The Broken Key (02) - Hunter of the Horde (22 page)

He immediately turned away from the window and looked to the head of the stairwell leading down. They could be just below! Kevik quietly closed the shutter to keep out the wind, then made his way to the top of the stairwell. He went through his repertoire of spells but found that he didn’t have much that would help him in this situation. Just his

‘goo spell’ and the energy missiles, those he kept on the ‘tip of his tongue’ as it were while he moved ever closer to the top of the stairs.

When he reached the stairwell, he slowly peered into the darkness below but couldn’t see or hear anything. His first inclination was to call out to see if anyone was there. He quickly stifled that urge. If someone was there they wouldn’t very well be announcing their presence if he asked.

There was nothing for it, he had to know. Casting his new light spell, he made it appear further down the stairs. As the light blossomed to life, he listened for any movement below that would indicate someone was there. Not hearing anything, he moved to the stairs and began descending to the second level. Step by slow step he made his way down to the second level and gained it without incident.

Then just as he did before descending to the second level, he again created a light down on the first floor. Once more he failed to hear anything. Moving quicker this time, he reached the bottom and quickly scanned about for any sign of intruders.

The door was closed and the bar was still set in the locked position. He was confident no one had gained the tower. Kevik quickly crossed to the door and undid the lock.

Before he opened it, he braced himself for the possibility of attack. Seeing as how there were no windows here on the ground floor, he wasn’t able to tell if the coast was clear.

He was simply going to have to chance that it was. Opening the door slightly, he peered outside.

Where the man had been incased within the magical glow that had held him, there was now only darkness. Moments of illumination would come when the clouds above parted and allowed the moonlight through. Shortly after he began peering through to the outside, one such moment of illumination allowed him to see that the front door to the manor was open. They were in the manor. Bart! He may not realize what’s going on.

Throwing open the door, he raced outside towards the manor to warn him. Too late did he notice the man who had been standing just to the side of the door. Before he could get a spell out he was struck on the head with a club and was knocked senseless to the ground.

Ever a light sleeper, Bart was instantly awake when the man cried out. He bolted to his window and looked out to find the man encased in a yellowish glow. One of the defenses of the estate had been triggered. Durik! Though he didn’t recognize the man snared by the trap as one of Durik’s men, he knew the man was here because of him.

Before turning from the window he saw the silhouette of Kevik in the third floor window as he looked out towards the trapped man. At least he didn’t have to worry about Kevik being taken out yet. Of course, there was nothing that said these men had violence on their minds. Yet it was always prudent to plan for, and expect, the worst.

Moving away from the window, he grabbed the rolled leather containing his picks from the table by his bed and slipped it within his shirt. Next to it sat the one containing his darts. He opened that one and removed five darts. In a matter of minutes he had them doctored with liquid from one of the vials and was moving towards the door of his room.

With four darts held in his left and another in the right, he kept the rest within the rolled leather nestled within his shirt next to his picks.

He paused a moment at the door and listened for any indication that someone was on the other side. When all he heard was silence, he slowly opened the door and peered out into the darkened hallway on the other side. Not seeing anyone, he moved out and made his way to the top of the stairs.

Just as he stepped upon the first step, the front door to the manor opened. Bart froze where he was, his eyes locked onto the door as it swung open. Two figures passed through. One turned down a hallway leading further into the house while the other headed for the stairs.

Bart immediately backed up and plastered himself against the side of the hallway at the top of the stairs, adjacent to the stairwell. He remained quiet as the stairs creaked under the weight of the man ascending to the second level. Holding himself ready to strike, he waited until the man reached the top.

In the blink of an eye, Bart moved as soon as the man stepped foot upon the second floor. He grabbed him around the throat with his left arm, constricting his windpipe to prevent him from crying out. With his right hand, he plunged the tip of the dart into the man’s chest. It took only half a minute before the poison stilled the man’s heart and Bart felt him go limp. Lowering him to the floor, he glanced downstairs to see if the other man heard the commotion at the top of the stairs. When he failed to appear, Bart quickly took the steps down to the first floor.

Stepping silently and quickly, he crossed to the hallway down which the man had gone. He paused but a moment at the mouth of the hallway and peered down. In the darkness, he couldn’t see anything. With a last glance to the open front door to make sure reinforcements weren’t arriving for the two men, he entered the hallway.

From up ahead, he could hear the tell-tale sounds of someone moving around, a barely audible grunt here, a creak of a floorboard there. He moved down to the doorway from which the sounds were emanating. Merely a foot from the door, he came to a sudden stop when the man appeared before him.

A gasp of surprise was all the man got out before Bart launched his attack. Another quick thrust with a doctored dart and the man was soon lying still on the floor of the hallway. Bart held still and listened to the sounds of the estate. All he could hear was the sound of the wind outside.

He replaced the dart he used to kill the man with one of the others in his left hand before moving to the front door. Keeping against the wall, he moved until he could peer through the opening to the outside. It was dark. The glow from where the man had been held in one of Allar’s traps was gone. Somehow, he had been freed of its grip.

Shadows moved around the estate, he could see there were at least six separate men out there. He glanced to the tower and saw light emanating from the second story window. Bart was wondering what that could mean just as a crack of light disturbed the light as the tower’s door began to open.

Kevik no! He silently shouted the warning in his mind. How he wished he and Kevik were wearing the two rings that allowed them to communicate over distances. Bart watched as one of the shadows moved along the tower’s wall until it came to within a foot of the opening.

He watched as Kevik glanced around and then made to run towards the manor house.

He only took a step before the man next to the door clubbed him into unconsciousness.

Bart was already out the door of the manor house as the shadow moved into the light coming from the door. The shadow was a man Bart didn’t recognize.

