Camping was nothing compared to straw mats. Apparently I wasn't important enough to get a real mattress. The uncomfortable bedding was bad enough, but the words Marcie had said to me made sleep all but impossible. It was some time in the middle of the night, the fire had nearly burned out and there was spreading but a low glow across the room. I got up and wandered around the room a bit wishing there was a window so that I could get some fresh air. I heard a soft creak of leather and I paused in my pacing, waiting to hear the sound again. Suddenly I noticed there was a figure stealthily crossing the firelight going towards my bed. I heard the soft whispering of steel and leather and knew that the figure had drawn a blade. I put my short training with the elites to some good use and made my way up behind him quickly and quietly. He got to my bed leaving over to peer into the darkness and paused in surprise, he slowly straightened but it was too late.

I wrapped my left arm around his neck and drove my knee into his back driving him forward onto the bed. He landed hard and the impact drove the wind out of his lungs in a sharp oof. I hit him hard in his kidney and thankfully he wasn't wearing any armour. I heard a soft clatter as he dropped the knife. I took my knee off his back and hauled him up throwing him onto his back hard. I lifted my fist to hit him but he was already out cold.

I sat up and took a deep breath then went and put some more wood on the fire. I went to the door and told the guard outside to get Marcie. I closed the door again and went back to my bed to find the knife. It was a short little thing, barely the length of my hand. I noticed that the top half of the blade had a darker sheen to it. I guessed that it was coated in poison. It gave me an idea.

By the time Marcie came in, my prisoner had woken up and was sulking in the corner.

"You have a guest I see. Are you alright?" She asked me, eyeing the man in the corner.

"Besides a lack of sleep I'm fine. He had this." I handed her the knife, "careful, the blade is poisoned." I winked at her as I said it and she gave me a small smile.

"Let us see who sent him then." She turned to the prisoner and pulled him to his feet with a sharp yank eliciting a small yelp. "How much am I going to have to hurt you before I get an answer?"

"You haven't even asked me a question." He said quietly.

In the blink of an eye she had his knife point a hair away from is eyeball. Fear passed through his eyes as he tried to shy away from the blade but to no avail.

"I wonder what you happen if we gave you a dose of your own medicine." She asked.

I could hear him swallow from across the room. "You might as well just kill me now because I won't tell you anything."

In answer she pressed the edge of the blade to his cheek and started pulling down ever so slowly.

"Ok ok I'll tell you" he blurted out. "it was a middleman I don't know who hired me. He gave me some gold and told me what room he was staying in and how to use the secret passageway. That's all I know I swear."

Marcie stared at him hard. "I hate liars" she said and drew the knife down his cheek gashing it open.

The man fell to the floor grasping his face. He started scrambling for his pockets in a panic, his eyes wide with fear. He finally pulled out a small vial but it slipped out of his fingers and Marcie scooped it up before he could grab it again.

She held it up to the light, it was a liquid with a pale blue colour. The man was begging at her feet, sobbing and pleading for the vial.

"I'll ask you again," she said to him, "who sent you?"

"I don't know," he sobbed, "please I don't know her name. She was dressed as a maid and kept her face covered that's all I know I swear."

I'd had enough of this. "Get up already, I washed off the poison while you were out."

He stopped sobbing and looked up at me in astonishment. "But but the blade was discoloured." He stuttered.

"Soot and spit." I smirked.

He collapsed back to the floor in relief. Marcie turned to me and gave me a nod of approval. She got the man to his feet and escorted him to the door. "Get dressed I'll be back shortly." She said to me.

"Are you sure you can still do this?"

"Just because I'm older then an oak doesn't mean I'm senile."

"Just a little bit rusty?"

"I meant to hit it ok."

"Are we ready Orpheus?"

"The men are assembled. Marcie just sent word to us. Everything is falling into place." He paused for a second. "Are you sure the time is right Bryce?"

"Things have been in motion for longer then you know my friend. Everything hinges on our success in the next few hours."

Orpheus leaned back on his haunches and gave Bryce a long look. "Are you ever going to let us know what's going on?"

Bryce chuckled, "don't worry you'll see soon enough. Go get ready, I'll be with you in a moment."

Orpheus lifted the tent flap out of the way and stepped into the night.

Bryce lifted the little grinding stone and brushed the fine dust off and set it aside. He poured the powder into a small pouch pausing to admire the sparkling glow. "Always enjoy the simple things in life" he said softly to himself. He added the pouch to several more on his belt, each a different colour with symbols on the sides. "As was the beginning, is now the end."

"The mission was a success."

"Excellent. Does he know?"

"Oh he'll know don't you worry about that."

"Come! We must move quickly!"

I jumped off my bed and ran out the door, almost tripping over the dead guard in the hallway. "Why what's happened?"

