It struck the wall just to the right of the window. The clatter of impact seemed to reverberate throughout the courtyard. The two friends flattened themselves against the side of the Keep as they waited to see if someone would investigate. The log landed with a loud thud on the ground not far from them.
Seconds ticked by and the courtyard remained quiet. “Luck might have been with us.”
Jaikus nodded. “Want me to try?”
Reneeke shook his head. “I think I got it.”
Taking up the log yet again, he began to twirl. When he released the second time, one end of the log struck the edge of the window causing the other end to fly though the opening.
“Yes!” Jaikus exclaimed quietly.
Reneeke maneuvered the rope so while taking in the slack it slid through the window along its lower right corner. Then when the log came to rest across the window’s inner corner, he climbed on up.
Jaikus kept a lookout while his friend scaled the wall. Once Reneeke was inside, he heard him say, “Come on, Jaik.” Then one more glance to ensure the courtyard remained clear and he shinnied up the rope. Reneeke reached down his hand to help him the last few feet.
Beyond the window was a small room with but a single table and two chairs. The shadows were deep beginning a few feet from the window. Reneeke removed the log from his rope and leaned it against the wall next to the window. The rope he coiled and slung across his chest as before.
By this time, Jaikus had already found the door and had it cracked open to see what lay beyond.
“We got a hallway, Rene.” He glanced back to his friend. “It looks deserted.”
Joining him at the door, Reneeke opened it wider and took a look. The darkness was nearly absolute with but the barest graying of the darkness where doors stood open and faint moonlight filtered through.
Reneeke stepped into the hallway and turned to the right. He hadn’t gone far when Jaikus tapped him on the shoulder. He glanced back.
“Shouldn’t we check all the rooms?” Jaikus asked. “There might be treasure.”
“I wouldn’t think so,” Reneeke replied. “This place wasn’t abandoned all that long ago from what I hear. Besides, it was military.”
“Could be armor left behind…”
“Jaik, what soldier in their right mind would leave their armor behind? This place was abandoned. I’m sure they took everything.” When Jaikus was about to argue the point, Reneeke added, “We’re here for the chest. Every moment longer we take to retrieve it, the farther Master Tuppin will be down the road. Do you fancy walking the rest of the way to Split Oak?”
“No,” Jaikus grudgingly replied.
“We’ll keep our eyes open. If we happen upon something, then we’ll count ourselves lucky.”
Continuing down the hallway, they came to a flight of winding steps leading up to the fourth floor and down to the second. Reneeke started down the darkened stairwell. After two full revolutions, they reached the second floor landing. After a brief glance down the dark second floor hallway, they continued down to the ground floor
As they began the second revolution of steps, the stairwell began to be illuminated.
Reneeke slowed his pace as he crept around the final turn and the ground floor landing appeared. The light came from the hallway beyond. It looked to originate to the right of the steps.
“Hang on a second, Jaik,” he said then tip-toed silently to the opening. Peering around the corner, he looked down the hallway. A lantern hung on a peg thirty feet down. Next to it a door stood open. Beyond the door more light could be seen. He paused a moment to listen for the raiders then returned to Jaikus.
“Looks like we’re pretty close.”
“Did you see anyone?”
Reneeke shook his head. “Didn’t hear anyone either.”
“Strange,” Jaikus commented.
“Yeah,” Reneeke agreed. “Wait here and I’ll check it out.”
Leaving the steps, he hurried down the hallway to the opened door. He felt very exposed in the light from the lantern. If anyone were to step into the hallway, they’d be in a world of hurt. As he neared the door, he slowed and after a quick glance back to see Jaikus watching from the landing, he moved to the doorway. Peering around the door, he looked inside.
Blood was everywhere. Bodies, or rather what was left of bodies laid strewn throughout the room. Nothing moved. So mangled and dismembered were the bodies that he couldn’t ascertain how many bandits the dead accounted for. It had to have been at least most of them.
Sitting to one side was a table, upon which sat a small, opened chest. “That’s it,” he breathed.
Something about the room gave him pause. Something, or someone had to have killed the bandits, yet there was no sign of them. Also, why hadn’t they taken the chest? Gem-encrusted and obviously of enormous value, it was inconceivable that whoever slaughtered the bandits would have just left it behind.
He scanned the room for any indication of who or what might have done this. He spied tracks in the blood-splatter but couldn’t make them out from the doorway. They looked like they had departed through the only other door leading from the room. That was when he realized a body must have been dragged through that other door for a red smear began not far from the chest and passed through the door along with the footprints.
Reneeke eyed the chest. It sat there on the table beckoning him to come and take it. He glanced again back at Jaikus.
Jaikus raised his hands and mouthed, “Well?”
He held up a finger, mouthed, “Wait,” then turned back to the room. After one last look to ensure the room remained empty, he stepped through the doorway and over the body blocking the way. He hurried across to the chest all the while eyeing the doorway through which the body had been dragged.
