They resumed their journey and Darin stowed most of the bread away in his pack, except for one of the milk and honey loaves, which he broke in half and shared with Eni.
“We should make this last,” Darin advised. “There won’t be any fresh bread again for a while.”
Eni took a couple of bites before he forced himself to pocket the rest – even though he wanted to stuff the lot into his mouth.
The mist closed in as they walked south. When Eni and Darin crossed the main walkway leading to Swamphaven's gates, the mist was so thick that they were forced to slow their pace. The air was clammy and the feel of it on Eni's skin made him itch.
At the end of this walkway rose a cluster of massive, four-storied wooden houses. Like all of the dwellings in Swamphaven, they stood on poles. Due to their weight, they had subsided in the marshy ground and now tilted slightly over the walkway, leaning like drunks overhead. Dark windows stared down at Eni and Darin as they passed underneath.
Ahead, Eni could see that the walkway widened into a huge platform, where most of Swamphaven’s town meetings and markets took place. There, at the far end of the platform, Eni spied the spiked outline of Swamphaven's gates.
They were closed.
Eni and Darin stopped and shrank back into the shadows of the houses.
Eni hissed in Darin's ear. “I assume they open the gates at daybreak?”
Darin nodded, his gaze never leaving the gates, before he frowned.
“Even if the gates are closed, their keeper would let us out. That's not what concerns me – look closer.”
Eni craned his neck forward and squinted. Through the swirling mist and insipid lamplight he caught sight of shadows. Then, as he stared, the shadows materialised into men moving back and forth before the gatehouse. Eni remembered that an indolent gatekeeper had guarded Swamphaven’s gates the day before. Yet, these figures wore leather armour and swords strapped around their waists.
Eni felt his breath catch in his throat – Valense's men were here.
“They're blocking the only exit.”
“This is why I wanted to leave early. We should have bought supplies and moved on yesterday, even if that meant sleeping rough again,” Darin whispered.
Eni listened to him with a thudding heart. He wished Darin had listened to his instincts.
They were standing there, frozen with indecision, when figures appeared out of the mist just a few feet from where they stood.
Valense's soldiers were not just patrolling the gate but were also watching the entrances onto the platform. Eni and Darin had unsuspectingly walked straight into their net. Quickly, the two fugitives stepped back, flattening themselves against the wall of one of the houses.
It was too late – someone had seen them.
“Who goes there?” a voice lashed out through the mist. “Step forward and show yourselves!”
When neither man made a move to do so, the sound of steel sliding free of a scabbard followed the voice.
“Show yourselves!”
“Follow me!” Darin whispered in Eni's ear, “and keep to the shadows!”
They ran.
Fleet and light-footed, Eni and Darin took off the way they had come. The mist that shrouded the platform now became their ally rather than an impediment. Shouts rang out behind them and booted feet pounded across the wooden deck.
Their flight shattered the morning's stillness and brought Swamphaven rudely awake. Lanterns flickered to life inside the houses, shutters opened and shadowed heads poked curiously from windows. A horn echoed across the marsh and shouts cut through the still air.
“In the name of the Realmlord of Cathernis – five gold dracs to anyone who apprehends the two outlaws!”
Swamphaven erupted into life and, all at once, Eni and Darin were no longer alone on the walkway. Men, hurriedly pulling on jackets and boots, burst from doorways and staggered out, lanterns aloft, in search of the fugitives. Five gold dracs was a fortune – especially out here in forgotten Swamphaven.
Eni and Darin slowed to a walk and ducked into an alleyway between two buildings. There were no lights here and the alleyway stank of urine and rotting food. Still, it was a temporary hiding place.
“We need to get over the wall,” Eni whispered as they crouched amongst the refuse. “There must be a building close enough to the edge that we can jump from.”
“There will be,” Darin agreed tensely. “The challenge will be to find it without being captured first.”
“Once we leave Swamphaven we will need to travel northwest,” Eni pointed out. “So wouldn't it be best to head towards that side of town? We need to get close to the perimeter.”
In the darkness, Eni heard Darin grunt. “Now, we just have to turn ourselves into shadows and cross the city unnoticed.”
Beyond the alleyway they could hear excited voices and see the shadowed outlines of groups of men passing by; men who were now patrolling Swamphaven in search of them.
Eni’s mind worked furiously. There had to be a way to get across the city unseen.
“I have an idea,” he said finally. “It’s not brilliant, but with some luck it might work.”
A short while later, Eni and Darin made their way to the end of the alleyway and peered out. There was large group passing, all brandishing torches and weapons. In their rush to get out the door, men had grabbed the first thing to hand, from hammers to bricks. Eni could also hear other voices approaching – they only had moments to spare before another group emerged from the mist.
The ragged band of men, moving as one aggressive mob, strode along the wide platform. Their voices were harsh with excitement. Five gold dracs went far in this town.
“Griegor!” one of the men bellowed across the group, brandishing a lead pipe, “Where have you been hiding? Come for a bit of sport have you?”
“I’ve come for gold,” a squat man with a receding hairline shouted back, “and you’d better not get in my way, Mik!”
