Julia drew her dagger, and Bodeen drew his sword. The Seneschal silently drew their attention to the door on the far side of the antechamber that stood slightly ajar, and the three of them crept quietly over to stand before it. The scurrying had stopped as quickly as it had begun, but Julia couldn’t help feeling there was something horribly familiar about the sound. It wasn’t just that she’d heard it before, on her journey through the South Wing; it was as though there was something about the sound she ought to recognize, but was afraid to. Julia scowled, took a firm grip on her dagger, and peered cautiously through the door’s narrow gap. All was silence and darkness. Julia glanced at Bodeen, who looked at the Seneschal for his orders. There then followed a short conference between the three of them, consisting mainly of looks, shrugs, and scowls, until Julia lost her patience and kicked the door wide open.
The door flew open on squealing hinges, and slammed heavily against the wall. The echoes seemed to go on forever, but nothing came to investigate the sound, and after a while Julia padded silently into the room, followed closely by the Seneschal and Bodeen. The still air was dank and oppressive, with a faint scent of rot and decay that grated on Julia’s nerves. The Seneschal held up his lantern, and then all three gasped as the lanternlight shimmered on gold and silver and precious jewels, scattered here and there across the floor, like a small child might leave his toys after he’d grown tired of playing with them. Stout oaken treasure chests lay on their sides, broken open and spilling their contents onto the floor. The lids of the chests had been torn clean away, the wood scored and split as though by claws. Must have used a crowbar, thought Julia dazedly. Well, at least now we know we’re not the only ones here. She glanced quickly round, but there was nowhere for anyone to hide in the cramped little room that met her gaze. The Seneschal moved away to check the first of the room’s two other doors, and Bodeen quickly sheathed his sword, knelt down beside the nearest chest, and started stuffing handfulls of assorted jewels into his pockets. Julia grinned, and crouched beside him.
“Don’t load yourself down too heavily,” she said dryly. “We may still have to fight our way out of here.”
“Take what you can, when you can; that’s always been my motto,” said Bodeen calmly. “And any one of these jewels is worth more than they pay me in a year. Besides, there’s no one here to fight, Princess.”
“Somebody must have broken open these chests,” said Julia. “And fairly recently, at that.”
“How can you tell?” asked Bodeen, frowning.
“No cobwebs.”
Julia left him thinking that over, and moved away to study a pair of sheathed swords mounted on a wall plaque. If there was to be any fighting, Julia wanted a sword in her hand. She tucked her dagger back into her boot and, brushing away the cobwebs, she pulled one of the swords from its scabbard. The blade shone brightly, even in the dim light, and the balance was exceptionally good. She tried the edge on her thumb, and raised an eyebrow when it drew blood.
Behind her, the Seneschal paused at the room’s only window, and then tugged at the closed shutters until they swung slowly open on protesting hinges. Light flooded into the room, and the carpeted floor was suddenly awash with dozens of scuttling spiders darting back and forth, driven mad by the sudden light after so many years of darkness. Bodeen yelped shrilly and jumped up onto a chair, but the spiders quickly disappeared into a hundred nooks and crannies. Bodeen looked carefully around to make sure they were all gone, and then climbed down from the chair with as much dignity as he could muster. Julia shook her head wonderingly. So much fuss over a few spiders. Now rats, that would have been different …
And then she and Bodeen both spun round sword in hand as the Seneschal cried out in pain and horror. He dropped his lantern as he staggered back from the open second door, blood rilling down his chest, and then the demons erupted out of the darkness beyond the door and fell on him hungrily, swarming all over him like flies on a piece of meat. Julia and Bodeen charged forward, yelling their war cries and, incredibly, the demons retreated back into the darkness from which they’d come, leaving their prey behind. Julia and Bodeen hauled the Seneschal to his feet. He was covered in blood and his eyes didn’t track, but at least he was still breathing. Julia quickly looked around for the lantern, and snatched it up, but the fall had put it out. She cursed briefly, and then helped Bodeen drag the Seneschal back toward the antechamber door. The demons watched from their darkness, but made no move to follow them.
“We’ve got to get out of here!” said Bodeen shrilly.
“Right,” said Julia evenly. “Just back steadily toward the door. No sudden moves, nothing that might upset them. Take it easy, and we’ll get out of this in one piece yet.”
“But they’re demons! You saw what they did to the Seneschal!”
“So what!” snarled Julia. “Ram a yard of cold steel through them and they’ll die just as easily as any man! I ought to know, I’ve done it before; remember?”
“How many of the damn things are there?” asked Bodeen more quietly, and Julia relaxed a little.
“A dozen, no more.”
“Why aren’t they coming after us?”
“Beats me. Maybe the sudden light from the window blinded them, and they don’t know how many of us there are.”
“Once they realize, we’re in trouble.”
“Right. How much farther to the door?”
Bodeen glanced back over his shoulder. “Nearly there, Princess. How’s the Seneschal?”
“I don’t know. He’s in pretty bad shape.”
“How bad?”
“Bad enough. And he’s the only one who knows the way out of here.”
“Terrific,” said Bodeen.