As he came to the chest, he heard sounds emanating from beyond the doorway. Growls, and the sound of flesh being ripped and chewed. His gorge rose as he closed the lid of the chest and removed it from the table. About to return to where he entered the room, he froze when he heard a subtle change in the sounds coming from the other room. Where there had been soft growls and chewing, now there came the unmistakable sound of animalistic sniffing.
A shadow moved beyond the doorway. It was definitely not human.
That was enough for him. With chest tucked beneath his arm, Reneeke bolted for the exit. Just as he passed through the doorway, a growl sounded behind him. He didn’t even pause to look back. He shut the door and then sprinted for where Jaikus waited.
“You got it!” Jaikus exclaimed jubilantly.
“Run!”
“What?”
Before Reneeke could reply, the door smashed open and broke off its hinges to slam into the wall opposite the doorway. A beast followed right behind. Half man, half beast it walked upright and wore the tattered remains of britches. Its face was vaguely man-like with a snout like a wolf; fangs filled its maw and a red strand of recently torn flesh dangled from its left row of teeth. Though it walked upright, it did so stooped over in a loping gape. Turning red eyes upon the fleeing Reneeke, it howled.
“Jaik, run!”
Jaikus stood immobile as the beast charged.
“Come on!” Reneeke yelled as he grabbed his friend by the shirt and propelled him up the steps.
“What is that thing?”
“We’ll worry about that later. Just run.”
They fled up the steps taking them two at time. At the second floor landing, they continued on up. Behind them they heard the beast coming fast.
At the third floor landing, Reneeke said, “Follow me.”
“Where are you going?”
“We’ve got to get out of this Keep before that thing rips us apart.”
Taking the lead, Reneeke led him to the room wherein leaned the log used to initially gain entrance to the Keep. “Here,” he said and tossed the chest to Jaikus then drew his sword.
Jaikus caught the chest and set it on the table after which he, too, drew his sword
.
Reneeke opened the door wide.
“What are you doing?” Jaikus demanded.
Not replying, Reneeke stood next to the doorway with sword raised. When a growl sounded just outside, he tensed to strike.
Jaikus saw red eyes emerge from the dark. They locked onto him. Then with a howl, the beast lurched forward.
As the beast passed through the doorway, it was met with a mighty swipe of Reneeke’s blade. It caught the creature midway along the breastbone. And though it cut deep, it did not stop the beast. His sword was wrenched out of his hands as the beast turned on him.
He scrambled back as it lurched forward to attack.
“Rene!” Jaikus yelled as he charged forward.
The beast turned to this new threat, its mighty claw raked out as Jaikus came close.
Jaikus brought his sword down and hacked through the creature’s forearm. Not quite severing it, the end of it hung at an angle as the creature’s blood spurted forth.
Its other claw struck Jaikus in the side and knocked him off his feet to slam into the wall five feet away. As Jaikus slumped to the floor, the beast advanced.
“Hey!”
It turned at Reneeke’s cry, Reneeke’s sword still embedded across its chest.
Wham!
A chair took it across the face and knocked it to the side. The chair disintegrated with the blow and Reneeke was left with two of its legs, one clutched in each of hand. Not giving the beast the chance to recover, he advanced and thrust the jagged end of one of the legs into its back.
Arching backward, the beast howled.
Reneeke darted forward and swung the other leg upward to pierce the beast’s lower jaw. The jagged end passed through the thin layer of flesh and continued on up to pierce the brain.
It stood there a moment, as if not understanding what had just happened, before it crumbled to the floor.
“Jaik,” Reneeke said.
From where he laid Jaikus groaned.
“Get up, Jaik. There are more of them.”
“What? More?” Shaking his head to clear it, he scrambled to his feet. “How many?”
“Don’t know. Close the door and see if there is some way to secure it.”
“Right.”
As Jaikus did that, Reneeke put a foot on the beast’s chest and pulled his sword free. Not for the first time had the sword found on their maiden Adventure with Charka saved his life.
The door slammed shut. “There’s no bolt.”
“Here,” Reneeke said as he went to the table. “Give me a hand.”
Together, they placed the table against the door.
“Think that will hold?” Jaikus asked.
Thinking back to the way the beast they had just killed smashed its way through the door below, Reneeke had his doubts. “Might just long enough for us to get out of here.” He removed the rope from around his chest and once again secured one end to the log.
“I’ll go first then you toss the chest down to me.”
Jaikus nodded. “Just hurry.”
While Reneeke got the rope ready, Jaikus went to take a look at the beast. He noticed the britches it wore. “Why is it wearing pants do you think?” He turned back to Reneeke. “You don’t think the curse Master Tuppin spoke of could have turned him into this, do you?”
“Anything is possible. Would explain a lot though.”
Setting the log to brace across the lower right corner of the window, Reneeke threw the rest of the rope through the opening. He then reached out and pulled the log tight against the window opening, then climbed out. In no time he was down.
“Toss it to me, Jaik.”
Jaikus tossed down the small chest and Reneeke caught it with ease.
Wham!
The door was hit hard from the other side.
Jaikus hurriedly climbed through the window. Then while Reneeke kept tension on the rope, he began to climb down.
A clatter from inside the room said the door had been thrust open and the table overturned.
