Mario could be really insufferable sometimes, with his paranoia, Attrei thought. They were at the market, for Maker's sake! Buying herbs and books! Even Korlys had said that the Crows didn't have a cell here, so what was the worst thing that could possibly happen? A criminal seller would keep the change? Just because he was an infamous thief, or claimed to be one, didn't mean everyone else was also a criminal!
He turned back to glare at his friend and tell him what he thought of it, but Mario wasn't there. He stopped in his tracks, frowning. Mario kept telling him and the kids to stay close, and insisted on walking behind them, as if they were puppies that could wander off. And now he was gone? He stood on his toes, trying to see over the heads of other people, but didn't see the thief anywhere.
"Hey, Mario!" he called. "Where are you?"
Korlys turned, at first mildly curious, but it only took moments for his curiosity to morph into concern when a quick scan of the crowd didn't reveal him. It was busy, but not overly so for a port on an island of this size, and the crowd was mobile. He should have come into view quickly. The assassin started retracing his steps, scanning the crowds on either side of the square.
"I don't get it! He was here a moment ago!" Attrei said from behind him. "He took the book I bought."
Korlys turned around. "Where?"
"The stall right next to this one. He took it and said he'd give it back at the inn and that I should move on – you know, he didn't want to fall behind. And then I turned to…" to tell him not to be such a paranoid killjoy. And now he's gone. Attrei swallowed. "It can't have been more than a couple of minutes."
The assassin identified the closest merchant, the one most likely to have seen something, and walked over. He quickly explained the situation and gave the man Mario's description. "Did you see him?"
The merchant shrugged. "Maybe. There are a lot of people passing by. I can't remember all of them."
Korlys jumped over the counter and was at the merchant's side so fast the smirk was still on the man's face as he pressed a dagger to his side. "Would this jog your memory?" he hissed. The man paled as his smirk evaporated.
Before the merchant had a chance to reply, however, Kelton spoke up. "Or perhaps this would refresh your memory?" the noble asked. Out of the corner of his eye, Korlys could see Kelton holding out a gold piece. Whatever works.
"I-it might," the merchant peeped, staring at the knight. "But stress makes it hard to think, you know."
"You know what else makes it hard to think? A knife in your gut," Korlys growled.
Kelton added another coin, put them both on the counter, and slid them over to the merchant. "Here. You can buy yourself a massage once you tell us what you know."
"Geez, thanks," the merchant muttered, as he grabbed the coins. "Yeah, I saw it." He lowered his voice. "But 'twas the Hawkhurst Gang that got him," he muttered.
"Who?" Attrei blurted, confused.
The merchant glared at him; it was obvious he wanted to end this conversation as quickly as possible. "The biggest and most formidable gang of smugglers in West Thedas," he said.
"Where's this gang's hideout?" Kelton asked.
Korlys was glad the noble had spoken up, on the outside chance this useless waste of space knew and actually had the balls to tell them. Normally he wouldn't be this concerned so quickly, but the sailors had warned them to keep their wits about them, as this port was known for how often men and boys were kidnapped and forced to join pirate crews. Pirating was a hard, dangerous life, and the penalty if caught was death by hanging, so sometimes it was the only way for a captain to shore up a crew decimated by the sea or battle. It was why they had kept a close eye on the boys, much to their chagrin.
"Are you nuts?" the merchant asked back. "Go ahead and stab me – much faster and less painful than what those guys'd do."
Attrei smiled at the merchant. He'd expected the man would say something like that. The Crows in Gwaren acted the same, but they changed their minds pretty fast. And just like then, annoying criminals with a funny name were threatening his family. He reached out his hand and gently touched the man's brow, releasing the spell he'd been preparing this whole time. In the merchant's mind, Attrei was now the embodiment of his worst fears. Unless the man had a very strong mind – and from what Attrei saw, he truly doubted it – he wouldn't be able to move, or resist answering his questions.
"Pretty please? Would you tell us where this gang would take our friend?"
Attrei was smiling, but it was the frostiest smile Korlys had ever seen on the mage. If whatever Attrei cast on the merchant didn't work, nothing would, and he was going to gut the fool and walk away, consequences be damned.
"I-I'm not with them!" The merchant said, but when Attrei frowned, he hurried to explain. "I know where their headquarters are, everyone knows that, but I don't know if they took him there!"
"And where is that?"
The man hurriedly gave them the information they needed, and Korlys sheathed his blade. He rejoined the others and motioned to them to follow as he headed back to the ship. "We need a plan, weapons, and equipment."
oOo
Mario woke up in a dark, smelly place that was spinning around so wildly it made him sick to his stomach. A ship? No… this was different. He tried to focus but his mind was completely blank. Eh, whatever. Right now, finding Claudio was far more important. There would be enough time to find out what had happened once his head stopped feeling like a pumpkin someone had started to carve for the harvestfest.