A roar of agreement thundered through the crowd, while Eni and Darin slipped into the back of the group. Eni carried a stick that he had picked up in the alleyway and Darin had drawn his hunting dagger; the thin blade glittered in the lamplight.
The rabble reached an intersection between four walkways, before taking one that led northwest. Eni felt a surge of hope as they did so – this direction would take them close to the perimeter fence.
They passed similar mobs of men, all rowdy and overexcited by the prospect of such a huge reward. Once or twice, the group challenged those they met – mistaking them for the outlaws – only to be disappointed to discover it was the town's cobbler or cooper. Eni and Darin hung back during these confrontations, readying themselves to flee if necessary. It was a relief when, ascertaining these were not the men they were after, the rabble moved on.
They had almost reached the north-western perimeter, when the group came upon a patrol of Catedrâl guards. Eni shrank back into the shadows. If these men had been at the hanging they would know his face.
“Halt!” one of the soldiers stepped out to block the rabble’s path. “Where do you think you lot are going?”
“We’re after those two outlaws and the reward of course. Get out of our way!” one of the group shouted.
The soldier frowned.
“Let me see who we’ve got here first.”
The soldier pushed his way through the throng, his gaze travelling over the rabble. He had nearly reached the back when he spied two figures lurking in the shadows, trying not to be seen.
“You two, step forward into the light so I can see your faces!”
Eni’s response to this command was to take a few paces back, his body coiling in readiness to flee. Beside him, Darin did the same.
“Are you deaf?” the soldier roared, elbowing two of the group aside so he could get a better look. “Step forward!”
They were cornered. The instant the soldiers saw Eni’s face, the pack would be on him like wolves. Eni had hoped to get closer to the p
erimeter so they could slip away from the group unseen, but that possibility was now lost.
Eni put his head down and charged past the soldier, scattering men across the walkway. Some of them plunged headlong off the platform into the stinking swamp while others staggered and clutched at him as he barged through their midst. However, the soldiers swiftly recovered and they rushed to block Eni’s path.
Eni clubbed one of them across the face with his stick. His assailant fell back against another soldier who was unsheathing his sword. The men collided and Eni slipped past. Darin was suddenly at his side and Eni saw the blade of his dagger was wet with blood from where he had cut his way out of the fray.
For an instant the path ahead of them was clear – and they ran.
This time, their pursuers were at their heels. Eni ran so fast he felt as if he were flying; his worn leather boots barely touched the walkway. Darin raced ahead of him; his lean build and light frame making him a natural sprinter. Eni’s blood pulsed in his ears and the ragged sound of his breathing blocked out the sounds of his pursuers. Still, he knew they were there, and steadily gaining on him.
The last cluster of houses before the perimeter loomed ahead. Dawn was approaching and Eni could see the spiky outline of the fence against the deep purple sky. Darin had already reached the platform and he shot across its shadowed surface like a hare. He was making for one of the buildings that stood flush against the wall.
In front of the building, a woman was sweeping the steps with the doorway open behind her. She was buxom and dressed in a silk dress a size too small. Upon seeing Darin’s rapid approach, she tried to get back inside and slam the door behind her – but Darin was too quick.
He shouldered the shrieking woman aside and leapt through the door. Eni skidded inside and, together, they slammed the door shut and bolted it. Moments later, the soldiers were hammering on the door and trying to force their way in.
Eni and Darin now had a head-start and they were determined not to lose it. They sprinted up the wooden stairwell, taking two steps at a time. They were so intent on escaping that they only vaguely registered that they were inside a brothel. Women in various states of undress appeared on the landings between floors. Faced with the two men hurtling up the stairs towards them, the girls screamed, and fled trailing lace and chiffon behind them.
Eni and Darin reached the top landing and heard the splintering of wood below. Their pursuers were inside and crashing up the stairs.
There was only one room up here in the attic and the door was locked. Working together, Eni and Darin smashed their shoulders against it until the lock gave way and the door burst open.
Unlike the squalid room they had slept in at the Marsh-Myrtle Inn’s, this room was whitewashed, clean and decorated with silks, over-stuffed pillows and flickering perfumed candles. A man and a woman, interrupted in the midst of lovemaking, cowered naked on the bed. Eni rushed past them and threw open the dormer window. He climbed out onto the roof, with Darin close behind, and crawled towards the edge closest to the fence.
The thatch was made of spiky reeds and hazel canes. It dug into Eni’s hands as he crawled. Reaching the edge, both men stopped and gazed down. The first rays of daylight poked gentle fingers through the mist, illuminating their view over the shadowy marshes. It was a long way to fall. They would have to make sure they jumped wide or they risked impaling themselves on the fence.
Darin crawled up next to him. “There’s no use just staring at it. We need to jump, and quickly – move!”
Dark shapes were now struggling out of the attic onto the roof. Eni and Darin had only seconds before the soldiers reached them.
Eni rose into a crouching position – and leaped.
Chapter Nine
A Fiend in the Night
Val awoke in the early hours of the morning to a full and protesting bladder. After all the wine he had drunk, he should have visited the privy before going to bed. Cursing himself, Val struggled – his stiff thigh muscles aching as he did so – out of his warm bed and pulled on a shirt and leggings.
