The Raptor of the Highlands

by Peter Wacht

  The entire fort was deathly quiet as Thomas walked a few steps out into the muddy courtyard. The reivers had closed the gates after Killeran left. Thomas assumed that the men on the battlements figured they would have enough warning if they actually were attacked. Well, they had never thought an attack could come from inside the fort. That would work to Thomas’ advantage. Off in the distance he saw the five steel cages that housed the Highlanders. It wouldn’t be long now before the freedom they craved would be theirs once again.

  Oso silently padded up next to Thomas, having filled the bag now hanging over his shoulder to bursting with daggers, swords and maces.

  “Ready.”

  “Good,” said Thomas. “On to the next step.”

  Thomas had laid out his plan for escape earlier in the day. Oso approved. He was fairly certain that he and Thomas could escape from the fort quite easily on their own thanks to Thomas’ unique abilities, but he worried over Thomas’ refusal to go anywhere without the rest of the Highlanders. Oso also wanted to free as many of his people as he could, but he thought it might be more difficult than Thomas envisioned.

  Oso nodded. Hugging the wall of the reivers’ barracks, he and Thomas moved stealthily through the night, edging closer to the slave pens.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Thieves in the Night

  Anara leaned backed wearily against the steel bars of the cage, softly humming a lullaby to the two small children lying in her lap. Their mother had died a month before and the shock had not yet worn off. The children thought that their mother would always be there for them. They were forced to learn the harsh lesson that that was not always the case, especially when you worked in the mines. She really didn’t mind taking care of them. Someone had to look out for them, and there were too many children here without parents as it was.

  Anara continued to hum, absently stroking their hair, if for nothing else than to occupy her time now that the children slept. Her voice was soft, but her expression harsh. She gazed out through the steel bars with daggers in her eyes. Brushing a strand of dirty auburn hair from her face, she wished for a good steel blade.

  Before she was captured she had been very good with a dagger. She imagined throwing it between the bars and striking her target. In this case, the middle of the reiver’s chest who stood guard near the cage. She smiled at the thought. He was only a dim shadow in the darkness, but she knew that her aim would be true. Normally there were two, but with Killeran having taken the bulk of his forces on another raid, the skeleton force he left behind was stretched thin.

  She laughed softly at her defiance. She had not yet given in to the hopelessness that pervaded the cages. The mines were deadly enough, but they weren’t the main reason people died here. Most who died here had given up hope. They no longer cared about living. It had happened to the mother of these children, even though she had something to live for. After surviving in the mines for several months Anara knew that was the first step on the road to death. And she wasn’t ready to die just yet. Not after what those two boys had done for her.

  When the two reivers approached her she knew immediately what was on their minds, yet she could think of no way to stop them. The other Highlanders couldn’t offer her any help, since all the men had already entered the cages. A part of her simply gave up, knowing that what was about to happen was inevitable. Then the two boys, the one with the sharp green eyes and the large one with long blond hair, came to her aid.

  She had never seen anything like it before. The ease with which they killed the four reivers shocked her. Afterwards, the tall one stood over her like he was her guardian. She felt safe in his arms, and she had not wanted to let go. There was something about him that stuck with her. She didn’t know what it was, an awareness perhaps, but it was as if they belonged together. She soon discarded the idea as a daydream, a trick of the mind to get through the drudgery of working in the mines. Nevertheless, the thought still appealed to her.

  One of the girls sleeping in her lap shifted slightly, trying to find a more comfortable position. Gazing down to make sure she was all right, Anara continued to stroke their heads. She had learned after two sleepless nights that it helped to make them feel safe. She had never thought she would become a mother at such a young age, even if not in the traditional sense of the word.

  She was about to drift off when out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of movement. Looking up quickly, she twisted her neck around, trying to find the source. Nothing was there. It must have been her imagination.

  Wait a second! The guard! Where was the guard? His familiar, if unwanted, silhouette was gone. Then she smiled for the first time since she had arrived at the Black Hole. Two shadows — one large, one small — ran toward her. It seemed as if her daydream might not have been a daydream after all.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Breakout

  Thomas and Oso reached the back of the reivers’ barracks without incident. It would have made things easier for Thomas if it was darker, but he’d just have to make do with the full moon. The first cage was only a few hundred feet beyond where they were hiding. The sloping roof of the building offered Thomas the darkness he desired. But they could not see the other cages from their current position.

  Sneaking up on the guards would be much more difficult than when he freed the Highlanders the first night he had met Oso. The grass in that clearing had been up to his waist, thus helping to conceal his approach. Here, there was nothing but a muddy field. He would have to try a different approach. Thomas motioned for Oso to remain where he was.

  “Wait until I signal for you,” he whispered.

  Thomas rose from his crouch, put his sword back in the scabbard he had fastened to his back, and pulled his dagger from its sheath. Then, as if he was going for a leisurely walk in the moonlight, he strode confidently toward the guard.

  Oso was too shocked by Thomas’ audacity to stop him. “What the—”

  In a blink of the eye, Thomas disappeared. He had been walking just a few feet away from the barracks, and now he was gone! Oso rubbed his eyes, thinking it might be a trick of the moonlight. When he opened them again, all he saw was the cage and the guard standing before it.

  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 an
d 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’ blade 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.