but he’s a demon with those swords of his. I’m not sure I could take him on again one-on-one…”
Their leader grunted. “I know.” He cleared his throat. “So we don’t try. No matter how good he may be, there’s only one of him, and he bleeds like the rest of us.” He turned from the window. “There’s another one, too. I took a shot at him back in there. I’m not sure if I got him or not. But the important thing is that she’s still there.”
Regvar scratched his head. “So how many are there?”
“At least two. Maybe three. And her.”
“So what do we do?” asked Queltin impatiently. He squirmed as he pressed the cloth against his face once more. “Another assault? It didn’t work too well last time.”
Montrose rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “No,” he said. “I think I have a better idea.”
Chapter 8
Jade stood up from where she was hiding as Kendril entered the kitchen. He moved quickly through the dark room towards the back door.
“What’s going on?” she asked, just as Maklavir appeared in the doorway as well.
“Change of plans,” said Kendril. He glanced carefully out the back door, his pistol held at the ready. For several moments he peered out into the night, then turned back inside. “Looks clear.”
Maklavir stumbled awkwardly through the dark kitchen, stifling an obscenity as he smashed his knee against a low cabinet. “You’re sure we can’t light just one candle?” he asked miserably.
“No,” replied the Ghostwalker sharply. He took hold of the table he had set in front of the back door, moving it carefully and quietly to one side. “And keep your voice down. Jade, I need you to watch the door.”
The girl gave a confused look. “I thought I was watching the door.”
“The front door,” Kendril clarified. He cleared the table away from the back door, peering outside once again. “Maklavir, get over here.”
“I’m trying,” said the diplomat calmly, piecing his way through the darkness. “I can’t see my bloody hand in front of my bloody face in here.”
Kendril leaned up against the wall. “Stables are about twenty yards away. We’ll have to crawl there.”
Maklavir stopped short. “ Crawl ? In the mud?”
Jade glanced in a confused fashion from Kendril to Maklavir. “Is anyone going to tell me what’s going on here?”
“We’re getting out, that’s what’s going on.” Kendril grabbed Maklavir, and pulled him against the wall on the other side of the door. “Maklavir here says he can blow through the stockade wall.”
“Blow through the wall?” Jade repeated dumbly. “With what, gunpowder?”
“Yes. Well,” said Maklavir hurriedly, “I might be able to. I won’t know for sure until I see the wall up close.”
Kendril snapped his head towards the diplomat. “ Might ? You told me it would be no problem.”
Maklavir peered nervously outside. “Yes, well you were talking about a suicidal attack. Besides, I don’t think it will be a problem. The sooner I can examine the wall the sooner I can tell for sure.”
“My,” said Jade with a smile, “it looks like you two have come up with a fantastic plan here.”
Kendril ignored her. He looked at Maklavir, jerking his thumb towards the back door.
“Get going.”
“Um, yes.” Maklavir tapped the hilt of his sword nervously. “I don’t suppose I could simply walk to the stable, and just duck down quite a bit?”
Kendril sighed heavily. “Maklavir, it’s mostly grass. Hardly any mud at all. Now would you please get going?”
The diplomat moved to the door, giving Kendril a cold glance. “This is a silk shirt I’m wearing. If any of my clothes get damaged, I’m holding you responsible.”
“Maklavir…”
Smoothing his shirt, Maklavir nodded. “All right, all right, I’m going.” He slipped out the door, falling onto his hands and knees after inspecting the wet grass carefully.
Kendril glanced back at the common room. He bit his lip, his mind
Their leader grunted. “I know.” He cleared his throat. “So we don’t try. No matter how good he may be, there’s only one of him, and he bleeds like the rest of us.” He turned from the window. “There’s another one, too. I took a shot at him back in there. I’m not sure if I got him or not. But the important thing is that she’s still there.”
Regvar scratched his head. “So how many are there?”
“At least two. Maybe three. And her.”
“So what do we do?” asked Queltin impatiently. He squirmed as he pressed the cloth against his face once more. “Another assault? It didn’t work too well last time.”
Montrose rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “No,” he said. “I think I have a better idea.”
Chapter 8
Jade stood up from where she was hiding as Kendril entered the kitchen. He moved quickly through the dark room towards the back door.
“What’s going on?” she asked, just as Maklavir appeared in the doorway as well.
“Change of plans,” said Kendril. He glanced carefully out the back door, his pistol held at the ready. For several moments he peered out into the night, then turned back inside. “Looks clear.”
Maklavir stumbled awkwardly through the dark kitchen, stifling an obscenity as he smashed his knee against a low cabinet. “You’re sure we can’t light just one candle?” he asked miserably.
“No,” replied the Ghostwalker sharply. He took hold of the table he had set in front of the back door, moving it carefully and quietly to one side. “And keep your voice down. Jade, I need you to watch the door.”
The girl gave a confused look. “I thought I was watching the door.”
“The front door,” Kendril clarified. He cleared the table away from the back door, peering outside once again. “Maklavir, get over here.”
“I’m trying,” said the diplomat calmly, piecing his way through the darkness. “I can’t see my bloody hand in front of my bloody face in here.”
Kendril leaned up against the wall. “Stables are about twenty yards away. We’ll have to crawl there.”
Maklavir stopped short. “ Crawl ? In the mud?”
Jade glanced in a confused fashion from Kendril to Maklavir. “Is anyone going to tell me what’s going on here?”
“We’re getting out, that’s what’s going on.” Kendril grabbed Maklavir, and pulled him against the wall on the other side of the door. “Maklavir here says he can blow through the stockade wall.”
“Blow through the wall?” Jade repeated dumbly. “With what, gunpowder?”
“Yes. Well,” said Maklavir hurriedly, “I might be able to. I won’t know for sure until I see the wall up close.”
Kendril snapped his head towards the diplomat. “ Might ? You told me it would be no problem.”
Maklavir peered nervously outside. “Yes, well you were talking about a suicidal attack. Besides, I don’t think it will be a problem. The sooner I can examine the wall the sooner I can tell for sure.”
“My,” said Jade with a smile, “it looks like you two have come up with a fantastic plan here.”
Kendril ignored her. He looked at Maklavir, jerking his thumb towards the back door.
“Get going.”
“Um, yes.” Maklavir tapped the hilt of his sword nervously. “I don’t suppose I could simply walk to the stable, and just duck down quite a bit?”
Kendril sighed heavily. “Maklavir, it’s mostly grass. Hardly any mud at all. Now would you please get going?”
The diplomat moved to the door, giving Kendril a cold glance. “This is a silk shirt I’m wearing. If any of my clothes get damaged, I’m holding you responsible.”
“Maklavir…”
Smoothing his shirt, Maklavir nodded. “All right, all right, I’m going.” He slipped out the door, falling onto his hands and knees after inspecting the wet grass carefully.
Kendril glanced back at the common room. He bit his lip, his mind
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