Read Online The Companions of Tartiël by Jeff Wilcox - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jeff Wilcox
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might do. “I can’t even get my ball back? You’re mean, you big bully! I’m gonna tell Mommy an officer was picking on me. My daddy’ll get you fired! Hmph!” Turning on his heel, he stormed back the way he’d come. Once he was safely hidden a block away, he allowed himself a chuckle at the sight of Caineye’s grin, the druid having barely been able to contain his laughter.
Rubbing his hands together, Wild’s grin turned wicked as he felt the beginnings of a plan forming in his head.
Much of the day Wild spent reconnoitering the prison, taking even more notes about the place. When he got the chance, he scoped out the back door, hearing voices from within when he listened.
As the sun went down, Wild checked his gear, loosened his daggers in their sheaths, wound back the winch on his crossbow, and locked the trigger in place. He ate a light meal of trail rations and water, the better to keep his mind away from his stomach but not to send all his blood there.
Tightening his leather armor, the halfling padded silently between the buildings of Viel, little more than a giddy shadow flitting from cover to cover. Upon reaching the closed back door of the prison, Wild grinned and hurled himself at the wooden barrier, pounding and kicking at it for a few seconds. Then, listening, he was rewarded with the reaction he’d wanted and quickly found a most cunning place to hide.
The door opened outward, and two soldiers appeared in the doorway, brandishing longswords.
“Who’s there?” one asked the gathering darkness in a growl. Both parties waited, and when nothing presented itself outside the door, the soldier turned to his partner. “Well, we have to do a round of the building now, anyway. Come on. You go that way, and maybe we’ll scare something out of hiding.”
The soldiers exited. Neither of them had looked up. If they had, they would have seen a silently laughing halfling clinging to the gutter before swinging down and rolling deftly inside the prison just before the door clicked shut.
“Hello, Master Kaiyr,” Wild said in a whisper, his head popping out from around the corner as he peered into the blademaster’s cell. “I’m here to get you and Caineye out.”
“Master Wild,” the elf said. “It is good to see our trust rewarded.” As Kaiyr rose, the halfling deftly picked open the lock on the door, gave it a tug—and fell back on his rear end.
“What the—?”
Kaiyr pointed up to the top of the cell’s door. “Adamantine locking bars,” he said in a somewhat gruff tone, the most annoyance the blademaster had put into his voice thus far. “I believe there is a lever somewhere down the hall.”
“Wild?” came Caineye’s voice from the next cell. “Is that you?”
The halfling hopped over to the druid’s door and picked the lock. “I know there’s the extra bar, but once I spring that, you’ll be able to jump right out of there,” he said by way of explanation. Vinto responded with a bored yawn but an eager gleam in his eyes.
“That’s not such a great idea, kid,” the wall behind Kaiyr said in a female voice. Both Kaiyr and Wild jumped at the sudden appearance of a very feminine form that stepped directly out of the stone comprising the wall.
Kaiyr masked his surprise well and composed himself in the blink of an eye. “Lady Astra,” he said by way of greeting as the beautiful woman shook out her waist-length black hair.
“Hello again, Kaiyr. Looks like you’re in quite the rough spot,” she said, and Kaiyr gave her a helpless nod.
“I am afraid so.”
“Well, don’t worry too much about it. I’m going to make some noise and pop your doors open. Use the time wisely, Blademaster, and get yourself and the druid out of here. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be right behind you,” Astra purred, striding past Kaiyr and stroking a finely manicured nail along his jaw.
The blademaster watched her with his usual level look. “Very well. However, some of our possessions
Rubbing his hands together, Wild’s grin turned wicked as he felt the beginnings of a plan forming in his head.
Much of the day Wild spent reconnoitering the prison, taking even more notes about the place. When he got the chance, he scoped out the back door, hearing voices from within when he listened.
As the sun went down, Wild checked his gear, loosened his daggers in their sheaths, wound back the winch on his crossbow, and locked the trigger in place. He ate a light meal of trail rations and water, the better to keep his mind away from his stomach but not to send all his blood there.
Tightening his leather armor, the halfling padded silently between the buildings of Viel, little more than a giddy shadow flitting from cover to cover. Upon reaching the closed back door of the prison, Wild grinned and hurled himself at the wooden barrier, pounding and kicking at it for a few seconds. Then, listening, he was rewarded with the reaction he’d wanted and quickly found a most cunning place to hide.
The door opened outward, and two soldiers appeared in the doorway, brandishing longswords.
“Who’s there?” one asked the gathering darkness in a growl. Both parties waited, and when nothing presented itself outside the door, the soldier turned to his partner. “Well, we have to do a round of the building now, anyway. Come on. You go that way, and maybe we’ll scare something out of hiding.”
The soldiers exited. Neither of them had looked up. If they had, they would have seen a silently laughing halfling clinging to the gutter before swinging down and rolling deftly inside the prison just before the door clicked shut.
“Hello, Master Kaiyr,” Wild said in a whisper, his head popping out from around the corner as he peered into the blademaster’s cell. “I’m here to get you and Caineye out.”
“Master Wild,” the elf said. “It is good to see our trust rewarded.” As Kaiyr rose, the halfling deftly picked open the lock on the door, gave it a tug—and fell back on his rear end.
“What the—?”
Kaiyr pointed up to the top of the cell’s door. “Adamantine locking bars,” he said in a somewhat gruff tone, the most annoyance the blademaster had put into his voice thus far. “I believe there is a lever somewhere down the hall.”
“Wild?” came Caineye’s voice from the next cell. “Is that you?”
The halfling hopped over to the druid’s door and picked the lock. “I know there’s the extra bar, but once I spring that, you’ll be able to jump right out of there,” he said by way of explanation. Vinto responded with a bored yawn but an eager gleam in his eyes.
“That’s not such a great idea, kid,” the wall behind Kaiyr said in a female voice. Both Kaiyr and Wild jumped at the sudden appearance of a very feminine form that stepped directly out of the stone comprising the wall.
Kaiyr masked his surprise well and composed himself in the blink of an eye. “Lady Astra,” he said by way of greeting as the beautiful woman shook out her waist-length black hair.
“Hello again, Kaiyr. Looks like you’re in quite the rough spot,” she said, and Kaiyr gave her a helpless nod.
“I am afraid so.”
“Well, don’t worry too much about it. I’m going to make some noise and pop your doors open. Use the time wisely, Blademaster, and get yourself and the druid out of here. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be right behind you,” Astra purred, striding past Kaiyr and stroking a finely manicured nail along his jaw.
The blademaster watched her with his usual level look. “Very well. However, some of our possessions
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