Chapter 25 – The Slaughtered Lamb
Rosie smiled coyly as she bent slightly at the knees. Edwynn's stomach was a knot of fear. Mallet lay face down on the floor behind the woman, a pool of thick dark blood forming around his midsection. But the young rogue couldn't worry about him just yet. Rosie's skirt hid her feet, so Edwynn was unable to tell what they were doing. Footwork was a good indication of intent, or so Lord Romaro had told him. Rosie could see Edwynn's while her own were hidden. She had the advantage.
The rogue's style of combat was designed around striking hard and fast, hopefully before your enemy even knew you were there. Once you were visible and toe-to-toe with your enemy, there weren't many tricks available. Edwynn set himself defensively, preparing to receive her attack.
Rosie licked her lips a half second before she leapt. Edwynn saw it and dodged left. She was fast but he was faster. Knife-blows rained, feinted, and parried as the two of them weaved back and forth in and out of each other's guards. Edwynn kept moving until Rosie's skirt caught under her heel. It was all he needed to lock her blade up with his own. He then grabbed her wrist with his off-hand and slashed open her forehead with his knife. She screamed and dropped her weapon. Edwynn released her and she stumbled backwards. Blinded by her own blood, she crashed helplessly against the wall.
The rogue reached down and picked up her dagger. Edwynn hesitated then. The woman was half-naked and completely at his mercy. It didn't seem right to kill her like this.
"It's over. Give up."
Rosie smeared the blood out of her face as gasped at him. "You're offering me mercy? I would not do the same for you were our positions reversed." She held one hand against her forehead, the other against the wall for support.
"I guess that just makes me a better person." Edwynn answered. Rosie began to slide left against the wall towards a closet. "Stop right there. I told you to surrender!"
"Or what? You'll kill an unarmed woman? You've already shown you don't have the stomach for it." She fumbled for the handle of the closet, her eyes staying locked on Edwynn. "I'm not exactly a nursemaid. Would you trust me if I did surrender?"
Edwynn fumbled for an answer. He really was in a bind. Mallet was dying, maybe even already dead. Most of the bandits had been incapacitated, not killed. One of them could recover any second. Edwynn didn't have any ropes to tie Rosie up, and he didn't trust her not to kill him the instant he took his eyes off of her. No, there was simply no avoiding it, he had to kill her.
Rosie's hand found the closet handle and pulled it open. Inside a woman and a small girl were bound together, cowering in fear. The woman's blouse and skirt were missing, presumably Rosie was currently wearing them. At the prisoner's feet was a set of dark leathers identical to the ones Rosie had been wearing in the woods a week ago. And with them was a pair of swords in sheaths.
Too late Edwynn realized what the female bandit was after. In the blink of an eye Rosie had both rapiers drawn and poised in a fighting stance. She held one directly before her, slightly off center. The other she held high over her head with the tip towards Edwynn. She vaguely resembled a scorpion this way. The rogue backed away from her, stumbling over Mallet's body in the process. The old man groaned and mumbled something, but remained where he was.
"Should have killed me when you had the chance, boy. There's no honor among thieves." She moved forward at a smooth pace, clearly navigating around the bodies insuring she didn't make the same mistake twice.
Edwynn continued to back away from her until his ankle hit the wall. Rosie stepped around Mallet and steadily closed the distance between them. With nowhere left to retreat to, Edwynn took the only course of action left. He attacked.
Rosie had grown overconfident and the assault took her by surprise. She parried a half second too late and Edwynn closed the distance between them. Blades crossed each other and there was a horrible sound of tearing cloth, and the splash of hot blood. Inertia drove the combatants bodies together for a second, then they both pulled away.
Edwynn stepped back, but as he put his weight on his right leg, it failed him. He stumbled backwards and slammed his head against the wall. He then collapsed in a heap. Looking down, he saw blood staining his pants crimson. She had opened the inside of his thigh six inches below his groin. His artery was exposed and bleeding. He was going to die.
"Nice one kid." Rosie was standing in the center of the room, cradling one hand against her ribs. "I've lived through worse though. Let this be a lesson to you. Never leave a wounded enemy alive."
"I'll try to remember that…" Edwynn's vision was rapidly getting dark.
"To bad for you I always follow my own rules." Rosie raised the point of her sword towards Edwynn's chest.
"Not quite." Edwynn smiled.
