Child of Fate (26 page)

William laughed. “Be thankful!”

Alto pulled the gag out of his prisoner’s
mouth. “What say you?” he asked. “Should there be people about?
Goblins, at least?”

He shook his head. “They’ve all gone to
Highpeak,” he said.

“Why? They can’t hope to hold it against the
Kingdom army?” Tristam asked.

Fizzulthorp shook his head. “Perhaps against
men and goblins, but against trolls and ogres? With organized
leadership, they’ll keep the Kingdom at bay until the weather
turns, and then the king’s men will be forced to abandon the siege.
Barador will have his city and Duke Covington will be forced to
recognize him because he can’t muster force enough to run him out.
Then I’ll be returned, perhaps ransomed or perhaps not. I can save
you a lot of trouble if you’ll let me go now. I can give—”

“Alto!”

Alto pulled the gag back into the captured
wizard’s mouth, ending his empty promises.

“All right lads, let’s go.”

“Where?”

“Highpeak. The Kingdom and Jarl Teorfyr will
attack from the front, perhaps as soon as tomorrow. We’ll use that
to slip in from behind and confront Barador so we can earn our
reward,” Tristam said. He glanced at the sun as it was heading
steadily toward the west. “And we’ve got no horses, so we best be
on the move.”

The only paths in or out of the valley wound
down the steep sides of the mountains. Tristam led them in on one
such trail from the northeast. The goblin campsite Namitus pointed
out was all but deserted. A few goblins remained, tending to fires
or hiding in their huts. They fled before the Blades could give
chase, diving into holes in the mountainside or escaping amongst
the crude huts.

Rather than waste precious time in pursuit,
Tristam bade them push on. They left the valley via the only other
route available and paused high on a ridge to catch their breaths.
They’d reached a crossroads where one trail led to the southwest
and toward Highpeak and the other wound into the mountains to the
northwest.

“What’s that way?” Tristam demanded of
Fizzulthorp.

Alto removed the wizard’s gag and waited
while he spat and gasped for breath. The climb had fatigued the
man. “Trolls,” he wheezed when Alto placed a helpful hand on the
back of his neck.

Tristam nodded. Alto allowed the man a quick
drink of water and then gagged him again. “We head toward
Highpeak,” Tristam said. He led them down the road as it curved
around the rough terrain.

More paths branched off into the mountains as
they walked. Some of the paths were no more than game trails made
by mountain sheep and deer while others had the boot prints of men
and goblins on them. It wasn’t until the sun had nearly set that
their path crossed the real road that led north from Highpeak into
the mountains.

“We going to camp for the night?” William
asked.

Tristam frowned. “Hate being in these
mountains at night,” he admitted. “But we’ve a long hike yet to
make it to Highpeak.”

“How do you know that?” William asked. “We’re
not even sure where we are!”

“The mine we found was a few hours’ walk and
we haven’t found that yet,” Tristam said. “That’s how I know it’s a
long ways.”

William grunted.

“Keep an eye to the skies,” Kar
suggested.

“Why? It’s dark out,” William said. “Goblins,
trolls, even wolves hunt at night. They won’t be above us.”

“We know where they are; it’s the things that
hunt the skies that worry me,” Kar said. “Remember our missing
companion.”

Kar’s somber reminder sent a hush amongst
them. Alto glanced to the skies and saw the others doing the same.
Faint wisps of clouds blurred the stars but the overall coverage
was sparse.

“There are great birds in these mountains. So
great they’re big enough to carry off a horse. They’re a type of
falcon called a sky condor. It’s whispered that some even have
nests in the clouds that never leave the highest peaks of the
mountains.”

“The threat of trolls, goblins, and a dragon
aren’t enough to keep us on edge?” Tristam said. He shook his head.
“Keep your counsel to yourself, wizard. We’ve enough on our minds.
Rest’s over; let’s move on.”

Alto allowed Fizzulthorp another drink and
then forced him to hurry with the rest of them as they moved south
along the road. They walked up a rise and crested a ridge to find
the mine entrance lay ahead of them.

“Not so far after all,” William cried out
triumphantly.

“Aye, this is where Gerald was last seen,”
Kar said.

William glared at the wizard for his macabre
reminder.

