neighbor.”
“We shall see about that,” boasted Tedi. “We plan on getting you out, as well. Let me know by whistling if you hear the guards coming.”
Tedi moved to the cell door and pulled his picks out of a pouch. The cell doors were not very hard to unlock and he finished it quickly. The real protection of the dungeon lay in the three guards. One would have to get past them and they normally searched their prisoners. Tedi, of course, was only a guest. Quickly and silently, he made his way along the corridor to the last cell. Looking into the cell he saw an old, but well fit, man with gray hair that was sitting on his bunk staring at him.
“General Gregor,” Tedi said quietly, Garth Shado sent me to get you out of here.” Even while he was talking, he was working the lock on the General’s door.
“Save your breath, son,” the General replied. “I have no doubt that you and Garth mean well, but I will not endanger Alcea soldiers to make my escape and that is the only way that I can think of to get past the guards.”
Tedi withdrew a tin of dye and a rag and handed it to the General. “We will not harm anyone in getting you and the Sergeant out,” Tedi promised. “Use this dye on your hair and don’t leave the cell. If the guards come to check on you, pretend you are sleeping and keep your head covered.”
Tedi moved quickly back to the Sergeant’s cell and picked the door lock before retreating back into his own cell. Tedi sat down on his bunk and tried to hide the fact that he was shaking with the fear of discovery.
The massive guard ordered Arik to sit at the small table where he and the other guard had been when Arik and Tedi entered the dungeon.
“Now,” the guard growled, “the Duke may think you are a Cidal Mercenary, but I surely don’t. I’ve drank with the Captain’s men and their uniforms don’t look like yours, especially that soft hat. Every mercenary who I know wears a helmet same as we do. You probably don’t even know the Captain’s name. What game are you up to, lad, and who are we holding as a guest in our cells?”
“Game?” Arik got out in an offended tone. “You think being a member of Lord’s Wason’s personal guard is a game? Don’t let my young looks fool you. Three others and I were chosen from the ranks of Captain Grecho’s company for the honor of serving Lord Wason. If I have to prove myself to a Targan dungeon guard, you can well believe that I am ready.”
The last was said with Arik’s hand on his sword hilt and the guard was taken aback. If Arik was who he said he was, the guard was not about to spill the blood of a Lord’s personal guard and, on second look, he realized the lad was finely fit to be wearing some uniform. He placed his firm hand on Arik’s shoulder. “Don’t get riled up, lad,” the guard said. “I’ve never heard of Lord Wason, but it is obvious that you do know Captain Grecho. You can’t blame me for being suspicious, that’s my job.”
“I’m sorry,” Arik replied as he felt the tension lessen. “I have had to train twice as hard as the rest of the men to prove myself because of my youthful appearance. I guess I am a little touchy about it. Lord Wason was the old sailor’s nephew. Lord Alrecht died recently and Lord Wason has a good rapport with Captain Grecho. When he asked for a personal guard, the Captain not only readily agreed, he held a contest to see who would be chosen. I am very proud of the soft hat, which I wear. It is a symbol of my expertise.”
Both guards looked at Arik in a new light and offered to share the last of their ale over stories of Cidal. Arik politely refused, telling the guards that his Lord was expecting him to take up position outside the Duke’s study. They nodded and let him out.
No sooner had Arik left when two women approached the Royal Palace via the small gate near the old Red Sword barracks. One wore the uniform of the Cidal Lord’s personal guard and the other was adorned with a long dress with large hoops. The dress was red as her hair and the soldiers all stared as she was allowed entry to the courtyard. The picnic basket she was carrying was promptly inspected and snickered at.
“You must understand,” the sentry was saying, “that the prisoner will not be allowed anything in the basket. The dungeon guards will confiscate it if you don’t leave it here.”
The Cidal mercenary chuckled at the sentry. “And your men won’t confiscate it while we are in the dungeon?” Taking the basket from Niki’s arm, she looped it over her own. “Just point the way,” Tanya continued. “I will see that the Lady and her basket survive the dungeon guards.”
The sentry tried to hide his smirk as he detailed the path that the two women were to travel. Tanya and Niki followed the sentry’s directions and approached the outside dungeon guard. He looked curiously as the two women approached, but held his tongue at the sight of the basket.
“We have come to speak with Tedi Markel, Lord Wason’s aide,” Tanya declared firmly.
“If you don’t mind, Tanya,” Niki offered eyeing the outside dungeon guard, “I would rather not enter the dungeon. Say what you have to say to the boy and then we can be gone from here. I am sure that this strong man will keep me safe until you return.”
“As you wish, My Lady,” Tanya answered respectfully and indicated her desire to enter the dungeon.
The guard banged on the door, never taking his eyes off the two women. Tanya’s sheath was without her sword and her quiver without arrows, but his training required him to treat her as a potential adversary and he did so. The dungeon door opened and upon seeing the visitors, the guard’s eyes widened. He seemed disappointed that only Tanya entered the dungeon, but after the door was closed, she found him inspecting her closely.
“You are one of the chosen four,” the guard exclaimed incredulously as he reached for the basket on Tanya’s arm.
“I am one of Lord Wason’s personal guards,” Tanya affirmed as she grabbed the guard’s thumb and put pressure on it to bring him to his knees. “I am assigned to Lady Wason and if you wish the basket, it would be polite to ask first.”
The other guard was laughing at his partner’s predicament and the guard on his knees was very embarrassed. Tanya immediately let go of the guard’s thumb and apologized. “I am sorry. I guess Arik already told you how hard it was on the two of us, being so young and all. I was out of line and apologize for my behavior.”
She handed the guard the basket and he took it while rising to his feet and backed to the table to put it down.
“Lady Wason thinks that Tedi will get that,” Tanya smiled. “I will tell her that he did. She would not understand security provisions in a prison. Help yourselves.”
The seated guard hurriedly inspected the contents and his cries of excitement caught the embarrassed guard’s attention. Still watching Tanya out of the corner of his eye, he peered into the basket to see the rich meats, cheese, fruit, and a bottle of expensive wine. Rubbing his thumb, he nodded the way to Tedi’s cell and sat at the table to get his share of the basket before his partner cleaned it out.
Tanya smiled as she made her way to Tedi’s cell. She lingered at the cell door for about five minutes and went back to check on the guards. One of them was sprawled on the floor and the other had his head lying on the table. She moved quickly to the dungeon door and pulled it open. Niki was standing over the outside guard who was propped up against the wall. Niki entered the dungeon quickly and raised her hoops. Tanya stripped two Cidal personal guard uniforms from Niki’s body where they had been secured.
“That man was a letch,” Niki complained. “I think he would have felt the uniforms if he had any more time. What took you so long?”
Tanya just pointed at the two large men sprawled at the table and hurried the uniforms to the General and Sergeant. Tedi sprang from his cell and hauled the prostrate guard into a chair and laid his head on the table like his partner. Tanya returned to the large room while the General and Sergeant donned their new uniforms. The two girls waited just long enough to see the two soldiers appear before they exited the dungeon with the empty picnic basket and returned towards the courtyard.
The Sergeant looked surprised at the two guards sprawled on the table and asked about the outside guard.
“These two should not have drank the wine,” Tedi grinned. “They will wake up in an hour so we need to be well on our way. The outside guard got his mixture through Niki’s ring. He may be out for even less time. Garth told us about the exit from the Palace that the servants used before the Collapse. He said it is still passable, but it
