"What are…you're not one of the servants."
Vaughan dodged back. The sword strike slashed across his stomach, splitting his gold and red velvet doublet. Not deep enough to kill him, though he had no armor to protect him. Raviathan didn't remember striking. His arms, his body, moved of its own accord. Vaughan reached for his knife as blood seeped out from between his fingers. "You bloody knife ear! I'll have you flayed!"
Vaughan caught his second strike with his dagger, the impact jarring Raviathan's arm. Raviathan angled his sword to push Vaughan's arm wide then stepped in with his knife. He watched Vaughan's face as the knife went in to the hilt. The shock as the knife penetrated. His small, blue eyes changing when he realized he was going to die. Raviathan stabbed with his knife again, angling up under the ribcage. He felt the warmth of Vaughan's life blood spill onto his hand. Raviathan growled, "Never again."
The other two were moving. Raviathan caught them out of the corner of his eye. He kicked Vaughan back and turned to face them. One reached for his sword. The other was struggling, his pants about his ankles. White smallclothes lay in tatters on the floor. Shianni. Her long, pale legs. A tiny splatter of blood on one thigh. The thin line of his seed that trailed like a spider strand between their bodies before snapping.
No mercy. No forgiveness. He wanted blood. Raviathan slipped through space, movement without thought. Blood splattered his face when he took off the shem's head. Hot drops, last of the shem's life. The other was making noise. Babbling. His hands were up before him, as if that would stop what was coming. He went down to his knees, his pants still unlaced and pooled below him. Raviathan's sword swipe took off the tops of the shem's fingers and split his throat.
Three bodies. It wasn't enough. Raviathan wanted to kill them again. He stood there with three lords at his feet. Not enough. His bloodied weapons dripped at his sides. Never enough. Rage boiled in him, writhing like a living thing. He wanted to burn the world. The heart inside him howled, beating too fast. Hot blood and fire, and he would feed his wrath as the world burned before him.
Shianni backing to the wall snapped him out of his thoughts. She whimpered, ashen, hurt. She scrabbled to get her dress down. Shaking, clumsy from pain, she huddled there staring at the bodies. His weapons dropped, thudding dully on the carpet. The beginnings of a bruise marked half her face. More bruises on her arms, wrists, and neck. Her gasp brought him short. "Shianni?" Raviathan knelt so that he was eye level with her. "Shianni?"
She stared at the bodies, the blood. When Raviathan moved forward, she flinched back. "Cousin, it's me. Cousin?"
Her eyes were on him then, but she didn't seem to see.
"Cousin?" Raviathan reached forward.
"Don't!" Raviathan froze. Her eyes stared through him. "Stay away!"
The words were like a knife. "Cousin? Don't you recognize me? It's Rav."
A tear slipped out, falling quickly to her dress. "Please," she whispered. "Stay away. I don't want anyone to touch me."
Raviathan sat back on his heels. What to do? What could he do? Helpless. Too late. His mother, his aunt, Nola, Shianni. He had always been too late.
They weren't out of danger yet. There were other guards. "Shianni, I'm going to send Ness and Valora to look after you. I still need to take care of a few things." Oh, cousin. I'm sorry. Maker forgive me.
Raviathan took Vaughan's dagger and the sword from the dead lord along with the weapons he had dropped. What either lord's name was, Raviathan didn't know. He knocked on the door where the rest of the women waited, told Valora and Nesiara that Shianni was in the other room, that she was afraid.
"Valora," Nesiara said, "stay here. Watch the others. I'll get her."
"Ness," Raviathan whispered so the others couldn't hear. "The three lords are dead. So are the guards outside the corridor."
"I knew from the blood," she whispered back. "But thanks for warning me. I'll take care of her, my love."
Raviathan handed her the keys. "Lock yourselves in. Soris or I will come for you."
She nodded. "Maker watch over you."
"Maker watch over us all."
Nola's body was still burning in the chamber. Where was Miram? Raviathan looked down at the guard, his cock still out. Such a pathetic thing to do so much damage. On impulse, Raviathan cut it off. Watched the blood sputter out. The little piece of flesh laying there. The dead have no dignity.
Shouts from ahead. Raviathan's head snapped up. Grabbing a bow and quiver from a dead guard, he ran to the corridor that separated the two upper wings. A well dressed man stood at the top of the stair, a hand over his mouth. Another lord? He was easily in his fifth decade. "Is he alive?"
A voice from below. "Can't tell. What happened?"
"He was on the stair and slipped."
Raviathan crept up until he was behind the shem. Grey hair. Fine clothes strained at his round belly. A high level servant. Steward or chamberlain? Raviathan sent a vicious kick in the small of his back. The shem let out a surprised yelp, his arms going out protectively in front of him, and down the stairs he fell. He slipped and crunched, his blood mixing with the oil.
