Idro awoke to a young lad screaming from down in the market. As he rubbed his eyes, he could make out the scene below. A hooded woman was plowing through the crowd as people dove out of the way. A dwarf, a girl, and a boy were frantically in pursuit.
Perplexed, Idro watched the bizarre chase continue. However, as Idro looked on as the cart sped onto the path above the Sea of Grace, he could make out the shape of a dangling arm protruding from the cart.
With a start, he started to make his way down the path to intercept the woman, but his alarm turned into panic when the kidnapper turned the corner along the path and quickly dragged his brother out of the cart while giving the cart a good kick towards the sea.
That's Imrahil! She won't get very far on foot. There's no way sh- wow, Idro thought as she slammed her elbow into the rock surface behind her, causing a door to open up that was just as quickly shut before the three rescuers reached the corner. They looked pale and the girl screamed as they watched the cart roll fight off the hill and into the sea with a loud splash.
Idro was running at full sprint now. As he came up to the rescue party, he snapped them back into the moment from their disbelief as he yelled,
"There's a secret door the assassin used as she dragged her prisoner away from the cart.
In sighs of relief, Dwafelt, Abigail, and Mathil joined Idro as he hit the rock with his elbow, opening a secret tunnel.
"Come on!", Idro shouted.
"Wait! I think you should hang on to this", Dwafelt said as he handed the prince's sword to Idro.
Idro started, looking at the weapon with a look of reverence mixed with fear. Quickly the moment passed, as he shook himself out of his stupor and nodded to the dwarf before turning toward the dark passage.
As they entered the tunnel, a hooded man observed from his perch on a ledge 15 feet above its entrance.
"I won't need another plan to get rid of the half-blood after all", he whispered with a smirk.
….
"Hurry!", Dwafelt whispered as he followed Idro through the dark tunnel. Thankfully there had been two touches along the wall a few paces inside the tunnel entrance. One had already been taken, most likely from the assassin. However, something did not feel right to the dwarf.
The band turned to the left, then to the right, and to the left again, causing Abagial to feel disoriented. As the group rounded the fifth corner Abigail interrupted her companions' anxious thoughts, "We need to slow down, or we could run into a trap".
"Are you crazy! That woman will escape with the prince if we slow down now" Mathil shot back but quickly regretted it as Abigail gave him a death stare.
"No, she is right. Idro, we must slow down our pace a bit if we want to stay alive to save your brother", Dwafelt stated.
With an impatient exhale of air, Idro replied, "Very well, but our window is closing. She has already reached the end of this tunnel and will be escaping with my brother if we don't make haste".
"I don't understand", Mathil said, voicing his confusion, "how could an assassin get to the prince in his own city? Weren't there guards keeping a watchful eye on the prince?"
"No, we went to your shop in secret. For all the guards know, we are still asleep in the palace", Idro replied. "We...separated shortly after leaving your shop and I went to clear my head. I guess his attacker chose the opportune time between our parting and before Imrahil could get back to the palace", he reasoned aloud.
In his mind, Idro was berating himself, you had to let him go off alone. Father gave you one charge before he died, just one, "Take care of your brother" he said, "He will need you one day"...
The group pushed on in tense silence for a few minutes before the tunnel gradually slopped toward sea level. As they headed toward what appeared to be a doorway at the end of the tunnel, Dwafelt and Idro darted to either side of the opening as they heard voices. Mathil and Abigail froze front of the door before the man and dwarf quickly pulled the pale teens out of the way. As the voices become louder, the four could understand the arguing from the other side of the entrance:
"Sloppy, real sloppy. If I didn't know better, I would say you are trying to expose us instead of working for us.", a male voice lectured.
Idro doused his torch on the wet stone floor. There was only a faint light piercing the darkness from the doorway.
"I am assisting you, but make no mistake, I serve my Master, not the likes of your bankers" A female voice spat back.
Idro and Dwafelt locked eyes and nodded. Abigail looked nervous and Mathil looked as if he were going to vomit. Idro motioned a countdown:
Three … Two ...
"Whatever Hasharin, we will handle the trouble that you stirred up in the marketplace", he said with a smirk.
One.
With a war cry from Dwafelt, the odd band rushed through the opening towards the shocked faces of the guards and the Hasharin. Idro, charging with the sword of Dol-Amroth, causing the guards to take a step back in fear. Then just as quickly, they regrouped their courage and met the tide with a shout of their own.
Dwafelt, brandishing a dwarven throwing axe, threw the axe into the nearest guard's boot, causing him to cry in agony before Dwafelt tackled him. Mathil and Abigail quickly spotted some rocks that were put to good use as Mathil knocked the wind out of a guard just before Abigail's rock hit him square in the forehead, causing the man to crumple to the ground. Idro met the other two guards by clashing his sword with the swords of his opponents before kicking one of the guards off his feet - sending him sprawling.
Idro quickly glanced past the remaining guard at the assassin with piercing blue eyes scanning the fight with a calculated calmness that sent a shiver through Idro.
She's calm…not worried at all by our advance.
Imrahil was snoring at her feet. Suddenly, Idro caught a sword slash out of the corner of his eye. He barely blocked the sword, causing him to refocus on the fight at hand.
Behind Saphira was a small dock with one boat, which led out of the cave into the Sea of Grace. After a quick calculation, she made up her mind as she started to drag Imrahil onto the dock.
Idro, glancing back at the assassin and the prince, saw his opportunity closing. Without thinking, he punched his other assailant in the nose, forcing him to take a step back, which gave Idro space to run past the dazed guard. But as Idro ran past, the first guard on the floor grabbed onto Idro's ankle. Dwafelt who was hammering a guard with his left fist, pulled out another throwing axe with his right hand and hurled it at the guard holding onto Idro. The axe sliced clean through the guard's wrist as the man cried in agony. Idro broke into a sprint as he charged toward the dock as the assassin slide the prince into the boat.
Saphira threw a dagger at Idro's abdomen, but Idro blocked it as it clanged against his sword. Jumping onto the boat he sent a fist flying at the assassin's face, but she quickly deflected the punch and sent a fist of her own. Her punch made contact with Idro's cheekbone, sending him sprawling to the boat floor beside his brother. As Saphira made her way to Idro from the front of the boat, Idro caught a glimpse of a sleep dart tucked into her robe.
Dwafelt, Mathil, and Abigail made their way onto the dock just as Saphira stood over Idro. She glanced away from Idro for a split-second to cut the rope tying the boat to the dock, giving Idro his window of opportunity. He quickly snatched a sleep dart from the assassin's belt and stabbed it into her thigh. With a look of surprise, she staggered back. Idro did not let up, knowing that the window would soon close. He landed a solid punch, square between the assassin's eyes before the dart's effects could wear off. Mathil jumped into the boat as it started to float away. Quickly, he and Idro heaved the prince into Dwafelt's outstretched hands who hauled the prince onto the dock with a sigh of relief. Mathil then jumped out of the boat and onto the dock. Dwafelt's jolly face froze as Mathil turned to see what had arrested the dwarf's attention. The assassin was holding Idro hostage from behind, with a knife to his throat.
The window had closed before Idro could escape.
As the boat made its way out of the cave opening, Saphira gave the three an offer: "Meet me at the family cottage, Imrahil will know where it is. If you meet me there in 2 days, before the sun sets, I will give this man back to you in exchange for the prince. If anyone but you three come with the prince, I will kill this peasant and disappear without a trace."
Imrahil slowly opened his eyes lazily before they widened in shock as his brother floated out of view being held captive by the assassin.
No, not Idro, he thought as the world sank again into darkness.