“Big words for a man all alone,” said the outlaw who had first challenged him. “The way I see it, the odds are in our favor.”
“If that’s what you want,” Stone said.
Then he was moving, so fast he was a blur. He spun past one outlaw, his knife slashing the man’s throat. He spun low, punching the next outlaw in the stomach. A third lunged forward, thrusting a short sword at Stone, but the blade didn’t touch anything but air. The young fighter danced aside and stabbed the outlaw’s outstretched arm. The man screamed and fell back.
The outspoken outlaw held back from the fight. Despite his words and the liquor, he was still afraid. He grabbed the man with the wounded arm, and pushed him back toward Stone. He was right behind the wounded man, a dagger in his free hand. Stone saw the ploy for what it was, and so he waited for the moment when the outlaw shoved the wounded man toward him. Then he spun around the stumbling outlaw and slashed one knife across the cowardly Rider’s arm. He completed the spin and slammed his other knife into the man’s back.
“I guess my black heart will just keep beating right where it is,” he whispered angrily in the outlaw’s ear.
He twisted the knife as the outlaw arched his back and screamed. Then he wrenched his blade free. The outlaw fell. The Rider with the wounded arm had stumbled out of the inn, so the only outlaw left was the man Stone had punched in the stomach.
“No need to die,” Stone said.
The man didn’t reply. He had drawn a sword, but his face was pale and he was clutching his stomach with his free hand.
“I just want to leave,” Stone said.
“Get out then,” the man said through gritted teeth.
Stone moved slowly, not turning his back on the outlaw until he was at the door. Then he slipped quickly outside. The main street was busy and no one paid him much attention, despite the fact that he had both weapons drawn and both were wet with blood. There were three horses still tied to a post just outside the inn. Now that Stone was out of immediate danger, his mind went wild with fear for Vera and Lorik. If the Riders had come for him, he knew there was a good chance they would have shown up at Lorik’s home, too.
He untied one of the horses and pulled himself up into the saddle. Then he whipped the reins across the horse’s rump and galloped toward Lorik’s property. People on the street seemed startled as he rode past, but Stone ignored them. He followed the path to Lorik’s house and was hardly breathing as he rode up to the quaint home. He took in the sight of the dead horse, the empty corral, and the closed barn doors. His heart leapt into his throat as he slid off the horse and jumped up the steps to the front door.
“Vera!” he shouted. “Lorik! Vera! Are you there?”
“We’re here,” came Vera’s voice.
“Let him in and then put the bolt back,” Lorik said. “Stone, you hurt?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“What about Chancy?” Lorik asked as Stone hurried in and helped Vera put the heavy wooden beam back across the door.
“He’s fine,” Stone said. “I was attacked at the inn, though. I had to kill two of them, and I wounded the others.”
“You should have killed them all. That’s the only thing that will end this.”
“Why? Is this really because you turned down Marsdyn?” Vera asked.
“I guess, I’m not sure,” Stone said.
“Well, maybe we can get some answers from this pathetic excuse for a human being,” Lorik said, pointing to the outlaw he had tied onto a wooden chair.
Lorik was sitting next to the man, sharpening a long dagger. The metal rasped against the whetstone. Over and over Lorik slid the blade over the stone, not looking at the outlaw, who sat wide-eyed in the chair. Vera put her arm on Stone’s arm, but his eyes narrowed as he took in the sight.
“He attacked you?” Stone asked Vera.
“He tried, but Lorik stopped him.”
“Why?” Stone demanded, moving closer to the man. “Tell me why you did this!” he shouted.
The man only moaned in fright.
“Don’t worry, he’ll talk,” Stone said. “One way or another, he’ll tell us everything.”
Chapter 15
“Lorik!” Vera said. “A word, please.”
Lorik recognized the tone and knew she wasn’t really asking. He stood up and joined Vera and Stone near the door.
“What?” he whispered.
“You aren’t going to torture that man,” she said. “I know you. You aren’t cruel. You can’t do this.”
