quickly running through different options.
“All right,” he said after a moment. “I want you to follow Maklavir. Out the back and to the stable.”
Jade gave the Ghostwalker a surprised look. “What about you?”
Kendril moved quickly to the door leading back into the common room. “I’m going to stay here. If they make another move on the inn, I’ll try to hold them off.” He shrugged. “Hopefully they’ll think we’re all still in here.”
Jade nodded. “I see. Here, you’ll need this,” she said, holding out the pistol Kendril had given her earlier.
The Ghostwalker shook his head. “Keep it for now. We’re not out of the woods yet.” He paused for a moment. “Or into the woods, as the case may be.”
She shoved the pistol carefully back into her trouser belt. “So you just want me to wait in the stable?”
Kendril tried to see if he could spot Maklavir’s shape from where he stood, but it was too dark to see. “Yes. Assuming this crazy plan actually works, run for the wall as soon as it blows. Get out as fast as you can, and don’t look back. And get Simon, too. He might need to be calmed a bit. Loud noises tend to scare him.”
Jade took a deep breath. “All right. And we’ll meet you outside the wall?”
Kendril gave her a stern glance. “Don’t wait for me. I’ll find you . Just keep going.”
She looked at the man she had only known for less than two days, and felt a sudden pang of fear. “Promise me you will,” she said quickly, without even thinking.
Kendril was silent for a moment, as if taken by surprise.
“Just…just promise me you’ll come, okay?” she said, feeling suddenly embarrassed.
“Jade,” said Kendril in a low voice, “I’ll come. You have my word.” He smiled. “Besides, I want my mule back.”
“Everyone still in place?”
“Aye.” Regvar moved to the window, staring out between the wooden panes. “Derik and Calham are still at their posts.”
Montrose nodded. “Good. Now let’s get moving. Queltin, soak those rags, and be quick about it. Regvar, find some flints. Make sure they spark.”
“Right boss.” The second henchman began rummaging through the supplies on the shelf. “Got some.”
There were four liquor bottles all together, taken off the shelf behind the store counter. Queltin and Regvar had lined them up carefully on the ground.
Montrose took a step back, watching Queltin carefully as he soaked four white rags in the alcohol, then stuffed one into the top of each bottle.
“All right,” he said quietly. “You both know the drill. Any questions?”
Both henchmen were silent.
“Good,” the one-eyed bounty hunter grunted. “Let’s get to it, then.”
The horse was right where Maklavir had left him, chomping quietly on some hay. Maklavir had won the animal in a game of chance about a year before, and the steed had served him faithfully ever since.
“How are you doing, Veritas?” he whispered, walking carefully across the straw-covered ground towards the beast. The horse whinnied quietly in response. He quickly checked the saddlebag, and removed several small pouches, all tied tightly with string. Smiling, he turned.
There was a man standing there, pistol in hand.
Maklavir dropped the pouches in surprise and reached frantically for his sword. He tripped backwards onto the ground, losing his grip on the hilt of his weapon.
There was a soft giggle. “It’s me , Maklavir,” came the voice.
The diplomat gave a sigh of relief. “Ah, Jade. Talin’s ashes, you nearly scared the life out of me. Where’s Kendril?”
She knelt down next to him, brushing some of the straw off his shoulders. “Back in the inn. He told me to come out here with you.” She picked up one of the pouches of gunpowder, eyeing it uncertainly. “Do you really think this will work?”
Maklavir rose to his feet, picking pieces of straw off his clothes. “There’s only one way to find out.”
The four men splashed through the
“All right,” he said after a moment. “I want you to follow Maklavir. Out the back and to the stable.”
Jade gave the Ghostwalker a surprised look. “What about you?”
Kendril moved quickly to the door leading back into the common room. “I’m going to stay here. If they make another move on the inn, I’ll try to hold them off.” He shrugged. “Hopefully they’ll think we’re all still in here.”
Jade nodded. “I see. Here, you’ll need this,” she said, holding out the pistol Kendril had given her earlier.
The Ghostwalker shook his head. “Keep it for now. We’re not out of the woods yet.” He paused for a moment. “Or into the woods, as the case may be.”
She shoved the pistol carefully back into her trouser belt. “So you just want me to wait in the stable?”
Kendril tried to see if he could spot Maklavir’s shape from where he stood, but it was too dark to see. “Yes. Assuming this crazy plan actually works, run for the wall as soon as it blows. Get out as fast as you can, and don’t look back. And get Simon, too. He might need to be calmed a bit. Loud noises tend to scare him.”
Jade took a deep breath. “All right. And we’ll meet you outside the wall?”
Kendril gave her a stern glance. “Don’t wait for me. I’ll find you . Just keep going.”
She looked at the man she had only known for less than two days, and felt a sudden pang of fear. “Promise me you will,” she said quickly, without even thinking.
Kendril was silent for a moment, as if taken by surprise.
“Just…just promise me you’ll come, okay?” she said, feeling suddenly embarrassed.
“Jade,” said Kendril in a low voice, “I’ll come. You have my word.” He smiled. “Besides, I want my mule back.”
“Everyone still in place?”
“Aye.” Regvar moved to the window, staring out between the wooden panes. “Derik and Calham are still at their posts.”
Montrose nodded. “Good. Now let’s get moving. Queltin, soak those rags, and be quick about it. Regvar, find some flints. Make sure they spark.”
“Right boss.” The second henchman began rummaging through the supplies on the shelf. “Got some.”
There were four liquor bottles all together, taken off the shelf behind the store counter. Queltin and Regvar had lined them up carefully on the ground.
Montrose took a step back, watching Queltin carefully as he soaked four white rags in the alcohol, then stuffed one into the top of each bottle.
“All right,” he said quietly. “You both know the drill. Any questions?”
Both henchmen were silent.
“Good,” the one-eyed bounty hunter grunted. “Let’s get to it, then.”
The horse was right where Maklavir had left him, chomping quietly on some hay. Maklavir had won the animal in a game of chance about a year before, and the steed had served him faithfully ever since.
“How are you doing, Veritas?” he whispered, walking carefully across the straw-covered ground towards the beast. The horse whinnied quietly in response. He quickly checked the saddlebag, and removed several small pouches, all tied tightly with string. Smiling, he turned.
There was a man standing there, pistol in hand.
Maklavir dropped the pouches in surprise and reached frantically for his sword. He tripped backwards onto the ground, losing his grip on the hilt of his weapon.
There was a soft giggle. “It’s me , Maklavir,” came the voice.
The diplomat gave a sigh of relief. “Ah, Jade. Talin’s ashes, you nearly scared the life out of me. Where’s Kendril?”
She knelt down next to him, brushing some of the straw off his shoulders. “Back in the inn. He told me to come out here with you.” She picked up one of the pouches of gunpowder, eyeing it uncertainly. “Do you really think this will work?”
Maklavir rose to his feet, picking pieces of straw off his clothes. “There’s only one way to find out.”
The four men splashed through the
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