by Sam Ferguson
“Long live the king!” one of the officers shouted.
Tehrigg nodded with a smile. He knew that his time of power was at hand.
*****
“All three of the nearby towers are secure,” Sorbiy announced as they rejoined Kelden atop a roof a few blocks away from the manor.
“Are you certain?” Kelden asked. Sorbiy smiled and nodded.
“If you wish, we can start taking the towers along the outer walls.”
Garret grinned as he folded his arms.
Kelden shook his head. “No, better that you go to the dungeons and release the prisoners. Try to be as quiet as possible until they are all armed with whatever is available.”
Sorbiy nodded. I got the location of the dungeon from one of the guards on the last tower we cleared. We can handle it.”
“The guard said he had been inside personally,” Redbeard said. “There are a couple rooms inside, and then there is a large spiral staircase that goes straight down. The dungeon is built underground, with the cells sprawling out under the streets and other buildings nearby. There are weapons and armor stored in an interrogation room on the first floor.”
“Excellent,” Kelden said. “Further down the street from the entrance to the dungeon is a large, rectangular building. That is the barracks. If I were Tehrigg, I would use it to house my soldiers. See if you can sneak to it with the released prisoners and take it before they can sound the alarm.”
“What about the officers’ quarters?” Sorbiy asked. “If we want to take the city back, we will need to cut the heads off of the Shausmatian army.”
“I have been there before,” Kelden said. “My duties as a Merchant Guard took me there several times. It is a tall building about a block farther to the south from where the barracks stand. It will have a brass placard to the right of the door.”
“Then there are still the guardhouses,” Redbeard cut in. “If I remember correctly, the guardhouses will be near the southern and northern gatehouses.”
“That’s right,” Kelden said. “I’m not sure how many soldiers will be inside each one, but I would bet that there is at least one officer in each of the gatehouses.”
“Where is the manor?” Sorbiy inquired.
“You can’t see it well from here,” Kelden replied. He pointed to a large, domed roof with a weather vane on top. “Do you see the gold dome?”
“Yes I do,” Sorbiy answered.
“That is part of it. It is a large rectangular building with a well maintained lawn and high fence around the outside.”
“How do they maintain the lawn in the middle of a desert?” Garret asked.
“The manor sits atop of a large spring. The manor uses that spring for all of its needs, including the lawn and garden area. The rest of the city uses wells that draw from smaller sources,” Kelden replied.
“So the dungeons first?” Sorbiy asked.
Kelden nodded. “Dungeons first. Release and arm any who will fight with us. Once you have them ready, hit the barracks.”
“What if we hit the barracks and the officer’s quarters simultaneously?” Sorbiy asked.
Kelden pointed to Sorbiy and nodded. “That’s good,” he said.
Redbeard cleared his throat. “Why not strike four areas at once?” he asked. “Send Sorbiy with some allies to the officer’s quarters. Send Garret with a bunch of the released prisoners to the barracks. I can hit one of the guardhouses with a group of warriors, and Pinhead can hit the other guardhouse.”
“Better,” Kelden said with a nod. “Remember, we need stealth for this to work. Make sure the men try to be as quiet as possible. If we can kill the enemy in their sleep, then the day will go much better for us.”
“I will instruct them exactly as you say,” Sorbiy promised.
“I’ll sneak toward the manor and deal with Tehrigg,” Kelden said.
“After we have finished, we can all converge on the manor,” Redbeard said.
“He’s right,” Sorbiy put in. “If we can keep control of the manor, it will increase morale among the populace.”
“Alright,” Kelden said with a deep sigh. “Let’s begin.”
*****
Sorbiy and the others made their way down from the roof and stalked through the streets to the dungeon. When they arrived, Sorbiy signaled for the men to halt and stay in the dark alleyway when he saw a pair of Shausmatian soldiers guarding the door. Garret and Pinhead moved up beside him and took aim, waiting for Sorbiy’s signal.