Not waiting, Raviathan sent and arrow down into the guard's face. Another well dressed servant, presumably the one who had slipped, lay unmoving at the bottom of the stair.
"To arms! To arms!"
Raviathan sent another arrow at the remaining guard. The guard tried to duck behind his sword. The arrow hit him in the shoulder. The guard's armor kept it from going deep. Damn. Raviathan released another arrow. The guard had his shield up covering his torso, but that's not where Raviathan had aimed. The guard cried out as a second arrow vibrated, embedded well into his thigh.
"To arms!"
Blast him! Another arrow twanged and found its target. Raviathan cursed. Unless he was lucky enough to hit an artery, he was wasting his arrows.
Barking dogs. A chill went down Raviathan's spine at the sound, a primitive fear that sidestepped reason. The hounds brayed, the owner yelling, "Where?"
"Up on the second floor. He's got a bow."
"Not for much longer, he doesn't. Hounds, attack!"
Raviathan saw them. Giant, brawny dogs that were all rippling muscle. The skittered, their claws scrabbling for purchase on the stone. Their shoulders were massive, all bunching power ready to release. The hounds growled and snapped, their eyes focused only on him.
Maker, please! Raviathan grabbed the torch from the sconce on the wall hoping beyond hope that the dogs would be afraid of fire. So fast. The first one bounded twice, almost up the stairway. Its claws skittered, and it slipped in the oil. Raviathan threw the torch at it, reflexes from fear. The other two were race up when the oil caught. The hounds squealed in pain, oil coating their fur. Raviathan could smell them burning.
"My dogs!"
The animals were crazed with fear. One hit the banister, the now oil coated wood seizing the fire. Another dog jumped to the floor below, clumsy in confusion and pain. The third tried jumping blindly in the other direction. The tapestry on the wall started to burn, small licks of flame hovering at the base.
The guard with three arrows sticking out of him had lowered his shield in shock at the scene. Raviathan took the chance to aim. The guard crumpled from the killing blow.
"Copper!" The hound master tried to go to the burning animal. The dog tore off down the hall deeper into the estate, his fur still on fire. Raviathan let loose an arrow into the unprotected hound master. It took a second to kill the man. The kennel master had been that dog's only hope. Sorry, dog. Raviathan didn't have many arrows left, but he used them on the two animals. If I can find you, dog, I'll end it quickly.
A guard who ran headlong to the stairs slipped on the oil. He cried out as fire heated his armor. Other guards gathered at the base. One tried to smother the fire off the guard, but the tapestry he used caught as well. "Fire! Get a water brigade!"
The tapestry down the hall moved. Raviathan turned, an arrow notched. Guards came, one after another through the hidden servants' passage. More pooled below.
Raviathan sent an arrow into the first two guards. So many. Too many. They kept pouring out like water from a broken damn. A torrent of them. Armed, armored, and trained. He didn't have the advantage of surprise anymore. He pulled his sword and dagger, retreating to the door to the solar. At least they wouldn't flank him, but his end was only a matter of time.
The guards were yelling. "An elf! The elves came after all!"
"Water! Hurry, before it catches the roof timbers!"
"To arms!"
The first guard was there, sword out and swinging for him. Raviathan ducked, his own sword piercing from below. The armor slowed his blade before it could do any major damage. The guard grunted and readied his sword for another attack, his shield now before him. The guard's first attack had been clumsy, limited as he was by the narrowness of the doorway. He was ready now with a clear path. Sword high, the guard's arm started to shake. Shock registered in his face a second before blood poured out of his mouth.
The poison. Raviathan felt his features twist, but into a smile or snarl, he wasn't sure. He kicked at the guard's exposed knee then slashed at the shem's throat. Blood flowed out like water. Raviathan kicked him back into his fellows on the other side of the door.
"You're all dead!" Raviathan yelled at them. If they didn't die today, they would be dead within the week as the poison broke down their bodies. Bruises wouldn't heal, cuts would continue to bleed. In time, their vessels and veins would leak, the fluid unstopped. They would bleed internally, slowly drowning in the flood of their own blood. Or he would make them bleed externally. Vaughan and those bastard lords were dead. A good portion of the guards would be. If nothing else, Raviathan knew he had taken a stand.
Raviathan lashed out, confidence clearing away uncertainty. Enough bruises, a few cuts, and the guards were clumsy from the poison. He still had a chance. Ness was depending on him. His wife and kin, his friends from childhood. He raised his dagger to parry a blow, his sword diving forward. He thrust with his sword again knowing he didn't have to land a killing blow anymore in order to kill. The guard doubled over, dark blood trickling from his mouth. "You're all dead!"