The man who had struck Kevik was joined by two others. They lifted Kevik from the ground and began carrying him towards the lane leading from the estate. As the three men faded back into the darkness, Bart saw another man enter the tower. That left only two others out in the darkness.

Bart held still against the wall of the manor house several feet down from the door.

Scanning the darkness, he hunted for the two remaining men that were still outside. The men kept their silence which surprised him. Perhaps they knew he was at the estate as well and didn’t wish to tip their hand until they knew he was neutralized.

Then from the corner of his eye, he saw one of the men off to his right. The man was heading for the door of the estate which was no more than a few feet away from where Bart was standing. He readied the dart in his right hand, and when the man was but ten feet away, threw it. The dart flew true and struck the man in the leg. Bart didn’t want him dead right away.

“I’m hit!” the man cried out. His leg gave way as the poison shorted out his nervous system on its way to the heart.

Bart allowed the man to continue crying for aid as he scanned the darkness for movement which would indicate that his partner was on the way to help. When he saw a shadow moving towards the man crying for help, he threw another dart. This time, the dart struck the man square in the chest and felled him quickly. He didn’t require this man’s cry to flush the last four out, he knew where they were.

He left his darts in the two men. The one who had initially been crying out started to grow quiet as the poison reached his diaphragm and heart, interrupting their functions.

Bart glanced up at the tower as he pulled forth the rolled leather containing his other darts. He could see the silhouette of the man who had entered the tower as he looked out from the third floor window.

“He’s by the front door!” the man cried out as he pointed towards where Bart was standing. Whether he could see Bart or simply assumed where he was based on the earlier cries of the dead man, Bart couldn’t tell.

Moving to his left away from the door, Bart quickly doctored more darts all the while keeping a constant lookout for the other three men. By the time he again had five darts ready to go, and the rolled leather was back within his shirt, the man who had been hollering from the window had ducked back inside.

Scanning the darkness, he tried to ascertain the location of the remaining men. He expected one of the three to remain with Kevik. They couldn’t afford to have him awaken and begin using his magic, that would quickly tip the balance against them.

The estate grounds remained quiet. Either they weren’t moving or they had something which would shield their whereabouts. That was when he realized the Cloak of Concealment was still in his pack up in his room. Too late to return for it now.

Bart moved along the side of the manor house, past the doorway, and towards where the lane leading into town lay. That was where the three men had gone and his first order of business had to be the rescue of Kevik. He didn’t get very far before the man who had been in the tower emerged through the door. In that brief momentary glance, Bart saw a sack held in the man’s hand. He had the magic items!

The man was heading in his general direction. Just then movement caught his attention from the direction of the lane, two shadows were heading in his direction. The glint of moonlight off of steel indicated they had their swords out and ready. Bart didn’t waste any time. He immediately launched darts towards the approaching men, a third sailed towards the man coming from the tower. Each was struck and each sank to the ground as poison stilled the beating of their hearts. The poison he was using was some of the most lethal that could be had. He didn’t have much and reserved it for only the direst circumstances such as this.

Leaving the dead men behind, he headed towards the lane. He didn’t get far before the sound of the men’s horses could be heard. A groan could be heard coming from that direction, it sounded as if Kevik was regaining consciousness. He needed to hurry if he didn’t want his friend to suffer another blow to the head to keep him quiet. Quickening his pace, he raced over the ground with a dart in hand.

During one of the partings of the clouds which allowed moonlight through, the scene by the horses was suddenly illuminated enough for him to take in the situation. Kevik was on his stomach, draped over one of the horse’s saddles. His hands and feet were secured together by a rope passing beneath the horse’s stomach. A man bearing a club was heading towards him.

Despite the fact that he desperately wished one of the men alive to question, he couldn’t afford Kevik to sustain another serious blow to the head. Arching his arm back, he threw the dart at the man. The dart flew true and struck him in the side. A startled cry escaped him as he pulled forth the dart. It appeared as if he looked at it a moment before sagging to the ground.

Bart raced to his friend’s side. “Kevik,” he said.

“Bart,” Kevik groaned.

Taking out his knife, he cut the bonds holding his friend. As he pulled him from the horse and helped him to a standing position, he said, “Let’s get you back to the manor before more of these guys show up.”

Kevik only nodded.

Bart placed one of Kevik’s arms across his shoulders before they set out. He angled their path to intercept the body of the man who had been in the tower. When they reached him, Bart picked up the sack containing the stolen booty from the tower.

All the way to the door of the manor house, Bart kept a continual eye out for any others who might be around. But by the time they reached the door, he had yet to notice anyone.

He took Kevik in through the door and helped him lie down on one of the couches in the front room. “Will you be okay?” he asked.

Kevik started to nod his head when a moan of pain escaped him. “I think so,” he replied. “They struck me pretty hard.”

“Here,” Bart said as he handed him the sack.

“What’s this?” questioned Kevik.

“Stuff they looted from the tower,” he explained. “I’m going out to see if there’s anyone else in the area.”

“Alright,” he said.

Once Bart had closed the door after returning outside, Kevik cast his light spell. It took some doing, his mind was still a bit rattled from the blow. Grabbing the sack, he started to hunt through it to see if the healing ruby might be contained within.

Bart returned to the horses and counted eight, which greatly relieved him as there had been eight men killed that night. It was unlikely there would be any others. He then took the horses around back to the stable. Once they were taken care of, he began dragging the dead men into the stable as well.

After the six bodies outside the manor house were lying side by side in the stable’s storeroom, he went into the manor to retrieve the remaining two. He found Kevik up and looking the picture of health. “Did you use a healing potion or something?” he asked.