Chương 12: The Star that Guides

Out of the farmhouse through the back door – which I lock – I feel pleasure in being alive. From the tips of my fingers to the tips of my ears, I am present in the world: hearing, feeling, smelling, touching. Too dark to see much, but what the need when my other senses are so open. There are faint but angry voices across from me, away from the barn and meditating on Stealth I approach them until I can understand the words.

'He had the good bed last night. It's not fair.'

'They are all the same, Moir, stop making a fuss.'

'It's my bed, mum, we played stones for it and I won.'

'That was just for one night. I didn't know the soldiers were going to be here another night.'

'I'll play stones for it again then. That's fair.'

'No, it's not. Taking turns is fair. You had first turn, now it's mine.'

'Hush both of you. Toraline is asleep.'

'Also, there's a lot of chicken poo on my side. I hate it. I wish they were gone.'

'Perhaps they will be tomorrow. Now they have the prisoners they were waiting for.'

'Daspartar hear my prayers: send the soldiers away.'

'Can I go look at the inferni?'

'No. Absolutely not. It's dangerous.'

'Dad? Can I go? I'll just peek through the window.'

'If it sees you, it will come outside and grab you. Then it will carry you down by the river. Drink your blood, throw your body in the water and that will be the end of you.'

'Don't be giving the children nightmares.'

'I'm just explaining what will happen.'

'You're joking dad. Lady Horsta is there. She won't allow anyone to hurt me.'

'She won't even know. The inferni is an assassin, it will kill you in secret. You'll be looking in the window, trying to spot him and then a hand will cover your mouth, so you can't scream. And your kicks and wriggles will be ineffective against his strength.'

'Thorsted!'

'I'm just making sure he doesn't go off on his own.' I creep to the very edge of a wall and take a look around the corner. It is another yard, this time of packed earth not stone, around which are stables, a tack room and a chicken house. Here is our coach; also a fire; a man; a woman; and three children, the small one asleep in the woman's lap.

Pulling back, I edge around the unexpected domestic scene to the far side of the stables where the occasional snort and the black outlines of the animals tells me several horses are in a paddock. I think I recognise Valiant and Lamrial. Does this help at all? Daring is sometimes the safest course of action. There is a way of reaching the back of the carriage without being seen by the family and I take it.

As I hoped, much – perhaps all – of our gear is still inside, so relying on my Stealth I quietly go inside and pick up a satchel. What should I bring away? My priority has to be Lisandra's book of arcane runes along with her pouches of powders and trinkets, some of which I think she might need when casting spells. I also strap on my shortsword and a wet weather cape around my shoulders. Then I leave, another idea having smitten me. From the tack room I take tall riding boots to help my Disguise skill.

With Stealth I walk carefully around the yard until I can approach the family from the direction of the farmhouse and the soldiers. Now I must be boldCrow once more. Half measures will not succeed. I clomp loudly into the yard. The farmer jumps to his feet. The woman turns away, protectively bringing the child in her arms towards the stables. The two other children stare.

'Saddle up five horses: each with a bag of hay. Include the two we captured today.' My accent is a success, not dissimilar to that of the paladin.

'Yes sir,' the farmer bows, 'but…' I turn away and stride off towards the barn that holds my friends. With Stealth I approach the door, all too aware that just the other side of a few inches of wood are two guards who could easily give the alarm. Gently, I tumble the lock closed so they will have trouble leaving.

After that, and without ceasing to concentrate on Stealth, I return the way I came: climbing the rope, creeping across the upper level, back-and-foot between the timbers, until I am among my friends again in the quiet barn. It is almost peaceful here, with the soft, yellow glow of the two lanterns and the sighs of the half-sleeping prisoners. Yet my heart is working so hard my ears are pounded by repeated waves of heat.

Trying to calm myself, I lie behind the large figure of Lisandra, fully in her shadow, and I unlock her wrists. Her hand, when it meets mine, squeezes gratefully. Keeping hold of her arm, I put her book of runes in her hand and when she realises what she has, she gasps. Fortunately, not loudly. Next, I unlock Aarax and am somewhat surprised to have to prod our druid awake. How can anyone sleep in these circumstances? He turns his head and gives me the faintest of nods.

With me I have the inferni scout's dagger and another, slightly longer dagger, stolen from the bedroom of the inferni assassin, Amaris. I also have my shortsword. Since I intend to use my new two-weapon fighting skill only one dagger is spare and I lay the smaller one behind Belle, touching her fingers to the handle. As a Shadowknight, Gerard is the stronger fighter with more hit points. But he has the spell Siphon Life, whereas if Belle is to use her skills at all, she needs a weapon.

Were she and I to be flanking an opponent, as with all rogues and shadowdancers, we would both gain a multiplier of four on our damage. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. We are all unshackled and soon the fight will begin. I do not want to wait. Given time it is inevitable that someone will go to their room and notice the theft, or question why the horses are being made ready, or come to relieve these guards at the barn door.

Yet before we attack them, I want Lisandra to have at least one Flare spell readied in her mind. Crawling to her and leaning over her ear I am about to whisper my question. She has a heavy arm curled around her open book to hide it and is staring at the symbol there. Best to leave her a little longer. My hope is that the guards are Level 0, which is typical for a trooper. Usually only officers have higher levels. But even if they are Level 1, the battle ought to be short. Our combined levels total 8.

Assuming the worst, that's still four to one in our favour. No my concern is that the sounds of fighting will travel to the farmhouse. It seems to me that while the cheerful and lively meal in that building continues, the chatter will be loud enough to cover the noises we make. But the longer our fight lasts, the greater the risk. It is probably only four or five more minutes before Lisandra's head falls back. It feels like far longer.