He tried to get up, but his legs wouldn't move. Or arms. He writhed, but his restraints pulled him back, and he realised he was tied to a chair. "What! The! Fuck!"
There was a sound of a key clicking in a lock, followed by the sound of steps. Mario narrowed his eyes, trying to focus, but he was still dizzy. Two guys walked in, standard issue thugs.
"Dunno who you assholes are, but you better let me go before my Antivan finds me and butchers you all," he said instead of hello.
The blond rolled his eyes. "Oh, you know a Crow, do you? You and every other jerk we bring in here," he said derisively.
Mario made a derisive snort. "No, not a Crow. A guy who eats Crows for breakfast," he said. "Petty pirates are no challenge to him at all. Release me while you can." He never expected it to work, of course, but while they talked, the fog clouding his mind was slowly lifting; the effect of whatever shit they used on him was finally ending. He hoped to scan more of his environment while the guy blabbered, but all he saw were rough stone walls, an earthen floor, and a heavy metal door.
His companion turned to the blond. "Let's get this over with. It's almost time for lunch."
The blond grinned unpleasantly, revealing several gaps where teeth should have been. "With pleasure." He hefted a hammer Mario hadn't noticed before, and without warning, brought it down squarely on the elf's right hand, breaking the thin bones connecting wrist to fingers.
Mario screamed as sharp, stabbing pain shot from his hand to his whole body. What the fuck was going on? Did he pickpocket these guys? But even if he did, they wouldn't know it was him. And they didn't know about Korlys and the Crows. Most likely they wanted him to be one of the pirates. "If you want me to join your crew, why'd you do that?!"
Both men laughed cruelly. "Join our crew? As if!" the one without the hammer sneered. "Why would we want a runt like you?"
Mario ground his teeth. "Then what do you want from me?" Was this their idea of fun? Did they get off by torturing elves? Human pigs were capable of anything…
"Nothing," the blond said. "Just doing our job." Then he swung the hammer down on Mario's left hand, shattering the bones on that side.
Mario screamed, panic flooding his mind. Whatever their 'job' was, he wasn't getting out of here alive, that was becoming clear. Even if they left and if he wasn't tied to a chair, he wouldn't be able to get out of here by himself. They tied me? They used ropes that can't be picked… Did they know after all? "You're with the Lizards?"
The blond's companion snorted. "Those penny ante thieves? Nah. The boss is just doin' a favour for them."
"I can pay you more than them, you know," he offered. He didn't intend to give them a single copper – if he got out of this, he'd kill them like Korlys taught him – but it could convince them not to use that fucking hammer on his head.
The blond sighed heavily. "We already searched you, of course. Didn't think we'd take a chance you were armed, did you? And yes, we took all your money while we were at it." He swung the hammer again.
"Wait!" Mario turned to the other guy, who was watching it all with a silent, cruel smile. "What thief carries all his money with him? I'm not talking about that petty change. I stole and sold one hundred rolls of the finest silk, and that was just one of many deals. Just name your price already."
"Sorry, Putsy or whatever your name is... Just doin' our job, you know. Nothin' personal."
Mario laughed. "So, you're nothing but the toadies for 'penny ante thieves' after all, is that what you're saying? You can make more profit if you let me go; but if you don't, my Antivan will kill you all. He'll be here any moment now." I hope.
The man's eyes narrowed in rage. Instead of replying, however, he just walked over and punched Mario so hard, he flew back in his chair. The back of his head hit the hard packed earthen floor, sending stars shooting across his vision before the darkness swallowed him again.
oOo
Once they knew where they were going, Korlys led them back to the ship, where they quickly explained everything to Claudio and Captain Jack. The assassin outlined a rough plan of attack, then he, Claudio, Kelton, and Attrei picked up the weapons and supplies they might need and left for the smugglers' den. The boys stayed on the ship, preparing the escape.
They found the smuggler's compound, and Korlys had them wait in the forest while he reconnoitered the area from the shadows. He returned to Claudio, Attrei, and Kelton with a body slung over his shoulder, which he dumped unceremoniously to the ground. "Attrei, I brought someone for you to question," Korlys said while tying up the smuggler. He broke a vial of smelling salts under the bandit's nose to revive him.
Attrei nodded, and started to chant the spell. By the time the man came to his senses, it was ready. Attrei touched the man's brow.
"Your comrades abducted one of our friends – an elf, a bit shorter than me, dark brown hair and eyes. Have you seen him?"
The man glared. "Go fuck yourself."
Attrei smiled. He focused on the man, searching, feeling… Ah, there it was. He couldn't help but giggle when he saw what the man's greatest fear was. "Don't talk to me like that, young man, or I'll wash your mouth out with soap!" he screeched. "Now tell me while I'm asking nicely, where is the elf?"
