The Broken Key (02) - Hunter of the Horde (46 page)

After pulling on his boots, he stood up and buckled on his sword. Once it was securely around his waist, he turned back to the two ladies. “You two are hard to walk away from,” he admitted. On the table by the bed he set four silvers. Then without another word, he crossed to the door.

On the other side he found Seth and Soth, both with grins on their faces. He was pretty sure they hadn’t indulged as he had, though the why of it escaped him. They were a lot like Riyan in some respects. “Everything taken care of?” Seth asked.

“Completely,” replied Chad. “Come on, let’s get back before Riyan sends everyone out looking for us.”

Soth patted him on the back as they began walking down the hallway that led back to the main area of the tavern. The rooms here in the back were used by the ladies for their customers.

Out in main area of the tavern, the bard was still playing. They would have liked to listen longer, but they had to get back. Crossing through the tables to the front door, they were soon outside and headed back to the inn.

Seth and Soth were a bit more intoxicated than Chad, they had wiled away the time waiting for him drinking in the tavern. They had managed to consume quite a bit before they felt it was time to leave. They weren’t stumbling drunk, but were sporting a respectable buzz that made them giddy and put a slight hitch in their get-along.

After leaving the tavern, Chad led them in the direction he felt sure was the way back to the inn. They went down the street and soon came to an area where five streets converged onto a plaza, in the center of the plaza stood a fountain. Three women carved of stone held jugs from which water poured. Each flow of water cascaded from the jugs to splash upon the head of a child sitting at their feet. This time of night, the plaza held only a few people.

“I don’t remember coming this way,” Soth said.

“Me either,” his brother affirmed.

“Come on,” Chad said as he turned them around. “We went the wrong way.” Leading them once again, he retraced his steps back to the tavern. Once there, he paused and tried to get his bearings.

Obviously the street leading to the plaza with the fountain wasn’t the way. His recollection was a bit fuzzy, but he remembered they had turned onto this road from a larger one that would take them the rest of the way to their inn. His recollection of exactly where that turn off was located though, was a bit foggy. With the other two in tow, he headed off down the street in the other direction.

At the first intersection, he paused and tried to determine if this had been the intersection they had turned at on their way to the tavern. He looked up one way and then down the other. Nothing was familiar.

“Are we lost?” asked Soth.

Chad didn’t want to admit that he had gotten them lost. “No,” he said. “I think it’s the next one.” Still leading the other two, he left that intersection behind and hurried down to the next. There, the street heading off to the left looked familiar. Turning down into it, he moved with confidence that he had at last found the correct way.

But that confidence was short lived when the street soon opened up onto another wide plaza that in the daytime would be used for a market. They hadn’t come this way.

“Chad,” Seth said.

Chad ignored him as he tried to figure out where they were. He didn’t want to believe they were lost in the largest city he’d ever been in.

“Chad,” Seth said, this time with a little more edge to his voice.

Turning with impatience at the interruption, he faced Seth. “What is it?” Seth nodded over toward the mouth of the street they had entered the plaza from.

Soth’s attention was already focused there and he bore a grim expression.

Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw four figures coming their way. Then from the corner of his eye he saw another three approaching from the right.

“Two to the left,” Soth whispered, directing his attention to the pair closing fast.

Nine men were advancing on them and Chad was quick to figure out these men weren’t out for an evening stroll. All doubt vanished when he caught sight of a flash of light that was reflected from a weapon held by one of the men in the group of four.

“Are you two going to be able to fight?” Chad asked as he laid his hand on his sword.

“Do we have a choice?” Seth asked.

“It doesn’t look like it,” Chad said. Then he faced the four men and said, “Come no closer!” He was a little surprised at the commanding tone his voice had somehow mustered. When the men didn’t stop, he drew his sword, as did the twins.

“Hand over your gold and you’ll live,” one of the four ordered. The nine men began fanning out until they had them surrounded.

“Our purses are a bit empty at the moment,” Chad replied.

