Returning his gaze to James, he sees the third side is finished and the fourth is halfway done. Pulling his other knife out, he jams it into the crack on the fourth side to keep it in place until James is done.
When his finger reaches the point where he began, he stops. “Now to pull it up,” James says. Removing his knife, he uses it to pry up one of the sides. When he has it high enough to get a grip on it, he and Jiron lift the section of the roof up and set it down on the roof next to the hole.
Reclaiming his knives, Jiron immediately grips the edge of the hole and lowers himself down. He finds himself above a bed in one of the rooms. A quick scan reveals no one is currently within the room, nor does it look like anyone is currently occupying it. Letting go, he drops onto the bed and hollers up to James, “Come on!”
As James begins working his way through the hole, Jiron moves to the closed door and can hear the soldiers on the other side in the hallway moving about. Very quietly, he throws the bolt on the door and then returns to the bed just as James drops onto it.
“Once more,” he says to Jiron. Moving over to an open area, he again kneels down and just as he did up above, begins carving out a section of the floor. This time it takes him a lot less time and as they pull the section of the floor free, light comes through from below. James gives Jiron a worried glance.
“Nothing for it now,” he says as they finish pulling the section of the floor free.
Below this room is the kitchen. The smell of baking bread rises from below where the cook is preparing food for the following morning. Jiron sticks his head down and finds the kitchen empty.
Not believing their good fortune, he is quickly through the hole and drops down to the kitchen. Many people are out in the common room, and he moves to the door leading there. Opening it a crack, he peers through and finds the room packed with people. Seems the soldiers have gathered everyone from the inn, including the staff, and is holding them there.
Closing the door, he turns just as James drops to the floor. Moving to him, he indicates the common room and whispers, “They have everyone out there.”
“Now, how do we get out of this place?” James asks.
Aside from the door leading into the common room, there is the door leading to the rear courtyard or another hallway leading further back into the inn. A look through the window overlooking the courtyard reveals over a dozen soldiers out there.
With just the hallway left, Jiron pulls a knife and moves into it. It’s rather narrow and extends a ways back. The first doorway they come to reveals the inn’s larder. Barrels and boxes rest on the floor while shelves line the walls, full of food and other cooking supplies.
Continuing on down, they come to another door. It’s opened a crack and light comes from the other side. Jiron moves to peer in through the crack and discovers a soldier of the Empire rifling through what looks to be the innkeeper’s belongings. The soldier gives a satisfied exclamation as he pulls a small pouch from one of the innkeeper’s drawers. He jiggles the sack and Jiron can hear the sound of the coins within.
A floorboard under Jiron’s foot suddenly gives off with a creak and he steps back from the crack. Within the room, the sounds the soldier was making quiets. Cursing the creaking floorboard, Jiron slowly moves back to peer into the room.
Suddenly, the door is pulled open and the soldier looks in surprise at Jiron standing there. Without thought, Jiron lashes out with his fist and connects with the man’s throat. As the man staggers backward, Jiron pulls out his knives and advances.
The man tries to cry out and alert his comrades, but the blow to his throat has frozen his vocal chords. All he can make are quiet squeaks. Pulling his sword, he brings it up barely in time to block Jiron’ attack.
No time for niceties, Jiron presses the soldier hard, feinting and attacking, blocking and thrusting. On the third exchange, he gets his knife within the man’s guard and pierces him just under the breastbone. As the man staggers into him, Jiron strikes him on the chin with the palm of his hand and snaps his head backward. An audible crack can be heard as the man’s neck breaks.
Out in the hallway, James has kept an eye on things and so far no one has come to investigate the noise. When Jiron begins to bend over and starts removing the man’s armor, James asks, “What are you doing? We don’t have time for this.”
“Then stop standing there and help me,” he says.
James enters the room and together they quickly get the man’s armor off. “Here,” Jiron says as he hands him the helm. “Put it on.”
Getting the idea, James puts on the helm. It’s a bit loose, but should work well enough for what he believes Jiron has planned. He also takes the man’s cloak while Jiron puts on the bloody armor.
Neither one of them would pass a close inspection, but in the dark and confusion outside, they just might be able to pull it off. Jiron tosses him the sword and he buckles it on. “Ready?” he asks.
“No,” replies James with a grin.
Moving out of the room, Jiron takes the lead. They continue to follow the hallway to the next room which is a small greeting room where the innkeeper and family can entertain guests without having to be in the common room. A door in one wall stands closed.
Opening the door slowly, they find it opens onto the edge of the rear courtyard. A quick glance reveals no soldiers are in the immediate vicinity. “Let’s do it,” Jiron says as he opens the door and strides outside, James following a step behind.
Walking in a straight line to the gates of the courtyard, they pass by several soldiers, none of whom give them more than a casual glance. Upon reaching the gates, they hear a commotion and glance up at the roof. They have broken through the trapdoor and must have discovered the hole they escaped through. A soldier on the roof is yelling to those below.
Opening the courtyard gate, they walk through and find more soldiers stationed out here. But walking like they have the right to be there, plus dressed at least partially in ‘appropriate armor’, they move right past them without being noticed.
Keeping a steady pace, they work their way through the soldiers until they leave the last one behind. Once they have put a suitable distance between them, they break into a run. Fleeing into the night, the find a quiet spot and shed their ill gotten armor. Then they begin working their way back to the building containing Aleya.
Chapter Twenty One
Keeping to the shadows, James and Jiron make their way quickly from street to street toward the building where Aleya is being held. Down the street ahead of them, a squad of soldiers emerges from a side street. “This way!” Jiron whispers as he ducks into a side alley.
Plastering themselves against the side of the alley, they hold still as the footsteps of the soldiers approach. The light from the lanterns that two of the soldiers are holding gradually illuminates the street just outside the alley as they draw near. When the soldiers reach the mouth of the alley, the light from the lanterns fully reveals James and Jiron where they are pressed to the side of an adjacent building.
James holds his breath and silently prays that none of them happen to look in the alley or they will surely be discovered. As fortune would have it, the soldiers continue past without one of them seeing the two fugitives hiding within the alley. Once they’ve moved on, he lets out his pent up breath and says, “That was close.”
“Too close,” agrees Jiron. Peering around the corner of the alley, he finds that other than the retreating backs of the soldiers that just marched passed, the street is empty. “Come on,” he says and moves back onto the street.
Lights from several different groups are seen moving on adjacent streets. The number of men searching for them is steadily growing. It’s going to be hard enough just to reach the Eye’s Court as Orrin called it, let alone rescuing Aleya and getting free of the town.
They make it down several more blocks before having to again duck into the shadows as another squad makes its way past. “Can’t be too far from it now,” Jiron comments once the squad has moved on.
“Let’s hope not,” replies James.
When the street is once again clear, they leave the alley and continue on. Keeping to the dark, they are forced to weave around the circles of light given off by the lit lampposts so as not to be spotted. Then finally, the
