Read Online Elf Lords: 02 - Last of the Elf Lords by Richard Saunders - Free Book Online
Authors: Richard Saunders
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worse when the stones were wet.
He reached the base of the wall. Doogal looked back to the trees in the distance, where Seebaul, Seth, Reldoor, Tessa, and Tessa’s elven wolf-hound, waited. His part-elven vision enabled him to see Tessa motioning that they could see no one in either direction.
“Here goes.” Doogal whispered, before seeking the first handhold on the ancient wall. The rope hanging behind his back weighed him down, but Doogal was confident that he could manage it.
“Would you look at that.” Reldoor said—almost too loudly—as he watched Doogal climbing the wall.
Doogal made his way, slowly but surely, up the side of the structure. He carefully sought out any spot that he could use to grip or step on, often finding a handhold that looked impossible for a man to use for climbing. Years of training, combined with his inherited elven dexterity, made it so that Doogal appeared to be climbing with ease. The onlookers could not see the tense look on his face, or feel the strain in his muscles, as he advanced up the side of the wall.
“Someone is coming.” Seebaul whispered.
Tessa turned her head in the direction that the Elf Lord was looking. Sure enough, she saw a lone guard coming. He would soon be passing by Doogal’s location. Tessa made the sound of a sparrow, twice, as Doogal had instructed her to do if someone approached from his right side. The thief stopped moving and hugged the wall, seeming to blend in with the shadows.
“I hope he is high enough.” Seth said.
“Should we provide a distraction?” Reldoor asked.
Seebaul disapproved, “Only if absolutely necessary. That is best saved for when Doogal is escaping with the princess.”
The elf motioned for silence. The four of them barely breathed as the guard made his rounds. Even Shadow lay down as if hiding.
Doogal’s fingers were straining as he held on to the wall. He dared not look down. There was no need to do so anyway. If the guard spotted him then he would know it soon enough, as the alarm was sounded. He hoped that Tessa or Seth would use their bows to silence the guard if the man did happen to look up and spot him. After the way that they left the constable and his men live, he was not sure if they would kill for him.
He heard the sound of the sparrow once more. That meant that the guard had gone past. This time he did look. Sure enough, no one was there. Doogal pulled his right hand away, clenching his fingers to loosen them before taking hold of another spot a few inches higher. He did the same with his left hand, and slowly resumed his climb up the wall. It took several more minutes, but the thief made it to the rooftop. He peeked above the ledge to make sure that no one was up there before swinging over the side. Doogal then sat down, low enough not to be seen, and began unwinding the rope that he had carried up with him. He looked about for a secure place to tie it. He made his way over to the skylight. There were bars covering the glass. Doogal had not anticipated that. Still, they would come in handy to secure the rope. He observed that the bars locked into place. The lock was old and rusty. It would be simple to pick. Hopefully it was not rusted close. If so, then that would make things more difficult. He tied one end of the rope to the bars then crept back to the wall.
From his vantage point atop the roof, Doogal could see that no one was coming from any direction. He motioned for someone to come. Tessa ran low across the yard. When she was almost to the wall Doogal dropped the rope down to her. The Ranger grabbed the rope and began shimmying up the wall, gracefully and quietly. Doogal was impressed by her stealth and maneuverability. When Tessa reached the top, he grabbed her hand and pulled her up over the side.
“You are good enough to be a thief.” He said in admiration.
“I will take that as a compliment.” Tessa answered. The Ranger had never broken into anyplace other than a slave camp before. She
He reached the base of the wall. Doogal looked back to the trees in the distance, where Seebaul, Seth, Reldoor, Tessa, and Tessa’s elven wolf-hound, waited. His part-elven vision enabled him to see Tessa motioning that they could see no one in either direction.
“Here goes.” Doogal whispered, before seeking the first handhold on the ancient wall. The rope hanging behind his back weighed him down, but Doogal was confident that he could manage it.
“Would you look at that.” Reldoor said—almost too loudly—as he watched Doogal climbing the wall.
Doogal made his way, slowly but surely, up the side of the structure. He carefully sought out any spot that he could use to grip or step on, often finding a handhold that looked impossible for a man to use for climbing. Years of training, combined with his inherited elven dexterity, made it so that Doogal appeared to be climbing with ease. The onlookers could not see the tense look on his face, or feel the strain in his muscles, as he advanced up the side of the wall.
“Someone is coming.” Seebaul whispered.
Tessa turned her head in the direction that the Elf Lord was looking. Sure enough, she saw a lone guard coming. He would soon be passing by Doogal’s location. Tessa made the sound of a sparrow, twice, as Doogal had instructed her to do if someone approached from his right side. The thief stopped moving and hugged the wall, seeming to blend in with the shadows.
“I hope he is high enough.” Seth said.
“Should we provide a distraction?” Reldoor asked.
Seebaul disapproved, “Only if absolutely necessary. That is best saved for when Doogal is escaping with the princess.”
The elf motioned for silence. The four of them barely breathed as the guard made his rounds. Even Shadow lay down as if hiding.
Doogal’s fingers were straining as he held on to the wall. He dared not look down. There was no need to do so anyway. If the guard spotted him then he would know it soon enough, as the alarm was sounded. He hoped that Tessa or Seth would use their bows to silence the guard if the man did happen to look up and spot him. After the way that they left the constable and his men live, he was not sure if they would kill for him.
He heard the sound of the sparrow once more. That meant that the guard had gone past. This time he did look. Sure enough, no one was there. Doogal pulled his right hand away, clenching his fingers to loosen them before taking hold of another spot a few inches higher. He did the same with his left hand, and slowly resumed his climb up the wall. It took several more minutes, but the thief made it to the rooftop. He peeked above the ledge to make sure that no one was up there before swinging over the side. Doogal then sat down, low enough not to be seen, and began unwinding the rope that he had carried up with him. He looked about for a secure place to tie it. He made his way over to the skylight. There were bars covering the glass. Doogal had not anticipated that. Still, they would come in handy to secure the rope. He observed that the bars locked into place. The lock was old and rusty. It would be simple to pick. Hopefully it was not rusted close. If so, then that would make things more difficult. He tied one end of the rope to the bars then crept back to the wall.
From his vantage point atop the roof, Doogal could see that no one was coming from any direction. He motioned for someone to come. Tessa ran low across the yard. When she was almost to the wall Doogal dropped the rope down to her. The Ranger grabbed the rope and began shimmying up the wall, gracefully and quietly. Doogal was impressed by her stealth and maneuverability. When Tessa reached the top, he grabbed her hand and pulled her up over the side.
“You are good enough to be a thief.” He said in admiration.
“I will take that as a compliment.” Tessa answered. The Ranger had never broken into anyplace other than a slave camp before. She
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