again. It was a pity that the first rays of the sun were now coloring the cloud-dappled sky overhead with touches of carmine and magenta. In a minute the fiery reds and oranges of full dawn would replace the darker hues. Gord would have no advantage of magical vision in the dark.
'Now I am ready, mite, to face you on more even terms,' Raynald said as he advanced toward Gord. The taller man held his falchion and a second weapon now, a long, dark-bladed misericord as main gauche. 'You thought I'd fight unequally armed?' he demanded, using his chin to indicate Gord's own long dagger.
That moment almost did Gord in, for he was distracted by the gesture and inference of fair play. His eyes went to his dagger for a split-second, and in that time Raynald launched himself into the attack. Gord managed to catch the descending falchion in time to take nothing more than a nick. He managed to parry Raynald's dagger thrust, too. The taller man had the advantage, however, and now he pressed it, forcing Gord to back up and stay in a constant posture of defense.
'You. . see. . weakling. . runt!' Raynald said as he struck with a flurry of hammering blows and backhand slashes in an attempt to beat Gord's defense down. 'I … told. . you … I'd … aackl'
Gord had slipped under a backhand sweep of the falchion and struck with his shortsword. The point stabbed into the taller man's thigh before he could step back. There!' Gord shouted as he slashed and cut the returning right arm with his dagger. 'A double lesson for a second-rate swordsman. Now save your wind for gasping your last breath.' Just then the very tip of Raynald's poniard caught Gord's own right arm, and the scratch thus inflicted burned tike molten fire.
'A kiss in return!' the bigger man panted, with a wolfish smile and gleam of anticipation in his eyes.
'You filth!' Gord screamed at him. 'You use venom on your dag!'
'Isn't that tough turds, you whining cheat! You'd have used two weapons to my one — or none, I’ll wager. Now I’m the better armed, and you cry foul. Poor little Gordy,' Sunray mocked.
The wash of anger that coursed through his body seemed to lessen the fiery numbness that filled his arm where the poisoned blade had cut it Gord allowed the rage to grow, but he checked it short of the point where it would blind him to his situation. The young thief fought carefully but fiercely, defending, countering, and slowly the feeling returned to his right arm again. 'Now, Raynald. we come to the last test!' Gord called to his opponent in cold fury, and he matched the challenge with a combination of attacks that sent the taller man back in panic.
A hit scored! Another!
'Rot you. Gord!' Raynald cried in a fury of his own. 'How do you resist the venom?' he demanded, for both wounds he had received came from the shortsword wielded by Gord's poison-touched right arm.
'My anger, you vile snake, countered your rotten venom. The blood flows freely and cleanses the wound.' Even as he gave his enemy the truth. Gord laid to with blinding speed and power, sending the falchion flying as his shortsword slashed Sunray's arm in the process. Closing as quickly, Gord pinned the man's poisoned dagger with his own while he pressed his sword to Raynald's belly.
'Spare me.' the taller man pleaded.
'Why? You would not have granted me mercy!'
'Because I can tell you the whole plot!'
'I told you, scoundrel, I already know everything there is to know.'
The man Gord had once known as Sunray nearly whined in his eagerness to save his life. 'Not quite everything, I’m sure. There's no way you could know everything. I'm an assassin now, you know.' he hurried to explain before Gord cut him off — literally! 'And because of that I’m privy to everything. If you grant me my life, I’ll tell you all. Look, Gord, I’ve even got secret papers hidden …' As he said this Raynald made a move toward something.
Gord wasn't sure exactly what Sunray had intended to do, because in the next instant the man's head simply vanished!
'Gods!' Gord exclaimed.
'Oh, Gord! I saved you!' Summer cried. Thanks be that I managed to get up here quickly,' she added, panting.
'What the devils are you talking about, woman?' the young thief demanded in angry confusion.
