CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Silas & Eryn
They found their own way out of the library. Eryn could tell that Silas was shaken; his posture was slumped and his expression dour.
"Silas?" She was worried about him.
"For some reason, every step closer leaves me feeling further away," he said, looking up at the sky. "This things I've done, the person I was. Even my name." He paused, lowering his head back to the ground. "Let's head up towards the Palace. It will be dusk soon, and the crowds will already be gathering for the hanging. We'll figure out what to do after."
"Okay," Eryn said. She didn't want to see a man hang, but she wouldn't leave Silas to go alone either.
They started walking up the hill. Silas was so preoccupied he never even noticed the soldiers they passed, who gave them a simple glance, but not a second.
The palace had walls of its own, tall and thick and made of stone, built to withstand a long siege. The outer gates were typically closed in the evening, after the Overlord had finished his daily hearings, but today they remained open. A large crowd was coming up from the lower part of the city, and shuffling in to see the proceedings.
Silas and Eryn were mixed in with the crowd, two more nondescript faces in the sea of humanity. They were a little late, and so they had to wait at the back of the line while those in front filed past the soldiers at the gates. They hadn't gone far when Eryn felt a hand on her rear.
She spun around, ready to confront whoever had touched her, but she saw nothing. Then she looked down.
Morie gestured to her, but didn't speak. He waved his hand, and then tumbled away through the crowd. "Father," she said to Silas, putting her hand on his shoulder and pointing. "That dwarf just groped me."
Silas turned and followed her point. He looked back towards the gates to the Palace, and then they followed after, pushing their way through the masses to chase after the performer.
He let them catch up once they were off the main road and down a small alley.
"Morie, what's going on?" Silas asked.
"Don't go in there," he said. "It's a trap."
"What do you mean?" Eryn asked.
"The Overlord. He means to get as much of the populace into the palace gates as he can, and then search them one by one. The hanging is a ruse, meant to attract you to it. If they were to hang anyone, it would have been you."
"Who told you this?" Silas had lost the sad expression, exchanging it for a more purposeful one.
"Tabitha. She works in the Overlord's kitchen. She's Galvan's sweetheart. He would have come himself, but he's too pretty. He gets too much attention. Nobody notices me."
Silas rubbed his chin.
"Silas, we can't," Eryn said. "We'll be caught."
He looked at her. "I know. Let's go back to the theater. Thank you, Morie."
The dwarf gave them a theatrical bow, and bounded off back into the crowds.
"Are you okay?" Eryn asked, once they were down the hill and towards the east side of the city. The streets were almost deserted, with most of the inhabitants gone to see the execution that wasn't going to happen.
"My wife is gone. My son is dead, his wife and their child with them. Who was I, Eryn? How did I ever believe in him? General Talon Rast? How could I have been that person before, and be this person now? It makes no sense to me. Why would losing my memories cause me such guilt, such hurt?"
Eryn took his arm, and wrapped her own around it. She put his hand in hers and squeezed it. "We'll find out, Silas," she said. "We won't rest until we do."
He looked at her and nodded. "We need to go to Addletown," he said. "We need to see what we can discover there."
"Won't the soldiers have razed Aren's home?" she asked.
"Yes, but Aren would know that would happen, the moment he ran. He would have planned for it. If there was important information he was saving for the right person, it's still there, somewhere. Our task is to find it."
They reached the theater, and knocked. Two quick taps, a pause, and two more.
Constable Letten opened the door.
"Can I help you?" he asked them. Eryn looked past his shoulder, and saw Edgar with shackles on his hands and feet.
"What are you doing to Edgar?" Eryn said.
He turned his head and looked back at him. "You mean, the traitor? We'll be taking him off to the ore mines. That's what happens to people who help fugitives get into the city."
"They've done nothing wrong," Eryn said. "They're just actors. My father, Eddard and I, we were here for singing lessons."
Letten laughed. "You'll have to learn to sing somewhere else." He started to push the door closed.
Eryn felt her heart began to race. She could see Edgar, his head bowed, his eyes red. She could see Bryant behind him, his face bruised from the beating the soldiers had given him. She had lost a family once. She wasn't going to just let them get taken again.
Before she knew what she was doing, she bent down and grabbed the hidden knife from Silas' boot. In one clean motion, she brought it up and into the Constable's thigh.
"What the...?"
It was all he got out before Silas reacted. He threw himself against the door, shoving it open and sending Letten flailing backwards. He gave Eryn a single disapproving glance before he was on top of the Constable, his knee planted against his neck, his hand reaching for the man's sword.
Eryn overcame her surprise and dashed into the room. Bryant recognized her, and he brought his chained hands around and clubbed a soldier in the side, knocking him to the ground. He pulled the chain up just in time to prevent his neck from being slashed by the other soldier.
Silas had the Constable's sword, and he balanced his knee on Letten's throat while he fended off an attack, his blade and body shifting and moving like a tree in the wind. The Constable flailed under him, trying to get him off, but he had no leverage, and he shuddered and grasped for life with increasing panic.