'Ready? Steady?' I whisper. She replies with a slow opening and closing of her eyes.

'I'll take that as a "yes". But you know best.' This time she rolls her eyes up in exasperation.

'It's a "yes"? Right? Or am I deceived by my sight.' YES! Her mouth makes the right shape, without issuing any sound. I wink.

'Just making sure, before I approach the door.' Then I sit up, silently prepare my sword and dagger and stand with my arms behind my back as if still shackled, weapons held straight down, out of view.

'Excuse me and don't be mean. But I have great need of the latrine.'

'No latrine for you, undead-loving scum. You can just pee in your pants.' I take two steps closer.

'Oh but see, it's not a pee.'

'I don't care. You're going to killed in any case. Now sit back down. And you too.' This to someone behind me. I can hear my friends moving.

'Sit down! All of you!' Lisandra is chanting.

'Her arms! She's free. Go get help.' As soon as one of the guards turns for the door I charge, bringing my sword and dagger in front of me. My world is this man and I. Him with armour, shield and longsword. Crow with shortsword and dagger. Crow be nimble, Crow be quick, Crow jump over that sweeping attack.

So close now, the man cannot swing his sword again but as I try stabbing him in the face, unprotected as it is, the edge of his shield smashes into my right ear and I see white and yellow and red and white and yellow … and then black. I come around thanks to the immensely soothing relief of a Cure Light Wounds from Aarax, which leaves me completely refreshed, without even the trace of a headache. And joy of joys, the two guards are dead.

One pale and wrinkled as if he has just aged fifty years, the other burned black. Rubbing my right ear (no soreness), there is excitement and hope in the expressions of the others and I take a moment to share it.' Siphon Life is very effective,' says Gerard, with great satisfaction.

'Are you all right Crow?' Belle asks, hand raised towards my ear.

'That was brave of you.'

'My hit points have not even dropped by one; thanks to the heal I'm good to go on,' I say, before kneeling at the lock. It takes me a moment to concentrate and turn the tumblers to allow the metal bolt to be withdrawn. This is because my heart is beating –crowbeating – fast from the tenderness in Belle's voice. Before pushing open the large barn door, I douse the two lanterns, then, surrounded by the dark, I look out and listen. Spot Hidden. Nothing.

'This way, follow Crow; best if we are quiet and slow.' Not as quiet as I'd like, we approach the earthen yard. A gesture from me and the others stop.

'What are you doing Crow?' asks Gerard.

'We need to escape while we can.' He steps towards the farm gate and the cart track that leads to the road. I fasten on my cape and raise the hood.

'Our chances of staying alive, are better with horses five.' In the yard, I am surprised that the farmer has yet to saddle the last horse. Then I appreciate that for him it has only been a matter of minutes since I left. For me it was nearly a lifetime. While I watch him work, I consider my skills with some frustration. My Two-Weapon Fighting failed me with dangerous consequences.

Currently, my afk levelling choice is Stealth because that is the skill I call upon most and were I to level it to 10 I would have great confidence in relying upon it. I do not wish to use my fighting skills at all. Nevertheless, if a situation arises where I must, the consequence of failure might be fatal. Do I swap my choice? No, for now I will stay the stealthycrow who watches and steals and avoids a fight.

'Oh, there you are sir, nearly done.'

'Thank you good farmer, we walk through the night until morn, so that we can begin our ride to Nekis with the dawn.'

'Nekis is it sir? I hear that's a terrible place, where they'll strike you down and turn you into a zombie as soon as look at you. Not for much longer though, eh?' I take the harness of Valiant and encourage him to step forward to be the lead horse. It helps that he knows me but even more that I have the Animal Friend skill. Yet another one I wish was capped at ten. I tie the reins of the next horse to Valiant's saddle and the farmer, seeing what I'm at, helps me form a line. As I leave, he calls.

'Best of luck to you sir, whatever your mission.' When I find my companions, they are relieved and joyful too. Patting Lamrial heartily on the shoulder Aarax says, 'I never thought I'd see you again.'

'Crow,' says Lisandra, giving me just as hearty a clap, 'you are the star that guides us in the night. You've wisdom beyond your years. And boldness too.' We walk away from the sounds of voices and laughter, away from the light, into the darkness that is the farm track and beyond it the great road which connects Nekis and Callondum. Thunk go the hooves of the horses; clink go the bucklers of their harnesses.

And though we are well away from the possibility of being heard, no one speaks until we reach the road and I start Valiant along it to the right, towards the east.

'That's the wrong way Crow,' says Gerard.

'The bridge is west.'

'Our enemies will chase us, perhaps at night, if we go west they'll intercept our flight. But more than that we must choose best, the route that will let us complete our quest.'

'I agree with Crow,' says Lisandra.

'Risky though it is, we must keep going. Everyone in Nekis depends on us.'

'I too agree with Crow,' adds Belle and my heart warms to hear it.

'I'm not sure I should even add my opinion. I'm just a carriage hand – without even a carriage. But I'd like to help my family and see this quest achieved. And I knew when I volunteered I'd be going into danger.' These are Aarax's words and I admire him for them. I am relieved too; we need a healer as I had just demonstrated. And Belle immediately speaks to the same purpose as I would when she says, 'You're as much a part of this quest group as anyone.'

'All right then,' says Gerard, 'To be honest, I'm afraid we are going to be captured by that inferni again and they won't go easy on us next time. But I hear the sense of what your saying. Let's go east.' Free and with my friends and firm of purpose, I am a happy crow.