“Listen Bethany, we’ll be right outside waiting to come get you. No, no don’t cry now. You mustn’t say anything, you understand, we were never here!” he whispered desperately to the young sobbing girl. She nodded at him, wide eyed with fear and trepidation at the sound of the approaching footsteps and voices. Dormael rushed silently to the window and flung himself out into a freefall at the last second. He could only hope D’Jenn had been able to close the drapes and window after him.
Falling through the cold night air, Dormael reached out without thinking and enacted the spell that D’Jenn had shown him earlier in the night. His hand slid along the smooth stone surface of the tower, ripping off bits of skin until he slowly came to a stop, wrenching his shoulder in his socket, but he dared not let go. Planting his toes on the side of the tower, he began to climb as quickly as he could with only one arm and his legs able to support his weight.
He clutched his injured hand to his chest in pain, and climbed back up past the trail of blood it had left as it slid down the outside of the tower. His shoulder was throbbing in time with his heartbeat, sending jolts of pain down his arm, but he climbed determinably back to where his cousin hung on the outside of the tower underneath the windowsill of Colonel Grant’s room. Coming to a stop beside D’Jenn, he saw the relief in his cousin’s eyes that he had not fallen to his death. D’Jenn put his finger to his lips to signal Dormael to stay silent, and pointed up at the window. Dormael saw that D’Jenn had indeed fixed the drapes, but the window was still open slightly, and only luck had kept the wind from banging it open noisily. There was now a low yellowish light coming from inside of it. He settled in to listen to the noise coming from the room.
“…was seen entering the South Gate, sir. One of those City Guardsmen brought in the report an hour ago. Said she was near dead and there was a Sevenlander savage with her. It was the savage he talked to, told some story about the girl being his sister, but he said there were two fine looking blades tied to the saddlebags. He said that when he’d heard our description he came immediately to the castle.”
“A savage, you say? What in the Six Hells? Well, no matter. I want this city searched from the ditches to the rooftops. Tell Captain Mills that he should round up all Sevenlanders that he finds inside the city walls. Tell them to make up a reason if they have to, just arrest them and bring them here for questioning. If we find this Sevenlander, we’ll have the girl’s trail.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I want to talk to this City Guardsman myself. I’m going down to the South Gate to learn more about this little encounter. And wake up that fool in the hallway outside! Put him on the night patrol, and make sure he doesn’t take his cloak. A full night in the cold wind ought to teach him not to fall asleep at his post.” Bethany began to sob loudly again as the man who could only be the Colonel spoken of in the letter raised his voice. There was a loud smacking noise, and the cousins heard the young girl squeal in pain. D’Jenn put a restraining hand on Dormael’s shoulder, but looked as though he could use one, as well.
“And you keep your little mouth shut, girl! I’ll be seeing you when I get back.” At that there was a rustling and a low jingling sound, and the door was shut loudly. Waiting three full seconds to make sure the coast was clear, the cousins reached over the windowsill and slipped silently back into the room.
There were now three candles burning on the writing desk, and the sword was gone. Bethany was sobbing again and holding one side of her face where she had obviously been struck just seconds ago. Moving quickly, D’Jenn went to listen at the door while Dormael reopened the Colonel’s trunk and went through his belongings.
He found a large blue tunic, and put the rest of the items back in the trunk where he’d found them. Rushing over to the bedside, he held the garment gingerly out to Bethany, who blinked and got her sobbing under control. She took it from him slowly, gazing up at him.
“Go on, Bethany, put that on,” Dormael said lowly, “It’s going to be cold out there and it’s the only thing we can find for you to wear at the moment. Come on, little one, in a hurry, now!”
“How did you…where…you jumped out the window…,” the girl whispered weakly, and Dormael nodded at her, moving his hands in circular motion, urging her to haste.
“We’re wizards,” D’Jenn explained in a whisper, “you’ll be safe with us. We won’t let anyone hurt you, but you have to hurry if you want to come with us, young one.”