Too late Roise saw the rogue's eyes shift focus to something behind her. She spun raising both swords in defense. But Mallet's hammer swept them aside like matchsticks.
"How?" Edwynn heard Rosie utter before he closed his eyes in exhaustion. He was distantly aware of a heavy slap of meat, then a body hitting the floor. His fingers and toes were tingling faintly, like he had been sleeping on them. Then he felt pressure against his thigh and a hand on his forehead. Blinding light seared though him, burning his eyes and ripping up through his thigh. He opened his eyes to see Mallet's worn face looking at him.
"Thanks." Edwynn whispered hoarsely. He looked down at the paladin's blood-soaked midsection. "I thought you were dead."
"'Dogg Kokrekeses.'" That's orcish for 'Holy Cockroaches'. Paladins are hard to kill young man, even when we can't heal ourselves." He pulled his hand away from Edwynn's leg. The blood-covered thigh was marked with a bright red line, but the skin was unbroken.
"That will bruise nasty tomorrow. As will that." The knight pointed to Edwynn's ribs. They too no longer bore any injury. "You should be fine. Now, on your feet." The old man gripped Edwynn by the bicep and heaved him upwards. Planting him upright, he then turned his back to the rogue and went to see to the civilian prisoners in the closet.
"What happened to Rosie?" Edwynn asked.
"Paladins don't like killing if we don't have to. But sometimes… we have to."
Edwynn took a step forward and then stopped suddenly. He was overcome with the sensation that he had just pissed himself. Looking down, he saw nearly a gallon of his own blood run down his pant leg and into his boot. Seeing it, the rogue realized how lucky he was to be alive. Certainly he had 'died' before, but that was in a controlled environment, with knowledge that the gnomish doctor could revive him. If it hadn't been for Mallet's magic he would have died, and Mallet himself had gone down in the fight. If Rosie had taken the split second to finish the old man off…
"Sir Mallius, we really could be going to our deaths today, couldn't we?"
"That just hitting you now?" Mallet asked, although he didn't really sound surprised. He was untying the captured woman and her little girl. "You've been in dangerous situations before."
"This is different. I thought Mythril was going to do all the work. I mean… don't take this the wrong, but… all it took was one knife blow to take you down."
Mallet pulled the last of the bonds from the woman and stood. "All it ever takes is one knife blow." He then took a winter coat from the closet and draped it over the woman's shoulders. "Good lady, I believe I met your husband near the castle gates. He sent us here to rescue you."
"Oh! Noble paladin! Thank you! Thank you ever so much! Sir Mallius is your name? I'll remember you always!" With that the woman grabbed up her daughter and covered the little girl's eyes to hide the carnage. She then ran out the door and down the stairs without so much as a glance at Edwynn.
"Her husband isn't exactly the reason we came in here." Edwynn muttered. "Her story's not exactly going to match up with what happened here."
"They never do."
Outside events had progressed rapidly. As Mallet and Edwynn emerged into the sunlight they could see Marcus's men had already crossed the bridge and taken control of the building on the far side of the canal. Behind him he left a bridge strewn with bodies. Mythril and Myrista joined them, along with Mallet's horse. The priestess's eyes went wide at the sight of Edwynn's blood-soaked leg.
"By the Light, what happened? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine thanks. I just received a life-threatening wound while saving your uncle, the world-famous paladin, from certain death."
"Save the boasting for the inn." Mallet gave Edwynn a dry look before turning to Myrista. "Where's Brogan?"
"He's gone." Myrista's voice had a funny little echo to it. "He never resurfaced after diving into the water. He drowned."
"Don't be too certain of that." Mallet strode forward onto the bridge and began scanning the murky depths. During the second war, orc warlocks would sometimes hide underwater for long periods of time. They could use magic to stop themselves or others from needing to breath. Sometimes they would hide in small lakes with dozens of orc warriors and wait for our main troops to pass them by. Then they would appear and hit us from the rear. It was a vicious strategy that… over there!"
About twenty yards away from the bridge on the mage district side of the canal, movement appeared. Brogan, still wearing the tattered black robes he was dressed to be hanged in, had surfaced and was dragging a panicked soldier with him. The guard had fallen into the water wearing a heavy iron helm, breastplate, gloves and boots. All of that had to be stripped away in order for the two of them to be able to float to the surface.
"Uh-oh." Edwynn muttered. "This could be bad."