“And we’ll never know what came of him if we
spend the night chatting like old women,” Tristam snapped. He moved
on after checking to see that the gates of the mine had been shut
again.

“Occupied again?” Alto whispered to
Karthor.

Namitus overheard him and went up to study
the door. He put his ear against it and then against the ground
next to the doors. He rose up and nodded. “I can hear tools
striking stone.”

“Goblins are like roaches—you kill one and
two rush to fill in the hole,” Karthor observed.

Alto frowned. “I don’t relish another trip
through those mines.”

“Keep up,” Tristam snapped back at the three
stragglers and their prisoner. “And you’ll do whatever we’re paid
for.”

“We help retake Highpeak and I bet they send
out the army to cleanse the mines,” Karthor muttered.

Alto nodded. “I hope so!” He gave the wizard
a prod and started them toward Tristam and the others.

They arrived at the bridge in the wee hours
of the morning. Crouching behind rocks and the supports of the
bridge on the far side of the chasm, they studied the occupied
citadel. Torches moved along the walls and lanterns burned in
windows.

“Has it been retaken?” Alto whispered. He was
confused by the abundance of light in the castle.

Namitus pointed at a hulking figure outlined
by a torch. “The men use the torches while patrolling,” he
theorized.

“Aye, the men are in charge but the ogres
don’t see in the dark any better than we do. Mountain trolls have a
limited ability to see in the dark, though, so keep an eye out for
them. After all, the goblins, ogres, and trolls are the foot
soldiers,” Kar said.

“They didn’t have torches when they chased us
in the caves,” Alto remembered.

“No, but we did,” Kar said. “They were in a
hurry. Others behind them probably had light.”

“They did. I saw some before I fought past
them,” Namitus confirmed.

“We should hurry,” William interrupted.

Alto turned, surprised to hear the man
advising a dangerous and risky action. He saw him staring into the
northern skies. Alto followed his gaze and after a moment, he saw
it and gasped. A dark shape was crossing the sky from the west to
the east, blotting out the stars as it went.

“Is that one of them condors or, uh,
something else?” William asked.

“If it’s all the same to you guys, I’d rather
not find out,” Namitus said.

“It’s far enough away we should be fine,” Kar
observed. “Unless it’s Sarya, checking on her forces.”

“Namitus, you’re first to cross the bridge,”
Tristam snapped. “Sneak up and signal when it’s safe for us to
come.”

“What if it’s not safe?” he asked.

Tristam’s white teeth gleamed in the
darkness. “Make it safe.”

Namitus pursed his lips. “All right, how do I
signal you? It’s dark.”

Tristam glanced around and then turned to
Kar. Kar bent over and picked up a small rock. He tossed it to the
rogue. “No fancy tricks needed. Just toss this far enough that we
can hear it on the bridge and they can’t.”

“Nothing to it,” Namitus muttered.

Namitus looked to Alto and grinned, and then
turned and started across the bridge. He stayed near the edge to
try to use what natural cover he could to disguise himself. It
wasn’t until he’d gone far enough across the bridge to blend into
the dark shadows cast by the walls of the castle that Alto allowed
himself more than a shallow breath.

Several very tense minutes passed until they
heard the unmistakable sound of a rock bouncing across stone.
Tristam rose up and hissed, “Let’s go!”

William stopped watching the distant dark
shape that blocked the stars in the northern sky. “It’s a long ways
off,” he said uncertainly.

Kar chuckled. “Even a dragon couldn’t reach
us before we made the castle.”

They headed across the gorge, moving as
quickly as discretion would allow. The chain mail Tristam, William,
and Karthor wore was muffled but Alto’s scales clinked and rustled
with nearly every step. They gathered near the gate, pressing
themselves against the crease where one of the towers that made up
the gatehouse joined the wall. The iron portcullis was down,
barring their entrance.

“Now what?” Alto hissed into Tristam’s
ear.

“Can you climb the wall?” Tristam whispered
to Namitus.

Namitus looked up at the nearly smooth wall.
“With a rope and a hook.”

Tristam scowled and leaned out to stare at
the portcullis. He glanced at Alto. “Think we can lift it?”

“Not without a team of horses.” Alto
remembered how hard the winch had turned when he’d cranked it back
on their way through Highpeak the first time.