The blonde woman looked stricken. 'The poisoned dagger, Gord. I saw him shifting it to strike as he distracted you with his talk. I managed to cast my dweomer just in time. I simply pointed my wand, uttered a certain word that shall remain my secret, and sent the man's head into another dimension — one in which there is no such thing as air. Your friend here died of suffocation. But better him than you!'
'What are you talking about? I had everything under control. Summer! Sunray was about to give me-'
'Sunray was about to give you the point of his terrible blade — right in the intestines!' Summer interrupted.
'Shit! I had that blade pinned; Sunray couldn't have struck, could he?'
'He could have, and would have. Gord. Why are you being so difficult? I just saved your life!'
Summer looked like she was about to cry. . again. 'She seems to do that real well.' Gord mused suspiciously to himself. Aloud he said. 'How did you find me?'
'I followed you, of course,' she said, now sporting a warm smile. 'I didn't think you should take the risk alone. Your scaling of the wall took me by surprise, though. You can climb, Gord! Anyway, I wasn't magically prepared to follow, so I fretted and waited below, wondering what was happening. Suddenly, two shrieking trollops flew out the door I was near. They left it open, so I simply went inside and climbed the stairs until I found you.'
Gord nodded. 'Sounds sensible.' He decided to change the subject 'Let's search this place as quickly as we can. Summer, and then we'll get out of here and back to where I can do some thinking.'
Half an hour later the two were heading back into the Old City. Summer said she had to find a friend in the Foreign Quarter, someone who had books of magic spells, for hers had been left behind in the inn of the Seven Quills. Gord didn't argue. He had things of his own to take care of, and time was running out. Half of his time was gone, and he seemed no closer to learning the truth than he was before. He had obviously lied to Sunray about what he knew. And their search of Raynald's apartment had turned up a blank — almost.
'I'll see you at dusk at your safe place, Gord.' Gord looked Summer in the eyes. 'Be careful.' He followed her with his eyes until she was out of sight. Then he turned and quickly made his way to the cellar hideout. Changing into garb not typical of the attire he usually wore, and selecting false papers, the young thief headed for the eastern gate of Old City. Sleep would have to wait. Perhaps he’d sleep permanently otherwise.
Passing out the tall portal, Gord crossed the Long Span that bridged the western channel of the Gray Run to form the upper of the two links to the Bastion. Rather than continuing on along High Road, he turned into the courtyard that served the garrison of the huge fortress. The island was covered with the mighty stoneworks and structures that protected the city from the east and housed half of its regular soldiery. Swarms of peddlers, traders, and suppliers of goods and services came daily to the Bastion. Gord was easily lost in this throng. Merging with the press, he was soon deep inside the fortress. It was as simple for him to emerge later and return the way he had come.
After getting something to eat at a run-down tavern in the Labor District, Gord returned again to his hideout. After taking his usual precautions, the young adventurer stripped, washed himself, and settled down to catch an hour or two of sleep. He had to be up and ready when darkness fell. Until twilight he could rest.
'How can you sleep?'
'Quite well when I don't have you yelling at me!' Gord answered in a laconic voice, remaining prone, eyes closed.
Summer came over and sat down on the bed. 'Here I’ve been working hard to gain magical powers to help you, and all the while you do nothing but sleep! I can't believe it!'
Gord sat up and patted her leg. 'One must get a little rest now and then. I'd hoped to be able to come up with something. I'm sure that somewhere in the back of my mind I have a key which could unlock this mystery. No matter how I try it eludes me. I fell asleep trying…'
'Do you have a plan for this evening?' Summer asked with a worried expression.
Gord pressed his lips together in a thin line, and his brow furrowed in thought for a moment. 'Yes and no. Sunray, or Raynald as he called himself these days, said he was an assassin. I can only presume that he meant he was a guild member. Before I was convinced that the Thieves Guild was behind the whole thing, but now I realize I might have been trying to slit the wrong purse. What I aim to do is find out if I’m right by Founding up a few of the