“You…you’re wizards?” But the girl was hurrying now, slipping the tunic over her head and getting quickly to her feet. The tunic was overlarge for her, as Dormael had expected, and he helped her roll the sleeves past her hands. The girl stood there gazing up at him, wide eyed and expectant. Dormael’s heart gave another quiet wrench. Seizing a small bit of magic, he swept his hand over her face, and the blood peeled silently into the air, flecking off of her face and out of her hair, disappearing. She gave a low sigh of amazement at the small display of power.
“Alright Bethany, here’s what we’re going to do,” explained Dormael soothingly, “You’re going to hold on to me as tight as you can, alright? Can you do that?” Bethany nodded back at him, still dazed about the magic. “There’s something else, little one. You can’t scream, or talk, or make any noise, alright? If anyone hears us leaving they’ll try to bring you back here. If you want to leave, you have to be quiet.” She nodded once more, and Dormael looked back at D’Jenn.
D’Jenn gave him a quick nod, and moved to look out the window to make sure there were no guards walking the walls outside. He turned and nodded at Dormael again, then jumped from the window into the night. Bethany gasped at this, but Dormael soothed her again, and told her it was going to be alright. Looking more determined now, Bethany nodded.
“Alright Bethany,” Dormael said after D’Jenn had gone, “Climb up now, and hold on tight. Don’t worry; I won’t let you fall or let anything happen to you.” Bethany nodded, climbed up into Dormael’s arms and buried her face in his chest, shaking like a newborn kitten. The girl was light, but her added weight would make things that much more difficult. He removed his face mask and wrapped it quickly around his injured hand, tying it in a quick knot. He would have to get higher in order to make the jump.
He shifted Bethany around to his back, and this time crawled gingerly out of the window onto the tower outside, performing D’Jenn’s spell once again. Bethany kept her face buried into his shoulders and shook as much as ever, but she did not cry out, and her grip never faltered. Dormael was thankful for that.
He climbed painfully up the tower, his shoulder protesting with every pull and his hand stinging anew at each touch, but slowly he made his way onto the spire that adorned the top. Once there he stood up on the sloping spire and for one sickening instant he became dizzy and almost fell, but regained his composure and secured his footing on the tiled spire that sat atop the high tower.
Thunder pealed loudly once again, and now Dormael felt the first drops of rain on his head, harbingers of the storm to come. Thankfully the storm clouds above him still hid the moon, and it was dark enough so that his form was not silhouetted against the top of the tower. The main tower of the castle rose up to his left, light shining from different windows along its face. He hoped that no one was looking out right now, and that if they did they would not be able to see him. Looking around one last time, Dormael turned to face the seaward wall, which he could only barely see in the darkness, and tugged on Bethany’s arms to loosen them.
“Don’t open your eyes, young one, just hold onto my hand,” he said to her as she slowly slid her feet onto the sloped tiles. “Just climb up here and hold on tight again, and whatever you do, don’t let go and don’t open your eyes. Are you ready?” Bethany didn’t answer him as she climbed up to wrap her arms tightly around his neck. She muffled a whimper into his chest, where she had once again buried her tiny face, and he put his arms around her.
“Here we go,” he said, taking a deep breath.
He
took one springing step, pushing out with his right foot as hard as he could, and sailed into the empty air between the tower and the wall he was aiming for. Almost as if it was waiting for him to do so, the rain suddenly came down cold and hard, and loud hissing sounds of a million raindrops hitting the ground and the castle sprang up around them like applause. Hastily using his own little spell, Dormael and Bethany began to float, slowly descending in an arc toward the battlements of the seaward wall, completely clearing the higher, inner barrier. Bethany, feeling the wind rushing by her, tightened her arms around his neck and her legs around his stomach until he thought he would suffocate, but she made no sound as they floated towards their target.
For a brief moment Dormael thought he was going to miss the walkway on the battlements, but then he was stumbling onto the wet stones and catching his balance just before tipping over the other side of the wall. As he pried Bethany’s arms and legs loose and assured her they were safe, D’Jenn came creeping up to them along the walkway, materializing out of the rainy night.