“After we fire, we have to run out immediately,” Sorbiy said. “Garret, you prop the guards back up so anyone who might look down from the walls will think the guards are still standing watch.”
“Done,” Garret said. The big man turned and handed the crossbow to Redbeard. “You take the one on the left. I’ll run as soon as the bolts fly.”
Sorbiy offered a silent prayer to Osei and then gave the signal. The dwarves fired their crossbows on the pair of guards outside the door. Garret waited less than a second before sprinting out from the alley. One of the guards turned his head, but the crossbow bolts killed both men before they could say anything. Garret was there in an instant, catching the first guard and propping him against the wall before the body could fall. The second guard crashed down with a heavy thud, his armor clanking a bit as it jolted against itself. Garret quickstepped to the fallen soldier and picked him up with one hand.
The others were already running toward the door.
“What’s going on out there?” a voice called from the other side of the door. The portal opened and a surly, potbellied man came out with a spear. “I told you to knock off the horseplay!”
Garret jumped in front of the wide-eyed man and throat punched him with his right hand. With his left, the large man pushed the potbellied guard back inside and made room for the others. He cast his eyes about the hallway, but didn’t see any other guards. Garret gently set the suffocating man down on the stool near the inside of the doorway as Sorbiy closed the door to the dungeon.
“Let’s move,” Sorbiy said as he drew his sword.
The group walked through the hall, noting a door on the right, and another on the left.
“Which is the interrogation room?” Garret whispered.
Just then, the door on the left opened and a pair of Shausmat soldiers came walking out. One of them held a halberd and the other had his hands on a turkey leg. It was obvious that they had not been expecting hostile intruders.
“Halt, in the name of the king!” the halberdier shouted. The other soldier dropped his turkey leg and fumbled at his sword with his glistening, greasy fingers. Sorbiy charged forward and slashed his sword down and right, severing the halberd in two, then he reversed and thrust his sword through the halberdier.
Redbeard was on the second guard before anyone else could move. A single upward thrust of his sword and the second guard tensed, then fell to the ground.
A commotion was heard from the room to the left. Garret and Sorbiy rushed in to deal with it while Redbeard and Pinhead sprinted for the stairs. The clash of metal rang out through the hall and could be heard echoing off the walls by the dwarves as they ran down the stairs. The clashing metal was followed by muffled screams and cries for mercy.
At the bottom landing there were four guards. Two were scrambling out of ragged cots and the others already had their swords out and at the ready. “I’ll go left,” Redbeard said. The pair split off. Redbeard attacked the guards on the left while Pinhead charged the men on the right. Redbeard stabbed through the first soldier’s stomach and then he climbed up the other soldier, who had moments ago been sleeping in his undergarments, and head-butted him in the face. A loud Crrraack! Echoed off the walls and the soldier’s eyes rolled back into his head as he toppled over onto the cot. Redbeard leapt down, grabbed the sword he had left in the first soldier, and then spun around to finish off the second one.
Pinhead was equally as savage. He dodged left as the armored guard struck out with a stabbing thrust.
Pinhead then came down with a ferocious chop, severing the man’s hand at the wrist. The man stumbled backward, but Pinhead pressed on. He swung his sword horizontally, catching the guard’s right knee in the space between the lower leg plate and the upper plate. The leg popped free in a shower of blood and the guard fell to the ground screaming. Pinhead ended it with a quick thrust to the man’s throat, then he turned on his second foe.
He ran on and barreled into the other guard, who was wearing polka dotted undergarments and had only managed to pick up a spear since rising from his cot. The two of them went down to the ground together in a heap and wrestled around. As they rolled on the dirt floor they bumped into the table near the gate that led to the cells. A candle fell from the table and landed flame-first on Pinhead’s sword hand. Reflexively, Pinhead dropped his blade and shook the candle away. The guard grinned and pressed the attack, bashing Pinhead with the shaft of the spear and knocking the dwarf to the ground. The guard jumped up to his feet, but Pinhead struck out with a fierce kick to the man’s left shin. The bone snapped and tore through the back of the guard’s leg. He crumpled to the floor where Pinhead easily rolled back to his feet, grabbed his sword, and then removed the guard’s head with a single chop.