The fire had long gone out and the room’s chill made him shiver. He lit a candle and padded across to the door. Out in the hallway it was pitch black. If Val had not been carrying a candle, he would have blundered around in the darkness looking for the privy – and might have ended up walking into someone’s room instead by mistake.
Val padded down the corridor; his bare feet silent on the rush-matting floor. Around him, the Red Tussock Inn slumbered. He could hear snoring reverberating from some of the rooms. Reaching the privy, Val sat his candle on a ledge and relieved himself. Then, he stepped back out into the hallway and shut the door behind him.
A cloaked figure blocked his path.
Val nearly dropped his candle in fright. Mirroring his own surprise, the shadowy form gasped and attempted to dart past him. Val recovered his wits, realising that he recognised the figure. He reached out and grabbed the young woman’s arm, bringing her up short.
“Milady,” Val raised the candle so that Lady Cirinna’s pale face was illuminated. “Where might you be going at this hour?”
“Let go of me,” she hissed. “Keep your voice down!”
Val smiled gently but did not release his grip.
“It appears to me as if you are attempting to run away,” he continued, “and while I applaud your courage, may I remind you that it’s a cold, dark night out there and we are in wild country. How long do you think you’d last?”
Lady Cirinna’s hood fell back. Her hair was tied in a long braid, and although her face was ashen, her pale eyes were two hard shards of ice.
“Let me go!”
“Return to your room,” Val replied, pushing her gently in the direction of her chamber, “before Tobin catches you out here.”
The click of a door catch releasing caused any retort Lady Cirinna might have made to die on her lips. Captain Tobin stepped out of his room, carrying a lantern aloft, and light flooded the hallway. Spying Val and Lady Cirinna, Tobin bore down upon them. Val watched Tobin approach and, still gripping Lady Cirinna’s arm, felt her tremble. For all her bravado, she was terrified of this man.
The captain loomed over them. His face was florid and his eyes bulged with the effort he was making not to bellow.
“What are the pair of you doing out here?” he growled.
“I was using the privy,” Val replied, “and the Lady was waiting for me to finish so she could take her turn.”
Captain Tobin’s hard gaze raked over Val before it settled upon Lady Cirinna.
“Milady wears a cloak when she visits the privy does she?”
Tobin yanked back Lady Cirinna’s cloak to reveal the bulging satchel she wore slung across her front.
“And she requires a bag as well?”
A deathly silence followed his words.
Tobin gave Lady Cirinna a hard, cruel stare.
“Never try and escape again,” he whispered. “Is that clear?”
Lady Cirinna nodded, all defiance gone. She looked young, frightened and close to tears.
“Shall I escort Lady Cirinna to bed?” Val suggested, as if Tobin had just been sharing his plans for the next day. “Come this way, Milady.”
They moved away from Tobin, aware of the captain’s glare burning into their backs. Val opened Lady Cirinna’s door for her and she went meekly, unable to meet his gaze. When Val reached his own door, Captain Tobin was waiting for him.
Tobin loomed over Val, his fists clenched at his sides as if he could barely prevent himself from striking him.
“Did you have something to do with that librarian?”
“Of course not,” Val snapped.
“What were you doing out here?”
“I told you, I was using the privy.”
Despite his fear of Tobin, Val could feel his anger rising at being dragged into, and then blamed for, Lady Cirinna’s foolishness. For the first time he met Tobin’s glare squarely.
“Why don’t you show
a bit of gratitude? If it weren’t for me, she’d be half way to Isenlock by dawn.”
***
In the breathless night outside the Red Tussock Inn, something stirred. It had waited a long while, watching and listening intently until the inn lay in complete darkness and all slept. Then, softly, it moved, crunching over the frozen ground towards the low silhouette of the inn.
The wheeze of its breathing was barely audible. However, on such a still night the sound carried and roused the two dogs guarding the inn’s entrance. One of the dogs growled. The grizzled wolfhound advanced a few steps and sniffed the darkness while its companion followed suit. The old dog’s hackles rose as it caught a whiff of something unfamiliar nearby. It was not the smell of the dry earth or grass, or the odour of man. The smell did not belong to a chill night, and the second dog whimpered and backed away. The older dog was not so timid. It bared its teeth and snarled.
The intruder stopped and crouched, staring ahead at where the dogs stood. It waited for the animals to calm – but they did not. Bolstered by its companion’s bravery, the younger dog advanced as well, his lips pulled back in a snarl. Still, the intruder waited, its irritation growing by the moment. Stealth was its greatest ally and these animals were becoming a nuisance. The growling continued and gradually grew louder.
Finally, the intruder’s patience snapped. It drew itself up to its full height and pulled something from the folds of the black cape hiding its form. A curved, serrated blade glinted dully in the moonlight. Wasting no more time, it strode forward to silence the dogs.
***
Val awoke to the sound of dogs howling.
The baying punctured the stillness and tore him from sleep. He sat up and tried to get his bearings. It felt as if he had only just fallen back to sleep after his fateful trip to the privy.
Journey of Shadows (The Palâdnith Chronicles Book 1) Page 12