Calls for water carried up from main gate. Smoke hung in a haze. Wood popped. The light from the corridor brightened when the gates opened. Those idiots, Raviathan thought with satisfaction. The fire roared with new life. What had been alarm calls for order became frenzied.
The guard who came up to replace the two dead was pale. The poison, the alcohol, a crazed elf, and now a fire. Their morale was shaken. Raviathan lunged, stabbing the guard in the midsection. Good. The shem before him was blonde, the color of weak piss. He was young, barely in his manhood. He was terrified. When Raviathan brought his blade down for the killing blow, the shem didn't even defend against it. The blade cut down, deep into the exposed soft tissues of the guard's neck. Blood leaked out like wine.
Another guard came and died. And another. Raviathan bared his teeth, the fire roaring in the corridor. And another fell. Another. Burn the world. Their blood spread out like a red carpet over stone. When no more took the place of the fallen, Raviathan looked back into the corridor. The wooden banister was ablaze like a wall of flame. The tapestry carried the fire to the rafters. No guards in sight, only yells from below. Afraid the flames would block them in, the guards had all retreated.
Soris! Would he be safe? He had no way to defend himself. The only weapon at his disposal was a butcher's knife and a bow he'd had next to no practice with. Even if he ran out the servant's entrance, the guards would follow or go through the main gate. Oh, Soris. I'm sorry. Damn it. Too late. Soris, I hope you ran when you had the chance. If I had planned better…
Raviathan raced back. The door to Vaughan's room was open, but only the dead remained. Wrath rekindled at the sight of the bodies. How many years had these shems been haunting his people? If not for this day, these men would have continued their crimes for decades. They didn't even have to hide rape or murder. They could violate his people at any time with full support of the city's guards. The walls that had been the elves' safety, walls that loomed over their lives, were nothing. Fragile illusions. He had seen a purge. Had seen his mother die. How had he not seen the world for what it was before? As long as there were shems, his people would never be safe.
Bitterness filled Raviathan like acid. The threat of these lords, these nobles, lurked behind every shem. Some had more power than others, but they were all the same. Raviathan wasn't a person. Not Shianni, not Nola. No elf was. Just subhumans to them, little better than animals to be petted or beaten at a lord's whim. Burn the world. Fire overwhelmed his mind. Bright orange flame danced, swirled like a tornado inside him, cleaning him out. Without conscious thought, Raviathan emasculated their bodies. He shoved the soft bits of flesh into their mouths. Take from us no more.
Glancing back to make sure no guards had followed, Raviathan took a few minutes to plunder what he could from the rooms. Purses, weapons, their jewelry and finery, anything small of value.
"Ness!" He knocked on the door. "We have to go. The building is on fire."
"Fire!" a voice squeaked. The lock clicked a second before the door flew open.
"We have time to escape. It's a good distraction, but we must hurry." He looked beyond Valora to see Nesiara help Shianni up. The sight of his cousin pained him as if a giant was squeezing his chest. How much damage had been done? No time. "Don't be afraid of the fire. Stay close to the wall and follow me."
Gasps at the guards' bodies in the solar. More at the pile in the corridor just beyond. Shianni wailed, "So much blood."
"Everyone, we're going for the servants' passage. Stay low and next to the wall. Understand?"
Most nodded. Shianni didn't look at anything. Nesiara was focused on the fire, the bright orange flames reflected in her face.
"Ness?"
She turned to him, nodding once, calm.
The guards were still shouting orders as they tried to get the fire under control. Led by Raviathan, the elves made their way to the servants' door hidden behind a tapestry. The passage was dark, near black after the daylight and flames, cool without the haze of choking smoke. Raviathan felt along the narrow passage with one arm outstretched and another trailing along a wall. When they came to a fork, Raviathan took the right to lead them back to the kitchens. He might have to fight more, but that was the one way he knew out other than the guard heavy main doors. A light from below illuminated that path. A sign from the Maker?
Raviathan hurried down the tight corkscrew stairs eager to be gone. Maybe this exited into the dining hall. Raviathan was sure he could deal with a few poisoned guards. Get out, make a break for the estate exit.
Wait. The corridor… went left? "Who in the Maker's name designed this place?" Raviathan muttered.
"There! An elf!"
Maker's puss spewing ass! "All of you, get back. Go the other way. Wait for me at the top." Raviathan pulled two daggers. Their smaller size would be useful in the narrow passage instead of the long sword. "If you hear anyone coming from the other direction, go back into…" One of the women shrieked as a guard came barreling up. "Go!"
