Shadowdance 01 - A Dance of Cloaks

by David Dalglish

  He shook his head.

  “I used to think all this backstabbing and thieving was just a game. We were all crooks, all worthless scum, so who really cares if we killed each other trying to rob rich men who would rather die than lose a single copper? I thought your father was the best at the game, a man who could have been a god at anything he chose, only he chose a criminal empire to be his legacy. He would be servant to none, slave to no system, no laws. At times it was fun, the coin was great, the women easy … but this has gone on too long. Whatever charm Thren had, it’s slowly died over these past five years. And now to watch as he would deny you a childhood, deny you friends, deny you a life…”

  Senke rose to his feet, glanced at the door.

  “No man could do that to his own son. Only a monster, and I won’t be a part of his lair anymore. After this, I’m done. I don’t expect much in the way of eternity, but maybe Ashhur will forgive me if I get myself out while there’s still time. Looks like I wasn’t alone in thinking that too.”

  Haern’s cheeks lifted, and Senke could tell the boy was smiling.

  “I survived the priests,” he said, clearly proud. “They can’t defeat me. No one can.”

  “Don’t get cocky; I could still whup you with one hand…”

  He stopped. A dozen men had begun shouting from the main entrance, Gart’s voice the loudest.

  “Stay here,” Senke told Haern. “Lock the door. I’ll go see what’s going on.”

  Senke closed the door behind him, waited until he heard Haern lock it, then hurried toward the entrance. He saw a few thieves dashing around the corner, too far ahead for him to ask questions. Gart’s shouts were the only ones that he could understand above the throng, and what he heard filled his gut with lead.

  “Guards, guards!” shouted Gart. “We got guards to smash!”

  Senke dashed through a dining room, turned left down a hallway, then hooked toward the main entrance. Over a hundred thieves lined up along the windows facing the front of the house. Gart towered among them, staring and pointing.

  “What is going on here?” Senke shouted.

  “Soldiers!” Gart shouted, spinning to greet Senke. “Royal soldiers too! They showed up and started surrounding the place. I count at least five hundred. We got heads to smash, boys, and lots of them!”

  While Gart might have been enthused, Senke’s face paled. The soldiers had arrived too soon. Thren wasn’t even there yet. What was wrong with them? Why had Gerand not waited for his signal?

  “We need to delay them,” Senke said. “Hold the doors as best we can.”

  “They got armor,” one rogue beside them argued. “Plate mail, for cripes’ sake. Helmets, shields, swords … we got daggers and leather. What the fuck you think we can do against that?”

  “I expect you to kill them,” Senke shouted, a bit of his hardness returning. “Or do you really think they’ll let you live if you run out the door with your hands up and your tail between your legs?”

  Gart pulled Senke aside and lowered his voice.

  “We got a traitor among us,” Gart said. “How else did the soldiers come so quick? So who might it be?”

  “Not a clue,” Senke lied. “We need to hold. Perhaps once the fire is set, we can escape during the commotion.”

  “Or we’ll roast like roaches.”

  The two leaders stared eye to eye.

  “I don’t see any other way,” Senke said.

  “Then we fight,” Gart grumbled. “And we hope Thren arrives with enough men to save the day.”

  “They’re coming,” several shouted at once. The soldiers rushed through the gates, swarming like metallic ants. They surrounded the complex, this time within the gate instead of without. Most wielded long swords and shields, though some held halberds, spears, and giant mauls. Four carried a thick log with metal handles bolted into the wood.

  The men with the log approached the door, a squad of ten protecting them.

  “Hold the door,” Senke said, taking a step back. “I’ll guard the back.”

  “Better hurry,” Gart said. “And you better hope Norris hasn’t lost his spine and run!”

  Senke had barely left before the surrounding soldiers with mauls smashed in the windows all throughout the lower level. Soldiers poured inside, through far more windows than there were thieves to guard. Senke drew his sword and cut down the first to come near. A second soldier tried to use his shield to block, but Senke rolled atop it, over his head, and then thrust his sword through the shoulder blade. The sounds of battle erupted throughout the mansion.