Pinhead turned and met Redbeard’s watching eyes.
“You damaged your sword,” Redbeard pointed out.
Pinhead looked to his blade. The top third had snapped off after it collided with the stone floor when Pinhead had chopped off the guard’s head. The dwarf dropped the broken blade and shrugged as he pointed to Redbeard’s face. “You broke your nose again,” he said with a wink.
Redbeard put a hand up to feel the blood coming from his nose. “Stonebubbles!” he cursed.
Pinhead laughed and shook his head. The two of them searched the guards until they found the key for the cell block. By now shouts were coming from the cells. Some people were shouting to be freed. Others were cheering Queen Dalynn and declaring their love for Zinferth. None of the prisoners could see clearly from their cells, so they expected to see Zinferth soldiers.
Redbeard found the key and tossed it to Pinhead. Pinhead opened the gate and moved into the hall to start opening cells. The cheering died down almost immediately.
“You’re a dwarf,” one of the prisoners called out.
“Very perceptive!” Redbeard shouted as he moved into the hall to join his brother. “Listen up, we are here to get you out. There is a Zinferth officer on the upper level. He is going to give you men your assignments. We are taking Rasselin back.”
A chorus of cheers went up and dirty hands and arms jutted out from the cell bars begging to be freed. One by one, Pinhead opened the cells and hurried out of the way as throngs of men pushed out, thanking and praising the two dwarves for their help.
“Go up to the main floor,” Redbeard said. “Lieutenant Sorbiy is waiting for you. There are weapons and armor, so suit up and prepare to give those Shausmatian dogs what for!”
After the cells were clear, Redbeard and Pinhead moved up to the main level. They watched the men form a line, walking into the interrogation room where they received whatever weapons and armor were available. Then the men assembled in the larger room on the other side of the hall, cramming in like sardines in a can. After most of the men were inside, Sorbiy quickly briefed them and gave them their orders. The men cheered and shouted amongst themselves as they were divided into four groups. Several times Sorbiy tried to quiet them, but their revelry could not be stifled.
That is, not until the groups were formed and stood waiting for the main entrance to the dungeon to be opened.
“When this door opens,” Sorbiy began. “We will be waking a dragon. Let’s keep him sleeping as long as possible. Stealth and speed are the orders of the day. Follow your group leaders and complete your objective, and pray to whatever gods you hold dear.”
*****
Kelden eyed the rear entrance of the manor from the shadows behind the bushes on the inside of the wall surrounding the manor. He had chosen the rear of the manor for two reasons. The first was that the front was guarded better, and the second was because he was familiar with this entrance. Governor Gandle had insisted he use it the last time he was in town, therefore the layout was fresh in Kelden’s memory.
Kelden had watched the pair of guards long enough to know that they would be making their next revolution around the back of the manor within twenty seconds. The warrior prepared to run and started counting down in his mind. 20…19…18…17…16…
As he counted down to the last number, the pair of guards came around into view.
Kelden took out the pair of knives he had taken from Captain Lador’s house, and held them in an upside-down grip. He waited for the men to walk across the pathway to the rear entrance, and then turn to walk along the left side of the manor. As soon as their backs turned to him, Kelden sprang out from the bushes and darted across the grass. He leapt over a two foot tall hedge, sprinted through a flower bed of small violets, and attacked the guards from behind before they ever heard him, plowing into both of them and knocking them to the ground as he slashed the knives across their necks and then quickly reversed the slashes into deep stabs that silenced the guards permanently.
He jumped up from the slain guards and ran for the back door. He slid his knives away and reached out with his left hand for the door knob while his right hand pulled his sword free.
