It was clear that they were being dismissed and Talon and Raeth rose.
“Thank you for your time master,” said Talon as they left.
“Yeah, thanks,” added Raeth sarcastically as she followed Talon from the room.
Chapter Fifty-Seven: Reunions
“Logan?”
He stood mouth agape as he looked into the eyes of his sister. The shock was mirrored in her face. Suddenly, she stepped forward and threw her arms around him. Her voice was muffled in his shoulder as she spoke.
“Gods, Logan, I thought you were dead.”
He felt her tears on his neck. He held her close.
“I’ve been so worried about you, Tanel,” he replied. “I was afraid I’d never see you again.”
The sound of someone clearing their throat broke into their reunion.
“So, I take it you two know each other?” asked Jarod.
Logan released his sister and turned to face the man.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “Tanel this is Jarod. Jarod this is Tanel, my sister.”
Jarod bowed deeply at the waist.
“The honour is mine, m’lady.”
Tanel blushed as Jarod softly kissed her hand.
Logan noticed the troll standing behind Jarod. Logan smiled and extended his arm to the troll.
“Thank you,” he said sincerely.
The troll clasped his arm and bellowed in response.
“Perhaps, we could take this reunion elsewhere?” came a voice around Logan’s knee.
Rimple Curmidgly stood to the side warily looking at the humans who still gathered in small groups and shot dark looks in their direction.
“Besides,” he continued. “The smell is starting to bother me, and I think it’s making our large friend hungry.”
A rumble from the troll’s stomach was his only response. Logan looked down at Jonah’s body.
“What should we do with him?”
“Leave him,” Jarod replied. “The guards will take care of it in the morning, if there is anything left.”
Logan turned to his sister, motioning towards the body on the floor.
“I didn’t want to,” he whispered.
“I know you didn’t,” she said with sympathy and hugged him reassuringly. “He didn’t give you any choice.”
As Tanel led her brother away from the corpse the small group moved with them. Jarod guided them toward the chamber wall.
Logan and his sister spent the rest of the night catching up. Logan told Tanel of his journey. She cried when she heard about the devastation of Solan Bay, but cheered a bit when he told her about returning their parents to the eternal forge. At least, they weren’t left for the scavengers was all she managed to say. Logan on the other hand found his blood rising as she told him of her journey.
Tanel had been loaded into a large narrow ship and forced below decks with the others from their village. There weren’t many, mostly children and women. The ship had sailed for what felt like weeks, though she had no way to be certain since she never saw the light of day. Several died on the journey, she knew they were sick but her captors wouldn’t let her help them. They just kept telling her that they were acceptable losses. She hadn’t understood that, and even now the concept made her sick.
The slavers had a mage with them and he was able to tell the soldiers which women had their maidenheads still intact. She was listed in this group and was separated from the others. Some, like Seli Tanith, were not so fortunate. Tanel felt no love for the girl, but she still cringed as she remembered the girl’s screams as the soldiers took their turns with her.
Eventually, the ship came into port and they were taken out of the hold. They were chained and led to the slave pens where they were stripped, washed and prepared for market. At the time, she was almost thankful that she was being sold. It meant that no one was allowed to defile her, it would lower the price and the mages would know.
However, as she was paraded around naked on stage like a horse being auctioned at market she was sickened. Her price went high, few but the richest could afford her. She wasn’t sure if her beauty was a curse or a boon. The richer owners would be harder to escape from. All she really knew for certain was that if she couldn’t find a way to free herself she’d kill herself.
She was eventually sold to the man in black. His name was Siris Danielson, but his men called him ‘Siris the slaughterer’. Apparently, he was close to the King and was well favoured due to his success with his slave raids and the money those raids brought to the throne.
The first time he defiled her was the hardest. She had fought against him, but he only seemed to enjoy it more. Ultimately, he had to knock her nearly unconscious. Each time since was the same, she fought and he beat her and eventually took her. She used her healer’s knowledge to protect herself from bearing the creature offspring.
Over time, a cold fury filled her. As much as she wanted to die she wouldn’t allow herself that escape. She wanted her revenge first. The last time he came for her she changed her strategy. Rather than fighting, she just lay there unmoving. He tried to make her react, but she wouldn’t. In the end, he grew so angry that he beat her and had this punishment arranged. She smiled at her brother.
“But, he didn’t violate me,” she said with pride.
Logan hugged his sister close and they both cried as they held each other.
In the morning, the guards came for her. She hugged her brother one last time and he told her to hang on a little while longer.
“I’ll come for you,” he promised.
She nodded and went with the guards. As he watched his sister being led up the stairs of the mine, Logan decided that he’d overstayed his welcome. He turned toward Jarod.
“I’m leaving tonight,” he announced.
Chapter Fifty-Eight: Feelings
El’s night had not been good. She had gotten very little sleep.
First, Raeth had asked her to keep an eye on Lan’thor. Apparently, the elf had made quite the fool of himself a few nights back when he had tried to keep an eye on Raeth. The story was almost funny, if not for the fact that it had nearly cost Lan his life.