  When he reached the dining hall he found the door open. Haern was gone.

  CHAPTER

  34

  With the first shattering of glass, Haern flung open the door to see the cause. Armored soldiers stood before the windows, swinging enormous mauls that easily bashed through the glass and layered the carpet with shards. Soldiers flowed in through the unguarded windows. He felt torn between relief and worry. Relief because the king’s involvement would certainly prevent his father’s plans from going as they should. Worry because they’d kill him just as easily as any other member of the thief guilds.

  Well, not as easily, he thought with a wry smile. His daggers in hand, he turned right and bolted deeper into the mansion. If there was any hope of escape, he’d try to find it in the back sections. If he was lucky he might slip out through an unwatched window, as he had fleeing Robert Haern’s home.

  Haern was too fast for the initial wave in the hallway to catch him, but as he burst through the door at the end he found himself in the middle of an armory. Three soldiers approached, their shields leading. Haern rolled to one side, lashing underneath the shield at the closest soldier’s ankle. His dagger struck armor and clinked off, doing no damage. When his roll ended he kicked hard, leaping into the very center of the three. They turned on him, but their shields were large and the room small. Haern twirled like a dancer, his daggers punching through creases in armor. He jumped, kicked off a shield, and slammed into the chest of another. As they rolled to the ground Haern’s dagger cut into the man’s neck once, twice, three times. Blood splattered across his mask.

  The other two soldiers, their arms and legs bleeding from several deep cuts, tried to stab Haern as he lay there. Their blades struck air. Haern rolled off and onto his knees, then kicked back. He slid between the remaining two, and this time his daggers found the open spots just above their greaves. To make sure they stayed down, he twisted the daggers when he pulled them out. One dead and two others crumpled to the ground, Haern ran out of the armory and into a corridor.

  A man dressed in the garb of the Serpent Guild nearly collided with him. His curved daggers dripped blood.

  “Who the fuck are you?” the man had time to ask before Haern lunged. The Serpent was far more skilled than Haern had expected. One curved blade parried his attack, the other slipping downward so Haern might impale himself from his lunge. Twisting his body, Haern angled his knee so that when they struck, he could rebound off and away before getting harmed. When he landed beside the armory door, he had no doubt whom he fought.

  “You’re Norris,” he said.

  The guildmaster of the Serpents spat.

  “You must be Thren’s boy. I’d heard you were getting soft. Did he send you after me, or is this your own stupid ploy?”

  “Mine,” Haern said, slowly settling into a combat stance. Norris saw this and smirked.

  “Think you can handle my cloakdance, boy?” He started swaying, his weapons well hidden. “Come try me.”

  Norris swirled, his cloak whipping out in chaotic fashion. Haern watched, fascinated. The guildmaster spun faster, faster, his cloak a blur, his hands hidden shadows of death. Waiting. Haern felt like prey mesmerized by the dance of the cobra, though part of it was professional interest. Such a dance, he had to learn it. He had to master such a skill. He stepped forward, then immediately pulled back, a curved dagger slicing just above his head.

  Time was no
t on either of their sides, and both knew it. Haern crouched low, and then lunged left. He hit the wall and then vaulted into the air, his legs flipping high over his head. His daggers thrust downward at the whirl of cloaks, but Norris was not fooled. He batted both aside, pulled out of his dance, and thrust where Haern landed.

  Except he didn’t land. The corridor was thin enough that Haern’s feet pressed flat on the opposite side. His momentum pushed his knees down, and then he kicked. His shoulder rammed Norris in the stomach. One dagger stabbed his chest. The other tore into his groin. Norris collapsed, blood pouring out on his green trousers.

  “Always wondered if I could take Thren,” he said, his voice labored and in pain. “Can’t even kill his damn kid.”

  Haern stepped close, kicked a dagger out of Norris’s hand, and then looped around to do the same to the other.

  “My knife or the guards?” he asked.

  “A thief to a thief,” Norris said, coughing blood.

  Haern saluted, then flipped the dagger in his hand and stabbed. Senke entered as he was cleaning off the blade on his cloak.

