The Chronicles of Lumineia: Book 01 - Elseerian (17 page)

Before they could move, a muffled sound echoed through the jail. They froze and looked upward, waiting. A moment later it repeated itself. It sounded like metal hitting metal, and it came from the surface. It appeared the guard who’d relieved himself was back, and probably had more men.

Taryn took his eyes from the ceiling and looked at Danian. “We don’t have much time, take me to him.”

*****

At the same moment that the guard who’d relieved himself unlocked the outer door and stepped into the room littered with unconscious bodies, Liri was drawing an arrow back and carefully sighting on a guard at the front gate. Panicking at the sight of so many downed men, the guard in the entrance structure ran to the iron door and tried to open it. When he couldn’t, he slammed his sword hilt against the door twice to signal any guards below that there was trouble and then ran for help. Exiting the structure, he called for help but was drowned out by several shouts from the entrance gate.

“We’re under attack!”

“Get more men over here!”

“Go tell the captain what’s going on!”

“What
is
going on?”

“Close the gate!”

Commotion burst out as scores of guards rushed towards the front gate, leaving the only guard that knew someone was inside the prison bewildered and struggling to get someone to help him.

Her thoughts on Taryn, Liri performed her diversion to the fullest, launching arrow after arrow towards the guards along the wall and through the now-closed gate. Men ducked and scampered to try to identify the source of the arrows that seemed to be coming from everywhere.

Although Trin and Mae kept their shots high or low, Liri placed her shots so close that they drew blood along cheeks or ripped holes in sleeves. Men all along the battlements dived for cover, thinking they’d almost been killed.

Their combined attack lasted for only a few intense minutes before all three of them melted into the shadows of the streets and strolled towards preselected taverns away from the prison—where they would stay for a short time before reuniting at the
Sea Dancer
.

Liri shot her last arrow and said a silent prayer for Taryn before disappearing into the night, leaving chaos in her wake.

*****

Behind the walls of the jail, three more figures represented the third part of their plan. Erix, Hunrin, and Frey slipped out of their hiding places the moment sounds of alarm issued from the front gate. With practiced hands, the sea captain strung a large bow and quickly shot an arrow over a buttress extending out from the wall fifty feet above them. Fishing twine trailed out from behind the arrow as it reached its zenith and dropped back to earth, leaving the twine over the buttress. Hun grabbed the arrow almost as soon as it hit the ground and, with Frey’s help, tied a thicker rope onto the twine. As soon as it was ready the three of them grabbed the twine and pulled the rope up and over the buttress to replace the twine. The whole operation had taken less than a minute, and the three darted into the shadows along the wall to repeat the process further down, effectively giving Taryn two avenues of escape.

Normally the rope would have been discovered almost as soon as it was put in place, but with the distraction up front and Taryn already exiting, they only needed it to be unseen for a minute or two. Just in case the first one was found by some guard, the second would be Taryn’s last hope.

*****

While Taryn’s friends were buying him a few precious minutes with their distraction, he was hurrying up the sub-basement stairs with Thacker behind him. He’d left his guide locked up in the fisherman’s old cell, mercifully unconscious and presumed innocent. Reaching the top, he dashed through the rows of cells with the older man trying to keep up.

With every sense and instinct prepared for a fight, he was surprised that not a single guard showed themselves, until he reached the stairs and heard arguing at the top.
It must have taken them time to get the door open
, Taryn thought.

A split second later he heard booted feet pounding down the steps. Taryn reached back, grabbed Thacker, and yanked him up the darkened back exit stairs to the rear door. Despite the small amount of noise Thacker made as he stumbled behind Taryn, the cloak of darkness enshrouded them not a moment before a score of guards rushed past the foot of the stairs.

Both of them breathed a silent sigh of relief and turned towards the emergency back exit. After some fiddling, Taryn managed to unlatch the door with only a small squeak of protest and opened it a crack to check for guards. Seeing no one, the two of them slipped out and closed the door behind them. Taryn felt his fear spike as he stepped out into the open, but he did his best to hide it from Thacker. If their plan was to succeed, he couldn’t afford for the fisherman to lose his nerve. If he did, they wouldn’t get a second chance.

