by Peter Wacht
What was Thomas doing? Where had he gone? Oso decided that it was best to remain where he was. He had almost jumped out of his skin when Thomas melted the locks in his hands. Why should he be surprised if he could disappear whenever he wanted? Settling back against the stone wall of the building, he placed the bag of weapons on the ground by his feet.
Thomas walked a few paces toward the first cage, the mud sucking hungrily at his boots. Taking hold of the Talent, he pulled the energy within him, molding it to the scene around him. His grandmother had been right. The more you did something, the easier it became. In seconds he became invisible. Now all he had to do was maintain the illusion until he was close enough to the first guard to strike.
He took his time as he silently walked toward the reiver, who focused on the cage before him rather than worrying about someone coming at him from behind. Thomas placed his feet carefully. Even if he maintained the illusion, the sound of him falling in the mud would surely give him away. Though it took only a few minutes to cross the open space, it felt like hours. A clock kept sounding in his head, the tick-tocking punctuated by the words, "Hurry! Hurry!"
As he approached the reiver from behind, Thomas glanced around quickly to make sure no one was watching. Certain that they were alone, Thomas stepped silently behind the guard, who was not much taller than he was. Stretching his hand around the reiver, Thomas clamped his hand over the man's throat as he stabbed him in the back, his dagger puncturing the reiver's heart. The man slipped silently to the ground in Thomas' arms.
He would have preferred to drag the body away, but there was nowhere to hide it. If he and Oso were fast enough, leaving the guards where they fell wouldn't be a problem. Releasing his hold of the Talent, Thomas reappeared where the guard had once stood. He turned around and motioned for Oso to come forward. If everything went as smoothly this evening as it had so far, they would all be leagues away from here with the reivers none the wiser.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
Instincts Returning
As the two shadows ran toward the cage Anara quietly woke the children sleeping on her lap and handed them to the woman sitting next to her. She then woke everyone else in the cage, whispering for them to remain quiet. For those who asked questions, she simply told them to look outside the bars. Thomas and Oso appeared at the door to the cage looking like men who had spent most of their lives sleeping in the gutters, standing there in rags and covered in grime.
The encaged Highlanders had never seen a prettier sight. Just as the women from Oso's village had done when they escaped from the hillock, the women in the cage took charge of the younger children. The men helped those who were injured or too weak stand, a few even lifting into their arms those unable to walk. No one would be left behind.
Anara knew that she had been right to hope for escape. Many of the people she met in the cages had said that escape was impossible, that no one had ever left the Black Hole alive. That never bothered her. She always replied, "Well, there is a first for everything. And I mean to be a part of that first."
Someone was surely looking down on her this night. After Thomas and Oso — she had learned their names from the other Highlanders — protected her from those reivers, she thought that anything was possible. She wanted to shout for joy, but thought better of it. She would celebrate once she was beyond the walls of this dreadful place and on her way back home.
Thomas immediately stepped up to the door as Oso came to stand next to him, the bag of weapons slung over his shoulder. Taking the steel lock in his hands, he used the Talent to guide the power of nature, melting the lock into a smoking ball of metal. Remarkably, the heat he generated never harmed his hand, though it was hot enough to burn through steel. He didn't quite understand why, but he certainly wasn't about to complain.
Before the door was even halfway open, the Highlanders had already begun to exit from the cage. Thankfully, they did so quietly and in an orderly fashion, recognizing the need for silence. Even better, the reivers had unknowingly aided in their escape, having taken the chains from their wrists and ankles for the night. The women immediately formed into a circle off to the side with the children inside. As the men exited the cage, they nodded their thanks to Thomas and then took the sword, mace or dagger that Oso offered them.
The men then created a circle of their own around the women, providing two defensive shields to ward off any attack. Though these people had been beaten down for years, they were first and foremost warriors, and their instincts died hard. The transformation from slave to fighter took only seconds, and though they were a little rusty and greatly weakened, Thomas saw from the grim expressions on their faces that they would welcome the opportunity to avenge themselves on those who had oppressed them for so long. The last person out of the cage was the girl they had rescued a few days before.
Anara almost leaped through the open door, so anxious she was to taste freedom. She immediately ran to Oso, who was about to swing the bag back onto his shoulder. Wrapping her arms around his large neck, she hugged him to her with all her strength, silent tears of joy running down her face. Oso stood where he was, the bag of weapons in one hand, his other in a posture of surprise. He had absolutely no idea what to do. He looked to Thomas for help, but his friend shrugged his shoulders. Thomas appeared as perplexed as Oso felt. Not knowing what else to do, Oso hugged her back. That only made her squeeze his neck harder, but it was a pleasurable feeling.
Abruptly, Anara let go and dropped to the ground. Oso wished she would have hugged him just a little bit longer. Giving him a quick smile, she pulled a long dagger from the bag. Thomas stepped next to her.
"Take the group to the northern edge of the fort," he whispered. "We're going to the other cages and we'll send them over to you. Keep everyone together and keep them quiet. As soon as Oso and I get to you with the last group of Highlanders, we'll be on our way."