Marcie barely glanced my way as we jogged down the hallway. "The king has found out about the underground if only by chance. It doesn't matter now. What matters is that the palace is in an uproar and the underground is being hunted down as we speak. It's only a matter of time before they find out about me to. For now though I'm above suspicion."

"Why what did you tell him?" I asked. We came to a stop at a hall junction.

"I told him who the maid that sent the assassin was."

I stood staring at her in shock. "They tried to kill me? Why would they be hunting you if you're protecting me?"

"It doesn't matter to them. All they care about is that I'm a part of the group. This way." She started down the right then stopped and grabbed my arm to get me going.

As we came to the next intersection I could hear the clinking of armour coming from one of the hallways. Marcie had a dark look come across her face and she grabbed my arm and made me start running.

We nearly ran into the soldiers as we came to the intersection. We came to a skidding stop and I saw that it was the kings guard, but before I could see if the king was with them, swords whipped out of sheaths and we were confronted by a very pointy wall.

"Make way! I need to see the king!" Marcie yelled at them and they reluctantly moved out of the way.

"Ah I see you found him. Did you have any more trouble?" The king asked as we approached.

"It's a mess sire. We have the underground coming out of the woodwork but it seems that they have nothing in common but name. We've captured three of the leaders but I'm afraid the rest have disappeared." Marcie reported.

"As is the way of any rebellion," the king sighed, "well, take him to a safe place and report back to me."

"Yes my lord." Marcie bowed and hauled me off as the king and his entourage continued down the hallway.

We quickly made our way down a few more hallways before we arrived at a locked door to which she produced a key and opened the door.

"This is one of the few rooms without a door to the access hallways. It does however have a secret passageway and I need you to do something very important for me." She closed the door and brought me over to one of the large tapestries hanging in the room. She drew it aside and hand me hold it. "Watch carefully now, there is a handhold here, here, and a foothold here. Pull up with your foot, push right, and pull down your left." With a quiet snick the next tapestry down moved slightly. She took me over and revealed a large section of stone that had pulled away from the wall slightly.

"Where does this go?" I asked.

"In a short time you will have some visitors. They will tell you that the Shadow sent them and you will let them in and show them this passageway. Tell them to go down and wait. When you hear a large explosion, go down the passage and ensure they get out safely. Wait there and a squad of elites should arrive shortly. Let them in and do as they ask. Can you remember that?" She took me by my shoulders and looked at me intently.

"Yes. I'll do it."

She pushed the secret door closed and went back to the entrance. "Do not let anyone else in. Here is they key, keep it locked until they show up." She handed me the key and closed the door behind her.

It was quiet for the longest time. I paced around the room, not really paying attention to what was in it. I went back to the combination tapestry and tried it again just to make sure I knew how it worked. I jumped as someone knocked at the door. I let the tapestry fall back into place and went to the door.

"Who is it?" I asked, hopefully loud enough for them to hear.

"The shadow sent us." Came the low reply.

I unlocked the door and opened it quickly. There was a number of people standing outside, I didn't recognize any of them, but that wasn't what I was supposed to do. I let them all in and closed and locked the door. I went over to the tapestry and got one of them to hold it aside as I worked the lock. The secret door popped open and I herded them through stopping one man to give him instruction.

"Go down and wait by the door. I'll come down and tell you to go, but if I don't, when you hear a large explosion open the door and leave but make sure the door does not close behind you ok?" I waited until he nodded then sent him though, closing the secret door behind him.

I had just finished closing it when another knock sounded at the door. I went over quickly.

"Who is there?" I asked.

"Shadow sent me." Came the reply.

I unlocked it quickly but before I could open it a heavy weight crashed against the door and I was thrown back. It was soldiers.

I had no time to think as my training took over. The first soldier had stumbled while crashing into the door but there was another right on his heels. I stepped forward quickly and drove my elbow into his throat then in the same motion grabbed his sword as he dropped it to clutch his crushed windpipe. I brought the sword around in a backhand swing, cutting into the soldier getting up from opening the door. As I finished the motion I grabbed the door and flung it into the face of another charging soldier. As the door bounced back I lunged past him and stabbed the soldier behind him, driving my sword right through. The man who had the door smashed into his face had dropped his sword and I snatched it out of mid-air then pushed him back into the group of them in the hall. Before they could recover I shut the door and locked it fast.

I stepped back breathing hard. It had happened so fast that I wasn't sure it actually happened. The soldier who's throat I crushed was a sore reminder. He was laying on the floor trying in vain to breath. His face was just starting to turn blue. I tore my eyes off him and went to the secret door. Explosion or no explosion they had to get out.

"Are they set?"

"At your command Wizard."

"You know you don't need to call me that."