“Yeah,” said Seth. “Should have gotten to us earlier in the evening.” Chad could see their arguments were not swaying the men before them. “We are members of the Warriors Guild. You’ll not find us easy prey.” He kept an eye on the men before him. To either side, Seth and Soth moved into position until the three of them were back to back to back in a triangular formation. “If you attack,” Chad stated with conviction in his voice, “you will die.” In a whisper barely loud enough for Seth and Soth to hear, he asked, “You two okay?”

“Yeah,” came the reply. But which one had replied Chad couldn’t tell.

“We don’t have to spill blood this night,” the man said. “All we desire are your coins.”

“We don’t have any coins left,” Chad replied. “You are mistaken.” In fact, the four silvers he had left for the two ladies were the last of what he brought with him from Gilbeth.

Then all of a sudden, there was a flash of metal as a dagger hurled towards them. Seth reacted with his sword and somehow managed to strike the dagger in flight. He was as surprised as any when he heard the ping as his sword struck the dagger. Knocked harmlessly to the side, it clattered across the cobblestones of the plaza.

That show of skill caused a murmur to go through the nine men facing them. In the faint light, Chad could see the face of one of them, and it no longer bore the confidence it once had. “Nice hit,” he said.

“Thanks,” replied Seth, though he seriously hoped he would not be forced to repeat that particular maneuver. He doubted if he could.

It was clear the men surrounding them didn’t believe they didn’t have any coins on them. Chad steeled himself for the inevitable onslaught. He was glad Seth and Soth had his back, he just wished they were a little less intoxicated.

The nine men held their position for another second before the man who had spoken to them said, “Now!” Drawing his sword, he and the others moved forward.

The field of battle seemed to slow as Chad watched the approaching men. They weren’t rushing in recklessly, rather moving more methodically. Nine men surrounding three, the odds were definitely not in their favor.

Chad was surprised at the calmness that came over him. Back at the Tower in the Ki’

Gyrx Forest, he had been unsure of himself. To be completely honest, he had been terrified. But with that battle successfully behind him, he now had confidence in his ability to hold his own.

The way their attackers were fanned out, three were faced off with each of them.

Before they could close, a word of advice one of his instructors had spoken during drills came back to him. ‘When facing off with more than one opponent, concentrate on defense. Your attacks create openings through which they can breach your defense. Bide your time, then strike.’

With sword held ready to meet the first attack, Chad watched as the man who had spoken came closer. The other two men approaching on either side fell back a step. Chad glanced to the three men advancing on Seth and saw they were doing the same. The middle man was coming forward while the other two remained a step behind. Not sure what benefits that strategy would give them, he had little time to think about it as the man’s sword struck out at him.

Chad’s sword moved and knocked the other man’s to the right. Then he was forced to dodge backward just as the man to his left thrust into the opening his parry had provided.

Moving his sword back quickly, he struck that man’s sword aside and could feel a tug as the tip ripped through his outer jacket. The third man of the trio didn’t launch an attack, he held position and waited.

Seth and Soth were now each engaged with a trio of attackers. The clash of swords as they fended off repeated attacks echoed across the plaza. So far, none had been able to breach their defense. But for how much longer?

It was all Chad could do to keep the blades from causing him serious harm. A block here, a sidestep there, he managed to avoid each attack. One rather vicious thrust caused him to step back. He was surprised when his reflexes caused him to dodge backward at an angle, then realized if he hadn’t, he would have hit Soth. The time at drills spent fighting and winding their way through the rows of Recruits was definitely paying off.

He knew where his two comrades were without having to look. He just knew.

Soth suddenly grunted as a sword finally made it through his defense.

“Soth!” cried out Seth.

“Just a nick,” Soth replied. Bringing his sword around, he knocked a thrust aside then blocked a downward hack by another.

Light suddenly appeared from one of the side streets and was approaching fast. “The Watch!” one of their attackers exclaimed. Other side streets began to brighten as more torch bearing men were quickly approaching the plaza.