The two men in the canal started splashing and yelling for help. The guard obviously couldn't swim. He trashed wildly and it was with great difficulty that Brogan began to pull the two of them towards the nearest side of the canal. The noise had drawn the attention of Marcus's men. Several of them were armed with long pole-axes, which they were extending into the water to assist their fallen comrade.
"One look at Brogan's cloths and they'll know he's a prisoner. We have to do something."
"Follow me." Mallet led them forward across the bridge and then turned left at the magic district avenue, walking away from Marcus's men. Myrista was about to protest but her uncle shot her a withering look and then proceeded to a archway leading deeper into the buildings. As soon as they rounded a corner and were out of sight of Marcus's men, his niece held her silence no more.
"What about Brogan? We can't abandon him! You don't even care that he…"
"That's enough out of you!" Mallet's harsh voice silenced the priestess instantly. "It's time for you to stop acting like a spoiled brat. I've got enough to worry about your moaning about every little slight and discomfort that we run across."
Myrista felt herself paralyzed. In her entire life, her uncle had never once raised his voice to her. As a child all she needed was a pout or a smile to get anything she wanted. Now she realized she had no control over him whatsoever. The thought left her feeling helpless and infuriated her at the same time.
"I won't let you abandon him."
"No man gets left behind." Mallet told her. He pulled his horse's reigns and stepped back the way they had come. "Stay here. I don't want you getting involved in this."
"In what?" Myrista watched the paladin's back as he walked away. "Uncle, what are you doing?"
"Something stupid." Mallet drew his horse out onto the broad avenue to where they could see Marcus's men. He faced the mount towards the armed guards. They had fished Brogan and the wounded knight out of the canal. There seemed to be a great deal of confusion, with several of the men thanking the warlock while others were hostile. The two factions were arguing, and the volume was getting louder.
Mallet patted Star's flank. "The boy. The one you carried earlier. You see him, girl?" The mount looked down the road at Brogan and stamped her foot once. "Good girl. Bring him here. The boy. Bring the boy here girl. Now!" Mallet slapped Star's flank and the beast exploded in motion.
At the far end of the avenue general Marcus Jonathan was just emerging from the shop previously occupied by Defias bandits. He stepped onto the street to find his men drawing their weapons on each other as they argued over a water-soaked young man in the robes of one condemned. Two soldiers were standing defensively in front of him as a half-dozen others swore they had seen him at the gallows not four hours before.
Marcus opened his mouth to restore order, but he was cut off by a cry of alarm. In a single move Mallet's warhorse charged into the center of the mass of soldiers. She split the loose formation in half and swept aside the man holding Brogan sidelong blow from her armored head. Rearing back on her hind legs she spun in a full circle, threatening all around her with her steel horseshoes. She then landed on all fours, lunged forward and bit Brogan's shirt with her teeth. Before he could do anything the warlock felt himself lifted into the air and thrown bodily across the back of the mount. Suddenly he was scrambling to hold on for dear life as the warhorse turned and charged back in the direction she had come from.
Marcus ran out into the street and watched helplessly as his prisoner from this morning escaped on horseback right before his eyes. It had all happened so fast. Looking past the beast to her destination, he saw the battle worn armor and stark white hair that he had sworn years ago never to forget.
"Crownguard!"
Star thundered to a halt before the paladin and the knight half-lifted, half-pulled Brogan from across her back. The old man glanced back at the general and for a split second their eyes made contact.
Then a building across the canal exploded.
"Sir! The Defias have captured one of the stockades' cannons!" One of Marcus's soldiers called out to him over the noise of falling debris. "Sir, we have to attack now!"
General Jonathan glanced back along the canal. Mallet, the warlock, and that infernal warhorse had already slipped around the bend and out of sight. Jonathan swore to himself and then put the whole affair out of his mind. He had a city to rescue. Mallius Crownguard could wait.
"Thanks." Brogan sloshed up the avenue with Mallet to join the others. "You would think the royal guard could show a little more gratitude. I saved their man from a watery grave, and they thank me by trying to put a sword in my gut."
"You used demon-magic to stay alive underwater?" Mallet asked.
"I had to. His armor probably weighed 60 pounds. There's no way I could have gotten him out of there before he drowned."
"Marcus's men know that only warlocks can use the unending breath. And they've seen us together. After today, there will be no future for either of us in Stormwind."
"But my writ…" Edwynn began.