Korlys thought he'd been prepared for anything, but Attrei's words caught him off guard. He was glancing over to see if the mage was okay, when his attention was caught by the smuggler's expression instead. It was as if the cocky hardass had been instantly replaced by a terrified eight-year-old.
"He's in the warehouse just down the way, mamma. I can take you there right now!" the smuggler replied, cringing as if braced for a blow.
"You're not going anywhere! Just tell me the way! I'll go deal with your naughty friends myself! And you are going to stay in the cellar until you learn some manners!"
The man managed to stammer out directions in between all his blubbering – sheesh, you'd think Attrei had just said he was going to shove red-hot coals up his ass or something. Korlys had no sympathy. He mouthed, 'how many?' to Attrei, not wanting to break the spell.
"How many of you silly little shits are down there?" Attrei asked.
"Twenty," the man blubbered.
Satisfied, Korlys unsheathed his dagger and put it to the man's throat, grabbing a handful of his hair and pulling his head back at the same time. "Move away Attrei. I do not want you to get blood on you."
Attrei swallowed. "I can put him to sleep," he said. He knew that Korlys and Mario had killed the Crows that had hunted them, but this was different. He didn't want to see it.
Korlys just shook his head. "We cannot afford for you to be drained of mana before we rescue Mario. You know that. Just look away."
Attrei looked at Claudio and Kelton, but both men remained silent, offering no support. He bit his bottom lip. He didn't want to kill this man… but he didn't want to risk losing Mario, either. He nodded, then turned and walked a few steps away.
Korlys slit the man's throat, dragged his body into the underbrush, then backtracked, doing his best to erase any signs of their passage along the way. The little mage still had his back turned, but the other two men were waiting for him silently. "Let's go."
oOo
I should've asked Attrei to teach me how to turn into a bird, Claudio thought morosely. Then he could've ridden on the shoulder of their knight in shining armour, or even Korlys, to conserve his energy. It was probably better that they hadn't braved the tunnel in the end – for a moment, he was worried Korlys was too anxious to care about safety, and would just run down and kill anyone who got in the way. By the time they reached the place where they were allegedly keeping Mario, he'd have had to pour so much healing magic into them, they would have basically turned into lyrium puppets.
But he didn't have to worry; despite the anxiety that Claudio could sense in him, Korlys remained calm and professional as he considered all their options and, after a brief consultation of the map, decided to sneak up on the smugglers from behind. There weren't many places in this area where a port for big cargo ships and a warehouse could be. The most likely place was surrounded by steep rocks; it wouldn't be a pleasant walk but hopefully there would be fewer guards there. With the name these smugglers had in Brandel's Reach, no one sane would attempt to sneak up on them anyway.
But these guys, Mario and Attrei, and Korlys too, since he'd left the Crows, they weren't exactly what Claudio would call sane. Sneaking onto a ship full of Crows in Ferelden; going against dozens of guards in Alamar; Claudio could see a worrying trend here.
oOo
They were still some ways away when Korlys froze, holding up a hand to indicate that the others should do the same. He was at the front of the loose tactical formation they'd been walking in, with Attrei behind him, then Kelton and Claudio bringing up the rear. Korlys and Attrei both looked to their left, and half a second later, the humans turned towards the sound as well. The assassin could hear two people walking cautiously, the way well-trained soldiers habitually would.
Korlys unslung the bow he'd brought with him from the ship as a backup and nocked an arrow. They spotted the men at the same time the men spotted them, too far away to engage in close combat. Korlys managed to get off a ridiculously lucky strike, hitting one man square in the left eye and dropping him instantly. The other one, however, grabbed a bugle, and was sounding the alarm before the assassin could even grab another arrow. Figlio di puttana. He dropped the second guy with his next arrow, but it was far too late – the damage had been done. He scanned the area quickly, then motioned everyone over.
"We do not have time to find a defensible position, so we must stay mobile and pick them off as we can." He turned to Kelton. "It is impossible for you to hide, so you will be our diversion. Keep their attention on you." He turned to the mages. "Attrei, turn into a bird and stay that way until it is over. Do not cast, no matter how badly it goes. Conserve your mana. Claudio, hide in the thickest parts of the underbrush, as far from the action as possible, and do not move until I am done. I will circle around them and pick them off one by one. Understood?"
Attrei immediately turned into a bird and flew over to the nearest tree; he knew Korlys could do this, and Claudio could keep him fine if necessary. But if Korlys was badly injured, who would save Mario? He had no idea what to do, Claudio was just a healer and Kelton… he wasn't sure, to be honest. He seemed strong, but would that be enough? No, better to stay alert and ready, just in case.
Korlys melted into the shadows as Kelton drew his sword and took a few practice swings to warm up. The assassin kept moving parallel to where the two guards had been, waiting to see how large of an arc he'd have to make to get around whoever was coming. It didn't take long. As hard as it was, he forced himself to simply listen and wait until he was reasonably sure the squad of men sent out to attack them had passed by, and there were no stragglers. He could hear the warrior's battle cry as he began stalking his prey.
oOo
The fight was over in a few minutes; the smugglers must be really certain of themselves to send only six men against intruders. For a Crow hiding in a forest, they were little more than prey, especially with the big warrior in his shiny armor distracting them with his mighty war cry. The young noble sure knew how to fight, Claudio would give him that.