Thought for a second you were caught, D’Jenn signaled, that was a quite a jump you made. The girl must be very brave.
Or just very determined to get out of here, which I am as well. Let’s get going, Dormael’s fingers answered, and the two began creeping along the wall towards a spot where they could climb to safety.
“You there! Stop!” a voice rang out into the night. Turning, the cousins saw with dread that a pair of guards was running toward them with their swords drawn. Dormael cursed himself silently; he must have missed the men in the rainy darkness, and now he was paying for it.
“We cannot be seen, cousin! If they find out that we know about their plans they’ll lock the entire city down and we’ll never escape,” D’Jenn whispered harshly, “You know what we have to do!” Dormael nodded darkly to his coz, and looked over at Bethany, who was staring in abject fear at the approaching guards, her dark hair now drenched and laying wetly down on her head.
“Right. Looks like two of Eric’s castle guard fell over the seaward wall into the ocean tonight. Tragic loss,” Dormael said, and D’Jenn gave him a quick nod to show that he understood. The two wizards stood to face the guards who were almost upon them now, and held out their hands towards them.
The magic was exploding through Dormael with a torrent to rival any mountain river. It was flowing with intensity around him now, anticipating what he was about to do, touching each individual raindrop with a tiny musical note in his mind. He sent the relentless, invisible energy at one of the guards. Dormael, closing his fist, seized the running guard with his magic, and the man went suddenly stiff and spread-eagled, rising slowly into the air. The rain dripped unforgiving from his arms and feet, his face a mask of surprise and disbelief, his voice unable to sound. D’Jenn had done the same to the other approaching guard. Bethany’s gasp at the suddenly immobile guards seemed to echo to him from a great distance, but he did not relent. D’Jenn was right, in order to elude the Red Swords, these men had to die. With a flick of his wrist, Dormael sent the guard flying out over the wall, spinning silently into the deadly waters below with the raindrops, unable to scream. D’Jenn’s guard followed his a split second later.
“Come, girl, we must leave at once!” D’Jenn hissed, grasping Bethany’s hand and dragging the stunned girl along behind him as he ran along the wall. Dormael followed them close behind, looking around all the while for more roving castle guards. D’Jenn, reaching the spot where the cousins had climbed up the wall the first time, hoisted the girl up onto a parapet and climbed up beside her.
“Do you think we can reach the park with the trail from here with your floating spell?” D’Jenn asked in a hurried whisper while Dormael climbed up beside them.
“Yes, but I used a lot of my energy on the last jump carrying Bethany here. I don’t know if I can do it again, especially from this high up,” Dormael replied, looking out over the wall and only seeing the waves crashing into the cliff below them. “Besides, it will be a blind jump. You can’t see the park from here. That’s more than a little dangerous.”
“Risk is part of the job, that’s what they told us when we agreed to take field work,” D’Jenn said, echoing Dormael’s words to him from earlier in the day. Dormael smiled ruefully to himself at the comment from his coz. Trust D’Jenn to see to the heart of things.
“I think that the park is that way,” D’Jenn said, pointing ahead, a little off to the right of them, “and if we combine our energies I think we can float the girl between us.”
“Alright, let’s go then. But if I land in the sea, I’ll never let you forget it,” Dormael whispered with a smile on his face. He reached down and took Bethany’s left hand, and D’Jenn took her right hand. “Close your eyes, young one,” Dormael whispered to her. Bethany nodded, and biting her lip, she obliged him. Her wet hand tightened on his in fear, but again, she did not make a sound. Dormael could not help but be proud of the young girl, and he saw the look reflected in D’Jenn’s face. They nodded to each other, and Dormael said, “On three. One…two…three!”
In unison, all three of them pushed off of the parapet, sailing out into the dark night below them. Dormael felt D’Jenn’s spell take hold of them a split second before his own, and suddenly the cousins and Bethany were floating instead of falling down through the darkness, leaving the grounds of Ferolan Castle behind them in the rainy, thundering night.