"Will most likely be ignored." Mythril spoke for the first time since the battle had begun. Edwynn noticed that her normally calm and cold façade had cracked somewhat. She was trembling slightly and the glow from her eyes seemed somewhat diminished.
"Are you alright?" Edwynn asked.
"I am fine. It is for yourself that you should be concerned. Lady Prestor is a politician. She will do whatever it takes to obtain what she wants. And once she has it, she will not care about anyone who assisted her in obtaining it. To her, you are a tool, nothing more." The Night Elf stood there for a moment longer. Her glowing eyes paled somewhat and she swayed as though she was about to fall over. Mythril's knees buckled and suddenly Edwynn found himself trying to catch her as she collapsed on top of him. In that instant he discovered that she was not only taller than a human woman, but heavier as well. Pressed down by the druid's weight, Edwynn accomplished little more than simply softening her fall to the ground.
"What's wrong with her?" Edwynn asked as he twisted his way out from under her.
"She's exhausted." Myrista reached down and helped Edwynn push the Night Elf into a sitting position against the alley wall.
"It was just a moment of dizziness. It will pass." The purple skinned elf shook her head to clear it but made no attempt to stand.
"I doubt that." Myrista countered sternly. "I saw you conjure a hurricane from a clear sky."
"It was just a squall. Do not trouble yourselves."
"Try this." Mallet pulled a canteen from Star's saddlebag and removed the cap.
"I need no human remedies." Mythril said, but Mallet pushed the canteen into her hand. Green effervescence slipped out into the atmosphere. The druid sniffed the air and her eyes widened. "The dew of the morning glory?!? But it only grows on the slopes of Mount Hyjal, in Kalimdor. Wherever did you find it?"
"You would be amazed at what you can find in the bazaar if you have sufficient coin." He then turned to Brogan. "I hope it's not far. We've lost a lot of time."
"Follow me." The waterlogged warlock began to march quickly up the street. Mallet assisted Mythril to her feet and they moved to catch up. Edwynn grabbed Star's reigns and began to bring up the rear. He thought he was alone, but he realized suddenly that Myrista had slipped down next to him. She moved close to him and spoke softly so the others could not hear them.
"Edwynn, don't you think it was brave, what Brogan did?"
"What?" the rogue responded. "Going for a dip in the canal?"
"No silly, saving that guard's life. He did it without thinking. He just… ran out there. He saw that someone needed help and just… helped. Isn't that noble?"
"Sounds stupid if you ask me."
Myrista gave Edwynn a dirty look, but the rogue continued.
"Yeah, he saved that man's life, but he was about to get killed in the process. If Mallet hadn't rescued him, Brogan would be dead. And if I hadn't saved Mallet's life, Brogan would be dead. So in a way, you could say that I saved Brogan's life."
"You? Edwynn DeTeems? You saved my uncle's life? I thought you were just boasting when you said that earlier." Myrista's face was filled with equal parts amusement and disbelief. Edwynn didn't know which expression offended him more.
"Hey!" the rogue felt himself getting angry. "I saved your life last week."
"With Brogan's help."
"The hell I…" Edwynn slammed his mouth shut. How could this girl be so stupid. The inside of his right boot was filled with blood up to his ankle, and Myrista was fawning over Brogan's doggie-paddling rescue like the boy was Lothar himself. For a split second Edwynn recalled how Myrista had acted in the basement of the Defias hideout. When Edwynn had rescued her, it was as though Brogan didn't exist. Now, just over a week later, it was a complete reversal. For a second it entered Edwynn's mind that he might be jealous of Myrista's less-than-subtle crush on Brogan, but he dismissed that immediately. No, the problem was that Edwynn had been poor and Myrista had been rich. For years his family had worked in her manor, beneath her notice. Now he was on a real adventure doing real heroics and she didn't still did not notice. It was that lack of recognition that was pissing him off.
"Edwynn?" The priestess's question interrupted his thoughts. "Do you think my uncle hates Brogan?"
"Huh? You lost me there. Why would Mallet hateBrogan?"
"Because he's a warlock? Because of demons and dark magic and such."
"Oh. Well… not really, I guess. But I think your uncle sees him more as a victim than a villain. Otherwise why would he be out here trying to redeem him?"
"It's just… well, since my father's missing; uncle Mallius is the closest thing I have to family. So I was wondering… how do you think my uncle would react if Brogan and I got engaged?"
"WHAT?!?" Edwynn yelled and stopped in his tracks.
