"Come now quietly and quickly," Barton whispered from below, "we can have no more than a handful of hours before daybreak and the morning’s cell check and we must be well away from here when our escape is discovered."
Daniel shivered and realizing he had no choice, began to ease himself down the wall to the water. It felt thick and oily on his skin as he slid into the moat, and though he could hardly believe it, the smells seemed to be even worse with his face closer to the water. With his jaw locked tightly shut and his head as high out of the water as he could manage, Daniel began to breaststroke toward the far bank following Barton. Logically, he knew that forty feet wasn't that far to swim but he couldn't help imagining what was in the water with them and promised himself that the next thing he was going to transmute would be a bar of soap.
He slid out of the moat next to Barton and crept to the top of the bank. Barton looked back to assure himself they had not been seen and then motioned for Daniel to follow him into the town.
FIVE
As he followed the skulking Barton up the dark alleyways, cut off from the sky by overhanging upper floors of the buildings, he wondered why they were bothering to sneak at all. Surely, he thought, a blind man with a cold could have found us in a stiff breeze. They crossed several cobblestone streets and wound through countless back alleys before Barton moved directly towards an oil lamp hanging next to a painted sign showing a bed, leg of mutton, and a mug. Daniel couldn't imagine that Barton’s plan was to go in and get a room with them still dripping sewage. To his surprise, Barton had stopped under the lamp and was examining something. Over Barton's shoulder he saw a U.S. silver dollar shining in the weak yellow orange glow.
"By the gods, it is silver," Daniel heard Barton say under his breath.
Barton looked up into Daniel's face and studied it in the lamplight for the first time. What he saw was a tall young man with dark wet hair high cheekbones and eyes that were probably pale in color. Daniel must be a halfling, Barton thought, unknown even to himself; for he looked the part of an elf even, if he was lacking the pointy years and almond shaped eyes. He looked from Daniel's face to the coin in his hand and back to Daniel and in those few seconds he chose a path that would lead him places he could never have imagined.
"Daniel, I have friends here in the city and they can be trusted if not to too fine a point. We must bathe and purchase clothing and travel gear and clear the city gates before the hole in the castle wall is reported. You must trust me and say nothing of how you came to be here other than the bare truths that we escaped from the dungeons together. It is well known to my friends that I was in the dungeons, but that I am out will be of great interest. The ability to escape from the dungeons is worth much in some quarters so avoiding the details of our escape will seem to others a reasonable way to protect valuable information. I will introduce you as a stranger here from a distant land and use the silver coin to help purchase those things we will need for the road. That is, if you have no objections?"
"You lead and I'll follow," Daniel said. “Not like I have much choice,” he mumbled under his breath, “I don't know where I am, where I am going or where I have been. So as long as those plans include a bath, I'm right behind you."
After twenty more minutes following Barton, as he dashed across cobbled streets, crept down alleys, and climbed low walls and fences, Daniel was absolutely lost. He'd always prided himself on good sense of direction - he had been the one who got the guys back to campus after a road trip or found an alternative route when they were cut off and in a hurry to get home. But the head-down dashes across the narrow streets and the slow creeping through the dark alleys, cut him off from the sky and gave him nothing to lock onto. He felt as though they had doubled back several times. They could be fifty yards or five hundred yards from the castle and he wouldn't know.
"Be careful!" Barton hissed.
Daniel had run smack into him. He had been trying to catch a glimpse of the stars through the narrow gap between the thatched overhanging roofs above him and not seen Barton stop. He was growing steadily more nervous with the lack of direction, and lack of landmarks. If the guards came after them, he had no idea which way to run. The maze they had been wandering through was an exercise in how not to do urban planning.
"Sorry, I was looking up and didn't expect you to stop." The alley they were in ran behind several two and three-story buildings. Refuse was everywhere and as he looked more closely he could see rats scurrying from pile to pile. There was an occasional shriek when two were fighting over some choice scrap or one was caught by a local cat (he hoped it was a cat). All around him hung the pungent, sickeningly sweet smell of decaying food, but at least this was an improvement over the moat.
"Listen carefully," Barton whispered, "I've lead us roundabout so all the lookouts could announce our arrival. Down these few steps is a cellar door. From that cellar we can enter the domain beneath Kleinhurst. The Baron has no dominion here but the man in charge is as powerful nonetheless. Some call him the Baron Below, some refer to him as milord, and those that have known him long call him Basil." Barton was quiet for a few moments as if preparing himself to enter. "Don't speak until you are asked a direct question and remember who you're supposed to be and where you're supposed to be from. We should be safe here as long as Basil decides to like you."
With that, Barton turned to the cellar steps and descended the well-worn stone stairs. Daniel couldn't see the latching mechanism on the door but he could hear the metal parts rasping and scraping. It's a cinch no one sneaks in through that door he said to himself. He could feel his heart speeding up again. The escape from the dungeons and the dash through the streets and back ways of the city left Daniel uneasy. The dark stairs and the hushed tones of Barton’s voice explaining the new dangers took Daniel’s discomfort up another notch.