“He came here to kill me. It’s the least he deserves,” Lorik said.
“That may be true, but you can’t do it. You’ll be no better than the outlaws who sent him here.”
“We have to know what Marsdyn’s planning,” Stone said. “It’s not over.”
“No, it isn’t,” Lorik agreed. “Now, Vera, you’re going to have to trust me. Sometimes the threat of torture is just as effective as actual torture. You have my word I won’t hurt him if I can help it.”
She looked from Lorik to Stone, both of whom seemed firm.
“I don’t like it,” she said.
“We’re all in danger,” Lorik said. “I expected that Marsdyn would come around sooner or later. But he’s a bully, and I thought he’d try to shake us down for money. I expected intimidation, not murder.”
“Now that he’s started, he won’t stop,” Stone said. “He’ll be seen as weak if he does. His men won’t respect him. He has to kill us now. All of us,” he said, directing the last part to Vera.
“But why? What did we ever do to him?” Vera asked.
“It doesn’t really matter,” Lorik said. “Men like that get an idea and they won’t let it go.”
“Is it because you killed Grayson?” she asked.
“I didn’t kill him,” Lorik said. “But our fight probably has something to do with it.”
“We’ve been in town less than a day,” Stone said. “Marsdyn must have been planning this for a while.”
“So what do we do?”
“We have to find out what he’s planning,” Lorik said. “We’ll make our stand here, on the property. The path is the only way in or out without going through the bogs. And we should be able to see them coming.”
Vera kept a watch on the path leading to Lorik’s house. The property was surrounded by mud bogs, and no one expected Marsdyn to try crossing them. If an attack came, it would most likely approach on the wide path that Lorik used to move his wagons to and from town.
Lorik stood near the outlaw tied to his chair. Stone stood behind the man. The outlaw was terrified, and it showed clearly on his face. He was sweating profusely, and he sat meekly, even occasionally whimpering with dread. Lorik returned to his chair and sat quietly sharping his dagger. The blade was razor sharp, and he confirmed it by shaving some of the soft hair on this forearms.
“Now,” Lorik said. “I want to know why Marsdyn wants us dead.”
“He’s angry,” the outlaw said. “The raids didn’t go well. He didn’t like that Stone wanted to go with you instead of joining the Riders. He says you owe him for killing Grayson.”
“And what’s his plan?”
“He sent us to kill you and bring the woman back to him,” the man said, ashamed.
Lorik laid the blade of his dagger on the outlaw’s thigh.
“Now this part is important,” Lorik said. “It could be the difference between life and death for you. Are you listening?”
“Ye-Ye-Yes,” the outlaw stammered.
“Good. Now, you know Marsdyn’s going to kill you. You failed to kill me, and he won’t believe you didn’t tell us everything you know. So, your only chance is to come clean. If your information is true I’ll let you go. That’s the best deal you’re going to get.”
“Okay, okay,” the man said. “I’ll tell you everything.”
There wasn’t much in the way of specifics. The man knew that Marsdyn planned to kill Stone and Lorik, and that he wouldn’t give up. He had fourteen men lef
t, all experienced killers, but none were from the Marshlands. It was the only advantage Lorik and Stone had. The bogs around Lorik’s property were just fields of thick mud, with weeds sprouting up in various places. The bogs could be crossed, but not quickly, and anyone who tried would be easy to spot.
The one advantage Marsdyn had was that with Lorik and Stone in the same place, he could concentrate his forces. The outlaw didn’t expect Marsdyn to try a full-on attack, since the gang leader preferred to take his enemies by surprise. Lorik pressed the man to find out exactly what fighting skills the Riders had. Four of the men in Marsdyn’s gang had skill with bows. The rest were all fighters, and of course Mert was a merciless killer. Marsdyn was prone to violent rages and often killed even the wounded who no longer posed a threat to him.
“He’ll come back when it’s dark, I would think,” the outlaw said. “That way he can get close without you seeing him.”
“You think he’ll come himself?” Stone asked.