Halfway down the rope, another beast stuck its head out the window and howled. Jaikus dropped the last ten feet.
When the beast ducked its head back in, Reneeke let the rope go slack then worked it quickly toward the center of the windowsill. Once there he pulled three times before the log slipped through the window and fell to the ground. He coiled the rope and then picked up the log.
“Let’s get out of here, Jaik.”
Jaikus nodded as he picked up the chest from where Reneeke had set it and together, they ran for the steps leading to walkway along the top of the curtain wall.
At the bottom of the steps, Jaikus paused and said, “We should get horses, Rene.”
Reneeke glanced back to the Keep. Though it remained quiet he was reticent about crossing before the Keep’s main gate to reach the stable. “If it’s coming after us, Jaik, we’d never get to the horses. Besides, the gate’s closed. It will take us time to get the horses and even more time to open the gate.” He gestured to the top of the wall and added, “Once we’re on the other side, it and however many more there are will be bottled up inside.”
Jaikus thought a moment, then nodded.
They headed up the steps.
At the top, Reneeke put the log in the corner of a crenellation then snaked the rope down the outer wall. As before, he climbed down first. Once he reached the bottom, Jaikus pulled the rope back up and secured the chest to it. Tossing it down from this height would have been foolhardy. He then lowered the chest.
What sounded like an explosion came from the courtyard below. Amidst a mass of splinters and shattered boards from the Keep’s gate stood two of the beasts. They milled in the lit area before the Keep’s gate, their heads turned left and right as their snouts rose to sniff the air.
Jaikus lowered the chest even faster.
“Got it,” Reneeke’s voice came from below.
He untied the chest then put tension on the rope to aid in Jaikus’ downward climb.
Jaikus stood frozen atop the wall. His eyes were riveted on the two creatures that had now moved out in a search-like pattern. They were gradually making their way toward the steps below.
“Come on, Jaik,”
Reneeke’s voice broke the spell and he scrambled through the crenellation and grabbed the rope. He started down and rappelled as quickly as he could. His speed produced mild rope burns on his palms but he paid them no heed. As he descended, he cast looks every few feet toward the top of the wall in the hopes of not seeing the appearance of the beasts. Then he was on the ground next to Reneeke.
Taking the rope, Reneeke worked the log from out of the corner where it had been wedged during their descent. He then pulled on it to work it through the crenellation. On his second tug, a howl split the night.
“Come on, Rene,” Jaikus said. “Hurry up.”
“Trying,” came the reply.
No longer worrying about remaining undetected, he yanked on the rope hard several times until the log came free and fell. Just as soon as the log appeared, so too did the head of a beast.
It looked down at them and howled. The other beast’s answering howl came from not far to their right, just behind the wall.
Reneeke coiled the rope and then used his knife to sever the section tied around the log. “Let’s get out of here,” he said as he slipped the coiled rope over his head to rest across his chest.
“Sooner the better,” Jaikus replied.
Heading out, they broke into a quick run as they made for the road. They had just reached the road when the sound of the beasts striking the wooden gate in the curtain wall resounded in the night. Pausing, Jaikus glanced back.
“Think they’ll get through?”
“I don’t know,” Reneeke replied. “The gate is rather sturdy.”
“Let’s not take any chances.” With that, they broke into a flat-out run, leaving the Fort behind.
Jaikus had the chest tucked under his arm and he followed Reneeke. Casting glances ove
r his shoulder, he kept an eye on the front gates. Each time he looked, the gates remained standing. He was beginning to believe the creatures may indeed be bottled up within the curtain wall, but then while threading through the hills, he glanced back and saw a shadow leap from the top of the wall.
“Rene!” he exclaimed.
Reneeke stopped and looked back as a second shadow vaulted into view.
“Run, Jaik!”
They flew down the road.
Jaikus fell behind as they made their way through the hills. Reneeke took possession of the chest and he was able to keep up. They continued running as fast as they could and for a brief time they thought they might have eluded their pursuers. But then from far off behind them, they heard a howl and knew the chase continued.
Reneeke began looking for a place to make their stand though in his heart he knew they could never overcome two of the beasts. It had taken all they had to slay the one back in the Keep.
The sound of the beasts drew nearer and no suitable place appeared. Then he caught a glimpse of a glow off behind one of the hills. He brought them to a halt.
Jaikus started drawing his sword until Reneeke stopped him by whispering, “Not yet.”
“But they’re almost here!” Jaikus said quietly.
“I know. Just wait.”
They watched the darkened road behind them, the moon allowing them to see some distance. When shadows began to move among the deeper dark, Reneeke bolted for the glow behind the hill.
“I tell you, no one’s coming,” Slen said to his partner.
“It ain’t up to us to decide what is and what isn’t going to happen,” Johann replied. “Our orders are to keep watch on this road.”
“This is a waste of time I tell you.” Slen poked at the fire and wished he was back in the comforts of the Keep with the others.
A howl from not too far off caused Slen to sit up. “What was that?”
Johann looked in that general direction. “Probably a wolf or something.”
“Didn’t sound like no wolf.”
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