The other three soldiers had been downstairs, and now Eryn heard screaming and shouting, and their boots on the steps. They reached the ballroom just as she reached the fireplace, holding her breath as she leaped in towards the flames.
She felt the heat of it against her legs, but she was through too quickly to be burned. It didn't stop her dress from smoldering, and she bent down and smacked it with her hand as fast as she could. She turned and found their things, opening the saddlebag and pulling out the rod with the white stone at the end.
She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. She focused on the heat of the fire to help her picture the forge, and to see herself working the bellows. She heard the sounds of battle behind it, the clang of steel on steel, shouting, and screaming. She opened her eyes.
A soldier was leaning down, peering into the fireplace, his eyes resting right on her. Eryn took the rod and swung it, cracking it into the man's unprotected jaw. He screamed and fell back.
She threw the rod away and found her sword, resting in its old scabbard. She grabbed the whole thing and leaped back through the fire. Silas was on his feet now, dispatching a third soldier. Edgar was curled into a ball on the floor, blood pooling around him. Bryant was backing away from a soldier, doing his best to keep the chains between himself and the man's blade.
Eryn pulled her blade free and charged towards him, sword overhead as Silas had taught her. He saw her coming at the last moment, turning and bringing his own sword up to block hers. He was surprised to find himself facing a woman, and he hesitated. Eryn didn't. She grabbed his sword hand to keep it away, and stabbed him.
The remaining soldier stood in the center of the ballroom, looking at the open door. Silas stepped in front of it.
"Drop your sword," he said.
The soldier considered, and then charged.
It was over in a blink. The onrushing man tried to stab Silas, but he brought his own blade back, stepped the the side, pushed the blade off course, and slashed the soldier's chest. He fell forward onto his stomach.
Eryn
rushed over to where Edgar was laying on the floor. "Edgar!"
He was still alive. He turned his head and looked up at her. "I'm sorry, my dear," he said. "I was too bold. I... I... thought, my brother... could protect me." His eyes dulled.
"Eryn."
She looked up. Silas was walking towards her, his face tight with anger.
"Just tell me why," he said.
She stared up at him, tears forming in her eyes. Edgar was dead, and it was her fault. If she had let the Constable close the door, they would have taken him to the ore mines. It would have been difficult for him, but he would still be alive, and they would still have a chance to set him free. Now, there was no chance for anything.
"Don't you know why?" she asked, her voice barely more than a sad whisper.
He stood over her, glaring. Then his face softened.
"Yes," he replied, crouching down and putting a hand on her shoulder. "We have to go."
He stood and walked over to Bryant. "Hold out your wrists," he said. The big man complied, and he used the Constable's blade to cut through the chains.
"Bryant, why was Letten here? How did he find out about us?"
Bryant shook his head. "Not you," he said.
"It's our fault," Robar said, appearing at the top of the stairs. His face was bloodied, and he was still shackled, but he had shuffled his way up. "He was following us the whole time. I don't know how he got past the spotters."
"How many of them went to see the hanging?" Silas asked. He was willing to bet it was most of them.
"I'm such a fool," Robar said. "Such a fool."
"The Overlord isn't taking any chances," Silas said. "He was hoping that if the hanging didn't draw me out, Letten would be able to find me."
He turned and looked back at the open door. "Grab as much as you can, we need to go now. Bryant, go find the Constable's keys and unchain them." He dropped the Constable's sword and ran for the fireplace.
Eryn got to her feet. "Robar, where are the others? Galvan, Canae, Lanae?"
"They went to see the hanging. Sena is downstairs with Winslow, they're okay, but chained."
Bryant knelt over Letten's body. He shifted him until he found a ring of keys. After he pulled it off, he stood up and spit on the Constable. "To Heden with you."
Bryant unchained Robar, who took the keys and went downstairs. Silas came back through the fire, holding the saddlebags and his sword. "Bryant, do you have somewhere else you can go?"
"We have friend, outside the walls. Have to warn others first."
He disappeared down the stairs, leaving Silas and Eryn alone.
"They weren't going to take them to the ore mines," Silas said. He opened the saddlebag and pulled out the coin purse.
Eryn was confused. "What do you mean?"
"There are more men on their way. The Overlord has always known I've been here. He just needed time to set a plan in motion to capture me."
"How do you know?"
"It's what I would have done, if I had been thinking like General Talon Rast." He pulled out Alyssa's ring, kissed it, and put it back. "If you want to come with me, go downstairs and change your clothes. Put on something you can move quietly in."
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"To find the Overlord, before he finds us."
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Silas
Silas had removed most of the makeup on his face by the time Eryn returned, flanked by Bryant, Robar, Sena, and Winslow. Bryant had a bucket of blue paint in one hand, a brush in the other. He ran out the front door.
"What is he doing?" Eryn asked.
"He'll paint parts of the street blue," Sena said. "Small marks that the soldiers won't notice, but the troupe will. They'll know it's not safe, and go to the temple."
"The temple to Amman?"
"The one outside the walls," Winslow said. "The priest there, Colm, is a friend of ours. He was a member of the troupe, before he chose to follow the path of Amman."