Raviathan got his daggers up in time. He formed a cross to catch the guard's sword, grunting at the effort to stop the sword. In that second, Raviathan got a good look at the guard. He was flushed, but not from poison. The barracks were on the left of the estate. Healthy guards. Raviathan's heart sank. With Vaughan dead, there was no reason to keep the women. But the guards didn't know Vaughan was dead. Even if they had, the guards would probably execute any elves just for vengeance.
The guard's sword thrust forward. Raviathan slammed into the wall to dodge in the narrow confines. Braced against the wall, he kicked out hoping to connect with the guard's knee. The guard dodged in time, sacrificing his balance to do so. Raviathan took the opportunity to strike out. He got a glancing blow, but nothing serious. The guard rushed him, using his size to overwhelm his smaller opponent. Raviathan feigned to one side then slipped past the guard's flank. Gotcha. He thrust his dagger up into the exposed area under the guard's arm.
The shem bellowed. He whirled about, but Raviathan kept pace at the shem's back, narrowly ducking the shem's elbow strike. Raviathan struck hard at the shem's kidney. The armor slowed his blade, but Vaughan's silverite dagger was superior to the guard's steel armor. The blade dove in, driving the shem to his knees. One final thrust, then Raviathan slid his second dagger across the shem's soft neck.
Raviathan pulled the dagger out, tired but grateful that he still stood. Two more guards entered the corridor. The mass of their bodies taking up space like a wall. Maker, do you hate elves? Raviathan grabbed the dead guard's crossbow. At least it was impossible to miss the oncoming shems. The first got his shield up, but the bolt slammed into the shoulder of the second shem. Raviathan dropped the crossbow, grabbed his daggers, and closed the distance until they were only five paces apart. The guards would keep coming from this direction making the women vulnerable from an attack from behind. If he could get to the servants' entrance on this side, maybe he could find some way to secure the door.
Miram. She was still here, somewhere. Was she still alive? With the other women, waiting and defenseless, he couldn't justify going after her. Leave her, and her death would haunt him for the rest of his life. Try and find her, he put the others in further jeopardy.
The second guard, a shem with a dark goatee, had a two handed sword strapped to his back. The weapon was useless in the corridor. The real challenge was the sword and shield shem. The man looked to be in his forties, aged for a guard. Age would make him slower, but he was also experienced.
"Our lord," the older guard said. "Does he live?"
"No."
The guard's lips thinned. "That was a mistake, knife ears."
"So was kidnapping my wife." Raviathan felt like spitting in the shem's face, but he dared not get that close. Yet. "So was raping my kin."
The goateed guard had his hand on the bolt embedded in his shoulder, wincing as he tried to pull it out. "You've no hope, cock rider. When we're done with you, we'll be taking every pretty whore in that alienage and chaining them in the dungeons. You'll never see the light of day again. You'll have a river of cum flowin' out your ass."
Why bother telling him? Were they stalling? Why deliberately provoke him? Raviathan took two steps back. He saw the frustration on the guards' faces. A trap? Had to be. But surely they knew how to disarm it. The other guard hadn't been caught. Raviathan backpedaled. If they weren't willing to approach, he could get the crossbow and simply fire at them from a safe distance.
"Maker spit on you!" The goateed guard slammed his fist into the side of the corridor, hitting a release button. After a mechanized click sounded, the two charged. The young guard surged forward, pushing the older shem out of the way.
Impetuous idiot. He thought size was everything in fighting, even with a bolt in his shoulder and his main weapon useless. Raviathan dodged back as the shem's knife slashed at him. He dodged again, putting more distance between them and the older guard. At the guard's third attack, Raviathan sidestepped. Using the guard's strike momentum, Raviathan pushed the unbalanced shem's arm high to expose the vulnerable underarm not covered by armor. With a quick and wicked slash, Raviathan cut the man's arm to the bone. The shem's scream ended in a bloody gurgle as Raviathan finished him off.
The other guard had been watching him. The stared at each other, and Raviathan realized the guard had been watching him to learn his technique. This guard wasn't a dumb, green recruit. The brutality of such a tactic, to watch his compatriot die, just so he could learn, chilled Raviathan. Weren't there any shems with feeling? Wolves in human skin. The shem feigned a strike. Raviathan skittered backwards.
"So. You're afraid. Not so dumb, are you."
No point in talking. Raviathan feigned in high with his daggers hoping the shem would defend and leave his legs unprotected for a kick. The guard raised his shield as Raviathan expected. A movement at the last second was his only warning. He jumped back, the shem's sword grazing his leg. Raviathan's breath caught at the stinging pain in his leg. It wasn't deep, he knew, but he'd never been injured in combat before.
