Chapter Thirteen; Bad Rogue.
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Alanna stood, feeling the entire court going silent. Her face was tight with rage. Her own table was tense, the knights lying a hand on their daggers. She spoke quietly over her shoulder.
"Marion; get George. Lucy: get all of us you can find. Rosetta: weapons. Get crossbows upstairs." She knew the three girls slipped away to do her bidding without looking. She now turned to the nobles and spoke earnestly to them,
"Don't do anything." She ordered. Before Jon could object against being given orders, she continued. "These are the men who are out to kill you. Raoul and Gary." they nodded, understanding what her command was going to say before she said it, "Guard him."
She then turned to face the entering threat, slipping a dagger from the sheath inside her sleeve.
A tall man had entered the Dove, one of his companions held old Solom, the doorkeeper tightly around the neck. The intruder was fair haired and swarthy. A scar ran along his left cheek.
Alanna approached him purposefully, faithful Rogues gathering at her back; Marek, Ercole, Scholar, Orem, Shem and Lightfingers, suddenly sober.
"Selket!" Her voice was harsh and commanding. "Why are you here? I thought our last meeting and my warning were perfectly clear." She traced her own, unblemished cheek, looking pointedly at his scarred one.
"What can I say?" His voice was low and grated roughly, "The company here is just so charming."
"It just got worse." Marek muttered under his breath.
"Let Solom go." She instructed, carefully modulating her voice while she knew her eyes were flashing dangerously. She had found that a lack of emotions was often more scary to her opponents than obvious anger. "You deal with me and your King, not our followers. And I am tired of having assassins sent after me. How many now have been sent back to you with one ear missing? They add to George's collection nicely."
"Aye. That they do." Selket started as the thief King's voice came from beside him. "Good to see me lass has control here. Get outta here Selket. No fighting at the Dove. Or if there is; you won't be on the winning side." At his signal a row of crossbows were primed on Selket's men's chests. Alanna drew a throwing star and brandished her dagger.
"Leave now Selket." George ordered. "Only come back when you are willing to follow Rogue's law and challenge me properly." When the other man hesitated, even as his cronies released Solom and left, Alanna released the throwing star. It flew past his ear, taking a lock of hair with it, and imbedded itself deeply in the doorframe.
"He said go." Her voice would have frozen blood. With a hurried curse flung in her direction Selket fled the inn.
Old Solom fell to his knees before George.
"Majesty, I'm sorry. They sneaked up on me. He's the Gift, I swear it."
George laid a hand on the older man's shoulder
"Don't worry, we'll post a heavier watch from now on."
Alanna returned from the outer door.
"No sign of them." She reported, "but horses were heading south."
George nodded and she sheathed her dagger. The rest followed her example and sat once more. George took his throne at the largest table, next to where the knights sat. Grimly he beckoned his most loyal followers around him as Alanna came back to their table.
"That," She said with disgust, "was Selket. Watch out for him. He's after more than just the Rogue."
"Did you really give him that scar?" Raoul asked. She nodded,
"He made the mistake of attacking me himself once. He'll have that to remind him that trying to stab a girl in the back in a dark alley isn't the best idea. Especially when that girl is me." She turned to Jon. "We better get you back to the Palace, and for Mithros' sake we must be careful. Remember what I told you." As a pair of hands landed on her shoulders she turned to face Liam, "Will you come with us Ironarm?"
"Certainly. You handled that very well if I may say so."
"You were ready to attack all the time weren't you?" Alanna quickly introduced him to Gary and Raoul as they prepared to set off. Alanna pulled her hood up to conceal her bright hair as they stepped outside. Only Liam was unarmed, Alanna carried a crossbow openly and several other hidden weapons. Each of the knights had their hands on the hilt of their sword, ready to draw their weapons at a moment's notice.
The group avoided narrow alleyways, sticking to the main streets whenever possible. The streets were strangely deserted, the people of Corus had obviously heard about the confrontation at the Dove and were staying firmly behind their locked doors.
Suddenly Alanna felt a great weight land on her, a hand holding her head firmly to the cobbles. Instinctively she struggled until the Dragon's voice hissed in her ear.
"Lie still." Obediently she did so until he released her. Immediately she rolled to her feet, seeing Jonathon doing the same thing. Two arrows lay in the road beside them and more whistled through the air towards them. Leaving the others to guard the Prince she looked wildly around for the archers. She spotted them, three men across the street on the roof of a building. Alanna swung the crossbow up to bear, they were well within her one hundred and fifty yard range, aimed and released the bolt. One man fell to the ground and lay there, immobile. She redrew the string as she dodged an arrow from one of the remaining men, nocked the quarrel and shot again. Within half a minute the three assassins lay dead. Raoul and Gary began to walk towards the bodies, but she stopped them with an outstretched hand, her eyes wary and alert.
"There are more coming." A group of men exited an alley, lead by the scarred Selket.
"You again." Alanna stepped forward, followed closely by Liam and the nobles' drawn swords.
"Aye majesty. Me." He stepped into Alanna's face and ran two fingers down her cheek. "Yeh're a pretty lass really." Alanna felt the men tense at her back as the others in front of her laughed. She lowered the bow, and waited for him to step closer. As soon as he did so, she spun and kicked him across the face.
Her dress had carefully concealed slits up the side to mid thigh which enabled her to fight Shang style easily. As he fell to the floor, the men attacked her companions. Liam took on at least four at once. Alanna cut one down with a backward slash of her dagger. She glanced over her shoulder, the knights were holding their own easily, Gary stood at his cousin's right while Raoul guarded Jon's left. She smiled grimly as she moved among the traitors, cutting them down like corn at harvest time. As the last remaining saw the Shang Dragon and his pupil advancing on him he turned and fled. He stooped as he jumped across the body of one of his comrades. he turned and screamed out a last defiance as an arrow flew towards them. It sank deep into Alanna's upper arm. She cursed violently, shakily, as her friends rushed to her side, she drew the arrow out of her bicep and with an unsteady arm, placed the bloodied bolt in the crossbow and sighted. The arrow flew true and the man fell.
Alanna strode across each body, pushing it over with her foot. When she had examined the last one she let loose a violent stream of curses that would have made the coarsest guardsman proud. She kicked the last assassin's body and turned to the others, fingers tightly clenched over her wound.
"He's not here. Selket got away." She finally submitted to strips of cloth being wrapped around her arm, then collected her used bolts and, ignoring the men's protests, she led the way to the palace. She and Liam bade the young men goodnight at the door to the palace.
On their return to the Dove they saw a grand carriage pull up to the stables, and a tall man got out, hair almost as black as Jonathon's, and with the same piercing blue eyes.