They’d almost made it to the open door when the demons burst out of their darkness. Their eyes glowed bloodred, and their twisted pallid shapes came flying through the dim light like so many misshapen ghosts. Julia and Bodeen threw the Seneschal into the antechamber, and then sprang through after him. Bodeen slammed the door shut in the demons’ faces, and then sheathed his sword and hung onto the doorknob with both hands to keep them from pulling the door open.
“Lock it!” he yelled to Julia.
“There’s no key!”
“How about bolts?”
There were two, top and bottom. They were both rusted into place, and Julia wrestled the top one loose as the door heaved and shuddered under the demons’ assault. There was the sound of claws tearing into wood. Julia slammed the top bolt home, and then turned quickly to the bottom bolt. It snapped off in her hand, rusted clean through. Julia and Bodeen looked at each other.
“That door isn’t going to hold them long,” said Bodeen quietly.
“It doesn’t have to,” said the Seneschal. “We’ve got to lead them into the counting room.”
Julia and Bodeen spun around to find the Seneschal getting unsteadily to his feet. His face was pale, and streaked with drying blood, but his eyes were back in focus. Bodeen moved quickly over to support him, and the Seneschal nodded his thanks.
“The demons will break in here any minute. Bodeen, help me through that door into the counting room. Princess, you follow us, but stay in the doorway so that the demons can see you. When they have, you can fall back to join us. Don’t let them lose sight of you, but don’t let them catch you, either. Got it?”
“Not really,” said Julia. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
“Of course,” snapped the Seneschal testily. “I always know what I’m doing. Now give me the lantern.”
Julia and Bodeen exchanged a glance. The antechamber door trembled as the demons hammered on it.
“What the hell,” said Julia, handing the lantern to the Seneschal. “A short life, but an interesting one. Get him out of here, Bodeen. I’ll hold the doorway.”
Bodeen nodded curtly, and half-led, half-carried the Seneschal out of the antechamber and into the counting room. Julia turned back to face the shaking door. The only light in the narrow li
The demons sniffed at the still air, and then lowered their misshapen heads to the floor, like so many hounds searching out a scent. The sight might have been funny if it hadn’t been so horrible. And then either they found a trail, or Julia made a sound without realizing it, for one by one the demons raised their heads to stare unblinkingly in her direction, and Julia knew the shadows weren’t deep enough to hide her. She stepped quickly forward to block the doorway, sweeping her sword back and forth before her. Light gleamed dully the length of the blade. One of the demons leapt forward, and Julia cut it down with one stroke of her sword. The creature fell to writhe silently on the thick carpet, and then the other demons were upon her.
The Seneschal had told her to lead the demons back into the counting room, but Julia knew that once she fell back through the doorway, they’d roll right over her. The narrowness of the door meant the demons could only come at her in twos and threes, but it was only a matter of time before the sheer weight of numbers would wear her down, and she’d have to retreat back into the counting room. And then they’d take her.
Julia swung her sword with all her weight behind it, and demon blood flew on the air as a growing ache built in her muscles. She ripped open a demon’s belly with a sideways sweep of her blade, and then had to fall back a step to avoid the clawed hand that narrowly missed her throat. She realized she was no longer protected by the doorway, and fell back again as the demons surged forward. And then Bodeen was beside her, adding his sword to hers.
The demons fell back before the two flashing blades, and Julia leapt aside as Bodeen slammed the door shut in their faces. Julia looked quickly for the bolts, and swore harshly when she realized there weren’t any. Bodeen set his back against the door as the first claws began ripping into the wood.
“When I give the word,” he said calmly, “head for the outer door.”
Julia nodded, and then looked round just in time to see the Seneschal pull the outer door to, plunging the room into darkness. Julia bit her lip and hefted her sword.
“I hope somebody knows what they’re doing,” she said loudly, and wasn’t all that reassured when the Seneschal just chuckled dryly.
“Get ready,” said Bodeen. “I can’t hold them …” The door surged open a few inches, pushing him back. A clawed hand snaked past the door, glowing palely in the dark. “Now, Julia! Go now!”
Bodeen jumped back, and Julia ran for the outer door. The demons flew after her, ignoring Bodeen as he hid behind the opened door. Julia got to the outer door and pushed it open. Bright sunlight flooded into the room. The Seneschal grabbed her arm and pulled her to one side, but the demons just stumbled on, blinded by the sudden light. Julia grinned savagely as she finally understood. She attacked the demons from the side while Bodeen harried them from the rear, and it was the easiest thing in the world to drive the nine surviving demons through the door and out into the long drop.
Julia lowered her sword and sank wearily to the floor. Her head ached fiercely, and her arms were as heavy as lead. Fatigue shivered in her legs and, just sitting there with her back pressed against the wall, Julia felt like she could sleep for a week. She shuddered at the thought. It had been bad enough lying in bed at night, knowing that while she slept the Darkwood drew steadily closer, but somehow she’d always thought the Castle’s thick walls would keep her safe from demons. It came hard to her, to realize that nowhere was safe any more. Julia clutched her sword fiercely, and wondered if she’d ever dare sleep again.