This man was better than he was. Had more experience. Wasn't poisoned. What to do? Retreat up the stairs? The shem could easily pick up the crossbow and finish him off. Force him back to trigger the trap? Not with this shem. There were no witnesses here. He could… no. Last resort only. This man had more experience, but Raviathan was sure he was faster. If only he understood sword and shield tactics better.
Raviathan put the shem through a series of feints to get a sense of his movements. The shem didn't turn like he should. Raviathan tried again, forcing the shem to defend from the side. The guard did so, but he was awkward. Injured? Is that why he was left behind? The shem could be faking, luring Raviathan into a trap. The smart tactic would be to keep testing the shem to make sure. Make the man reveal himself. He didn't have time though. There was no telling what happened to Soris. There could be more guards taking the women hostage. Or executing them.
Deciding that the best tactic would be to end the fight as soon as possible, Raviathan took a chance and struck out for the shem's vulnerable side. The guard grunted, heaved his sword with alarming speed. It was a trap. Raviathan tried to dodge back from the sword by moving to the shem's shield side. The shield rushed at him. Raviathan got his arm up to brace, but there was no time. He tensed a split second before impact. His lungs empty, he gritted his teeth as the shield slammed into him, knocking him into the wall.
"Rav, duck!"
Nesiara? Partially stunned by the shield, Raviathan had no problem sliding down the wall. A bolt thudded into the guard's chest a second later. The shem gasped, staring down at the bolt. Raviathan took the opportunity to thrust his dagger into the shem's inner leg. Right at the artery. Blood flowed out freely as the shem backpedaled. He fell over the body of his fellow, his breath coming in heavy, sharp gasps.
Raviathan turned to see his wife, the crossbow in her hands. "Is he?"
"Soon," Raviathan said, pushing against the wall to get to his feet. He blinked rapidly and waited for the room to still. "I told you to run."
"Soris came. He's leading the others out."
"Soris?" Thank the Maker he's alive.
Nesiara tugged Raviathan's shirt sleeve. "He had the sense to take some armor off a guard. He's got a sword and shield. Said the way was clear to the kitchens where they could get out."
"Then why are you here? Ness…"
"I looked in the study and library for Miram and Nola. I can't find them. I think they must be in the barracks if they're still here."
"Nola is dead. Ness, please. Run now."
"The whole estate is in chaos. I'm not leaving until we find Miram." Raviathan opened his mouth to protest. "No, Rav. I'm with you." When he opened his mouth again, Nesiara hoisted the crossbow and held it at rest across her chest. "I can be stubborn too. And we're wasting time while the estate burns. My love, I'll stay behind you, but I'm not leaving without you."
Maker's breath. His wife. She had the heart of a lion. "Have you used one of those before?"
"No. Doesn't seem too hard."
"Keep your finger off the trigger and to the side, like this. Otherwise you might accidentally shoot. Also, make sure you don't point it at me, so carry it facing that direction. Yes, that's right. Sometimes they go off on their own."
"Got it."
"Get the bolt case. And the second…"
"I'll run. I know, love."
"Maker forgive me." He should make her go. Raviathan turned, went to the spot he knew a trap was laid, and searched. Once he knew it was there, the latch wasn't hard to find. He rolled one of the guard's helmets across, saw it bump over the trigger. Nothing. "Let's go."
Raviathan listened at the exit. Distant shouts from the guards working to stop the fire. A tapestry concealed the door from the outside. No guards in the hall. "Ness," Raviathan whispered, "keep watch behind me."
She nodded. Privies on the right, and the barracks should be up ahead. The captain of the guard's room was at the back and led to the dungeons below. Kennels on the right. Smoke drifted in wisps along the roof. By the sounds of the guards, the fire had continued to spread despite their efforts. Maker guide us. The two skulked along the corridor. Raviathan tried the first door. Locked. "Maker's ass."
"What is it? And don't curse like that."
"I left the keys upstairs."
"I've got them." Nesiara handed him the crossbow then set to work on trying the keys. Her hands were much steadier than his had been. "Got it."
"Stand back in case anyone is on the other side." Raviathan handed her back the crossbow. Ready with his sword, Raviathan flung open the door. Armor room. No Miram. Raviathan left for the next door.
"Wait. Let's at least get some armor."
"Nothing is going to fit us," Raviathan said, but Nesiara was already inside.
"Husband, all it takes is one arrow. Please." She picked up padding that was twice her size and belted it into place before adding a chainmail shirt.
"Pick out a dagger, and get some more bolts." Raviathan scanned the room. chainmail wasn't bad, but it wasn't silent either. Two of the stands in the back had studded leather armor. That would do. Picking between the smallest and better quality, Raviathan did his best to fit the overlarge armor. He needed extra belts to secure everything, but it was enough. Picking a long bow he could work with, Raviathan belted it on with that Warden's sword, the extra from the lord, and secured a quiver with as many arrows as he could shove into it. He had to admit, he was feeling much more secure now.
