clutching his jewels, her boot connected twice with his face.
“I told you,” she panted as they left the groaning man to nurse his
ruined, spurting nose. “Show some spine.” The look she threw him
was not flattering. “I had hoped you could help me out of the city to
safety. It seems I must continue to help you, instead.”
“Sorry,” Simon muttered inadequately.
“The lake is just ahead,” Niu pointed between two crazily-leaning
structures at the stretch of slick darkness beyond. “We will follow the
shoreline to the road. Then we will decide where to go before pursuit can
begin.”
Pursuit, Simon thought. I’m a
fugitive now . The thought clenched unpleasantly in his gut. What
will father say ? He imagined how proud Veter would have been if he’d
returned home with the new family appellation Dragonslayer and a wave of
misery washed over him.
“We will have to be off the road by daylight,” Niu continued,
shoving a tottering, hooded drunk to one side as she picked her way down a
garbage-choked alley. Simon scrambled after her, stumbling over some
unidentifiable refuse, and found himself standing on the shore of Lake
Undinell.
Abandoned rowboats and wreckage littered the shoreline. Debris
bobbed in the oily water. These city folk, Simon thought, with a spike of
distaste, were a careless, filthy lot. They cared nothing for one another
or their environs. He couldn’t wait to be away from Vingate.
“There!” a man shouted behind them. “That’s them, there!”
Simon whirled. Niu followed suit. Struggling down the
alley they’d just left behind them, puffing madly, the ruddy-faced guard Simon
had seen with the prostitute earlier was jabbing one grimy finger in their
direction. Two men followed him, torches held aloft. Both were
soldiers of the city guard. It took Simon only a moment to identify them:
Brannock and Rowland.
Niu spat something in a language Simon did not comprehend, but he
understood its message clearly enough.
“Do we run?” he asked.
Niu shook her head. “They will take us if we try. Can
you swim?”
Simon stared at the uninviting lake and tried not to imagine what
might lurk beneath that dark surface. “Yes. Not well.”
“Not well will have to do.” Niu dropped her bag, kicked off
her boots, and waded into the waters.
Shuddering, Simon followed suit. There was no time to
hesitate; the guards were almost upon them, running as though demons were
nipping at their heels.
“Halt!” Rowland yelled. “Halt in the name of the King!”
His sword was drawn. Simon plunged into the icy clutches of the lake. The
chill stole his breath, but he struggled after Niu, who was already nearly lost
from sight, a faint shadow in black water.
“Stop them!” Brannock howled, a tremor of desperation coloring his
voice. “Stop them, or it’s our heads for certain!”
Simon, recalling the path of skulls, didn’t doubt that. These
men had already allowed him to escape once. Sympathy for their plight
caused him to hesitate, but only fleetingly. He heard the men splashing
into the lake behind him. They wouldn’t be able to follow him in their
armor, so long as Simon made the open water.
“A bow!” Rowland shouted, his voice an octave higher than
normal. “A bow, does anyone have a bow?”
Someone just behind Simon made a grab for him. Gloved fingers
brushed his shoulder blades. Yelping, he dove forward, surrendering to
the inky blackness, churning the water with his scissoring legs. Even
through the rush of liquid in his ears, he could hear the roar of frustration
behind him. Someone was shouting orders, distorted beyond comprehension
by the water. Simon just hoped none of the old boats rotting on the shore
were still serviceable.
Surfacing, he looked for Niu. He couldn’t see her anywhere,
and the chill of the lake was already seeping into his bones. It would be
a poor showing if he survived all that he had and died of pneumonia, but at
that moment it seemed to him to be a very
“I told you,” she panted as they left the groaning man to nurse his
ruined, spurting nose. “Show some spine.” The look she threw him
was not flattering. “I had hoped you could help me out of the city to
safety. It seems I must continue to help you, instead.”
“Sorry,” Simon muttered inadequately.
“The lake is just ahead,” Niu pointed between two crazily-leaning
structures at the stretch of slick darkness beyond. “We will follow the
shoreline to the road. Then we will decide where to go before pursuit can
begin.”
Pursuit, Simon thought. I’m a
fugitive now . The thought clenched unpleasantly in his gut. What
will father say ? He imagined how proud Veter would have been if he’d
returned home with the new family appellation Dragonslayer and a wave of
misery washed over him.
“We will have to be off the road by daylight,” Niu continued,
shoving a tottering, hooded drunk to one side as she picked her way down a
garbage-choked alley. Simon scrambled after her, stumbling over some
unidentifiable refuse, and found himself standing on the shore of Lake
Undinell.
Abandoned rowboats and wreckage littered the shoreline. Debris
bobbed in the oily water. These city folk, Simon thought, with a spike of
distaste, were a careless, filthy lot. They cared nothing for one another
or their environs. He couldn’t wait to be away from Vingate.
“There!” a man shouted behind them. “That’s them, there!”
Simon whirled. Niu followed suit. Struggling down the
alley they’d just left behind them, puffing madly, the ruddy-faced guard Simon
had seen with the prostitute earlier was jabbing one grimy finger in their
direction. Two men followed him, torches held aloft. Both were
soldiers of the city guard. It took Simon only a moment to identify them:
Brannock and Rowland.
Niu spat something in a language Simon did not comprehend, but he
understood its message clearly enough.
“Do we run?” he asked.
Niu shook her head. “They will take us if we try. Can
you swim?”
Simon stared at the uninviting lake and tried not to imagine what
might lurk beneath that dark surface. “Yes. Not well.”
“Not well will have to do.” Niu dropped her bag, kicked off
her boots, and waded into the waters.
Shuddering, Simon followed suit. There was no time to
hesitate; the guards were almost upon them, running as though demons were
nipping at their heels.
“Halt!” Rowland yelled. “Halt in the name of the King!”
His sword was drawn. Simon plunged into the icy clutches of the lake. The
chill stole his breath, but he struggled after Niu, who was already nearly lost
from sight, a faint shadow in black water.
“Stop them!” Brannock howled, a tremor of desperation coloring his
voice. “Stop them, or it’s our heads for certain!”
Simon, recalling the path of skulls, didn’t doubt that. These
men had already allowed him to escape once. Sympathy for their plight
caused him to hesitate, but only fleetingly. He heard the men splashing
into the lake behind him. They wouldn’t be able to follow him in their
armor, so long as Simon made the open water.
“A bow!” Rowland shouted, his voice an octave higher than
normal. “A bow, does anyone have a bow?”
Someone just behind Simon made a grab for him. Gloved fingers
brushed his shoulder blades. Yelping, he dove forward, surrendering to
the inky blackness, churning the water with his scissoring legs. Even
through the rush of liquid in his ears, he could hear the roar of frustration
behind him. Someone was shouting orders, distorted beyond comprehension
by the water. Simon just hoped none of the old boats rotting on the shore
were still serviceable.
Surfacing, he looked for Niu. He couldn’t see her anywhere,
and the chill of the lake was already seeping into his bones. It would be
a poor showing if he survived all that he had and died of pneumonia, but at
that moment it seemed to him to be a very
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