On top of that, she could not shake the images from Lan’s story about his encounter with the general. She knew she didn’t trust the man and he looked at her like she was a piece of meat, but she hadn’t expected him to be so sick. Though in retrospect, she should have figured on it. Her bond with Logan had shown her his memories. Admittedly, they had been jumbled and confused, but she had been slowly fitting them together and was now quite certain that the general was Logan’s man in black.
A cold shiver came over her as she considered this point. The two men would meet again, Logan had sworn it on the memory of his parents, and the last time they’d met Logan had nearly ended up dead. She had seen those memories too and knew that there was no exaggeration. If anything, Logan had underplayed the entire encounter.
As she thought about it, she realized that it wasn’t surprising that she had slept so badly. Add these thoughts to the images of Logan fighting for his life in the mines and she figured she had every reason to look like she’d been to Hades and back again.
She was still considering things when the door to her chamber burst open. El jumped in surprise as Raeth strode purposefully into the room. Lan followed behind her, looking more than a little confused, he shut the door behind him.
“We have a problem,” Raeth began without pre-amble and El smiled ruefully as she answered.
“Just one?”
Raeth’s look silenced her. Something in the assassin’s face spoke volumes, things were very bad indeed.
“What is it?” Lan asked.
Raeth began pacing the room.
“Last night,” she began. “I went to meet the guild master for the assassins of Tael.”
Both Lan and El nodded at this, they were both well aware of Raeth’s intended destination. That had been the reason that she had asked El to keep an eye on Lan’thor.
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“Well, imagine my surprise,” Raeth continued. “When, I find our friend the general sitting behind the master’s desk.”
The colour drained from El’s face. Raeth went on to explain the details of her meeting with the general. When she finished, everyone was silent for several moments.
“So,” Lan finally said. “That’s why no one has tried to overthrow the king or his court. He’s the general’s puppet and with the general controlling both the military and the assassin’s guild it would be near suicide to try anything.”
Raeth nodded in agreement before adding.
“And just so we all understand each other, you don’t achieve the position of guild master, much less hold that position for any length of time without some serious skills.”
She sat heavily on the bed.
“Personally,” she continued. “I think it would be in all our best interests to avoid that man at all costs. Let’s help Logan find his sister and get out of here.”
Raeth looked hopefully from Lan to El. El was slowly shaking her head in refusal.
“El, what is it?” the assassin asked.
El looked up darkly and sighed heavily.
“It’s worse than you think, Raeth,” she answered. “I’m pretty certain that the man we know as the general is the same man who killed Logan’s parents and destroyed his village.”
Silence greeted El’s revelation and as she looked from one to the other, she saw her own sense of dread reflected back through their eyes.
Oh, Logan, she thought. What have you gotten yourself in to?
Chapter Fifty-Nine: Time To Go
That day, things progressed as usual in the mine. The remains of Jonah had been removed. The guards didn’t ask many questions and got even fewer answers. Apparently, finding a dead body in the chamber didn’t come as much of a surprise.
At the end of the day, the slaves were fed and returned to the large chamber. The guards removed the chains and left for the night. As most of the slaves were settling down, Logan started moving. Quickly and quietly, he removed the pickaxe Jonah had tried to use on him from the pile of rocks he had hid it under. He crept to the gate leading into the tunnel. One powerful overhand strike with the pickaxe smashed the lock to pieces and opened the gate.
Logan was moving into the tunnel when a voice called softly behind him.
“Wait for me.”
Logan turned and in the dimming light saw Jarod moving quickly to catch up.
“So, you’ve decided to join me?” he asked.
“Just slow down and let me catch up,” came the belaboured reply.
Logan waited for Jarod to catch up.
“I hate to be the one to point this out Logan, but we have no light. How are we going to find our way?”
Logan smiled in the darkness. He hadn’t thought about light. His dwarven blood allowed him to see quite well in the dark, but Jarod wasn’t so fortunate. He looked around the chamber and finally spotted what he needed. Hastily he grabbed up one of the torches used in the mine and sent Jarod back to light it.
“Better?” he asked when the man returned with the lit torch.
Jarod grinned at him and nodded. Logan turned and led them into the depths of the mine. After about a hundred feet he stopped and raised his hand.
“What?” asked Jarod.
“Shhh!” ordered Logan.
He gestured for Jarod to keep going and then hid himself amongst the rocks. The soft fall of footsteps on uneven rock and gravel reached Logan’s ears again. As the footsteps approached his hiding place, he lifted the pickaxe high on his shoulder.
Just before swinging with the axe, Logan made out the shape of a small figure picking his way by feel through the mine. Logan sighed loudly, purposely giving away his position.
“Who’s there?” came a voice from the darkness.
“What are you up to little man?” Logan growled back.
“Ah, Logan, is that you,” came Rimple’s reply. “Damn it man, don’t scare me like that.”
The gnome walked smack into Logan’s leg.