In one chest, he found a small pack of concentrated elfroot potions. He took one and downed it. The sting in his thigh ebbed. The lingering dizziness from the shield blow left. Stowing the rest away, he turned to leave.
The chainmail was long on his wife. It ended halfway down her thighs, her wedding dress flowing beneath. White dress, steel chain, and blonde hair braided into a corona. She looked like the paintings of Andraste as the Warrior Bride come to life. "You know, Ness, you look good in chainmail."
She squinted at him. "Just… don't get distracted."
"Can you move alright in the armor?"
"Yes. It's not as heavy as I thought it'd be."
They went through each of the barracks but found nothing beyond chests and bunk beds. The captain's room was large, opulent by the standards of the rest of the guards. Raviathan's lips thinned. "That's the door to the dungeon. With the fire, this building could collapse."
"What about that room we passed?"
"Kennels. She wouldn't be there." At Nesiara's silence, Raviathan turned to her, a silent question on his face.
"Let's try there first." They hurried back down the hall. The smoke was getting thicker, darker. "The guards kept making jokes. Muzzles and training. Bitches," she whispered.
The door swung open before Nesiara inserted the first key. Rows of large box cages lined both sides of the room with hay and dishes in each. Raviathan stared in horror at the burned dog that lay in the middle of the room. The dog's flesh was gone in places, the rest of him oozing. Pink and charred. When the animal whimpered, Nesiara covered her mouth. "Oh Maker. How… how could these men be so cruel? I don't… why would anyone do this?"
The dog whimpered again, a low pathetic mewl. Raviathan thought of the dog he had injured a month ago. The high pitched squeal of pain. Fresh in his ears. The dog's eyes were gone. The whimpering increased when Raviathan got close. "Sorry, dog," he whispered and slit the animal's throat.
Nesiara still had her hand over her mouth when she went to the first cage. "Ness! Don't!"
She jumped back, startled. The dog inside the cage was watching them. All the dogs were. Raviathan's blood chilled. They knew. Maker! He had heard stories of how smart the mabari were, but this? They were all standing, all perfectly still, watching him like malevolent statues.
"Rav? They could be killed in the fire."
"No," he said, his voice low. "They're waiting for you to open the cages. So they can attack."
"What? Don't be silly. Dogs…"
"Come here."
When she left, as if on cue, all the dogs charged their cages. They barked and snarled, biting at the metal that bound them. Nesiara shrieked in surprise. "How… how did you know?"
Raviathan held her, her back pressed against his chest, terrified all over again at how close she came to being mauled. Oh, Ness please. You shouldn't be here. I have to get you out.
"Help!"
They turned to the voice at the end of the kennels. Nesiara ran, moving out of his arms too soon for comfort. "Miram, we'll get you out."
"Thank the Maker." Miram sat, naked and huddled, in the last cage. Bruises covered her body. Blood trailed from a cut on her lip and lesion to her head. Her skin was split in places and a thick collar with a D ring was strapped around her neck. Raviathan found her clothes tossed in a corner and brought them over. At least her dress and shoes fit through the bars. She cried when she saw him. "Rav. I didn't think there was any hope."
"Did they…?" Raviathan couldn't finish. The guard's grunts. Nola's pale blue eyes staring without seeing, her body exposed. Shianni. Shems laughing. Laughing. Couldn't scream. For a moment Raviathan couldn't breathe. His throat closed, dry, jerking. He put a hand over his neck in terror that he was choking.
"Rape me? No. They weren't far from it, but then there was a panic. I heard them yell fire."
"Keys," Nesiara said turning to Raviathan. "These keys aren't for the cages."
Raviathan's throat had eased at Miram's words, but the relief was short lived. "Andraste's ass. If they're with the kennel master, his body is in the middle of the Main Hall. Right where all the guards are and a very big fire."
"Maybe they have a copy around?" Nesiara started searching through the equipment.
Raviathan handed Miram an elfroot potion then tested the cage gate. Solid. No prying it open. He glanced at the mabari. No wonder. The dogs were fearsome beasts. "Keep looking. I'm going to see if there's a war hammer in the armory. Maybe we can break the door."
Raviathan hurried to the door. It swung open just as he was about to reach for the handle.
"Blasted knife ears. You're the cause of all this."
Nesiara gasped. No, Raviathan thought. The threat of this shem was all the more real with her in the room. Raviathan backpedaled, avoiding the shem's first strike until he could ready his own weapons. Another guard followed, brought by the sound of the dogs.