"Any injuries?" he asked, more out of custom than any real need.
"It seems I was worried for nothing!" Attrei said, relieved, turning back to himself. "From what we heard, I thought the smugglers would be much stronger."
"They should have been," Korlys said. "Do not assume anything, Attrei." He and Kelton dragged the bodies into the underbrush, and the assassin did his best to quickly brush away signs of the struggle, although it was far from perfect.
Korlys took the lead again, and before long, they reached a gentle hill that gave them a good position with which to observe the warehouse while staying concealed. The building sat a distance away from a line of seaweed across the beach that marked the high tide point. A wooden pier connected it to the docks. From the outside, the warehouse resembled a very large barn, and the doors stood wide open. There wasn't a ship docked currently, so Korlys could only assume it was to let the cool sea air in.
Unsurprisingly, the guards were on high alert. There was no way to do this stealthily, it seemed. He turned to Attrei. "I need you to fly through the open doors and scout out the building. See if you can locate Mario, and note any alternate exits and how many other guards are in the building. If you can, locate the tunnel entrance, but do not take excessive risks to do so."
Attrei didn't waste any time replying. The warehouse was just that – a warehouse, not much different from the hold on the Freedom's Shadow, only much bigger. Rows and rows of crates, packages and barrels were stacked on shelves that lined the wall, with huge barrels forming aisles. Some had red skulls painted on them; how odd.
He flew around the warehouse, and spotted the faint lines on the floor – a trapdoor to the tunnel, he guessed. But there was nothing that resembled a cell, only a small room with the window overlooking the warehouse. The window was open, and Attrei flew in, but there was only a desk overflowing with papers and old quills, a chair, and a shelf with more packages. Above the desk, there was a piece of glued cardboard, with names of ships, and arrival and departure times. The nearest arrival was an hour from now.
Maybe that was why it was so empty? He'd expected it to be as busy as when he and Mario sneaked onto Freedom's Shadow, back in Gwaren, but besides the guards in the three watchtowers, he saw only ten or so people. He wished he could check the tunnel, too, but even if he put everyone here to sleep, he wouldn't be able to lift the trapdoor all by himself. Better not waste time and go back to Korlys; he'd know what to do.
oOo
"Let me see if I got this right," Claudio said incredulously. "You and I go down into the tunnel to find Mario and get him out. I hope you practiced your lockpicking… While Kelton and Attrei stay here to make sure no one comes near the warehouse?" He rubbed his nose. "What do you think about it?" he turned to Kelton.
"I think we're the sidekicks, that's what I think," Kelton joked. In spite of his jest, it did seem to be a solid plan. Now he just had to think of some way to keep the guards' attention without arousing their suspicion at the same time.
Claudio shook his head. This 'plan' was sheer madness; it could never work. He opened his mouth to say so, but Attrei was faster.
"Alright," he said, in that determined, non-Attreish tone Claudio had only heard him use once before, when Korlys was in danger in Alamar. "Leave these guys to us. You just bring Mario back."
oOo
Kelton walked out onto the beach, confidently leading a halla behind him. The sight of the guards snapping to attention, weapons pointed their way, didn't faze him in the least. If there was one thing the warrior knew, it was the importance of projecting an air of confidence in oneself at all times.
"Halt," one of the guards shouted, but Kelton didn't break his stride.
"Stand down, you fools. Can't you see I've come to do business?" Kelton replied, mimicking the rough accent more common to mercenaries than nobles.
"What business?" The guard asked, looking from him to the halla. "A single goat ain't no business."
"Goat?!" Kelton yelled, sounding genuinely insulted. "Anybody with any sense can tell the difference between a halla and a goat." By this time he had managed to walk right up to the guards, but that didn't surprise him. When you presented people with a novel situation, they were frequently ill-prepared to handle it, hence the term, 'caught off guard'. The fact that he had stopped and was obviously not preparing to attack them helped, too.
"Yeah, yeah, halla or goat. Same difference. Both stink to high heaven," another guard muttered, sniffing.
In fact, it was the bee repellent they'd smeared all over themselves before leaving the ship, but if the guards mistook it for the halla, Kelton wouldn't disabuse them of the notion. "I'm here to make a deal."
"You're in the wrong place for that. Deals are made at the main office," the guard said. "But we don't smuggle cattle," he added derisively. The guards laughed.
