Read Online The Crown of the Usurper by Gav Thorpe - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Gav Thorpe
Ads: Link
someone."
"Do you know how to pick locks?" asked Muuril, his face showing more hope than expectation. Gelthius shook his head.
"The only robbing I done was stealing goats and chickens, and they wasn't locked up."
"Let's have a shufty down here," suggested Muuril, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder at a side corridor they had yet to explore.
Gelthius nodded, and the two of them sauntered under the archway and into the small passage. There was another arch at the far end, and Gelthius could see benches and cupboards. Entering, the two found themselves in a guard room, with holes in the wall overlooking the stairs so that defenders could see an attacking enemy and jab at them with spears or shoot arrows through the narrow gaps. Peering through the holes, Gelthius realised that they had been artfully fashioned; he had quite a view from the mid-storey landing but had noticed nothing of the murder holes when he had been coming up the stairs.
"Hey, these would be better than servants' gear," said Muuril. