The single candle could not penetrate the black depths of the captor’s cowl, but Theodore sensed that he was dealing with something unnatural, a foe beyond his power. He flinched as the creature’s strong hands tore the gag from his mouth and the leather-like palm closed over his lips to prevent him from crying out.
“If you shout I will hurt you and kill the peon.” The hand remained. “So what is your decision?”
Theodore nodded, and his captor loosened his grip, allowing him to speak.
“Let the peon go,” Theodore insisted. “Then I will help you as best I can.” Somehow his words sounded strong, reflecting a confidence he didn’t feel.
Bryant heard the words and cursed into his foul gag, but the creature didn’t appear to notice. Just before Theodore had arrived the werewolf had told Bryant that it was he who had carried out all the killings, and that he was going to kill them whether they cooperated or not. It seemed to relish the effect its words had upon him.
And now Theodore was making the same mistake he had. He was trying to bargain with something that had no intention of keeping its word.
And then the door shook.
The werewolf looked up at the sound, his attention drawn away from Theodore.
“Help us!” the squire shouted before the creature’s huge hand clamped once more across his mouth, gripping him so tightly it was painful just for Bryant to see.
Then the door shook a second time. An instant later it flew open with a splintering
“I’ve been looking for you!” Bryant recognised Doric’s voice instantly.
“And now that you have found me,” the monster sneered in reply, “what do you intend to do?” He thrust the gag into Theodore’s mouth once more. Then he strode forward.
But Doric had years of experience behind him. He had fought numerous enemies, both underground and beneath the open sky, from goblins to trolls and darker nameless creatures. Before his enemy could take another step he launched his first attack.
A hand-axe sliced through the air toward the monster’s face. Without waiting to see if it struck home, Doric yelled and charged into the room.
The traitor had only just managed to avoid the dwarf in the narrow streets that joined Dagger Alley, ducking out of sight as he observed Doric pat the white mare. He watched in surprise as the dwarf stood for a minute at the door and listened, noting how well he was armed.
He heard Theodore’s cry for help and watched Doric force the door’s lock with two heavy blows from his axe. Then the dwarf stepped into the semi-darkness, and the sounds of a vicious battle followed.
The traitor knew he was too old to fight either Doric or Theodore. He was turning away from the house, intending to keep watch from a safer distance, when he heard a carriage shudder to a halt on the main street. He watched in stunned silence as a blonde-haired girl jumped from the driver’s seat, wiping back her wet hair and running with a confidence he had rarely seen in the most seasoned warriors.
He pulled farther into the inky shadows. The girl passed him by, unaware of his presence, heading as fast as she could toward the anxious mare that was now straining at its rope.
It wasn’t going well for Doric. He was surprisingly fast, and his small stature allowed him to duck and avoid many of the creature’s swift strikes, but he didn’t have the chance to deliver a strong blow with his axe. He was reduced to jumping and parrying, using his weapon more like a staff to fend off the creature’s frenzied claws.
The monster lunged at him and swung with one large hand. Doric stepped back and batted it away with the handle of his axe.
And he knew he had made a fatal error.
With superhuman speed the monster seized the axe-haft with its other hand and wrenched it toward him, pulling Doric toward his jaws.
Doric knew he had only one chance to avoid the knife-like teeth that were tearing at his face. He lowered his head and drove his armoured helm as hard as he could into the wide mouth of the beast, hearing it roar in frustration as one of its teeth broke.
But the werewolf did not let go of the axe. He lifted Doric from the floor, shaking the handle in an attempt to dislodge him. Then, with a second howl of frustration, he released the axe and sent Doric spinning toward the wall.
The dwarf felt glass and crockery break as he smashed against a tall dresser and fell to the floor. The dresser tottered and shuddered above him and he rolled away as it crashed over, knocking Bryant on his side.
The dwarf knew he needed help. With a single deft swing of his axe, he cut Bryant’s restraints, breaking the back of the chair and giving the peon the slack he needed to get himself free.
“Run and get help, lad! Go!”
Bryant obeyed Doric’s command, pulling out the small dagger that he always kept on his person to cut through his remaining bonds. The werewolf had not even bothered to search him after his kidnapping, so confident was he of his control.
And then he was free!
He ran straight for the door, ignoring the sounds of the fight behind him, ignoring everything as Doric was thrown back against the table, upsetting the sole candle and plunging the room into darkness.
The peon had escaped, but the monster cared not. He had Theodore and he only needed a short time to wrest free the information he needed.
“Can you see as well as me in the dark, dwarf?” the werewolf sneered. His own eyes worked perfectly, watching Doric as he stood wearily against the far wall, gasping for breath. He focused on the dwarf’s eyes, wondering how long it would take for them to adjust to the complete darkness.
Doric could barely see anything, but while he waited for his eyes to become accustomed to the sudden blackness, he sensed the monster’s rush toward him. Instinctively he raised his axe and made to step back, but his enemy had all the advantages now.
With a quick grab it seized Doric’s axe with one hand and punched him hard in the face with the other. The axe was pulled from his grasp and thrown to the other side of the room. Doric tasted blood, and he couldn’t hope to avoid the monstrous hand which seized him by his mail shirt and hurled him head first into the wall.
His helmet provided some protection and, still conscious, Doric stood, his hand reaching for the last hand-axe that hung on his belt.
“I can smell your blood, dwarf,” the creature taunted. “Now I shall end your misery!”
Doric had little strength left to fight, and with a savage look in his eyes he lay back against the wall.
His hand-axe felt suddenly very small.
Bryant fled into the alley, and ran straight into Kara. He saw the anger in her eyes and inadvertently stepped back, pointing toward the house as he reached for the mare’s flank, preparing to pull himself into the saddle.
“It’s the monster! It’s inside with Theodore and the dwarf!” he cried.
“Take the horse and get help, Bryant,” she instructed.
Bryant nodded, too weak with fear and blood loss to argue. He climbed into the mare’s saddle and turned her away from the house, leaving Kara outside.
“Saradomin bless you!” he called as the mare began to trot away from the house. When he looked back, she had vanished, and the sounds of fighting had ceased.
He had gone only twenty yards when a voice hailed him in the darkness.
“Bryant? Is that you, worthy peon?”
He recognised the man’s tunic, the four-pointed star visible on his white robe. The knight’s face was hidden by a battered cloak that swirled around him as it was buffeted by the wind.
“It is I, sir!” Bryant said, dismounting and moving forward to make out the man’s face.
“Come, Bryant!” The man reached out and grabbed the youngster by the shoulder, herding him into the