"Not so loud!" Myrista looked ahead to where all three of their companions had stopped and were looking back at her. Seeing that everything was fine, they turned and continued.
"Myrista! We're about to get killed trying to save the world and this is what you're thinking about? Girl you need to get your head out of the clouds and focus!"
"Lower your voice!" Myrista's mood snapped back to the authoritative tone she used to discipline the Crownguard servants. "Forget it. Just… forget I said anything."
"Now wait… hand on a second." Edwynn's mind was still reeling, but now he was shifting to a more sinister tract of thought. "I thought you were acting a little strange back there at the prison. When did he ask you?"
"Well, he hasn't actually."
Edwynn's eyebrows shot up. "Well, how do you know he's even interested?"
"I don't actually. It's just… I've been having these dreams. They're so vivid."
"Dreams?" Edwynn's voice was ice cold.
"Yes. About Brogan and I. In them he's a powerful warlock, commanding vast armies. And my father is there. They…"
"Myrista!" Edwynn cut her off. "Doesn't this demon we're trying to destroy usually use dreams to control people?"
Myrista opened her mouth to answer but closed it as they approached the others. Brogan, Mallet, and Mythril had all stopped and were standing in the street, frowning at each other.
"You need me!" Brogan said angrily at Mythril.
"I most certainly do not." The night elf replied. She seemed to have recovered from her exhaustion and was now staring down the boy who was only as tall as her biceps.
"I'm the only one who's been here before."
"That is why you cannot proceed. You are compromised." The Night Elf countered. "Our enemy has manipulated you in the past. I cannot risk the success of my mission on your fickle human loyalties."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Mallet asked angrily.
The druid seemed surprised that the knight was defending the warlock. "The human susceptibility to demonic corruption is well documented. Medivh, Arthas, Kel'Thezad… the list goes on. I insist that he wait outside while the rest of us enter and deal with the situation."
"That's preposterous." Myrista dived into the argument headlong. "Brogan would never betray us. Frankly, I trust him more than I trust you Mythril! He's not the one who stole a magical artifact from us in the middle of the night. We need him. Tell her, uncle." The younger Crownguard turned to the paladin for help.
"Kalimdori arrogance aside, I agree with Mythril." Mallet said.
"What? Uncle how could you?"
"Child, she is right. The warlocks here have powerful magic. Brogan may already be under their control. Now, don't look at me like that. His affinity to dark magic will make him especially vulnerable in there."
"No, it will make me invaluable. I can detect the demons, even the hidden ones."
Myrista turned to the rogue. "Edwynn, what do you think?"
"This is not a democracy." Mallet said.
"Well, I don't remember putting you in charge."
"I'm in charge because I'm the oldest and most experienced person here."
"That is not true, sir Mallius." The druid corrected.
"Everyone relax!" Edwynn said sternly. To his complete surprise, the four of them stopped arguing and turned to look at him. Edwynn was so surprised by this that he didn't even know what to say. Luckily he was a fast thinker.
"It doesn't matter if Brogan is a traitor or not." The rogue began. "The fact is we can't afford to leave him behind. This is probably going to be dangerous enough with all five of us working together. I've seen him do magic, and frankly we need him. Besides, if he was going to betray us, wouldn't you want him where you could keep an eye on him?"
Mythril and Mallet both said nothing. Edwynn could see that Brogan was hurt by what he said, but it didn't matter. It appeared that the knight and druid were going to concede the point. They would stay together. That was what was most important. He could smooth out any ruffled feathers later, if he survived.
"Besides, we still don't know where the coven is." Edwynn added.
At that point all four of his companions turned and looked up at the building behind him. Edwynn turned and followed their gaze.
The Slaughtered Lamb had always been an ugly bar. Set back away from the street, it seemed to have a perpetual shadow across its façade. Now however, that façade was augmented by a shattered doorway, with the hinges torn clear out of the wooden frame. The door itself lay in two halves, cleanly bisected, with the wood smoldering slightly. Above the threshold letters had recently been burned into the building's face. Thin wisps of acrid smoke rose from them. They were in an ancient, alien language.
Edwynn turned to Brogan. "What do the words say?"
"I don't know." The warlock responded. "I can't read them."
"I can." Mythril said. "It is written in Kalamdori, the ancient language of my people. It reads: Enter not this portal, for the taint has taken root here. All within have been judged as wicked and must be purged. Only fire and death await those unclean. So says Colberthas, slayer of Demons."