Glancing around, he checked for any sign that they had been detected, but it seemed the diversion still garnered most of the guards’ attention. Less importance was also paid to the torches in the back field, because the half dozen or so pinpoints of light were not enough to reveal the whole courtyard.

Taryn leaned in close to Thacker to avoid being heard. “Walk like we are guards, casual but hurried, like we are performing some assignment.”

Thacker nodded in response, and they hurried across the field, trying to look like prison guards with business to perform. As soon as they were in the shadow of the back barracks, presently empty due to the fake frontal assault, Taryn cupped his hands and boosted the older man onto the wood roof. Once Thacker was up, Taryn jumped the five feet and grabbed the edge. Without hesitation he pulled himself up before Thacker had scrambled to his feet.

Taking a quick look both ways to get his bearings, Taryn guessed that he was about twenty feet to the right of one of the escape ropes that Erix had left for him, so he pulled the other man along looking for a way to climb up the wall.

Seeing a rough patch in the stone wall, he whispered over his shoulder, “Stay here.” He reached for a small finger hold and scaled the thirty feet to the battlements. Reaching the top, he peeked left and right for sentries. Seeing none, he pulled himself up and began searching for the rope. He found it not five feet to his left. With nimble fingers he grabbed it and pulled up one side. As quietly as he could he lowered it to Thacker.

“Grab the end and hold on,” he hissed as loudly as he dared.

“Why . . .?” Thacker began to ask, but as soon as Taryn felt weight on the end of the rope he pulled the other man straight up the wall. Not waiting for anything, he flipped the rope back over the battlements and whispered, “Climb down, as quick as you can.”

Thacker closed his mouth on something he was about to say and climbed over the battlements while Taryn began patrolling to imitate a guard, chafing at the delay. The sounds at the front wall were beginning to diminish as order began to be restored.

Above the shouts and sounds coming from the gate, he suddenly heard Dumont’s heavy voice carry across the field. “Check the outside wall, inside and out! Someone escaped and I want them found immediately!”

Wincing at the anger in the guard captain’s voice, Taryn glanced down the rope to check on Thacker. Seeing he was almost to the bottom he leapt over the battlements like he was jumping off the crow’s nest on the
Sea Dancer
. On the way down he grabbed the rope with his gloved hands and slowed himself enough to land heavily a split second after Thacker let go and stepped back.

Grabbing Thacker’s arm, he pulled him into an alley, stripping the guard clothes as he went. Even though he didn’t know the city, he kept his eyes high and on the moon to guide him in the right direction. Reaching the waterfront, he slowed to a walk and turned north towards the ship, breathing a sigh of relief.

“That was . . . incredible!” Thacker said, winded from the run.

“Yeah, I’m glad it worked.” Taryn agreed.

“Hey,” Thacker said, grabbing Taryn’s arm and stopping him short. “How did you pull me up like that?”

Taryn just shrugged and kept walking, not knowing how to explain. The freed man jumped to catch up and fell into step beside him.

“I know where my son is,” he said matter-of-factly.

“How?” Taryn stopped again.

“And why they took me with Raize and Braglair.”

“What?” Taryn asked in astonishment. “How do you know that?”

Thacker smiled. “Dumont mentioned to us that a sailor told them there had been a fight at sea, and gave the guards our names. My son also told me while I was in jail that they forced him to tell them what had happened, and then knocked him out before he could tell me they knew. Our communication requires a clear mind and they didn’t give him the chance.”

Taryn shook his head in chagrin. “We should have known.”

“Just before I was arrested I caught part of a phrase from him, but it wasn’t enough to tell me anything substantial.” His expression became worried. “I think they hurt him.”

 “We need to get him out fast then, before they hear about tonight,” Taryn said. “Where is your son?”

“Seath is being held on a boat up ahead.”

At a questioning look from Taryn, he shrugged and continued, “They moved him to a different room on the ship, and he says he can see through a crack. There is a tavern he recognized, so he knows where he is.”

“Which one?”

“The Crusty Keel. He says he remembers there being bad ale there.”

Taryn smiled to himself, remembering someone else describing the pub the same way earlier that day. “Does he know how many men are on the ship with him?” he asked.