  “There you are!” Senke shouted. “Seems like the whole damn army is here!” He stopped when he saw the body and realized who it was.

  “You killed Norris?” he asked. “Damn. Starting to think you’ve been holding out on me during our spars.”

  Crazy as it was, Haern felt embarrassed.

  “It’s different this way,” he said, wishing he could explain. “Practice is practice. This … matters. This is real. Now how do we get out of here?”

  “Follow me,” Senke said. “Going won’t be easy. The mansion has a large attic, and from there we can get to the roof.”

  He smacked Haern on the shoulder.

  “No matter what, I’m proud of you,” he said.

  The two hurried to the end of the corridor and kicked open the door. They were within another dining hall, though smaller and most likely intended for mercenaries and servants. On the far end smoke billowed into the room from underneath the crack of the door. Senke saw this and swore up a storm.

  “They’ve set off the fires?” he wondered aloud. “Well damn it, those stupid cowards. Some of the Serpents must have panicked. We need out, now!”

  He pressed his hood over his mouth, then winked at Haern when he saw the boy’s mask.

  “Almost like you came prepared,” he said, chuckling.

  Two Serpents came running out the door when they neared. Haern cut down one, Senke the other. Smoke poured in through the open door, and down the hallway they both saw the fires rapidly spreading.

  “We can’t make it,” Haern shouted. Senke knelt and pointed so they could see underneath the smoke.

  “You see where the hallway turns?” he asked. “Immediately on your left is a door. It leads up to the attic, and from there we can find a way to safety.”

  He wiped sweat from his brow as he looked to the fires.

  “Relative safety,” he corrected.

  “Let me go first,” Haern said. “I’m faster. If the door is blocked by flame, I’ll come running.”

  Senke started to object, but Haern was already dashing down the hall.

  The smoke gathered along the ceiling in giant rolling clouds. In each doorway he passed, the fires roared, licking the outsides of their doors, looking like tongues eager to taste more of the building. His eyes stung looking at them. The hallway was unbelievably hot. He wrapped his cloak over his mouth, his mask doing little to keep out the foul air. Cough after cough racked his body. Soon he lost his vision as his eyes watered.

  Haern couldn’t believe the heat. It didn’t seem to matter that his skin touched no fire. The floor warmed his feet. The air sucked at the moisture of his skin, and he felt like a pastry stuck in an oven. He remembered his training, clutched it with all his mind, and forced himself to keep running. Air didn’t matter. The heat didn’t matter. One foot after the other.

  His outstretched hand pressed against the end of the hallway. Feeling a bit of hope, he turned and kept his hand near, occasionally brushing the wall with his fingertips. When he touched a door, he felt like shouting for joy. His fingers found the doorknob, and yet again he wanted to cheer. The doorknob, while not cool, didn’t burn to the touch. He flung it open and dashed up the stairs, wishing he could somehow alert Senke to follow. Smoke climbed up with him, and wishing there were another way, he slammed the door shut behind.

  The attic was dim, but the few windows let in enough light for him to see. Most were small, but near the back he saw a giant circle of glass that seemed most inviting. Haern could almost imagine the cool air rushing on the outside of it, and he wanted to dive in as if it were water. Piles of discarded armor, old relics of family generations long past, filled the room. Haern weaved about them, all the while wondering when Senke would arrive.

  He was halfway to the window when it shattered. A slender woman flew through the shards, landing with a roll along the floor. Haern stared, vaguely recognizing her. She wore the colors of the Ash Guild, but he couldn’t place her. She looked about, still struggling to adjust to the darkness. He thought to hide from her, but then he saw her face and knew her name.

  “Veliana?” he asked, remembering standing at his father’s side as they tried to force her to overthrow her guildmaster and take control.

  At the sound of her name the woman spun, her dagger already drawn.

  “You’re young to be one of the thieves,” Veliana said. “What is your name?”

  “Haern,” he answered. He took a step toward her, still trying to decide if she was dangerous or not. With everyone trying to flee the mansion, it seemed odd someone would try to break in.

  Veliana looked a bit disappointed, but then she spotted him standing behind a large crate of wrapped wool. Her whole body tensed. Her mouth curled into a sneer.