Dormael felt Bethany’s hand tighten even harder on his own, and when he looked over at her, she had her eyes wide open. Shaken and scared though she was, she was staring this fearful drop right in the eye. A grim sort of satisfaction grew inside of him at the sight, and he felt like hugging the poor misused girl. She was braver than a lot of people Dormael had known through the years, braver even than himself. Dormael saw D’Jenn look down at the girl as well, and then smile broadly over at Dormael. The night had ended well, after all.
Slowly, as if it was materializing from the rainy night itself, the park came into view. They had made the distance they needed with some to spare, and Dormael felt a little more relaxed now that he saw that he would not have to swim to shore tonight. Coming down between two large trees, the two wizards and the escaped girl made a safe, soggy landing in the slippery grass.
Safely on foot and out of the castle, Dormael let the magic sleep once again, and turned to look up at the large granite structure they had all just left, hundreds of links above them. He made to let go of Bethany, but she held his hand fast. Looking over at his cousin, he saw that the young girl held D’Jenn’s hand still, as well. Dormael’s heart gave another involuntary wrench. He and his cousin crouched down beside Bethany, and D’Jenn removed his face mask.
“My name is D’Jenn, and this is Dormael,” said D’Jenn in a friendly tone, “pleased to meet you, Bethany.” The girl only nodded back quietly and held onto their hands. She was no longer sobbing now, but the poor girl had been through a lot, and she remained silent. Her eyes, however, were pleading across at the cousins not to leave her here, which neither intended to do.
“Listen, young one,” began Dormael soothingly, “we’re going to take you home to a friend of ours. Then we’ll get you in some warm clothes and you can have something to eat. Does that sound good?” Bethany nodded silently, tears welling up in her eyes again and the ghost of a smile trying to break onto her face. “Well then, let’s get going. We still have to stay quiet, though, alright?” The girl nodded her assent, and the cousins rose and led her from the park and into the rain drenched city.
The city was quiet, with everyone rushing indoors to get out of the rain, and the two wizards and the young girl appeared to be the only souls out braving the cold rain in the night. They walked through dark alleyways where tiny waterfalls of rainwater poured from rooftops onto the street below, they sneaked across large cobblestone streets where the only light was large orange pools on the ground from the windows of busy inns, and finally they jogged along the backstreets of the Merchant’s Distri
ct, headed straight for the back entrance to Alton’s manor.
Somewhere near the South Gate, Colonel Grant was being told by a nervous City Guardsman that he and Shawna had ridden in near midnight over a week ago, and headed into the city. He was probably giving the Colonel a description of what Dormael looked like, long braided goatee and all. Dormael wished he had hidden Shawna better on the way in, but there was no use fretting about it now. The truth was evident; they had to get out, and they had to do it soon.
Coming to the backdoor to Alton’s manor, where supplies were usually brought in, D’Jenn waved his hand quickly at the bolted gate, and it unlocked obediently. Looking around to make sure that they weren’t being seen, the wizards ushered Bethany through the gate and closed it behind them. They hurried to the back entrance that led into a hallway beside the kitchens, and opened the door hastily and slipped in out of the rain.
Lyssa gave little squeak and came running up to them immediately, seeing them come in while she was on some random errand for Nan. She got almost all the way to Dormael when she spotted Bethany hiding timidly behind him, no taller than his waist. Her eyes widened at the sight of her, beaten and wearing an overlarge blue tunic that was dripping pools onto the floor.
“Oh, my dear,” she began, surprised, “what is your name?”
“Bethany,” the young girl replied, looking to Dormael before speaking.
“Oh, you’re soaked, you poor thing. Where did you come from?” Lyssa asked in a pitiful tone.
“We found her at the castle, Lyssa,” Dormael said quietly, as Nan came hurrying down the hallway as fast as her elderly legs would carry her.
“Oh, dear boy you’re all soaked to the bone! And who is this young lady?” Nan asked in a friendly tone, with one look taking in her broken nose, blackened eyes, and large welt that had formed on her face from her most recent strike.
The Sentient Fire (The Seven Signs) Page 9