Daniel didn’t like being lost, but following Barton had really only been uncomfortable and confusing. He had no idea what he was about to walk into. Up to this point, he realized, he had only spoken with a girl and Barton. At least, he thought, I sort of had clothes when I talked to Barton.
The cellar was dark and though it had a damp smell, it was actually a major improvement over that of the alley. The only light in the room was reflected torchlight and moonlight spilling into the open door behind him. He hung in the doorway for a second trying to get his bearings and see what he was walking into. Even though his eyes were accustomed to the dark, the cellar was more like the dungeon they had escaped from earlier. He also noticed the stones of the cellar floor were cold. The cobblestones of the street were apparently still carrying warmth from the previous day, but the floor in this room didn't feel like it had ever been warm.
"Come all the way in and close the door behind you. Be quick and silent as if you know what you are doing." Barton's voice was low, barely above a whisper, and carried a sense of impatience.
Daniel closed the door behind them, trying to catch the latch as quietly as possible. It was obvious to him that Barton was in his element. He'd been here before and knew the ropes and Daniel realized he had little choice but to trust his former cellmate.
With the door secured he turned back to the cellar. "I can't see you at all." Daniel was turning his head from side to side trying to catch some glimpse of something with the better night vision of the corners of his eyes. When he felt the hand grab his arm, he jumped, barely managing not to cry out.
"You just about scared the crap out of me," Daniel said in a forced whisper, "how about a little warning?"
The barely audible clucking sound Barton made could either have been a chuckle or an admonishment. Daniel wasn't sure which. "Fortunately, after the swim in the moat no one will be able to tell if you've soiled yourself. I will lead you," Barton continued to whisper, "now follow me quietly and remember what I told you."
Daniel had no choice but to follow his arm is it was pulled ahead of him in the dark. It seemed to take much longer to cross the room than Daniel woul
d have thought from what he could see from the doorway. After several more steps, the forward pressure on his arm stopped. He heard Barton's hand lightly brushing against something as if he was feeling his way. Then with a click that was all too loud in the quiet room, a dim light appeared outlining the opening door.
Daniel let out his breath and took another in deeply, wondering if he had been holding his breath the whole time they crossed the cellar. Barton's outline moved ahead of him into the doorway and to the left. Daniel followed him into what was a landing with a stairway continuing down to another level.
Barton closed the door behind them. Moving past Daniel, he began descending the stairs. The only light was coming up from below and framing the steps in shadow marking the edges clearly. At the bottom of the stairs they passed through a doorway entering another open area. The room was about twenty feet square. The dim light from the oil lamp that had cascaded up the stairs now seemed like daylight to Daniel. The room was filled with crates and barrels stacked in groups of twos. There was just enough room between the crates for men to pass in single file.
Barton turned right into the narrow passageway between two sets of barrels and then turned left when he came to the wall. The walls of the room were brick and stucco. The stucco had chipped and flaked off here and there all around the room exposing the brick beneath it. It was to one of these exposed brick areas that Barton headed. He glanced at Daniel to make sure that Daniel was paying attention and then pressed on the upper right brick of an exposed section about shoulder high in the wall. A dull click was heard and a doorway, following the staggered outline of the bricks and cracks in the stucco, slid back.
Barton took a deep breath and marched into the bright light. While dazzling after all the darkness, it was caused by only about a half dozen torches and lanterns distributed amongst a sizeable group of people. Daniel had no choice but to follow behind blinking and squinting as his eyes adjusted. When he could see again he was looking at a group of about a dozen people, most of them men and most of the men were large, burly and armed. He heard the door close behind him and as he'd turned his attention back from the door, Barton had stepped toward the group.
"Basil, so nice of you to turn out the reception committee. Had I known it would be such a formal occasion, we would have stopped and stolen better clothing.” The man Barton had addressed as Basil was third from the left in the rough semi-circle of people facing them. He was a solid six feet and while not as burly as some of the others; he had a wiry confidence and sharpness to his eye. It was clear from body language and the quick, surreptitious glances at him from the others; they were taking their cues from him. Everything from his shiny boots and the saber at his waste to the long neatly groomed hair and mustache set him apart from his more plainly dressed companions.
"Barton, I don't know why you tried to be so quiet when we could smell you two blocks before you got here." Basil seemed genuinely amused until you looked at his eyes. They were searching for every detail and any signs that something might be out of place. "We knew you had been locked in the Baron Above's dungeon, but we didn't expect to see or smell you for some time yet."
Basil was clearly pleased with his wit. His movements were sure and athletic. He reminded Daniel of his classmates in Krav Maga, the ones who never seemed to have an off-balance moment. Basil's hair was shoulder length and dark. It was parted down the middle and thick enough to cover his ears. Daniel also noticed that Basil seemed cleaner and better kept than he would've expected, especially from a medieval subterranean sewer lord.