"Get going," Silas said. "The Overlord's soldiers could show any minute."
"What about you?" Sena asked.
"We'll meet up with you at the temple. We have other business to attend to first."
They fled the theater.
He looked Eryn over. She had pulled off the wig, and thrown some water over her own face to clear the makeup and putty. She was wearing a dark tunic with loose black pants and short leather boots. Combined with her short hair, she would be easy to mistake for a boy.
"Take this," he said, throwing her the coin purse. "The blue stone is at the bottom, if you need it."
Eryn caught it, and tucked it into her pants. "I don't know if I can do it," she said. "I tried to use the stone on the rod, but I couldn't concentrate with all of the fighting."
"That's okay. I know you'll do your best. I'd tell you to stay behind, but I don't expect that you'll listen."
"I'm coming. I'd rather die fighting, than live running. I could have gone off to join the rebellion if that was what I wanted."
"Remember what I taught you, and stay close. We're going to go north up the west side of the city to the lake. We'll try to find a way in from the back."
Eryn came over, reached up, and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Silas was stiff at first, but then he joined her in the embrace.
"Thank you for everything, Silas," she said.
"It isn't over yet," he replied, letting her go.
They went to the open door of the theater and looked out. The sun was setting, and the streets were growing dark. Someone would be along soon to light the oil lamps, but for now the area was deserted.
"This way," Silas said, motioning for Eryn to follow. They stayed close to the buildings, walking north to the corner. He saw it now, the small blue mark Bryant had painted on the street. He had only noticed it because he was looking for it.
"I hear horses," Eryn said.
Silas peeked around the corner. He could see torches in the distance; soldiers on horseback, coming down the hill towards them.
"Across the street," he said. "Run!"
They ran across the street. When they reached the other side Silas doubled back to check if they had been seen. The soldiers hadn't changed their pace.
"How far to the lake?" Eryn asked.
"Seven or eight blocks," he replied.
They started running again. They had nearly reached the next corner when they heard footsteps. Silas took Eryn's hand and led her to a tight alley between two of the buildings. He crouched down with her behind him.
Four soldiers came from around the corner, swords at their hips and crossbows in their hands. They looked like they were on edge, expecting to be attacked.
"We have to surprise them," Silas whispered. "It would be like shooting barrels to hit us in this alley."
He pulled the knife from his boot, and held it up, ready to throw.
"When I throw the knife, we charge," he said. "Stay behind me."
The four soldiers approached, their eyes sweeping back and forth along the street. One of them kept his gaze up, expecting that they might be on the rooftops.
He was the first to fall, a knife sticking out of his neck. The road wasn't that wide, and by the time the other soldiers reacted, Silas was right on top of them. They tried to spin to fire, but they got in one another's way, and hesitated for too long. He tore into them with the Mediator's sword, the lustrous alloy cutting through their armor as though it were cloth instead of iron.
They were all dead before Eryn had time to draw her sword.
"Here," Silas said, handing her a crossbow.
"I don't know how to use this," she replied.
"Press this to release the string and fire the bolt," Silas said. "Pull the string back, put it in here, and then put the bolt there. It's easier than a bow, and you can shoot one of those."
He took the quiver from one of the men and handed it to her. She slipped it over her back, and held the crossbow the way the soldiers had.
The
y ran north another block, and then ducked into an alley. They heard the voices of the soldiers on horseback, reaching those they had killed. Silas peeked out from the alley, seeing two soldiers riding towards the theater with torches in their hands.
"Stay close to the buildings, go slow," Silas said.
They snuck out of the alley and crept along the side of the building, holding as close to it as they could to avoid being seen. They had nearly reached the next block, when a voice cried out from above them.
"Guards! He's down 'ere!"
The soldiers on the horses turned their direction and kicked their mounts forward.
"Run," Silas said.
They ran, away from the oncoming horses.
"We can't outrun them," Eryn cried.
They could hear the horses getting closer. Silas reached out and took Eryn's hand, pulling her towards him. An arrow sailed by and bounced off the street.
"Hey, in here!"
A door opened in front of them.
They headed for it, falling inside just as an arrow struck the wall behind them. The door swung closed.
"Who are you?" Eryn asked. There were three men standing over them, each armed with a crossbow. They were young, not much older than her, each with short brown hair and fair skin.
One of them held out his hand, and helped her up. Silas pushed himself to his feet on his own.
"Rebels," he said. "They'll hang you for this."
"They've done worse to our family," one of them said. "I don't know why the Overlord wants you so bad, but as far as I'm concerned, helping you is the best thing we can do."
"Do you know what's happening?"
They heard the snorting and whining of the horses as the soldiers reached the door.
"Overlord's got most of the city locked up in the palace courtyard. He's got another five hundred or so soldiers going door to door, every single home, looking for you. Then he's got the blokes in the streets. We've been waiting for them to come try to search the place." He motioned to a door behind him. "We've got a weapons store down there, for the rebellion. For when the time came. We couldn't get it moved out, so we figured we'd take a few of his bastards with us."
His Dark Empire (Tears of Blood) Page 21