“And where exactly do you think you’re going?” asked Logan, blocking the gnome’s path.
“Why, with you of course,” answered Rimple.
Logan shook his head in the darkness.
“Alright,” Logan finally agreed. “C’mon, then.”
The gnome let out a squeal as Logan picked him up by the scruff and carried him to catch up with Jarod. He dropped the gnome to the ground as they reached his friend.
“I wish you would stop doing that,” the gnome complained loudly.
“Gods, who invited the gnome,” moaned Jarod.
“Watch your step big man,” Rimple snapped. “Or, I’ll have to knock you down to size.”
“What starting with my ankles?” mocked Jarod.
“Enough you two, I’m leaving,” announced Logan. “Are you coming with me, or not?”
Logan led the group through the tunnels and into the abandoned section of the mine. It was in these shafts that things got dangerous. Logan had to lead the group around fallen rocks and old wooden supports that had long since splintered and rotted. It was at one of these damaged supports, that they ran into trouble.
Logan was leading his troupe under the support when he heard a splintering sound. Quickly, he pushed his friends away from the damaged beam while he reached up with strong arms. Catching hold of the damaged wood, he braced with all his strength. The weight was intense, but his muscles held. Rimple and Jarod watched him nervously.
“Okay,” Logan said in a voice strained from exertion. “Both of you move forward around me. Hurry, I don’t know how long I can hold this.”
They both did as they were told and Logan encouraged them as they went.
“That’s it guys. Just keep going a bit further.”
He heard a crack and knew the ceiling was going to come down. His arms started to buckle under the weight. He couldn’t hold it and he knew he couldn’t get out in time.
Suddenly, the weight was gone. Logan turned to see figure of a large troll bracing the ceiling with his back. The troll waved him forward. Logan could see the strain in the big man’s face. Logan shook his head. He wasn’t about to leave him there to die. The troll waved him forward again.
Logan looked around desperately for something to use to brace the tunnel. He could find nothing. Then he remembered the debris from earlier in the tunnel. Moving as fast as his legs would carry him, he ran past the troll and back along the way he had come. He searched high and low but nothing would support the weight of the ceiling.
Logan sighed.
Well, he thought. When in doubt try the stupidest thing you can think of and pray to the gods for luck.
He charged back down the tunnel as fast as he could.
He hit the troll around the waist and drove both of them forward. In his wake, he could hear the rock ceiling coming down. Rocks pounded him, as he and the troll slid to a halt on the hard stone floor. Dust rose around them, filling their sinuses and making them cough and sputter.
“What in Hades was that all about?” bitched Rimple as he sneezed repeatedly.
Logan helped the troll to his feet.
“Just bringing along another friend,” he replied.
The troll bellowed in response, but the mine shook and he quickly stopped. Rimple covered his ears.
“Oh goody,” the gnome griped. “Just, what we need.”
The rest of the passage was sound. Or at least as sound as you could expect an abandoned mine shaft to be. They made good time through the winding passage. When they felt cool wind on their faces they knew they were getting close to the airshaft. Even so, Logan nearly stepped off the edge before he realized they were there, thankfully he caught himself. As he looked down into the black pit before him, it took several moments to calm his rapidly beating heart. He took a deep breath as Rimple spoke.
“Okay, oh great one, now what?”
Jarod turned to regard the gnome
“You know, for such a little creature you are really annoying,” the human commented.
The gnome stuck his tongue out at him. Logan ignored all this. He was too busy using the torch to study the airshaft.
Silently, he prayed that Raeth had been successful. As he looked at the wet stone on the walls he realized that if she hadn’t been, then this escape attempt was likely to get them all killed.
When he finally saw the rope hanging at the far side of the shaft, Logan released the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
It couldn’t be easy, could it, he thought as he mentally measured the distance to the rope.
He turned back to the others.
“Okay guys,” he said with a smile. “I’ll be back in a second.”
Jarod looked startled as Logan handed him the torch.
“What do you mean you’ll be back?” he asked. “Where do you think you’re going?”
But, Logan had already leapt into the shaft. He caught the rope and in a flood of panic, felt it slide through his hands. Tightening his grip on it, he stopped his descent. Catching his breath, he realized that he’d only slipped a foot or so before he’d caught himself.
He began to swing back and forth on the rope. His arc took him near the entrance to the tunnel and he felt a big hand catch hold of him. The hand helped pull him back into the tunnel and safety. When he was back on his feet, standing on solid rock he nodded his thanks to the troll.
“Okay,” he asked. “Who’s first?”
“Oh, please, after you,” came the general response and Logan laughed.
“Thanks guys, such confidence.”
Logan began to climb.
Chapter Sixty: The Peasants Are Revolting
A hundred and fifty foot climb on a thin rope through a pitch-black airshaft was no ones idea of a good time and as Logan dragged himself out of the shaft every muscle in his body ached. He took stock of his location. He was in the far corner of the courtyard as Raeth had said he would be. Looking up toward the sky and finding the moon, he figured it was about two in the morning.
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