Anara nodded and immediately walked over to her group of Highlanders, motioning for them to follow. The ragtag group headed to the north, away from the other cages to wait for the others. Anara had absolutely no idea what Thomas had in mind, since there was no gate or sally door in that portion of the wall, but if he and Oso could escape from the reivers' barracks and then free them without setting off an alarm, she'd follow them anywhere.
Besides, few people had ever given her such a grave responsibility before. By singling her out, Thomas had made her the leader of this motley group, and the men understood that. They were soldiers before anything else and would accept that decision, woman or no. Anara felt her pride swell. She would do as Thomas instructed, and do it well. After what he had done for her, she refused to let him down. She wanted to show that he had done the right thing in placing his trust in her.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Tick Tock
Oso again waited quietly, this time at the back of the first cage, as Thomas slipped off into the night. After only a few paces, Thomas disappeared once more.
Eliminating the second guard was just as easy as the first, though Thomas moved a little faster this time. After freeing the first group of Highlanders, the urgency of the situation impressed on him the need for speed. This guard was a little smarter than the first. Rather than standing in one place, he walked his station, circling around the front of the cage in a semicircle so he could look behind it from time to time. He even glanced toward the barracks occasionally.
He made one fatal mistake, however. He was predictable. Thomas found a good spot on the guard's route and waited for him. As he came closer, Thomas recognized the man by the long scar that ran down his face and neck. It was one of the reivers from the original raiding party that had captured Thomas. Killing him would be a pleasure.
As the reiver stepped right next to him, unaware of his presence, Thomas stabbed his dagger through the chain links covering the man's armpit. At the same time, he closed his hand over the reiver's mouth to prevent him from screaming. The reiver began to struggle then slumped to the ground, Thomas' blad
e having pierced his heart.
Oso arrived at the door to the cage at the same time as Thomas. Taking the lock in his hand, Thomas melted it within his palm, relishing the feel of the Talent as it filled him with power. Just as before, the Highlanders exited the cage quietly, the women forming up around the children, the men taking the weapons handed to them by Oso and circling the women.
Thomas knew that only with Highlanders could things such as this run so smoothly. Their military training immediately took over. Though many of the workers were weak and starved, their eyes held the light of freedom. Thomas knew that anyone trying to extinguish it would be in for a very bad time.
Thomas picked out one of the Highlanders, a grizzled man with wispy gray hairs sticking up from his almost completely bald head. "What's your name?"
"Razell," he replied quietly, fingering the hilt of the sword in his hand eagerly.
"My name's Thomas."
"I know." The man smiled. "Everyone knows."
Thomas nodded, not really understanding why that would be. It wasn't important at the moment, though.
"Take this group down to the northern wall of the fort. There's already a group of Highlanders there. Anara's in charge. Oso and I will send the other groups to you, then we make a break for it. Understand?"
The man nodded, then headed off, leading his group off to the north and away from the other cages. So far so good. Now only three more cages to go.
Thomas’ plan went smoothly at the next two cages. Thomas eliminated the guards, then unlocked the doors. As Oso handed out the weapons, Thomas picked out one person from each group to lead them down to the northern wall. They had just finished getting everyone out of the last cage, with the Highlanders forming their defensive circles, when torches flared up around the reivers' barracks, followed by shouts of surprise. Their luck had just run out.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Unwanted Surprise
Resin didn’t like to take chances. That's why he was still alive. Neither very large nor very strong, he had survived in Killeran's army by his wits alone. That and his unique ability to not so much follow orders, as to make sure someone else paid for his mistakes. He was very good at that. In fact, it was also what kept him alive while growing up on the streets of Tinnakilly. Life in The Decaying City was difficult when not of the privileged class, and he was lucky to escape with just a nose that had been broken a half dozen times. Having a permanently bent nose was much better than a knife in your ribs, which was the most frequent way people exited the beggars’ section of the capital of Dunmoor.
When he heard that Lord Killeran was recruiting for his army, he jumped at the chance — a peacekeeping force for the Highlands led by Killeran as regent. Though he really didn’t enjoy life as a soldier, he liked living in that rat-infested city the King of Dunmoor so grandly referred to as the Eastern Capital of the Kingdoms even less. By tying his fortunes with Killeran’s, he thought he could get rich off the wealth hidden away in that inhospitable land.
All the stories said so. As soon as you crossed into the Highlands, digging a few feet beneath the surface would yield a bounty of gold, silver and assorted jewels. Though Killeran had cultivated his reputation quite carefully in certain circles, the seedier side of Tinnakilly knew his true nature, thus the immediate appeal to Resin and many others like him. Besides, this type of thieving sounded much easier than stealing purses or cutting throats for a few coins.
After a few years of prospecting, he could live out his wildest dreams. So he had left five years ago for the Highlands with images of gold and jewels dancing before his eyes. His decision had not worked out as he had hoped. He was still stuck in the same blasted fort after all this time, with no fortune to speak of and no way to leave the Highlands safely.