“They weren’t supposed to be in this area,” cursed the man who had spoken to them.

Four of the five streets now bore evidence of men approaching. A dozen men emerged from the first street to have shown light. From the uniforms they were wearing, they were clearly members of the Watch.

“Someone must have tipped them off,” another of their attackers said.

“Get out of here!” ordered the man. All nine men broke off their attacks and fled for the one street which still remained dark.

Chad and the twins were more than happy to have them leave. Seth immediately went to his brother and inspected the wound. Not taking his eyes off the fleeing men, Chad watched as they raced for the darkened street. More guards poured forth from the four lit streets until over a score of men were racing across the plaza. Most were pursuing the fleeing men, but five headed toward where Chad, Seth, and Soth stood.

Just as the fleeing men reached the darkened street, it too erupted in light. Bathed with the light of half a dozen lanterns that had suddenly been unhooded, the flight of the nine men faltered. With a cry, the leader of the men charged into the street with sword raised. What happened after that was lost as the men passed behind the buildings lining the street and moved out of Chad’s vision.

Turning back to the twins, he saw Seth looking at his brother’s wound. “It just grazed the surface,” he said.

“I told you it was just a nick,” Soth said. In fact, they all bore several nicks but none were serious.

About that time, the five guards who had been heading toward them arrived. The guard in charge asked, “Are you fellows okay?”

Chad nodded. “Just a couple scratches,” he replied. “Good thing you and your men arrived when you did. Another few minutes and it would have been all over.”

“Who were those guys?” Seth asked.

“Thieves,” he replied. “They’ve caused us no end of trouble. We got a tip they were in the area.” Glancing over to the street where the men disappeared, he said, “I think we’ll have little to worry about from them.” Guards were beginning to emerge from out of the street. The fact they were walking in a regular, unhurried fashion led them to believe that whatever had happened in the street was over. Three men were being led out of the street, their hands bound behind them. Of the other six there was no sign.

“Looks like we got their leader,” the guard commented. He pointed out one of the men, and when the man turned to look in their direction, saw that it was the one who had spoken to them. To another of the guards who was standing next to him, the guard in charge said, “Take them to the jail and post a guard.”

“Yes sir,” the guard replied and hurried over to the guards in charge of the prisoners.

Turning his attention back to Chad, Seth, and Soth he asked, “You three are strangers in Catha aren’t you?”

Chad nodded. “Just passing through,” he replied.

“Well, just so you know,” the guard said, “this area isn’t the safest after dark.”

“Sort of figured that,” Chad replied.

The guard indicated for the others with him to head out. “You three have a good evening,” he said. “Hope you enjoy your stay here in Catha.” Just as he was about to leave, Chad stopped him. “Just a moment,” he said.

“Yes?” the guard said as he turned back to him once again.

“Well, uh,” Chad stammered. “In all the confusion, we sort of lost our bearings.”

“Ha!” exclaimed Seth. “I knew you didn’t know where you were going!” Chad rolled his eyes heavenward and asked the guard, “Could you direct us to our inn?”

“Sure,” he replied. “What’s the name of it?”

That’s when Chad realized he had never been told the name of the inn. He glanced to Seth and Soth but they didn’t know either. Then Soth spoke up and said, “It was owned by an elderly couple.”

“That’s right,” Seth added. “The old guy warned us that his wife was trying to kill him.”

At that the guard broke into a grin and nodded. “I know the place well. Why in the world are you staying there?”

Chad shrugged. “Seemed like a nice enough place.”

“Is she trying to kill him?” interrupted Soth.

“Not that we’ve been able to ascertain, no,” the guard said. “He’s been saying that for years now. I’m sure if she had been trying to kill him, she would have succeeded by this time.” He then pointed to one of the five streets. “Take that one. Follow it to the fifth intersection where you’ll find a broken statue, then turn to the left. You’ll see it on your right several blocks down.”

“Thanks,” Chad said.

“You better hurry and keep alert,” the guard said. “Like I said, this area isn’t the safest place to be at night.”