  “Liar,” she said. “You’re Thren’s child. You think I’d forget a single shred of that moment?”

  Haern shook his head.

  “Aaron is dead. Leave me be. His sins are mine no more.”

  Veliana laughed.

  “The world doesn’t work that way. Change your name, change your face, but the sins are still yours. Your father’s killed everyone I’ve ever cared for. Turn back and die in the fire, or draw your dagger and fight me.”

  Haern glanced back to the door to the stairs. Smoke had begun pouring thickly through its edges and the crack underneath. Already the heat seeped through the wood floor. Still no sign of Senke, and Haern tried not to think of what had befallen him.

  “Don’t do this,” Haern whispered. The roar of the flames drowned out his words. Veliana lunged, her dagger thrusting straight for his neck. Haern batted it aside with his own, then swept his right foot around in an arc. She leaped over it, her knee ramming forward. His head snapped backward as the knee collided with his face. Blood splattered the inside of his mask.

  Staggering, his head still swimming from the smoke and heat, Haern went fully defensive. Veliana’s dagger slashed and cut, and despite any openings he might have seen, he refused to try for them. He parried and spun, slowly weaving his way around the piles of junk. The air grew murky and gray from the smoke, much of it starting to pour out the broken window.

  “Leave me alone!” he shouted as he crossed his daggers and blocked a vicious downward chop. His elbows shook at the impact, and while he was momentarily distracted by the closeness of her face and the hideousness of her eye, Veliana successfully tripped him with a kick. As he fell he rolled, avoiding her opportunistic strike. He turned and darted through the attic, frantically dashing for the window.

  Veliana raced him, her dagger still eager for blood. She reached the window first, but not in enough time to prepare correctly. Haern leaped, slamming his shoulder into hers. As she was pushed back, his daggers curled around her sides, slicing into flesh. Blood spilled down her ribs, across her tunic and pants. Screaming in pain, Veliana whirled. When Haern ducked her high kick, he found a dagger waiting for him
low. He twisted, but not fast enough. The dagger slashed across his shoulder, tearing open a huge gash in his shirt. Blood poured down his arm, the pain terrible, but Haern never let it slow him. His opponent had just scored her first true hit. That was when she was most vulnerable, her confidence soaring with the minor victory.

  His foot whirled about him, his left arm flinging his cloak upward to hide his movements. Veliana lost her balance and fell to one knee, letting out a small cry from the harsh landing. Haern’s cloak whipped her face, and when she pushed back to see, Haern was there, his fist leading. He punched her throat with all his strength.

  Gasping for air, she fell back, holding her dagger out in a meager defense. Haern cut her knuckles to weaken her grip, then slapped the dagger away. Veliana glared with her one good eye as she coughed.

  “Aaron is dead,” he told her, breathing heavily as his daggers shook in his hands, one of their tips aimed straight for her throat. “Why can’t you see that?”

  “You’re him,” Veliana said with a cracking voice. “You can’t hide. You’re just a coward.”

  Haern shook his head sadly.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “But you’re wrong.”

  He rammed the butt of his dagger against the top of her skull, knocking her out cold. As she slumped to the ground, Haern stuck his head out the window to take a look. A massive crowd gathered about, a mixture of guards, onlookers, and desperate neighbors organizing bucket brigades to ensure the mansion’s fire didn’t spread. In that chaos he could certainly slip away.

  Behind him he heard Veliana moan softly. Haern sighed. At the side of his father he’d left her for dead. He couldn’t do so again, not while claiming to be a better person. The fire was already crawling its way up the stairs, its smoke billowing. He had two minutes, maybe three.

  Knowing her cloak and colors would condemn her, Haern stripped her down to her undergarments. He searched the crates, holding his cloak over his mouth as he did. Once he found a blanket of sufficient length he dragged it over to Veliana and tied one corner to her wrists. The other half he wrapped around his arm, praying for the best. If Veliana was lucky she’d survive the fall, and those who found her would assume her a frantic house servant fleeing the fire after hiding in the attic. If not, well…