“No, he’ll send assassins. He might even hire a crew of pirates. Whoever he can find to do the dirty work. He’ll kill you both and then bring the woman back to his compound. He’ll abuse her and make her do the dirtiest work he can find. He thinks that sort of thing sends a message.”
Lorik slid the knife blade between the cords of the rope. It took only a moment to saw through the hemp and free the outlaw.
“I suggest you go as far and as fast as you can,” Lorik said.
“You can take the horse out front,” Stone added.
“Stay on foot through the bogs. If you try to ride, your horse will most likely come up lame.”
“I don’t know where to go,” the outlaw stammered. “I could die out there.”
“You’ll die for sure here,” Lorik said. “You can crawl back to Marsdyn, but he’ll kill you, I guarantee that.”
“Okay,” the outlaw said. “You’re right.”
Stone lifted the heavy wooden bolt that held the door in place. The outlaw slipped out and took the horse. Vera was trembling, and Stone put his arm around her.
“We need a plan,” he said.
“I’ve got one,” Lorik said. “At least the beginnings of one. We should move to the barn. It’s easier to defend.”
“You know they’re going to burn the house,” Stone said.
“Yes, it can’t be helped,” Lorik said sadly.
“Oh, no,” Vera said. “You can’t let them,” she was obviously distraught. “Your parents built this house, Lorik. We can’t let them burn it down.”
“We’ve not got much choice,” Lorik said. “They’ll most likely come with torches. We’ll be lucky to survive. We won’t have time to fight a fire, too.”
Vera cried. She had held herself together as long as she could. The shock of the attack and then questioning the outlaw had been difficult, but realizing that Lorik’s house would most likely be lost, along with all his memories and the personal belongs it contained, simply broke her heart. She had always considered the house her second home. She felt comfortable and safe there, and now that it was going to be destroyed, she was angry, sad, and afraid all at the same time.
Stone held Vera as she buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed.
“I’ll get started moving what we need to the barn,” Lorik said. “Why don’t you get her settled?”
They spent the rest of the day preparing for a siege attack. It was nerve-racking to be constantly looking over their shoulders, but they didn’t have a choice. The barn was a simple structure, with two big main doors, one on the front and one on the side. It also had a hayloft that ran the length of the barn with shutter-like windows on both ends. They moved food, weapons, water, and blankets into the barn. Then, as a safety measure, Lorik tied a rope from the barn roof to a small stunted tree on the far side of the mud bog behind the property. If worse came to worst, they could slide down the line using slings made of boiled leather to escape.
Stone took care of the horses, while Lorik mixed a tarry liquid in the loft.
“What is that?” Vera asked. “It smells horrible. I hope you don’t expect me to eat it.”
“No,” Lorik said, laughing. “It’s not supper. It’s called liquid fire. I’m going to coat some of the arrows in it. Then, I’ll be able to shoot them out onto the path or even into the mud so that I can see if anyone is approaching.”
“Why don’t we just leave?” Vera asked. “You know the marshes better than anyone. Marsdyn won’t find us there. In time he’ll forget his grudge.”
“A man like Marsdyn never forgets,” Lorik said. “He’ll force someone to track us. The Marshlands won’t be safe for us.”
“So, we could go north. I was planning to leave anyway. You and Liam should come with me. We’ll make a new life for ourselves.”
“I can’t,” Lorik said.
“Why not?”
“I’m not the type to run away,” he said.
“It wouldn’t be running away,” Vera said. “Don’t think of it like that.”
“Listen, you and Stone have a chance to make a new life for yourselves. That is good. I promise if we get through this I’ll help you both, all I can. But there’s no place for me in that life.”
“I thought we talked about that this morning,” Vera said. “Why do you feel like we can’t be friends?”
“It isn’t that I don’t think we can be friends,” Lorik said. “It’s just that I’d be in the way. You and Stone can be a well-matched team. There’s no need for an old codger like me.”
“You aren’t old and you’ll always be my family, Lorik. There’s always a place for family.”