Tristam turned to Kar. The wizard shook his
head without needing to be asked.

“Tristam, I have an idea,” Alto said.

The leader of the Blades turned to him.
“Anything’s better than this,” he said.

“We use the wizard,” he said. Fizzulthorp
grunted behind his gag.

Tristam frowned for a long moment as he
considered the possibilities. He nodded and pulled the man close to
him. “If you cry out or betray us, you will die,” he said. “We may,
too, but that will be of little help to you since you’ll have a
bolt through your head and steel in your belly. If we’ve got the
time, I’ll be sure Alto tosses you off the bridge to be certain.
You’ve felt the boy’s strength; you know he’ll have no trouble
doing it.”

Fizzulthorp stared into his eyes for a long
moment before he nodded. Tristam reached out and pulled the gag off
his mouth roughly.

“Will you let me go when you’re done?”
Fizzulthorp asked. “Seems a small price to ask for my assistance.
You’ve already stolen my gold, so you have your bonus.”

Tristam’s eyes dropped quickly to the pouch
at his side. He looked back at the wizard and nodded briefly. “Act
proper and yes, I’ll let you go. After we’re done.”

Fizzulthorp smiled. “Consider it a deal made,
captain.”

Tristam drew his dagger and cut the ropes
binding Fizzulthorp’s hands together. “No magic,” he added. The
wizard nodded and rubbed his wrists together.

“I thought we were waiting until the armies
attacked,” William said. “They’d be distracted, you said.”

Tristam nodded. “That was the plan, but we’ve
nowhere to hide until then,” he said. “If the wizard does his job
right, we can be in without a fight and find a place to hole up and
wait inside.”

“We’re doomed,” William muttered.

“Just think of the bounty if we survive,”
Tristam promised.

William took a deep breath and let it go. He
nodded and offered a fake smile. “It better be enough to retire
on.”

Tristam eyed everyone, making sure there were
no further suggestions or questions. When no one spoke, he nodded
to Fizzulthorp and pointed to the gate. Fizzulthorp rose without a
word. The others followed behind him, weapons sheathed but at the
ready. William’s crossbow rested on his back but the arms were
drawn back and a bolt was in place. Tristam and Alto stood behind
the wizard, ready to grab the wizard if he faltered and make sure
his promised fate was delivered.

Fizzulthorp moved to the portcullis and
peered through the bars. “Hey!” he called out after seeing no one
in the courtyard beyond. “Somebody let us in!”

A few moments passed until an ogre with a
torch approached. He towered over them by more than three full
heads. His bulk matched his height, as did his smell. He stared at
Fizzulthorp for a long moment.

“Let us in!” the wizard said again. “I bring
news from the mines for Barador.”

At the mention of Barador, the ogre grunted.
He moved back and grabbed the spokes on the wheel. The massive
creature paused, staring at the torch in his hand, and then tossed
it to the ground, where it sputtered but continued to burn. He
pulled the spindles of the wheel back with a smooth and easy motion
that made Alto wince. As strong as Alto was, the ogre made him feel
like a child. The portcullis raised, tempting them to dart through
with every clinking inch.

Fizzulthorp led them through when it rose
above their heads. As soon as they were through, he said to the
ogre, “Lower the portcullis; we can’t risk any of them finding a
way in behind us.”

The ogre grunted and let go of the wheel. It
spun freely, dropping the portcullis so loudly it clanged when it
hit the ground. Alto winced and saw that Tristam and the others
echoed his sentiments, if not his movements. When they turned away
from the distracting gate, they saw Fizzulthorp was running into
the castle.

“Stop them!” the wizard shouted. “Kill
them—they’re invaders!”

Tristam swore. Alto stared at his friends,
stunned by the turn of events. He saw Tristam draw his blade and
William ready his bow. He pulled his own sword and turned back to
the ogre. The ogre, just as stunned, picked up the torch he had
dropped.

William’s bolt shattered against the stone of
a wall just behind Fizzulthorp. He shouted again for help and ran
toward the corner of a building to try to escape William’s
range.

The crossbowman struggled to reload, glancing
up too late to see that he’d turned away from the ogre. The torch
smashed into him, sending sparks flying and slamming him off
balance to the ground. Flames flickered into the night from where
the pitch-soaked torch had hit him on the shoulder.