“Locked!” Kelden spat as the knob resisted his hand. He knew he couldn’t waste time picking the lock either. It would soon be morning, and the light of day would bring with it fresh soldiers waking from their slumber.
Kelden put his sword away and went to the corner of the manor. He found enough of a hand hold to climb up the side of the building to the porch on the second floor that overlooked the rear entrance. He stalked carefully to the door, peering into the window beside it and checking for any sign of enemies. The room inside was dark. Kelden leaned in close to better survey the room. From all appearances, it was a small dining area for servants. There were three small, round wooden tables. A hutch on the left wall held mugs and plates. There were chairs lining the right wall. No other furniture could be seen. More importantly, no enemies were inside the room either.
Kelden reached for the door. It too was locked. The warrior turned his back to the window and slammed the glass apart with his elbow. Then he reached in and unlocked the door through the broken window. He opened the door and stepped inside.
He drew his sword again and made for the door at the opposite side of the room. He opened it to find a long, dimly lit hallway. A couple of lanterns burned, but not all of them. Doors lined both sides of this hallway. Fortunately, they were all closed. He knew this hallway. The library he had met with Governor Gandle in was a couple of doors down on the right. The room he wanted, however, was at the far end of the hall and to the left. That is where Gandle’s private chamber was, and that is where Kelden knew he would find Tehrigg. Kelden took a breath to steady his nerves and then stepped into the hallway and quietly walked across the wooden floor.
When Kelden neared the library, the door burst open from the right of the hall and light poured out, casting long shadows across the corridors. Two men, officers by the look of their refined clothing and neatly polished boots, stood in the doorway. They stood there, dumbfounded as they looked at Kelden.
Kelden knew he couldn’t let them raise the alarm. He slashed the closest officer across the throat and then stabbed his sword into the second officer’s chest. As the two officers fell, Kelden saw two more nearby. They drew their swords and shouted at Kelden as they charged toward him. Kelden rushed in, deftly ducking under a swing of the nearest officer’s sword and countering by stabbing the officer through the gut. Kelden then pressed forward, rising up and pushing the man off his blade.
The other officer came in with a series of expert swings followed by a straight thrust. Kelden jumped to his left, then his right, and then he leapt back out into the hallway to avoid the thr
ust. The officer continued his charge. Kelden turned and ran down the hall, giving the illusion the he was retreating. He ran three paces away and then turned and charged back. The officer followed him out and turned down the hallway after him. The man’s eyes went wide as he realized his mistake. Kelden lunged, jumping over the officer’s clumsy swing and piercing the Shausmatian officer through the chest. The momentum of the attack took them both to the ground. Kelden rolled away from the body, ripping his sword free as he went.
Kelden heard movement in the library. He rose quickly and went back through the open door to see who else was inside.
“You!” a voice shouted from the back of the room.
Kelden looked up and saw the traitor, Tehrigg, standing next to the very chair where the governor had sat the last time Kelden was here. The turncoat held a bottle of wine in his left hand.
“My officers will deal with you,” Tehrigg growled as he tossed the bottle into the dying fire. The flames whooshed up, eager to drink the liquid, roaring through the hearth for an instant before dying back down. “There are many soldiers in this house who would die for me, Kelden.”
“They have already,” Kelden said definitively. “By now, my men have released the prisoners and they are out in the city taking back what you stole.”
Tehrigg shook his head. “Not possible. Kobhir is under siege. Blundfish is captured. Khatthun is captured. Only hours ago, I sent away reinforcements to Kobhir that numbered thousands strong.” Tehrigg smiled and pointed to Kelden. “I think you came here alone.”
“Believe as you wish,” Kelden said. “I swear to you that tonight you will see the face of Khefir, and he will drag your soul down to the fires of Hammenfein. There is a special place reserved in hell for traitors.”
Tehrigg spat and drew his sword. “Well, one of us will see the underworld tonight. That much is true.”
“You sold the lives of your men. You sold the freedom of Rasselin. You even let the enemy march to Kobhir, and you betrayed our queen.”