The spray struck James as the wind shifted. ‘You used to play here?’ he asked Owyn.
‘No, not really.’ He pointed up the side of the mountain. ‘We used to play up there, in a pool, near the spot the bolt-hole exits the hillside.’
Gorath said, ‘My people’s children are not allowed to play unsupervised.’ With a note of contempt, he added, ‘But then you humans breed like fieldmice; if a child dies, you just have another.’
James threw him a black look. ‘It’s not quite that simple.’
Gorath asked, ‘So why are we here?’
James asked, ‘If you wanted to use the old run as a base of operations, would you want the Baron and his family up there?’
Owyn’s eyes widened. ‘You think the Nighthawks started the fire?’
James shrugged. ‘I don’t know. But it’s pretty convenient, and by harassing him, they keep the Baron from starting his rebuilding.’
They rode along the banks of the river toward the cliffs, and Gorath said, ‘I have fought these Nighthawks at your side, and you have mentioned them before, but I still do not understand their part in all this.’
James said, ‘It isn’t difficult; they’re a brotherhood of assassins who work for whoever pays their way. Mercenaries. I faced one on the roofs of Krondor when I was a boy and have faced them many times since then.
‘They were pawns of Murmandamus for a while and served with his Black Slayers.’
Gorath almost spat. ‘The Black Slayers were an obscenity! Men of no honour who gave over life and spirit to Murmandamus for promises of eternal power and glory! It is said by our lore keepers that those who did so will never join the Mothers and Fathers in the Life After.’
James turned his horse to follow around a small knoll, and said, ‘I must admit, I know little of you or your elven kin, Gorath, though I’ve fought the moredhel and spent time with the glamredhel and elves.’
Gorath said, ‘We dislike one another enough that we don’t like to talk about one another, it’s true, so I have no doubt you heard little good of us from the eledhel. The glamredhel are the mad ones, those without purpose and without magic. They lived by their wits and held strong in the Edder Woods in the Northlands until they were hunted down and destroyed.’
James shook his head. ‘Destroyed? They’ve gone to Elvandar and now reside there.’
Gorath reined in his horse. ‘Delekhan!’
‘What?’ asked James, turning to look at the dark elf.
‘He let it be known that he had destroyed Earnon and his tribe in the Edder.’
‘Well, Old King Redtree is alive and well, living up in Elvandar. Last I heard they were involved in some sort of discussion as to who was in charge.’
Gorath tilted his head, as if listening to something. ‘In charge? I do not understand.’
‘I don’t pretend I do, either,’ said James as they followed another bend in the road, and began approaching the waterfall. ‘Duke Martin is a regular visitor to Elvandar and sends reports to Krondor. As I understand it, Redtree and his people are trying to decide if they’re going to be part of Aglaranna’s people, or separate, but living among them. Something like that.’
‘It’s passing strange,’ said Gorath. ‘I would assume Aglaranna would enslave them had they come begging for refuge.’
James laughed.
‘You find that funny?’
‘I’ve met old Redtree and he doesn’t exactly strike me as the type to beg or to accept slavery without killing a couple of hundred people first.’
Gorath nodded. ‘He is a warrior of great skill and power.’
They could again feel the spray off the waterfall and James asked, ‘Owyn, where is the entrance?’
Owyn said, ‘We’ll have to tie the horses and walk from here.’
They did so, and as they reached a place beside the waterfall, where the spray was heavy enough to soak them in minutes, James said, ‘How many people knew of this entrance?’
‘A few, in my family, and among the staff. Ugyne and I, along with Neville, used to play there. We got beaten when we were caught, and I don’t think the Baron ever found out that we knew the entire route from the keep to the bolt-hole.’ He pointed to a rock a few feet above his head. ‘This is why no one in the village ever found their way into the keep. I need a leg up.’
James made a cup with his hand and gave Owyn a boost, and the young magician pulled himself to the ledge. He said, ‘Hand me my staff.’ They did, and he said, ‘Now, stand back.’
They stood away, and Owyn used his staff to move a rock. A rumbling caused James to move even farther back. A large rock face moved aside. Owyn jumped down with an ‘oof’ and stood up. ‘Getting out’s easy. There’s a lever just inside. Getting in is impossible if you don’t know the trick.’
James moved just inside the entrance and said, ‘Someone found the trick. Look.’
Dust had coated the entire length of the tunnel, but the middle of the tunnel showed clearly that many feet had trodden the floor recently. Gorath said, ‘As we move along this tunnel, we will soon lose the masking noise of the waterfall. Tread softly.’
James said, ‘We need a torch.’
Owyn said, ‘No, we don’t. I’ll make us some light.’
Owyn closed his eyes, then held out his hand. A sphere of soft light surrounded him, less than would have come from a torch, but enough for them to see by. ‘That’s handy,’ said James.
Owyn shrugged. ‘Until recently I didn’t know if I’d ever use it for anything more significant than finding my way to the jakes in the middle of the night.’
James grinned. ‘Let’s go.’
He pulled out his sword as did Gorath, and without a word they set off down the tunnel.
A soft tread of boot leather on stone was all Gorath needed to warn them. He held up his hand and listened, his more than-human hearing announcing the approach of someone. He turned and held up two fingers.
James nodded and motioned for Owyn to move back down the tunnel, taking his faint light with him, while he and Gorath waited in the gloom for whoever came toward them. A moment later a light could be seen down the hall, approaching rapidly. Voices echoed off the rock.
‘I don’t like it,’ said one.
‘You don’t have to like it. You only have to follow orders.’
‘There used to be a lot more of us, if you remember.’
‘I remember, but the fewer of us, the more gold –’
The two men turned the corner and Gorath and James leaped upon them. Catching them unexpectedly, James and Gorath had them down before they knew they were under attack.
But surprise didn’t mean surrender, and the two assassins fought like cornered animals, forcing Owyn to run forward with his staff and lay one low with a crushing blow to the head.
The other died upon his own knife, as James fell heavily atop the man.
James slowly rose, saying ‘Damn. I wanted a prisoner.’