"Halla are as rare as diamonds, but I guess you're too stupid to know that," Kelton replied, trying to continue the argument without having it spill over into violence or have the guards tire of it and just disengage altogether. Hopefully it wouldn't take too long for the others to rescue Mario. He had improvised bombs, really just jars of bees, in his backpack ready to go as soon as they appeared.
oOo
Korlys cast shadows and slipped into them, with Claudio close enough on his heels to be hidden as well. They timed it perfectly, hugging the side of the warehouse as they moved forward, only turning the corner and slipping inside when none of the guards were facing their direction. The long rows of crates stacked almost to the ceiling created aisles that were too far apart for Korlys to feel safe, so he scrambled to the top of the nearest stack, with Claudio just behind him. The assassin proceeded to make his way to the far end in a low crouch, stopping and listening for long moments, but he couldn't detect any movement inside the warehouse. Hopefully that meant they were alone, at least for now.
Attrei was right – the trapdoor leading to the tunnel wasn't hard to find, at least if you knew what you were looking for. It was right in the middle of a wide open area, which was a bit unfortunate, as it meant they'd be exposed when using it, but there was no help for it.
The assassin could see from where he was perched that there was no obvious handle or mechanism to open it, so he signalled for Claudio to stay where he was, and slid to the floor to take a closer look. The door was made from the same wood as the rest of the floor, but Korlys could see a faint crack in the outline of a rectangle. His fingertips lightly traced the shape until he found a cleverly concealed latch. A quiet click and the door opened just enough for his fingertips to curl around the edges and pull it ajar. He had to admire the workmanship – the hinges had been invisible until the door opened.
Korlys took a cautious peek in. The trapdoor was located at the very end of the tunnel, so there was nothing but a rough stone wall to his right. To his left, the tunnel curved after a few yards, but at least their immediate surroundings were empty. He waved for Claudio to join him, and they slipped inside.
oOo
Claudio glanced over his shoulder. All was quiet; no sound of a fight, or feet stomping in their direction. But how much longer could it last before the smugglers saw through Kelton and Attrei's little trick? It was moments like this he almost wished he had Crow training – Korlys was calm and cool as a cucumber, as if they weren't risking their necks in an insane rescue attempt. Which, Claudio now remembered, he had promised himself to never do when he joined these guys.
The tunnel widened at a little crossroad; the main tunnel continued straight forward, but three more branched in different directions. They stopped, Korlys obviously looking for a clue which way to continue, and he waited to see what Korlys would decide.
The sound of someone whimpering – male by the sound of it – came floating down one of the hallways to their right. Korlys made a low growling noise in his throat. He couldn't see to the end of the corridor by the flickering light given off by the oil lamps placed at uneven intervals along the walls. He turned to the healer. "Stay here for a moment while I scout the layout," he said in a low voice.
Korlys crept forward slowly until he came to a heavy wooden door with a small opening about at the level of a person's face. Two metal bars kept the hole too small for anyone to squeeze through. Barely breathing, he stood up from his crouch until he could see in, wishing he had a small mirror with him to minimize the chance he'd be spotted. But it couldn't be helped now.
Two men were looming over Mario, who was tied to a chair. Both of his hands were swollen to the size of grapefruits, bloody and discoloured. He also looked to have been repeatedly punched in the face by someone wearing heavy rings. Korlys couldn't tell from here what other injuries he might have, but there was no time to waste. One of the men had a very big hammer in his right hand. He would die first.
Korlys unslung his bow and nocked a poison-tipped arrow. The man was saying something, but it didn't register, focused as he was. As he let the arrow fly, the bandit shifted his weight, and instead of the arrow being embedded in his back, it hit his left shoulder blade, and stuck fast.
The man howled in pain and rage as he turned towards Korlys, but the assassin had already nocked another arrow. He paused half a second, just long enough for his buddy to turn completely around, before letting the arrow fly. Bullseye! Korlys thought with black humour, as the arrow buried itself in the second bandit's right eye socket. He was getting good at this.
Now that they were both dead men walking, Korlys switched the bow out for his new karambits and opened the door. Neither men were disabled yet, it would take a bit of time for that to happen, but Korlys wasn't planning to speed them to their graves unless necessary. Better to have them suffer before they died.
"Told you he'd come," Mario muttered smugly.
The first bandit roared as he raised his hammer and lunged for him. Korlys easily dodged and used the man's forward momentum against him to send him sprawling.
The assassin used the time that bought him to deal with the second man, who had been smart enough to rip out the arrow. It had taken his eye along with it, but that was beyond repair anyway. The bandit had an evil-looking short sword in right hand, meaning he'd lost sight on his dominant side, putting him at even more of a disadvantage.
Korlys darted forward, plunging both karambits into the man's belly, and slashing outward as he pulled back, partially disemboweling him. Looks like they work as advertised, he thought with satisfaction. The man immediately dropped his sword and started trying to tuck the long loops of intestines that now hung to his belt buckle back into his stomach cavity. That should keep him occupied for a bit.
