Iron Breakers: The Floodgates (Iron Breakers Book 3)

by Zaya Feli

  Rafya revealed a row of white teeth in the darkness. “Leave that to me. But kill the gate guards quietly. There are others in the area.”

  Rafya fished the key from his pocket and handed it to Anik, then slipped around the wall, disappearing from sight.

  “Two for me, two for you,” Anik said, looking at Valkon.

  The other man nodded.

  Anik turned to Ren. “I need you on lookout. There's no cover at the gates. At the slightest movement, whistle once.”

  Ren nodded. He wasn't sure how much longer his heart could handle beating at such a speed. How Rafya could turn something like this into a profession was beyond him. He felt like years had been shaved off his life from pure stress. Before Ren could blink again, Anik and Valkon were gone, sneaking like shadows along the wall towards the mill gates.

  Ren swore under his breath and followed at a steadier pace. From between the castle wall and the wall of the working mill, Ren got a view of the open yard, with a pair of double doors leading into the castle on his left and a barred iron gate leading to the city streets on his right. Ren ducked behind the shrubs fringing the walls, trying to spot movement along the perimeter. He looked for a pale face or the glimmer of a drawn blade, but saw nothing. Stretching forward, he dared detection to get a view of the iron gate. It was closed, but Ren had no doubt guards would be stationed on the other side, perhaps fifty feet away. The entrance to the mill was hidden from view. Straining his ears, he thought he might hear the sound of falling bodies, but it could have been his imagination. How long did it take to kill four men?

  A rustle in the bushes made Ren whirl. He reached for his sword, but the hand on his shoulder kept him from drawing.

  The dark figure pushed his hood back, revealing Anik's blood-stained face. “Easy, warrior prince,” he whispered. “Come on.”

  Ren followed him around the wall to a spot where it curved inwards, revealing a barred entrance partially hidden from view of the yard, likely to keep the people inside the mill from getting a view out. On the ground lay four bodies, two on top of each other, one against the wall, and one further away, as if the guard had fallen mid-escape.

  “That one wasn't mine,” Anik murmured, pointing to the most distant soldier.

  Valkon, waiting by the gate, shook his head. “Yeah, yeah, preen your feathers, peacock. Shall we go in?”

  “What about Rafya?” Ren asked.

  “You called?” Rafya stepped out of the shadows and Ren saw him slide a small blade into a sheath by his hip before his cloak shifted, obscuring the view. “The tower is clear.”

  “Good,” Anik said, retrieving the key from his pocket and sliding it into the lock. “Let's go.”

  “Aren't there any guards inside?” Ren asked.

  Rafya chuckled softly. “Skarlans willingly locking themselves in with a couple hundred Lowlanders? Not likely.”

  Ren canted his head in silent agreement.

  The door creaked faintly when Anik pushed it open and Ren couldn't help another glance over his shoulder, but everything was still and quiet in the darkness. He stepped into the mill yard, pushing the gate closed with a click.

  For a place meant to house two hundred people, it wasn't very large. Half the size of the inner courtyard of Fort Endurance, it mimicked all the depressing décor of the Fraynean prison. There were spikes atop the walls and gutters along one side that might have been meant for washing or relieving bodily urges. Benches and stools stood at neat intervals, but the wood was worn and broken, likely seldom replaced. Tools and materials lay scattered across the open space. At the far end of the yard, a long wooden structure broke the scenery, sporting a few glassless windows along its length and a single door near one end.

  Rafya was the first to speak. “I didn't expect this place to be so depressing on the inside.”

  “And this is for the lucky ones.” Anik's voice dripped with bitterness. He strode forward, expression unreadable in the darkness, not waiting for the others to catch up.

  Ren looked around before following. If this was the treatment the Lowlanders working for the king received, he could imagine the state of the mills in the lower levels of the city.

  An eerie feeling crept down Ren's spine when Anik pushed the barracks door open. The inside was dark, but Ren could hear the sounds of people snoring and shifting in their beds. Two hundred souls, bound to this place for the span of a year.