"Those men. They were my friends," the guard screamed at him, another furious swipe of his sword. "A hundred of your whore kind aren't worth one of them."
Raviathan had his blades out. With the two attackers he had little option but to defend. He kept backing further into the room so they wouldn't flank him.
"You're all whores and thieves! We should have set fire to that cesspit and been done with your kind years ago! Worthless!"
Sensing an opportunity, Raviathan ducked to the side of the silent guard. The silverite dagger struck deep, metal screeching against metal adding to the cacophony of barking dogs. The enraged shem jerked. His attacks stopped, so Raviathan kept after the silent guard. He parried a blow then kicked at the guard's knee. It crunched under his foot. The guard screamed and fell. The enraged shem jerked again, face frozen. His watery blue eyes were bugged out, the whites around his irises clear. Raviathan finished off the crippled guard. When he turned back to the enraged shem, the man jerked a third time. He fell forward on his face, three thick, black bolts sticking out of his back.
Raviathan met his wife's eyes. The calm eyes of a lioness.
When all of this was done, he was going to teach her how to use a sword and bow.
She returned to searching for keys. He left to find a hammer.
The corridor was empty save for the gray haze of smoke that hung thick in the air. Raviathan covered his mouth. His eyes teared from the smoke. The fire roared, audible over the terror of men. Orange tinted the end of the hallway mingled with the pure white of daylight. One man started screaming. Stupid shems. Water would only cause the burning oil to spread. Let this horror be your funeral pyre.
When he returned with a heavy hammer, he saw Nesiara trying to pry the lock with a knife. "Stand back. Ness, keep an eye on the door."
The lock only fractured and embedded the bolt at the first strike. Frustrated, Raviathan hammered at the bars until Miram could squeeze through with their help. He stared at the collar around her slender neck. Those hateful shems. They act like animals and put us in collars. It wasn't humiliating enough to strip her, they had to take away everything that made her a person.
"It's locked," Miram said, catching his look, her own rage burning in turn. "I need a knife to cut it off."
"We need to get out first. Follow me. Stay low and cover your mouths." Miram stooped to grab one of the dead guard's sword. Raviathan hurried to the corridor, the two following after. The smoke seared his throat. Even with his mouth covered, he had to fight to keep from coughing.
A crash thundered from the front, hard enough that the stone floor vibrated. A panicked voice called, "The servants' passage. The only way out."
Three guards ran their way. To the Abyss with these shems! "Both of you, get low to the ground," Raviathan whispered.
Nesiara knelt, aimed, and sent a bolt into the shadow of one of the oncoming men. Raviathan's sword and dagger were out. The bolt missed, alerting the guards. "The elves!"
Though hard to see, Raviathan thought they were all sword and shield men. The crossbow mechanism sounded, and a man cried out in pain. "Don't shoot unless you can see who you're shooting," Raviathan said and charged. He flanked to the right catching a guard by surprise. The shems were just as affected by the smoke, their vision blurry. Inexperienced too. Raviathan swept the guard's sword to the side and thrust his blade into the man's stomach. A good strike, but the guard's armor kept it from being lethal. The guard grunted then started coughing.
Raviathan danced back to keep from being flanked. Instead of a sword, the middle guard had a hammer. The hammer guard stepped forward, brushing Raviathan's sword aside with his shield, and swinging the hammer at his side. Raviathan leapt back, the hammer getting a glancing blow on his side. Breathing hard from the fight, Raviathan struggled not to cough. Once he started, he wouldn't be able to stop. His eyes stung, tears blurring his vision. The guard stepped in again, this time striking out with his shield. Raviathan tried to dodge, but the shield caught him in the chest.
The first guard he attacked spied Miram and rushed her. The crossbow twanged again, followed by a thud and, "Cock riding bitch!"
No time. Raviathan kicked at the guard's knee knowing he would either dodge or raise his shield in protection. Dodging would put the guard off balance, defending low with his shield would leave an opening. The guard did both. Raviathan sidestepped and swung his blade down on the unprotected back of the man's thigh. The guard yelled. Distracted by the strike, Raviathan moved in with his dagger and plunged it into the shem's eye.
Raviathan turned. Both women retreated doing their best to defend with weapons they had never used. Miram clutched at her stomach. Red stained her dress from the wound. The guard attacking Nesiara lumbered with a bolt in his stomach, but she was still no match for him. She grunted when the guard scored a hit on her side, but his steel did not penetrate her chainmail. She would be bruised by the blow, but not a severe injury. Raviathan plunged the silverite dagger into the guard attacking Nesiara. The shem gave a hoarse cry then choked on the hazy air.
"Help her," Raviathan said. Nesiara turned her attention to the remaining shem. Raviathan kicked the back of the shem's knee, forcing the man down. A final swipe along the guard's neck.