He smiled, but he didn’t respond. He loved Vera in a way that wasn’t brotherly, but wasn’t quite romantic either. He had been with her for a long time, had always enjoyed her company, and felt extremely protective of her. But he had come to trust Stone, and the young fighter was more than capable of protecting Vera and providing a good life for her. She had found what she wanted, but he hadn’t. He couldn’t run away from Marsdyn because he knew the outlaw would hunt them down. At some point he would have to face the gang leader, and he felt it would be better to do it here, on the land he knew better than anyone else. Then, if they survived, Stone and Vera could do whatever they wanted, and so could he.
They ate a cold supper and then Stone went to sleep. He wasn’t a bowman, so if trouble came that night, Lorik needed to be alert and ready. The stars twinkled high in the sky and the moon was almost full. There was enough light that Lorik felt confident he could see if anyone was approaching the property. He kept a small lamp lit but covered. He didn’t want the light giving away their position, but he needed a fire to ignite his fire arrows. He tested one after it was fully dark out. He had coated the arrows with the liquid fire from just behind the arrowhead all the way to the fletching. The tarry substance had hardened, and Lorik wrapped the arrowhead in hemp fibers, which he lit with the arrow already nocked. He quickly drew the bow, aimed high, then let the arrow fly. The wind caused the flames to lick back onto the arrow, and the liquid fire ignited easily. Halfway through its flight the arrow burst into flames. Then the projectile streaked down and landed in the center of the pathway that led to the property. It cast a yellow glow across the path and burned for nearly an hour.
Lorik then sat back and waited. Vera sat up with him for a time, talking in whispered tones. She reminisced about when they were young. Lorik tried to stay vigilant, but he often found his mind reliving those same memories with Vera rather than searching the night for intruders. Even after she had fallen asleep, Lorik found himself mired in the past.
He examined his life and why he made the decisions he had made. He thought about why he had stayed in Hassell Point after his parents had passed away. Most men were content to earn a living for their families, but Lorik neither had a family nor was content. He had stayed because it was easier than charting a new course for his life. He realized he should have taken Vera and found a new life for them both, long ago. Perh
aps he was just afraid. He didn’t like waiting for conflict to happen. He preferred to get unpleasant situations over with as quickly as possible. He thought about sneaking away and attacking the Riders head on, but he knew that was suicide. He was outnumbered, even if Stone went with him. Their only chance of success lay in being able to hold their defensive position.
In the end, it was just lucky that he noticed a shadow moving near the house. At first he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but then he saw the movement again. Someone was sneaking into the house, hoping to gain entry and kill them all while they were defenseless in their beds.
He knew he had to do something. Shooting at the shadowy target was difficult, as it was hard to judge the distance at night, and Lorik decided against using one of his fire arrows. He didn’t want to accidentally burn the house down himself. He focused on the shadow he’d seen moving and shot on instinct. The arrow disappeared into the darkness and all he could do was wait to see if the arrow found its mark.
The assassin was hit, but not killed, by the arrow. He screamed when the arrow struck, and Lorik waited to see what would happen. The man groaned and moaned, but no one came to his aid. Lorik watched intently, but saw no other movement.
“What’s happening?” Stone whispered as he crawled up beside Lorik. He was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“An assassin,” Lorik said. “I didn’t see him until he was almost at the house, but I got a lucky shot.”
“Why not use a fire arrow?” Stone asked.
“I was afraid I’d miss and burn the house down.”
“Good thinking,” Stone said.
They waited and watched nervously. It was hard to know that killers were lurking in the dark.
“There,” Stone said, and pointed at a shadow.
“You sure?” Lorik said.
“It was moving,” Stone replied.
The shadow was between the house and the barn. Lorik lit an arrow and fired quickly, but the flame alerted the assassin who was able to avoid being hit. The fire arrow seemed especially bright in the darkness between the house and barn. They saw the assassin slinking away. Another shadow was seen leaving the property, but Lorik let didn’t waste an arrow shooting into the darkness. Moving targets were difficult enough in the daylight, and the assassin was no longer moving slowly to avoid detection.
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