guttering below her.
“Sonea,” he hissed. “You’ve got to get down here with me.”
Slowly, she bent her legs and slid down until she was lying along the gutter. Looking over the edge, she saw that Cery was hanging two stories from the ground. He nodded to a single-story house built close to the merchant’s home.
“We’re going there,” he told her. “Watch me, then do what I do.”
Reaching out to the wall, Cery grasped hold of a pipe that ran from the gutter, down the wall to the ground. As he let it take his entire weight the pipe creaked alarmingly, but Cery scurried down quickly, using the clamps that attached it to the wall as a ladder. He stepped across to the other roof, then looked up and beckoned to her.
Taking a deep breath, Sonea grasped the gutter and let herself roll off the roof. She hung for a moment, her hands protesting, then reached out to grasp the pipe. Climbing down as quickly as she could, she stepped onto the roof of the other house.
Cery grinned. “Easy?”
She rubbed her fingers, which were red from the sharp edge of the clamps, and shrugged. “Yes and no.”
“Come on. Let’s get away from here.”
They carefully picked their way across the roof, bracing themselves against the bitterly cold wind. Reaching the neighboring house, they climbed up onto its roof. From there, they slid down another drainage pipe into a narrow alley between the houses.
Putting a finger to his lips, Cery started along the alley. He stopped halfway along and, after glancing behind to check that they were still alone, lifted a small grille in the side of a wall. He dropped to his belly and quickly wiggled through. Sonea followed.
They paused to rest in the darkness. Slowly her eyes adjusted until she could see the walls of a narrow brick passage. Cery was staring into the darkness, toward Norin’s house.
“Poor Norin,” Sonea whispered. “What will happen to him?”
“I don’t know, but it sounds bad.”
Sonea felt a pang of guilt. “All because of me.”
He turned to stare at her.
“No,” he growled. “Because of the
magicians
—and whoever betrayed us.” He scowled back down the passage. “I’d go back and find out who it was, but I’ve got to get you somewhere safe.”
Looking at him closely, she saw a hardness in his expression that she had never seen before. Without him she would have been captured days ago, would probably be dead.
She needed him, but what was it going to cost him to help her? He had already promised or used owed favors for her and he risked the disapproval of the Thieves by using the tunnels.
And what if she was found by the magicians? If Norin suffered the ruin of his house for being suspected of hiding her, what would the magicians do to Cery?
“Do you know what the penalty is for hiding enemies of the Guild, old man?”
She shivered and caught his arm.
“Make me a promise, Cery.”
He turned to stare at her, eyes wide. “A promise?”
She nodded. “Promise that, if they ever catch us, you’ll pretend that you don’t know me.” He opened his mouth to protest, but she did not wait for him to speak. “If they do see that you’re helping me, then run away. Don’t let them catch you as well.”
He shook his head. “Sonea, I wouldn’t—”
“Just say you will. I… I couldn’t bear it if they killed you because of me.”
Cery’s eyes widened, then he placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled.
“They won’t catch you,” he told her. “And even if they do, I’ll get you back. I promise you that.”
Chapter 6
Underground Encounters
The sign on the bolhouse read: The Bold Knife. Not an encouraging name, but a quick look inside had revealed a quiet room. Unlike the occupants of all the other bolhouses Dannyl had entered, the customers were subdued and talked in low voices.
Pushing open the door, he stepped inside. A few of the drinkers looked his way, but most ignored him. This, too, was a welcome change. He felt a twinge of
“Sonea,” he hissed. “You’ve got to get down here with me.”
Slowly, she bent her legs and slid down until she was lying along the gutter. Looking over the edge, she saw that Cery was hanging two stories from the ground. He nodded to a single-story house built close to the merchant’s home.
“We’re going there,” he told her. “Watch me, then do what I do.”
Reaching out to the wall, Cery grasped hold of a pipe that ran from the gutter, down the wall to the ground. As he let it take his entire weight the pipe creaked alarmingly, but Cery scurried down quickly, using the clamps that attached it to the wall as a ladder. He stepped across to the other roof, then looked up and beckoned to her.
Taking a deep breath, Sonea grasped the gutter and let herself roll off the roof. She hung for a moment, her hands protesting, then reached out to grasp the pipe. Climbing down as quickly as she could, she stepped onto the roof of the other house.
Cery grinned. “Easy?”
She rubbed her fingers, which were red from the sharp edge of the clamps, and shrugged. “Yes and no.”
“Come on. Let’s get away from here.”
They carefully picked their way across the roof, bracing themselves against the bitterly cold wind. Reaching the neighboring house, they climbed up onto its roof. From there, they slid down another drainage pipe into a narrow alley between the houses.
Putting a finger to his lips, Cery started along the alley. He stopped halfway along and, after glancing behind to check that they were still alone, lifted a small grille in the side of a wall. He dropped to his belly and quickly wiggled through. Sonea followed.
They paused to rest in the darkness. Slowly her eyes adjusted until she could see the walls of a narrow brick passage. Cery was staring into the darkness, toward Norin’s house.
“Poor Norin,” Sonea whispered. “What will happen to him?”
“I don’t know, but it sounds bad.”
Sonea felt a pang of guilt. “All because of me.”
He turned to stare at her.
“No,” he growled. “Because of the
magicians
—and whoever betrayed us.” He scowled back down the passage. “I’d go back and find out who it was, but I’ve got to get you somewhere safe.”
Looking at him closely, she saw a hardness in his expression that she had never seen before. Without him she would have been captured days ago, would probably be dead.
She needed him, but what was it going to cost him to help her? He had already promised or used owed favors for her and he risked the disapproval of the Thieves by using the tunnels.
And what if she was found by the magicians? If Norin suffered the ruin of his house for being suspected of hiding her, what would the magicians do to Cery?
“Do you know what the penalty is for hiding enemies of the Guild, old man?”
She shivered and caught his arm.
“Make me a promise, Cery.”
He turned to stare at her, eyes wide. “A promise?”
She nodded. “Promise that, if they ever catch us, you’ll pretend that you don’t know me.” He opened his mouth to protest, but she did not wait for him to speak. “If they do see that you’re helping me, then run away. Don’t let them catch you as well.”
He shook his head. “Sonea, I wouldn’t—”
“Just say you will. I… I couldn’t bear it if they killed you because of me.”
Cery’s eyes widened, then he placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled.
“They won’t catch you,” he told her. “And even if they do, I’ll get you back. I promise you that.”
Chapter 6
Underground Encounters
The sign on the bolhouse read: The Bold Knife. Not an encouraging name, but a quick look inside had revealed a quiet room. Unlike the occupants of all the other bolhouses Dannyl had entered, the customers were subdued and talked in low voices.
Pushing open the door, he stepped inside. A few of the drinkers looked his way, but most ignored him. This, too, was a welcome change. He felt a twinge of
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