Thacker paused for a moment to communicate with his son. “He says not many. Most went off drinking earlier this afternoon.”

Taryn thought for a moment to consider their options. They had already performed one rescue that evening and attempting another might be pressing their luck. On the other hand, they knew where Seath was and that he was in a relatively unguarded position. An idea began to form in his mind as he mulled over the alternatives.

 Making up his mind, he changed direction towards the Salty Dog to grab Liri. “OK, we have one stop to make, and then we’ll get him.”

He was going to need his swords . . .

Chapter 10:
Watchers in the Wood

Within an hour of the prison break, Taryn, Liri, and Thacker sat in a small rowboat with Hunrin and Erix rowing quietly behind them. Slipping through the darkness from the seaward side, the small boat eased close to the back of the pirate ship that held Thacker’s son Seath. Barely a whisper of sound marked their passage as the small craft drifted near enough for Thacker to reach out and grab the anchor chain. Before the boat had even stopped moving, Taryn crouched and leapt straight up the chain. Grabbing it, he scaled it cautiously while scanning the dark wood in front of him for the marker. Light suddenly reflected dully off a splash of color on the shadowed hull. Upon closer inspection it proved to be a piece of cloth that had been jammed through a crack in the wood.

Taryn gave two sharp tugs on the piece of cloth to signal he was ready, and after a moment three pulls from the other side gave the all clear. Wrapping his legs around the chain to brace himself, he drew Mazer with one hand. He smiled, remembering the dubious expressions when he said there was no need to get
on
the ship. They could enter from the outside. His sword glimmered blue as the enchanted weapon began slicing through the wood, cleanly with little sound. Below him he heard a gasp from someone at the sight of the magic.

After only a few moments Taryn sheathed his sword and grabbed the top of the piece of wood as it began to fall outward. It was a good thing he’d cut a handhold, because the wood was too thick for him to grab without both hands and he didn’t want it to fall and make a splash. With his legs wrapped tightly around the chain, he had to use quite a bit of strength to tip the bottom of the piece of hull inward and slide it through the new hole.

A young sandy haired youth appeared in the opening the instant it was clear, grinning at the sight of Taryn on the anchor chain.

“Thanks for stopping by,” the young man whispered.

Taryn grinned back and reached out as far as he could. Clasping his hand, he helped him climb out and swung him to the chain. A sudden creak from above caused them all to freeze and look up towards the deck to see an unsteady pirate catch himself against the rail. Taryn held his breath until the man laughed at something and stumbled out of view. Waiting for a full minute to ensure he didn’t come back, the two hurried down the chain and into the boat. Hun and Erix began rowing with the cloth covered oars as soon as Taryn pushed them free of the chain.

No one spoke until the pirate ship faded into the darkness behind them, but Seath and Thacker sat huddled in the back of the boat, silently communicating their joy at being freed. Taryn watched the father and son, feeling a tightening of his heart at the sight. Looking back at his life he wondered how things would have been different if he could have known his father. Would his father have trained him? What else could he have learned from him? Would he have had a home?

Swallowing hard at the intensity of the ache, he looked away and found Liri’s eyes on him. Her expression pierced right through him as their gaze locked and after a moment a simple understanding passed between them, easing the heaviness in his chest. He forced a sad smile and looked out over the water, still wondering.

By dawn everyone was back on board the
Sea Dancer
, and sailing north.  Although some of the sailors were a little irritated at the short stay in port, their disappointment couldn’t hold against the sheer joy being displayed by the reunited members of Thacker’s family. The few grumbling men were soon smiling with everyone else as they sailed north to the Blue River.

Erix had decided that with the previous night’s activities it would be better to leave as soon as possible to avoid any retaliation. Since his next voyage meant crossing the Blue Lake to the eastern capital city of Terros, Trin’s home, it would be faster for him to hitch a ride than take the overland route across the southern kingdom. Taryn and Liri would go with them until Tallendale, and then disembark to head for Azertorn. For some inexplicable reason, Maemi had said she wanted to travel a little before returning to Azertorn and had elected to stay on the ship until Terros.