Bodeen bent over her, and whistled softly as for the first time he saw the blood on her face and arms. “Princess, you’re hurt.”
“Cuts and bruises, Bodeen, nothing more. Help me up.”
He helped her stand, and then waited patiently as she leaned heavily on his supporting arm until her head cleared. After a while she pushed him away, and turned to the Seneschal, who was busily relighting his lantern with flint and steel.
“How are you feeling, Sir Seneschal?”
“I’ve felt better, Princess.” He finally coaxed his candle alight, and closed the lantern. “It probably looks worse than it is.”
“You looked pretty bad when we dragged you out from under those demons,” said Bodeen, and the Seneschal grimaced.
“Don’t remind me. I thought my time had come.”
“You should rest for a while,” said Bodeen.
“I’m all right,” snapped the Seneschal. “Don’t fuss. There’ll be plenty of time to rest when we get back; right now, I’m more worried about the Armory. I hate to think how much damage the demons could have caused there. How the hell did those creatures get into the castle?”
“Somebody let them in,” said Julia simply. “We have a traitor among us.”
For a moment, they just stood and stared at each other. Bodeen scowled, and the Seneschal shook his head dazedly. Julia smiled grimly.
“Remember the demons who wait and watch outside our walls at night? Well, now we know where they hide during the day.”
“I just can’t believe it, Princess,” said the Seneschal slowly. “Who’d be mad enough to bring demons into the Castle itself?”
“More to the point,” said Bodeen suddenly, “why bring them into the South Wing?”
The Seneschal’s head snapped up, his eyes wide with horror. “Of course; the Armory! The bloody Armory!”
He turned and ran out the side door and into the antechamber. Julia and Bodeen exchanged a startled glance, and then plunged into the darkness after him. They followed the Seneschal through dozens of dimly lit rooms and corridors, his lantern bobbing ahead of them like a beckoning will-o-the-wisp on a moonless night. Julia soon lost all sense of direction, and concentrated on running. She had a strong feeling that, if she stumbled or fell, the Seneschal would just leave her behind.
The Seneschal finally came to a halt before a pair of massive oaken doors, easily eight feet tall, and almost as wide. The carved and curlicued wood gleamed dully in the golden lanternlight as he reached out and pushed gently at the left-hand door. It swung smoothly open at his touch, the counterweights creaking loudly on the silence. For a moment the Seneschal just stood there, staring into the darkness beyond the doors, and then his shoulders slumped and all the strength went out of him. He staggered, and would have fallen if Julia and Bodeen hadn’t been there to support him.
“What is it, sir Seneschal?” asked Julia, scowling worriedly. “What’s so important about the damn doors?”
“Don’t you understand?” whispered the Seneschal, staring sickly at the open door. “The Armory’s been breached! The Curtana’s unguarded …”
He shrugged free of Julia and Bodeen, and led them into the Old Armory. Beyond the massive doors lay a towering hall so vast the Seneschal’s lantern couldn’t begin to light it. Julia started as a suit of armor loomed up out of the darkness, and then relaxed slightly when she realized it was only an exhibit. Dozens of huge display cases lay scattered across the hall, showing swords and axes, longbows and lances, main gauches and morningstars, in all their variations. Julia peered raptly about her as she moved slowly through the vast, dark hall in her narrow pool of light, awestruck by the sheer size of the collection. Rupert’s ancestors had built up the Armory over twelve generations, weapon upon weapon, until now it would have taken more than one man’s lifetime just to catalogue it all. Julia felt her hackles rise as for the first time she realized just how ancient Forest Castle was.
The Seneschal stopped suddenly before a dusty wall plaque, set in a deep recess that hid it from casual view. The single silver scabbard it bore was tarnished and begrimed from long neglect, but there was no sign of the sword it once held. The Seneschal sighed tiredly.
“It’s gone,” he said heavily. “Curtana’s gone.”
“But the Sword of Compulsion’s our only hope against the demons,” said Bodeen. “Who’d be mad enough to steal it?”
“Somebody who stood to gain if the castle fell,” said the Seneschal. “And these days, that description covers an awful lot of ground.”
“All this way,” said Julia, too tired even to be bitter. “All this way for nothing. Come on, sir Seneschal, let’s get out of here.”
“Of course, Princess; the King must be told.” The Seneschal turned his back on the empty scabbard, and stared out into the darkness. “Somewhere in this Castle there’s a traitor. We’ve got to find him, Princess. We’ve got to find him and the Curtana, before it’s too late.”
‘Perhaps it already is,” said Bodeen quietly. “Perhaps it already is.”
Julia stared out of the stables at the falling rain, and sighed dejectedly. The afternoon was barely over, but it was already growing dark. The rain had been falling for over an hour; a steady persistent drizzle that wore at the nerves, and worked its way down even the tallest chimneys to make the fires splutter and steam. Water gushed from the drainpipes and the overhanging guttering, turning the courtyard into a sea of mud. It dripped through the many cracks in the thatched stable roof, and pattered noisily on the straw-covered floor. The stable creaked and groaned as the rain hit it, and Julia stared out the open stable door and sighed again, perhaps in sympathy. Behind her, the dragon stirred.
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