Barton smiled, "I do apologize for our aroma but it was a clear warm night and we decided the swim might do us well."
Basil held Barton's eye for a long second then tilted his head back and laughed; perhaps a little too much. "Well, your stay in the dungeon certainly hasn't dulled your sense of humor, old friend. But your manners may be slipping. Introduce your bruised but stylish companion to us." Although he was still smiling, it was obvious that Basil's guard had not been lowered, and his burly companions had remained focused and at the ready. They met Barton’s quip without even a chuckle.
"Yes, of course," Barton said stepping slightly aside and motioning Daniel forward with a slight nod of his head. "This is my friend Daniel, who I met in the Baron Above’s guest quarters, and who helped me escape. He comes from a far country and ended up in the Baron's dungeon for introducing himself to the Baron's betrothed."
Basil looked Daniel over from head to toe before turning his attention back to Barton. Without taking his eyes from Barton he addressed Daniel. "I hope you were dressed and smelled better when you met her ladyship than you are when you come to visit me." Basil’s focused gaze held Barton’s. The narrowing of Basil’s eyes and slight tilt of his head when Barton started to speak, told Barton that Basil intended to hear the answer from Daniel.
For Daniel the whole situation was surreal. He still felt like he was in a movie but all of his senses were warning him that this was real, he was being tested and his answer would be graded pass-fail. "Actually, milord, while I may have smelled better I was not dressed nearly so well."
Basil's eyes lingered on Barton for another split-second before easing over to Daniel. He took Daniel's full measure for another split-second before he laughed again.
"Well, Barton, I see you found a companion with your same sharp wit. Both of you reply with cleverness and accuracy for I have heard Lissette was accosted by a naked man who appeared from the woods behind her as she watched the tourney from the southern hill. There was nothing said about the strangers smell but we did have a lively breeze yesterday."
At some sign Daniel missed, the guards relaxed, he guessed that he had passed at least the first round. Basil's mood seemed genuinely friendly now as attention seemed solely focused on Barton. "I suppose you have tales to tell of this new form of escape you have managed, and as much as I am eager to hear the tale, it can wait till you two are cleaned and dressed."
"Henry," Basil said toward the large man on his left, "would you escort my friends to my chambers and see that they get a bath. Molly, would you see if you could find some clothing to fit these two? I believe they will need traveling clothes." As Basil spoke the last words he glanced at Barton for confirmation and received a slight incline of the head as expected. If they had indeed broken out of the dungeon, they'd be hot properties and it would be in Basil’s interest to help them get away from the city as soon as possible. While Basil had no fear of the Baron, confrontations were often costly and best avoided if possible.
Henry wore an off-white shirt with dark brown pantaloons all held together by a wide leather belt. While the clothing was not expensive, it was neither dirty nor tattered and stood in stark contrast to the highly polished knee-high boots he wore. Henry's shirtsleeves were puffy and fell a couple of inches below his wrist. The shirt was opened at the chest and loosely laced exposing the map of curly hair little thinner than the crop on his head. Henry said nothing, just dipping his head slightly to Basil and motioned Barton and Daniel to follow.
Molly, a short, well-filled woman, fell into step behind them. Daniel could hear the cloth of her voluminous skirts rustling a she walked with a precise clip of her heels on the stone floor.
Daniel began replaying the last few minutes in his head. Basil had acted in a friendly if cautious manner. The others watched and shifted slightly as if they had played their parts many times and were waiting on cues. During the meeting, Daniel realized, Barton had been playing a part as well. He’d kept his eyes focused on Basil as if the others behavior didn’t matter. Daniel wasn't sure exactly how much power this Basil had, but it was obvious the Baron Below’s opinion was the only one that carried any weight in the well-oiled machine. Too well-oiled for Daniel to feel comfortable and he had always had a problem with uncomfortable situations - he tended to talk too much.
"Mr. Henry, if I may address you so, that's quite an impressive pair of boots you have." As he spoke, he saw Barton's sh
oulders flinch slightly, as if tightening up in preparation for a blow. They walked several steps before Henry answered.
"Just plain Henry will do and I thank you for the complement. These boots were given to me by his lordship." The voice was deep and rumbling. It bore no malice or threat and if not friendly was not unfriendly. Henry walked with confidence and a total sense of control. Daniel thought it was as if Henry had suppressed his own power and presence remaining in Basil’s shadow. Daniel could see Barton's shoulders relax with relief.
Walking single file down the corridor, Daniel tried to spot landmarks he could use if he needed to leave on his own. It was lit only by occasional oil lamps and all he could do was try and count them for a measure of distance. He could not see Barton's face but thought he could see a slight shaking of Barton's head from side to side either in warning of additional conversation or in disbelief of that which had already occurred.
Elves- the Book of Daniel Page 5