  The interior of the barracks was hot despite the windows, and the smell of sweat hung on the air. Ren could hear those nearest them waking, disturbed by the sound of the door. Ren could barely make out the silhouettes of their bodies as they pushed themselves upright. Even though no one said a word, Ren could feel the atmosphere tensing. He looked at Anik, but couldn't see his face. Instead, Ren reached out and his fingertips found Anik's wrist. He felt Anik twitch, and then Anik's fingers grazed his palm.

  Anik's voice was soft. Ren didn't understand the words, but he could guess their meaning. They were followed by the sound of shifting blankets and hushed whispers from deeper in the darkness.

  Ren got the feeling that countless eyes stared in their direction, but for once, the feeling wasn't unsettling. This was likely the safest place to be at the moment.

  Anik took a step forward. When he spoke again, it was in the common language. “We're here because we need your help. I know why you're here, what you're thinking. One year in this place and you can go home to your families and feed them for another two.” He took another step forward. Ren itched to follow, but he stayed where he was. “The man feeding your families is the one responsible for starving them in the first place," Anik continued. “I'm here to offer you an alternative.”

  The sound of whispers increased. Ren heart several voices whisper Anik's name.

  “We can't linger,” Rafya murmured. Ren felt breath on his face. “We need to hurry.”

  “Give him a moment,” Valkon said.

  Someone struck flint and a torch blazed to life, illuminating a corner of the barracks. The man holding the torch sat on a narrow, straw-covered cot, the flames casting harsh shadows on his face. “Anik of Filisa, the horse tamer?” the man asked, slowly getting up from his cot. “Anik, who led the grain raids and the slave riots?”

  The whispers increased. By the faint glow of the torch, Ren saw several men get to their feet. At first, Ren couldn't spot any women, but then one stepped into the torch light. She was almost as tall as Anik, with broad shoulders and piercing eyes that narrowed in the light. “It's really you? Come forward,” she said, extending an arm.

  Anik went, stepping into the light. The whole room seemed to hold its breath.

  The woman said something in Lowlandish that sounded like swearing, then gripped Anik's shoulders with both hands as if to make sure he was real. “It really is you. What in the world are you doing here?”

  “It's too long a story,” Anik said, gently touching her elbows. “I'm here with Valkon of Kheygo. We have an army and a plan to kill the king. We could use your help. All of you.” He looked around in the darkness.

  “We thought you were dead,” the women said.

  Ren couldn't see Anik's expression, but he saw his head dip slightly. “So I keep hearing. They haven't killed me yet. Are you with me, Ilona?”

  The woman nodded, pulling Anik into a tight hug. “You bet your ass I am. You sure have grown, lad.”

  Anik hugged her back before letting go. “Those of you who want to fight can come with me now. This is the only chance. We're leaving in the morning. Follow us outside, quietly. The guards at the gate are dead, but the rest are not.”

  Countless people stood up, cots and floorboards creaking as they flooded into the narrow walkway. Anik turned, and despite the harsh shadows the torch cast on his face, Ren didn't miss the smile Anik directed at him. Ren smiled back. They were doing it. Two hundred people might not be a lot on a scale of thousands, but Ren had seen the willpower and strength of the Lowlanders and knew that each could match three of the kin
g's men.

  By the time they made their way back through the gates, there wasn't a single person left in the barracks. Ren had thought perhaps a few of them would stay, maybe even half. Whatever Anik had inspired in them, it had been strong.

  The darkness after the torch was put out seemed even denser. At first, Ren could barely see a thing, and grazed Rafya's back with his fingertips as he made his way around the wall, crouched in the bushes.

  Ren's heart was back in his throat. No matter how much they tried to be quiet, two hundred people moving through shrubs was anything but. Ren was convinced a guard would call out at any second, and he was amazed that they made it all the way to the escape passage at the end of the gardens without a hitch.

  Rafya's men were waiting, seeming as relaxed as Rafya when they greeted them.

  “Good timing,” the younger one said. “We're leading people through in groups of twenty. We have over two hundred waiting outside.”