He turned to see the first bandit had regained his feet, but the sight of his friend's guts and Korlys' maniacal grin unnerved him, and he turned to flee.
"Where are you going? Not feeling so much like a badass anymore, are you?" Korlys taunted as he swept the man's feet out from under him again.
"Whatcha doing? Just kill them already," Mario muttered again. "Gimme out of here!"
The sound of his lover's voice, weak as it was, penetrated through the red haze of bloodlust. With a frustrated growl – these men deserved far worse! – Korlys sheathed his weapons and picked up the hammer the bandit had dropped while the man was struggling back to his feet. Before he could get his guard up, Korlys swung the weapon with all his might, connecting with the man's temple and dropping him like a ton of bricks. The hammer, its head coated with gore and matted hair, clattered to the ground and skittered into a corner.
As Korlys turned to Mario, the bandit with his entrails in his hands attempted to run out, but he was so unsteady on his feet, Korlys was able to shove him backwards with one hand planted on his chest. The man's arms pinwheeled in a vain effort to keep his feet, but he landed on his ass and howled in pain.
"Can you walk?" Korlys asked Mario, keeping one eye on the bandit as he cut the ropes that bound Mario to the chair.
"I think so, yeah," Mario said. "One of them took my knives."
Korlys quickly searched the two men and found the blades. He tucked them into his belt. "Come on, we do not have much time."
oOo
How much time had already passed? Ten minutes? Fifteen? The smugglers had long lost interest in the halla, but at least they didn't attack them or send them away; Kelton had convinced them to let them 'wait until someone with sense came to appreciate this rare opportunity', but that wouldn't be enough once their friends returned from the tunnel. Attrei tried to listen for any sound coming from the warehouse, but either a halla's hearing wasn't all that great, or they were still too far away.
He made an annoyed snort and pawed his front legs, pulling at the reins. Having to stand here, not knowing what was happening, if they were alright, was far more irritating than he expected. If only he could get closer to the warehouse – oh. Maybe he could. He pulled again with all his might, and managed to get out of Kelton's hold. When Kelton turned to him in surprise, he jumped aside.
Catching on quickly, Kelton played along. "Come back here, you beast!" he roared, and made a show of running after the halla.
Attrei pranced away, just out of reach, and stuck out his tongue at the noble. The smugglers laughed and taunted Kelton about how the halla was more clever than he was.
They made a little show of it – Kelton running closer, he prancing away around the camp, but always closer to the warehouse. Once he was in front of it, he stopped, as if he was observing Kelton and the smugglers; in reality he was trying to hear anything from the inside.
It was difficult, with the crude laughter and taunts, but… he was almost certain he heard footsteps. He gave a pointed look to Kelton and ran off to the forest; he had to change back and cast!
The warrior stopped chasing and knelt down, unslinging his backpack. The others must be close to arriving if Attrei had bolted for the woods. Hopefully, they'd have Mario with them. He made a show of rummaging through it, his back sheltering the contents from view, as he muttered angrily. "Damn beast. He'll be back as soon as he smells these sugar cubes... now where did they go?"
oOo
With Claudio's healing skills, they managed to get Mario up and walking, but the bones in his hands would take more time. They made their way to the ladder leading to the trapdoor. Korlys turned to Mario. "You cannot climb, so you will have to ride piggyback. I am strong enough for both of us."
Piggyback. When was the last time he'd done that? But Korlys was right, of course, and now was not time for pride. Claudio had given him a strong potion and cast a spell on his hands, but they were still useless. "Okay," he said with a nervous little laugh. "Don't drop me."
"I am sure he will not. But I will go first, sí?" Claudio said dryly.
"There may be bandits waiting in ambush," Korlys warned.
"It seems you gravely underestimate me," Claudio said haughtily. "But, va bene – I will wait here instead, in case you fall and need healing."
Korlys chuckled at the healer's change of heart as he crouched low enough to enable Mario to get situated on his back with Claudio's help. Then he carefully climbed the ladder, trying not to jostle Mario's hands too badly. The assassin used one hand to push the trapdoor open a crack. He peered out, listening for anyone nearby, but heard nothing. Korlys pushed the door open the rest of the way and climbed out, Claudio following right behind.
They waited as Korlys took a moment to close the trapdoor and push a heavy crate over it, just in case reinforcements tried to come, then made their way cautiously to the exit in the shadows.
Mario's eyes widened as he watched the scene before him. He'd been ready for anything. Bandits asleep, screaming in fright, dead or dying in agony by poison… Just their business as usual. But the bandits were neither dead, nor dying – in fact, they were very much alive. Running, yelling, flailing about, dive bombed by a massive swarm of bees. And in the middle of all the chaos stood Kelton, his arms crossed, with a big grin on his face.
He couldn't help chuckling at the sight. "You used bees? How come they don't get Kelton, too?"
"Oh," Korlys said, realization dawning. "I was supposed to put bee repellent on you. I was so focused on the rescue, it slipped my mind."