Both women were panting and favoring their injuries. Had the guard another six months of experience, the two would be dead. Stupid to go after them anyway. Raviathan wasted no time. He kicked the guard in the stomach to push him away from the women, then struck. In less than a minute, the shem was dead at his feet.
Miram fell to her knees, clutching her stomach. Raviathan knelt next to her and offered one of the elfroot potions. "Easy there." He rubbed her back as he tipped the potion for her to drink. She whimpered, her hands over her wounded stomach, and leaned into him. "It'll be alright, Miram."
"Those bastards," she whispered. Her hands clutched, knuckles white. Tears leaked from smoke reddened eyes when she looked up at him. "They were laughing when they stripped me. Laughing when they whipped me."
"No one will ever know. The guards who did that are dead." Raviathan carefully cut the collar off with the silverite dagger. He wrapped her fingers around the leather. No one was going to know about Nola either. "Come on. We still need to get out."
Raviathan squeezed Nesiara's hand then headed down the hallway, tearing down two tapestries as he went.
"Not the servants' passage," Nesiara asked.
"Front gates. I want us out of here. Hurry."
"The fire," Miram said in horror. "We… we can't."
Nesiara took her hand. "You heard him. Come on. We'll be fine."
Miram whimpered as she was dragged towards the roaring nest of fire.
Heat pounded from the hall. The grey haze turned red and finally brilliant orange as they got closer. The fire boiled along the banister, spread along the oil splashed floor, perched like a monstrous bird of prey over the room, its wings raised to swoop down. The crash had been one of the roof timbers. It lay, splintered and broken, charred black, an ominous gate that popped and snapped, its jaws made of flame. The fire scorched, stole the very air to feed itself.
Raviathan flung one tapestry over the timber, hopped over, and tossed the second to create a path to the door. Fresh air mingled with cloying smoke, but the heat was like walking through a forge. Miram pulled back in terror, barely held in place by Nesiara. Raviathan picked Miram up, his arms clamped tight around her to keep her from struggling, and jumped over the timber. Nesiara picked up her dress and followed. Fire roiled overhead. A great crack sounded as another timber split under the pressure of heat. Raviathan put Miram down, and the three ran. Another crash as the burning rafter collapsed behind them.
Blue sky. Clean air.
Two guards stared at the escaping elves in shock, their mouths open. A third punched one on the shoulder. "Don't just stare, you great lump. Them's the elves who'd started that fire."
Two more joined the three and charged. Maker, why? There was next to no way to keep the guards from surrounding him. Nesiara fumbled with the crossbow. Raviathan pulled his weapons. If he flanked and got around behind them, maybe he could keep them distracted so they wouldn't go after Nesiara and Miram. The two could run, get to safety. Ness wasn't going to leave though. Stubborn wife.
Raviathan dodged the first guard and sprinted around. He slashed at the back of the first guard's thigh, heard a satisfying cry of pain as his blade bit flesh. He kept the guards to his front, running backwards to keep them from flanking him. Blood poured from the guard's wound. The shem stumbled and put a hand to his head. Blood flowed like water from a broken vase. These men had taken the poison. Raviathan smiled. He shouldn't get cocky, but the odds had taken a definite turn in his favor.
He whipped his blades forward, shifting his retreat to a charge and taking the nearest guard by surprise. His steel didn't go through the guard's armor, but the bruise would continue to bleed internally. Raviathan retreated again. He brought his dagger up to defend against the guard who had been pressing against his left. Sidestepping so the left guard was blocking his fellows, Raviathan made two quick attacks before backing away again. He could do this. It would be a longer fight, but he could wear them down while the poison did the rest. Swipe and retreat. The first guard was down. Two bolts stuck out of his back. Only four.
Soris ran from the estate entrance. Raviathan's heart leapt. Soris's eyes were wide with fear, but he was unhurt. The guards didn't see the crazed elf running up behind them. Soris hesitated, adrenaline making his movements jerky as he tried to figure out where to hit. Finally, he poked a guard in the back with his sword. The guard cried out and spun. Soris ducked behind his shield, instinct guiding him. Raviathan took out one of the distracted guards and broke the knee of another. In another minute, the fight was over.
Raviathan sunk to his knees. He panted as fatigue made his limbs heavy. "Nice…work, cousin."
"You injured?" Soris looked as pale as bleached bone.
He shook his head. "Tired. Where are the rest?"
"Not far. Hiding. Waiting for us."
Nesiara wrapped her arms around him. "You're shaking."
"Reaction," Raviathan said. With her help, he hauled himself to his feet. "Let's go before more guards come."
Smoke stained the sky in a long, black smudge.