I retired to bed quite early that night. I had a few ales, but wasn’t drunk enough to pass out. I was pleased to be out of the King’s presence since it had been a strained and formal meeting and I do not enjoy those occasions. We certainly had no plans to stay in Elkoi.
So I retired early and was happy to be in my room alone. The room was warm, smallish, but comfortably furnished with draperies and a vast rug on the floor to take the chill off the flagstones.
I poured myself a goblet of wine, picked at an olive or two then fell asleep.
I woke in the middle of the night to the sounds of shouts in the corridor and the courtyard below my window. They were speaking in Balazaring, so I could not understand what they were saying, but the tone of the voices sounded quite urgent. I looked out the window and saw several guards by the archway that led out to the stables and the town below the citadel. I waited a second or two, waited for a fated knock at my door. But none came. I thought I may be worrying unduly, but just in case I put on my shirt and tucked a dagger into my belt. Then I went back to my bed, to go back to sleep.
Though still the voices continued.
I got out of bed again, opened the window and looked down to the courtyard. Still the voices called and shouted, still the guards stood firm by the archway. Just to be certain, I decided I would call on Orlanth’s blessing and cast my spell to detect enemies. Immediately I was drawn to the guards, and to the fact that they meant me ill will!
At this point I decided to take matters into my own hands and seize the initiative. Not knowing my way around the inside of the citadel I decided I would climb out the window and to make my way onto the roof. The stones of the fortress were aged and weather beaten, so I had no difficulty finding footholds and crags to pull myself up. Once on the roof I could hide in the shadows and crooks, away from the eyes of the guards. Though in one corner was a tall tower, and I made special care to keep away from it in case I was seen from above.
My first thoughts turned to what happened to the others – Branduan, Orstanor, Kenstral, Kulbrast and Orlkensor. We had seen Orlkensor slope off with one of the King’s pretty daughters and I wondered if this had been the reason for the hue and cry. I inched around the eaves and architraves of the citadel’s roof, mindful of where I stood, wrapped in darkness and silence. Occasionally I saw the silhouetted heads of the guards as they patrolled the citadel walls, I heard the shouts and booted feet of the guards below. Like the shadow cats I prowled carefully around the pantiles with only the stars as my witness.
I thought it would be best to lay low until sunrise, to give things time to settle down. I found a good spot that overlooked the courtyard and watched as both Branduan and Orlkensor were brought out. The guards roughed them up a bit and then dragged them away. Still there was no sign of Orstanor, Kulbrast and Kenstral. I hoped they had managed to get away, perhaps doing as I had – escaping by climbing onto the roof. Though I saw no sign of them.
As Yelm’s fiery chariot first climbed into the sky I decided I would move off and see if I could make my way to the stables and ride out of the fortress. In the half-light of dawn I made my way toward where I knew the stables to be. Almost immediately I was seen! Two guards called out to me and came running over. I decided I would try to bluff them, so I stood my ground and made as if I was also a guard. Needless to say, this did not work.
I decided to act quickly. I dropped to one knee, notched an arrow, took aim and felled one of the guards with an arrow straight into his chest. Then as the other closed I drew my sword. We exchanged blows and swiftly he fell under my attack. But we had been heard. As I made to move off more guards came running over. My bowfire was not so accurate this time and I had a more difficult melee to contend with. In the end the two men were beaten, but my left arm had taken a sore wound and as I healed myself with Orlanth’s blessing I saw more guards approaching.
This was fast turning into a disaster. At this point I chose to emphasise the mobility aspect of Orlanth and cast upon myself the special magics that allow true Orlanthi to run as fast as the alynxes. With a hop and skip I was off, leaving behind the guards who raised cries and alarums. I did not care to look behind me and just made off as fast I could. There was still some cover of darkness and so when I’d put a bit of distance between myself and the guards I decided to move stealthily and use what cover and what shade there was to hide from my pursuers.
Happy I had given them the slip, so I thought I would get my horse from the stable and then ride out with a gallop and a flourish. But I saw the gates had been kept shut and barricaded with stout wooden poles. That avenue of escape had been denied me. I knew I could not stay on the roof – I had been spotted and it was only a matter of time until a more thorough search party was sent out for me.
It was whilst thinking this that I almost stumbled into two guards!
‘Look lively, you fellows,’ I barked at them. ‘The prowler must be around here somewhere. Check yonder chimneys and stacks that he may be hiding behind them!’
My bluff worked. They looked at each other, then at me, and took me for one of their captains. Off they went to search where I told them so.
This would be my moment.
With things so hot I made for the south edge of the citadel. It was a long drop and a difficult climb. Making sure no one was watching, I lowered a rope and climbed down as far as I could. The rope was still some distance short of the ground below, so I had no choice but to do my best and clamber down the stony glacis of the citadel walls.
Once down I had to be careful. Riders would surely be sent out. My first thought was to make my way into the town, to hide in the heart of my enemy – the last place they would look. But I remembered how we had found Elkoi to be suspicious of strangers: all new arrivals were sent before the King! This, obviously, would not do. So instead I thought I would follow the road north-east, for the citadel of Trilus where it was known that worship of the Lightbringers was allowed. Careful to keep off the road I shadowed the trail. The journey took me four days, but eventually I found myself in Trilus where I thought I would wait and see if any of fellow travellers had also managed to make their way here.
Alas, I saw none.