Praying that he was correct, Bart turned toward the river and quickly made his way through the streets.
“I’m fine,” the magic user said. Next to him were two empty potion bottles. One had held a potion to counter poison, and the other had been a common healing elixir. The use of both had restored much of his vigor and strength.
“He’s loose in the city,” the River Man stated. Inside he was fuming at the escape of the assassin. His men had had him trapped on the wall, but instead of a dead corpse, they allowed him to escape and now he was who knows where? Lending a hand to the mage, he helped him to his feet. “Find him,” he ordered the magic user.
Nodding, the magic user began scanning the ground in the immediate area. “Where’s the dart that struck me?” he asked. A moment later he saw it lying on the ground. Bending over, he retrieved it. “With this I can find him.” Holding it up, he gave his lord a grin.
“Let’s hope so,” replied the River Man.
With the dart placed upon his palm, the magic user spoke several arcane words. When the spell was completed, a silver glow enveloped the dart. Rotating, the point of the dart moved a quarter turn before coming to a stop. Pointing in the direction the dart indicated, the magic user said, “He’s that way.”
“The river.”
Standing across from the building, Bart nodded to himself. This would work. The building in question was at least four stories tall and its roof came to within thirty feet of the top of the wall. The rest of the way he’d have to climb.
At the present, the immediate vicinity before the building was fairly quiet. Those searching for him were off in other parts of the city. After a final glance to make sure the coast was still clear, he crossed the street.
Bart made his way to the front door of the residence. The windows on all four levels were dark and not a sound could be heard coming from within. He used his picks to open the lock and was soon inside.
It was a residence of a wealthy individual, possibly a merchant. Moving quickly, he found the stairway leading to the upper floors. On the second floor landing was a window overlooking the street. He paused a moment to check for any search parties in the area. When he didn’t find any, he continued up to the third, and then the fourth level. Snores were heard coming from down the hallway as he reached the fourth level landing. There had to be a roof access somewhere on this level. Starting with the room closest to the stairwell, he began searching for it.
One by one he searched the rooms on this level, all that was except for the one from which the snores were originating. The door to that room was cracked open and he paused a moment to glance in. In the gloom all he could see was the indistinct shape of someone sleeping in a bed. From the deep vibrations of the snores, he knew it to be a man. Leaving the doorway, he continued searching for the way to the roof.
First a library, then a storeroom, then two other bedrooms that looked to have at one time housed children but were now unused. When he finished with the last room, he knew that he was going to have to go into the room where the man was sleeping. Moving down the hallway to the partially opened door, he gently pushed it open, all the while keeping an eye on the form in the bed.
Once the door had been opened wide enough, he slipped into the room and stopped. From just within the doorway, he scanned the bedroom ceiling for any sign of a roof access. Not finding any, his eyes fell upon a large rectangular shadow in the wall on the far side of the room. Figuring it to be either a closet or storeroom, he knew the access had to be in there.
Stepping ever so softly, he crossed the room to the doorway. Eyes fixed on the sleeping form, he was soon to realize that it wasn’t just one individual in the bed, but two. The second most likely being the man’s wife or mistress.
It turned out the doorway opened onto a small closet. With no light by which to see, he felt around the sides until encountering slats set into the back wall. Nodding to himself, he tested the slats to make sure they would hold his weight, then started climbing to the top. Once his feet were on the third slat, his hand encountered the trapdoor to the roof. It took only a moment to find the bolt securing the trapdoor and release it.
He paused for a second and made sure the sleepers hadn’t been disturbed. When again the snores came, he gently pushed up on the trapdoor. Hinges squealed to a small extent as he raised it several inches. Looking through the opening, he saw the roof was quiet and dark. Opening the trapdoor further, he climbed onto the roof.
A breeze was blowing as he exited through the trapdoor. Closing it behind him, he looked up at the top of the wall some distance above him. Down the wall to the right was a guard tower some fifty yards away. Along the walkway just below the top of the wall strode two archers and a guardsman, the guardsman being almost directly above him and walking toward the left. The archers stood closer to the guard tower and were talking together as they looked out over the city.
Bart moved to the wall and ran his hand along its surface. There were irregularities, small cracks and imperfections time had created, which could be utilized for handholds. He waited against the wall until the guard had moved further past his position, then began climbing.
Such a height wasn’t much of a challenge for him as he slowly made his way up the thirty feet to the top. Every second handhold, he would pause and glance to the archers and the guardsman. When he made sure that he remained unnoticed, he continued.
He was within ten feet of the top when the sound of footsteps atop the wall caused him to freeze. The guardsman was running toward the archers. “Look!” he hollered. Bart glanced up and saw the guardsman’s arm pointing back into the city. Looking over his shoulder, Bart saw a large group of individuals heading their way.
“It’s Lord Kueryn,” said one of the archers.
Bart didn’t know who this Lord Kueryn was, but the sight of so many men heading in his direction couldn’t be good. While the men on the wall were being distracted, he climbed the rest of the way to the top.
“I think his magic user is with him,” the guardsman said.
Bart paused as his hand reached the top. Glancing back, he saw a robed individual in the fore of the mob. And walking beside him was the same man as had been with him in the castle. This had to be Lord Kueryn. How did they find me? Damn magic users!
“Wonder what’s going on?” an archer asked.
“I don’t know,” the guardsmen stated. “But it looks like Killryn is taking his men to the tower in an awful hurry.” Below, a group of a dozen men were racing for the nearest guard tower.
“You think that assassin they’re looking for is nearby?” an archer asked.
“Maybe,” the guardsmen said. “If he is, we better be on the lookout.” Then he turned back and saw a shadow climbing onto the walkway. “There he is!” he shouted. Pulling his sword, the guardsman rushed forward.
Bart was pulling himself up over the edge when the guard shouted. Scrambling the rest of the way, he was quickly up into a crouching position facing the onrushing guard. Behind the guard, the two archers were moving their bows toward him and drawing back to release. He took hold of the Cloak’s hood and pulled it forward. Dodging backward at the same time, he saw the surprise on the guard’s face as he disappeared.
“Magic!” the guard exclaimed. Instead of pausing as Bart had hoped he would, the guard came forward, swinging his sword to and fro in sweeping arcs.
The archers too altered their tactics. Moving to either side of the guard, they began firing arrows in horizontal paths across the walkway.
Keeping in front of the guard, Bart backed up slowly as the guard continued to advance. The guards that had earlier been racing toward the guard tower began emerging onto the walkway behind the archers. He darted a quick glance over his shoulder and saw more guards approaching from behind him. This time, there were two guards standing side by side who were moving their swords to and fro in the hopes of connecting with an invisible body.
Down on the street below, he saw the magic user looking up. His gaze seemed to pierce the exact space where Bart stood. When the magic user began gesturing in similar motions he’d seen Kevik use on numerous occasions, he knew his time was up.
As soon as the archers let fly another volley, he moved to the crenels in the wall and looked down. Easily a hundred feet below was the river. A wide expanse of ground stretched ten feet from the base of the wall to the water.
Whoosh!
From below, a fireball leapt from the outstretched hands of the magic user. Moving incredibly fast, it passed within inches of his back. He could smell singed hair and cloth.
“Aha!” the guard said as his eyes came to rest directly on Bart. Then he rushed forward with a battle