  Ren could hardly believe his ears. Hundreds of men and women already, and more were on their way. Snatched from right under the noses of the city guards. As frayed as Ren's nerves were, it was also a thrill.

  “The Followers of the Fox are good people,” Rafya said quietly. “They've aided the princess for years.”

  The soft sound of feet in the grass made Ren look up. Another group of twenty dressed in dark clothes with travel bags thrown over their shoulders made their way towards them, crouched behind the greenery. Ren wondered if they had been waiting for a chance like this, or if they'd had to leave families and loved ones behind. They must have known for a while that a war was underway.

  “Welcome, Ellys,” Rafya said, patting the large man leading the group on the shoulder. “Any disturbances?”

  “Nothing,” Ellys said, “The city's quiet.”

  “Make your way outside and head for the rocks.”

  “What happens if we're spotted?” Ren asked, leaning close to whisper to Rafya.

  “Large groups of wood workers and stone breakers leave the city early in the morning,” Rafya whispered back. “The guards are on the lookout for people trying to get in, not out. The sun will be up in two hours, so the guards likely won't find it too suspicious if we keep a respectable pace.”

  “Likely?” Anik asked.

  “Well, that's what this is for,” Rafya said, patting a war horn at his hip. “If they come after us, we make a run for it and Evalyne will send the cavalry to our rescue.”

  “All right,” Anik said. He shifted his feet, clearly eager to get moving. “Let's let some of the Lowlanders through while we wait for the next group.”

  Ren moved to stand by the end of the hedge where he could watch the gardens. Rafya was right – it was empty of guards. The only people he spotted were the groups of men and women making their way towards them from the city streets.

  Ren looked over his shoulder as the last Lowlanders were led through in a steady stream.

  Another group of people from the city made their way across the gardens and Rafya greeted them like family.

  “How many are left?” Rafya asked, just loud enough for Ren to hear.

  “One more group coming and that's it.”

  “That's nearly five hundred in total. Better than we could have hoped,” Ren heard Valkon say to Anik.

  He was right. Five hundred extra soldiers was over twice the number they had lost in Llyne, and two hundred of them were Lowlanders. Coupled with the men Evalyne hoped would join them from the forts near the border east of Iskaal, they would be an army that might have a chance at taking a city. It sent a thrill through Ren. Since he had left home, that goal had seemed so far away. Now, it was close enough to touch.

  A rustle in the shrubs made Ren turn towards the garden. The last group slipped through the far gate into the gardens and made their way towards them. In an hour, they'd be back with the army and they could get far away from this city.

  A shout shattered the silence.

  “Stop! In the name of the king!”

  CHAPTER TEN

  The shout pierced the still air and made Ren's breath catch in his throat.

  The approaching group turned, then backed away. Someone fell and Ren thought they had tripped, but then a second collapsed to the sound of a snapping bowstring.

  “Stop at once!”

  The group ran.

  Then Ren saw them. The silver gleam of Skarlan armour reflected what light the moon cast as guards poured through the garden gate, bows raised and swords drawn.

  Ren backed up, jumping half out of his skin when the backs of his legs met the resistance of an evergreen shrub. He joined Anik and the others, reaching for his sword.

  Anik, Valkon, Rafya, and the assassins all drew weapons.

  Rafya spun towards his men. “Go! Lead the group to the gorge. At the first sound of alarms from the city, run. Take this.” He tugged the war horn from his hip and pushed it against the chest of the nearest man, who turned and bolted into the passage leading to the gate.

  Ren flinched when Anik grabbed his shoulder and pushed him in the same direction. “Go!” he hissed, shoving Ren in the back. “Go with them. I'll find you soon.”

  Ren saw the intensity in his gaze. Right now, the guards thought they were warding off a band of thieves, but if they saw the mass of people outside the city walls, they'd raise the alarm. Evalyne wouldn't be able to send help in time.

  With a sinking feeling in his chest, Ren nodded. Ren's main reason for coming here had been to support to Anik as Anik had supported him. Insisting on staying with the weakness of the coughing sickness still in his blood wouldn't do them any good.