Mario was about to suggest using it now – no way he'd miss this chance to walk amidst the bees like a master of the universe with a smug grin – when an arrow thudded into the sand right next to Kelton.
Kelton had his shield up in an instant as he looked up. By the angle of descent, it had to have come from one of the guard towers, which meant Attrei hadn't managed to put them all to sleep. "Take cover," the warrior bellowed, as he started swinging his sword among the bandits, cutting them down while they were still incapacitated. He didn't like it, but he couldn't retreat and give them an opportunity to recover.
oOo
Darn! Attrei landed on a tree branch, and his leg buckled in pain. This was way too close to the darned watch tower, but there was no chance he could fly all the way back to Kelton without a break. His leg hurt so much he was tempted to use one of Mario's swear words.
Oh, damn the guard and his attentiveness and his good aim! How could he have spotted him between the trees? The guards at the first tower hadn't noticed anything, but this man had shot the moment he turned into an elf. He didn't have time to chant a single syllable! At least the arrow hit him in the left thigh, not an arm – he wouldn't be able to fly if it did. He kinda hoped that when he turned into a sparrow it would fall out, since a sparrow's leg was so small, but no such luck. It stayed with him, just like all the other things he wore or carried, and even though it wasn't visible while he was in his sparrow form, it was still there, hurting like hell and making flying difficult.
Attrei set his jaw. He turned back into an elf and broke the shaft in half; he was half-tempted to pull the arrow out, even though he knew that was stupid. And healing his leg while the arrow was still firmly stuck in it was pointless. This would have to do. His only chance was to somehow fly back. He must reach the others. Before it was too late.
oOo
Dante stood on the foredeck, trying hard to look cool and relaxed, despite being excited and nervous to the core of his being. To his right, Anastasio was doing exactly the same thing. After all, this was their first real big task. The whole plan, and the lives of pretty much everyone else on their team, depended on them doing the right thing at the right moment.
"Ser Captain? Are we close enough yet?" he asked, as calmly as he could manage.
Captain Jack took another quick look at his map, although he felt certain of the place, and another quick scan of the shoreline for as far out as he could see, just in case there were sentinels stationed this far out. He lowered his spyglass. "Aye, this is as close as we dare approach. From the lifeboat, it should be easy to spot the warehouse from that curve ahead." He pointed out the spot, still unsure of the wisdom of sending boys to do a man's job. But Korlys had made the call. At least he'd managed to persuade them to take one of his best sailors along, just in case. If nothing else, they needed someone who knew how to row a boat.
"Alright, let's do it now." They got into the boat with the sailor and were quickly lowered down. The lifeboat's nearly flat bottom allowed them to hug the shore more tightly than the Freedom's Shadow could, and they were hidden from view of the warehouse until they were almost upon it.
The sailor slowed the boat until the keel brushed against the sandy bottom. The apprentices jumped out and waded to shore, then made for the treeline a few yards away. Staying close enough to keep in sight of the sea, they used the forest and shadows for cover as they followed the shore around the bend. There it was!
Anastasio's heart, which was already pounding in his chest, leaped to his throat. There was so much to take in, but he quickly identified each member of their party – Kelton was drawing his sword and looking up, Korlys, Mario and Claudio, all standing to one side, were also looking up. But where was Attrei? Kelton got his shield up just in time to keep from getting an arrow to the face.
Before he could turn to confer with Dante, a sparrow landed on the beach, just about three yards away from them. It turned into an elf right before their eyes and collapsed, a broken arrow sticking out of his leg. Another arrow whizzed past Attrei seconds later, barely missing him. It buried itself in the sand an arm's length away.
Anastasio yelled, "Come on, we need to get him out of there!" and took off.
Dante was just about to pull the pin on the Crows' signal bomb that would let the others know they had arrived – they were similar to the smoke bombs Mario was so fond of, but timed to explode in midair and produced thick, coloured smoke – but now he stuffed it back into his pocket. Taking Attrei to cover first had priority.
Anastasio grabbed Attrei under the armpits and Dante grabbed his legs, then they bolted back to the forest. Arrows were whizzing around them, landing in the sand. Thank the Maker these were just smugglers, not the Crows!
Thankfully, the boat wasn't far – going through a forest carrying an injured elf wasn't easy! The sailor jumped out and waded to shore as soon as he'd spotted them. He scooped up Attrei as if he was a rag doll, and carried him to the lifeboat, the boys right behind them.
"Put him in the boat," Dante said, gasping for air; he needed to fire the signal, now! Before anyone else got hurt! He took the bomb out, pulled the pin, letting the spoon drop, and threw it in a high arc. It burst into a thick, green smoke that should be easy to spot both from the camp and the ship. Now they just had to sit tight.
oOo
Mario cursed. Once again, he was forced to cower in the shadows with the healer, while his Antivan was risking his life to get them out of this shit. But this was far worse than in Alamar – at least there he could do something, throw a smoke bomb, carry a backpack, but here he was completely useless.