It was a cruel twist of fate, he thought, as he meandered back to the reivers' barracks. He knew who was getting rich off the Highlands, and it definitely wasn't him. But there was nothing he could do about that, not without getting his throat slit, or worse. He had seen the warlocks at work, and he knew that when it came to the users of Dark Magic, there were worse fates than death.
Resin had been given the early morning watch a few weeks before, but the hours involved — from midnight to dawn — were better used sleeping than standing atop a fortress wall staring out at a forest where nothing moved. With Killeran out of the Black Hole — a name created by one of the first Highland slaves, and a name Resin thought particularly appropriate — he had decided that returning to the barracks early for some gambling was a better way to spend his time.
Some of his friends used the guardroom leading down to the cells beneath the barracks for their late-night card games. If he was quick, he could play the last few hours before sunrise then sleep away the morning. He doubted anyone would notice if he left his post early. And if there was a problem, he could always blame it on someone else.
Gripping his cloak tightly to his neck to ward off the chill, Resin jumped up the steps of the barracks and hurried inside. He rubbed his hands together briskly as he walked down the hallway toward the guardroom, trying to remember how many gold and silver coins he had in his purse. He was feeling lucky tonight. Very lucky. Once he got his hands on a deck of cards or pair of dice, no one could beat him.
That was strange. Where were his friends? Essar, Nimo and Uzzen never missed a game. Tonight was the night, wasn't it? Resin stepped into the room, puzzled by its emptiness. They always played here, yet except for the table set up against the far wall, it was empty. Kursool had been giving them trouble about where they could gamble a few nights before. Maybe his friends had moved the game. But where? Besides Killeran's quarters and the warlocks' barracks, there was nowhere else to play. And only a fool would willingly go to either place.
Resin stood there for a moment, thinking on what to do. Then he noticed the steel door leading down to the jail cells. He smiled. That must be it. It was the perfect place to play. The two prisoners below certainly wouldn’t have anything to say about it.
Pulling out a torch from the rack next to the door, he lit it with one of the torches stuck in the wall. Hurrying to the door, Resin looked behind him first to make sure no one saw him, then slipped through the entrance. He was about to pull the door closed when he felt something against his leg. Looking down, he jumped back in terror, banging his head against the doorframe.
Nimo’s sightless eyes stared up at him from the top step, his body perched against the wall. He didn't bother to look for the others. He had survived in the army because of his wits, having learned quickly that acting bravely was the easiest way to get yourself killed. He'd let someone else handle it. Running back through the entrance, torch still in hand, he slammed the door behind him. The crash echoed down the hallway. If that didn't wake the entire barracks, his terrified screams soon did.
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
Discovered
The shouts coming from the reivers' barracks told Thomas and Oso everything they needed to know. The slain guards had been discovered, and it wouldn't take long for the reivers to find them. Torches were already coming in their direction as the reivers went from cage to cage.
"Oso, take the lead. Make for the north wall. I'll bring up the rear."
Without hesitation Oso ran to the front of the group and got them moving. Some of the smaller children were scared. You could see it in their eyes. They knew the reivers were coming after them. But the women did an excellent job of keeping them calm and under control. Thomas couldn't afford to have a dozen small children running every which way. He'd never be able to bring them all to safety if that happened. The already grim expressions on the faces of the men darkened. They had tasted their freedom, some for the first time in years. They weren't about to give it up again without a fight.
The group moved as quickly as it could, which was really just a fast shuffle, toward the north wall of the fort. It wasn't long before Thomas saw the other Highlanders waiting for them. Good girl, Anara. She, too, had heard
the shouts, and was forming the men into a battle line in front of the women and children. Even in their weakened condition, the Highlanders were not to be taken lightly. Thomas was confident that they could hold off the reivers until Killeran returned with his warlocks. But that would negate all he had accomplished so far. He wanted to get as many of these people into the forest as possible.
As he expected, the reivers were expanding their search, having discovered the empty cages. He'd just have to speed things up. A dozen or so torches were already heading in his direction. Stopping on a small slope just before the north wall, Thomas let Oso take the last group of Highlanders down to the others.
The reivers were almost upon him. He could hear their shouts and curses, and the amazement in their voices at finding their slaves gone. Thomas grinned wickedly. They were in for an even nastier surprise. They had not taken the time to wonder how the Highlanders had escaped from their cages without keys.
Turning away from the oncoming reivers, Thomas focused on the stockade wall a hundred feet to the west of where the Highlanders waited to do battle. Time to put the next part of his plan into motion. In an instant he took control of the Talent, letting it course through his body from his toes to his fingertips. The power flowing within him was indescribable. The self-imposed shackles fell away, and Thomas was finally free to use his Talent to the fullest of his ability. He took in more of the power, and then even more, until he held more of the Talent within him than ever before.
He had waited for this moment for a very long time. All of his emotions pushed their way to the edge of his consciousness. Maintaining his concentration, and his hold on the Talent, he let his anger at what Killeran had done to him and his people rise from a simmer to a boil. The pain that bastard had inflicted on him was nothing compared to that of the men, women and children who had died because of Killeran’s greed. Thomas used his anger to focus his will, and soon white-hot rage matched the brightness of the power within him.