  Ren turned and ran for the passage, stomach twisting.

  A body collided with his own, knocking the wind from Ren's lungs. His head hit the ground and stars danced before his eyes. He heaved a ragged breath, chest constricting. Get up. Get up. Fight. He could hear shouts. They were too loud.

  Ren raised his sword, blocking the attack from above. He kicked out and the resulting yelp told him he'd gotten lucky. Someone fell across his legs and Ren pushed himself up, pulling his legs from underneath the fallen guard, who struggled to his feet, reaching for his sword.

  Ren was faster. He gripped his sword and raised it, the Lowlander steel light and comfortable in his hand as he swung the blade and let it sink through the exposed flesh of the guard's neck. Only this time, a good sword wouldn't be enough. Three more guards joined the one who had fallen, blocking Ren's path to the passage. He backed up, panting. He had only seconds before they realised he was no match for them. From somewhere behind him, he heard shouts and steel against steel as Anik, Valkon, and Rafya engaged the soldiers coming from the other direction.

  A shimmer of metal flashed past Ren's head.

  It took a second for Ren to realise what had happened. Then, the leftmost guard in front of him staggered, collapsing with an Isilghan throwing knife embedded between his eyes.

  Ren took that as his cue, spun on his heels and ran.

  He nearly bumped into Anik, who flinched and tensed, turning to face him with his sword raised before recognition flitted over his features. Anik called over his shoulder, “Rafya! We need another way out!”

  “A little busy!” Rafya shouted back, a groan of exertion leaving him as he repulsed a Skarlan guard with the flat of his sword.

  Ren looked around. In a moment, they'd be boxed in. The escape route was blocked. The garden gate was blocked. The courtyard leading to the city streets was certain death.

  But there was never just one escape route in a city like this.

  Ren's eyes locked on a finely engraved metal gate under a covered walkway across the garden. His heart skipped. The gate was slightly ajar, practically calling for them to enter.

  “This way,” Ren shouted, tugging on Anik's sleeve before speeding across the garden, leaping over hedges and skidding on patches of gravel. He raced ahead, the sound of boots telling him Anik and Valkon were close behind.

  Ren reached the g
ate and threw it open. On the other side was a small private garden, fenced in by tall stone walls with wooden doors on all sides. One of them had to be open.

  “Rafya!” Anik shouted over his shoulder, lingering by the gate.

  Ren didn't wait, joining Valkon in search of an open door. He tugged and twisted handles until one came open, surprisingly cool air brushing Ren's bare face and neck. “Over here!”

  Ren heard the gate slam and turned to see Anik and Rafya approaching. In Anik's hand was a bow he must have stolen from a dead guard. Ren watched him tuck two bloody arrows under the waistband of his trousers.

  “You all right?” Ren asked as Rafya reached him. The assassin nodded with a tension to his jaw that told Ren he hadn't escaped the fight unscathed. So long as he could run.

  “Where does this lead?” Valkon asked in a breathless whisper, following them inside.

  “Lower levels,” Rafya said, their steps echoing in the dark corridor. “It's not ideal.”

  “Not ideal?” Ren asked, nearly running face-first into a wall when the corridor took a sharp turn to the left and then widened. He felt a hand against his back when Valkon bumped into him.

  “I'm not sure this is a way out,” Rafya replied.

  The corridor opened into another cramped courtyard. Ren paused. It looked abandoned, with no water in the central fountain and dead leaves covering the ground. He hesitated, looking between the tunnel entrance opposite them and the wide staircase leading up. This was part of the castle, Ren realised.

  “Not the stairs,” Rafya said, leading them towards the tunnel.

  It was similar to the one they had just left, but it soon became spacious. Rafya hushed them and Ren slowed, stepping carefully. Somewhere ahead or above, he could hear the faint sounds of footsteps and voices engaged in quiet conversation.

  They continued slowly. The torches lighting their path didn't make Ren feel any better; their presence meant this area was occupied. Still, if someone had sounded the alarm, they would have heard it, and they seemed to have lost their pursuers. So far, so good. All they had to do was find a way out and join the others.