondo–maybe they have been caught? No, they wouldn’t have revealed everything in that short a time. And why would there be a need for extra precautions if they knew the plan had been foiled? Besides, where had all of these Keltar suddenly sprung from? There was clearly something very odd going on.
Whatever it was, it was obvious that the plan Lyall had so carefully formulated was now dead in the water. There was no way the tributes could stage a break out; it would be suicide. And with the increased presence, any frontal assault would similarly be doomed to failure. She had to warn them somehow. “Roanol, I have to get out of here.”
His eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“I have to get out of here. If Lyall and Alondo go through with the plan, it will be a disaster.”
Roanol had kind face, despite his starved appearance. His sandy forelock had a habit of falling over his eyes in a way that was at once amusing and endearing. In different circumstances, she would have been thinking of ways to get to know him better.
He shook his head. “That’s impossible. We are shut in and there are guards outside the door.”
Shann bit her lower lip. “I have to find a way, or they will be dead.”
“Shann, I just don’t know–”
Leskin walked up to the pair. The olive skin covering his face was like old leather. He addressed Shann. “The plan is off,” he informed her.
“What’s going on? What are all these soldiers and Keltar doing here?” she demanded.
“I have no idea, but it doesn’t matter. Even assuming we could somehow get out of here, we couldn’t possibly take on that many guards in the enclosure, let alone Keltar as well. I’m sorry, Shann.”
“I realise that.” Shann’s hazel eyes blazed with determination, “but Lyall and Alondo are going to come charging through the front gate at first light tomorrow. I have to get word to them somehow.”
Leskin met her gaze firmly. “I want to help them too, but not if it puts the lives of everyone here at risk.”
“What if,” Roanol interposed, “we were to watch for an opening to try and get Shann out? This emergency, whatever it is, can’t last forever. There might be a way for her to slip away unnoticed.”
Leskin considered this. “All right, we’ll try it. But for now, the place is crawling with Keltar. All we can do is get some rest and see what happens.”
“But–” Shann began.
“I’m sorry, but that’s the best we can do,” The old man’s voice was final. He turned around and walked away. Shann stared after him.
“Don’t blame Leskin.” Roanol’s fringe fell over his eyes once again. He brushed it back. “He’s just trying to watch out for us all.”
“I know that.” Shann exhaled. “But I still need to get away.” Then a thought occurred to her. She looked up at him and heard herself say, “Come with me.”
Roanol regarded her for a moment. “You mean, escape?”
“Yes.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because I am known, Shann. If I disappeared, it would be noticed. Others would be interrogated–tortured, to find out how it happened and who had assisted me. No, Leskin was right about one thing. The fates of all of us here are linked. If we are to escape, it can only be together.”
Shann bowed her head; then looked up into his eyes again. “I don’t know what’s gone wrong, but I…we will get you out of this place.”
He smiled, reminding her strongly of Lyall once again. “Yes, Shann, I believe that you will.”
~
That night Shann tossed and turned as she lay on the hard wooden pallet. Her uncontrolled imagination explored every possible scenario of what might happen to Lyall and Alondo. Nearly all of them ended badly. I have to find a way out of here, with or without Leskin’s help. She went over in her mind what she had seen of the enclosure. If she had the flying cloak, she could have leaped over the palisade easily. However, there was still a chance–if the two guards were out of the way.
She was wide awake when she heard a loud commotion. Dawn had broken. She rose quietly. Several of the others were up. She recognised Leskin and Roanol in the half-light. Roanol peered through the grille in the door, looking to left and right. “The guards–they’re gone,” he reported. “It looks like some sort of disturbance at the guardhouse.”
It’s begun. She thrust away the anxieties of the past few hours and started to think. There were no guards in evidence. This was her chance. She went to the pallet, and started pulling at the wooden slats. They were old and worn, and it was not long before one of them came away from its crosspiece. She broke it off, quickly bundling it up into the thin blanket. Then she returned to where the knot of people was crowded around the door.
She moved forward, touching Roanol lightly on the arm. “Excuse me.”
He moved to let her through and she placed her bundle down on the floor. She had to stand on tiptoe to see clearly through the grille. She checked the position of the sliding bolt on the outside of the door. Then she reached inside her tunic and brought out a smooth black stone. The
others standing around, registered surprise. She pressed the stone against the wall to the right of the door and moved it slowly towards the bolt. It seemed to slide over the surface without making contact. She heard a sound–iron scraping against iron. She moved the stone back and towards the bolt again, and then a third time. Finally the bolt was pushed far enough back and the door cracked open.
She opened the door another fraction and scanned the yard. It seemed clear. She picked up her bundle and turned back to see the group of despairing, half starved people. Leskin was looking at her with a strange expression. Pride? Roanol stood behind him. He looked like a lost gundir pup. “Stay alive,” she urged. “We will be back for you all.”
Reluctantly, she closed the door and bolted it from the outside. She could hear raised voices coming from the direction of the gate. Two soldiers appeared from the side of an adjacent building. Shann swiftly moved around to the opposite side of the hut and pressed herself flat against the wall. The wall faced east, and Ail-Gan was still low on the western horizon, placing her in dark shadow. The soldiers seemed preoccupied in conversation. They walked past without looking in her direction. Shann allowed herself to breathe once more.
She heard a shout and the sound of running boots on hard packed sand. She had to find somewhere to lay low until the ruckus calmed down. The enclosure consisted of a collection of low, featureless wooden huts. There were no convenient crates or cubby-holes to provide cover. She could feel a sense of desperation welling up. Then the idea hit like a slap in the face. The ore carts.
If the tributes were locked down, then the carts would not be in use. No-one would have a reason to look in them. She should be safe there, at least for a while.
She could not see them from her current position, but she had noticed them on her way in. She edged around to the back of the hut, which was still in shadow. There was a hut adjacent to this one and then another farther on. They all held tributes and were presumably locked down in the same way hers had been. The adjacent gaps lay in open sunlight but if she dashed between them, she could get to the other side of the enclosure, near where the ore carts were parked. She glanced around the first corner. There was no-one in sight. Clutching her bundle, she darted across the sunlit yard. Ail-Gan hung in the sky as if it were looking for an opportunity to betray her. She reached the back of the next hut, and pressed herself against the wall as before, breathing hard in the shadows.
The Lodestone Trilogy (Limited Edition) (The Lodestone Series) Page 11