He watched with satisfaction as Korlys shot down the fucktard in one of the towers who was firing arrows at them. Unlike the man, Korlys didn't miss, and the man tumbled out, yelling all the way down. Ahh it was great!
But then, something else tumbled down from the sky, landing in the sand on the beach. It turned into Attrei. And he didn't move at all. Mario cried in horror as an arrow flew right in Attrei's direction. Did they get him? To his shock, the brats suddenly showed up and spirited Attrei away. What the fuck was going on here?
"Ah, it is about time they arrived," Claudio muttered at his side. "Once you see the signal, cover in the shadows; we need to get to the beach."
Mario nodded. He still wasn't sure what was going on, but it was clearly all planned.
The signal came a few minutes later – there was a loud bang, and when he looked up he saw a huge ball of thick smoke in the sky. It had to be one of the signal bombs they had on the ship. Mario's lips twitched. Bright green smoke? The normal colour wasn't good enough for the Crows? Well, at least it wasn't purple.
He wrapped himself in shadows. "Stay close," he reminded Claudio as they sneaked out of the storehouse. The damned bandits finally stopped yelling as the bees stopped attacking. Did Baby know bees died after they stung someone? What a horrible end after being trapped in a jar. Mario suspected Attrei wouldn't be so eager to use them if he knew – or he'd at least put flowers in jars to make it less miserable. He should tell him…
A smile froze on his face as he heard the sound of boots running towards them from the forest. Fuck, should've known they'd have other ways to get here besides the tunnel. He zigzagged through the chaos as fast as he could, hoping Claudio could keep up.
A bandit came running from his left; at first he thought the man had noticed them, but then he realized he was headed for Korlys. Human shit! He stuck out his leg, and watched with great satisfaction as the man tumbled to the ground. Aaaargh how he wished he could use his arms and fight alongside his Antivan!
oOo
Korlys spotted the Freedom's Shadow as it sailed into view. Perfect! They had pretty much cleaned up the bandits on the beach, but reinforcements were arriving, and there were far too many for him to eliminate, even with Kelton's help.
"We have to hold them off until the boys rescue Mario and Claudio," he yelled to Kelton.
The warrior charged into the fray with a mighty battlecry, swinging his sword like a scythe. He was quickly engulfed by the horde, but Kelton was a big man in heavy armour, and Korlys assessed he'd be able to survive a short while, at least.
Korlys sneaked around the perimeter, picking off bandits one by one, but keeping an eye on the progress of the rescue. As soon as he saw Mario and Claudio in the lifeboat, he disengaged. Captain Jack had managed to swing the ship broadside, and should be preparing to fire.
He gave a sharp whistle to Kelton, then started sneaking down to the sea. When he'd made it to the water's edge, he turned, unslung his bow, and started firing into the backs of the bandits surrounding the warrior. In seconds, the dead men's mates had noticed and peeled away from the pack, headed in his direction. They left enough of a gap for him to spot the warrior, who looked a little worse for wear but had kept his feet.
Suddenly, three things happened almost simultaneously: the warehouse exploded, he heard the boom of cannon fire, and he found himself hurtling backward into the water.
oOo
Mario watched in horror as the waves closed over Korlys. "Get him out! GET HIM OUT!" The sailor was blabbering something, but he couldn't hear it over the fucking earplugs Claudio had stuffed into his ears the moment they reached the lifeboat. He turned to the healer to tell him to get Korlys out, but the man was already in the water, wading to where they last saw Korlys. Mario took a deep ragged breath. He'll be fine.
The boys also jumped out, heading to Kelton, who was on the shore. From what Mario could see, the guy was okay, only dazed, already scrambling to his feet. As were some of the smugglers. Now would be a great time to put them to sleep, but Attrei was still out. Mario glanced at his friend. Shot. And now Korlys almost drowned. All because a band of cretins wanted to do a favour for the Lizards. And he could only sit there and watch. Mario gritted his teeth. Once they were all on the ship again, he'd tell the Captain to wipe them all out!
Thank the Maker, both Korlys and Kelton were at the shoreline when the cannon fired; by the time the smugglers came to their senses, Claudio and boys were already ushering them into the lifeboat. Korlys was pale, but kept his calm, as always. The moment they were in, the sailor started rowing towards the ship, and Mario allowed himself to relax a little bit. They'd make it. Claudio could patch them all up on the ship. And one day he'd get the Lizards for this.
There was only one urgent thing left to do. "Can someone take the fucking plugs out of my ears now?"
AN: Hey, we made it! Thanks to Bloodsong13T and Suilven, as always, for their helpful suggestions and insight. We are so grateful for you guys!
We'll be taking off for the holidays, so probably won't post a chapter in December, but we'll be back with the new year! :)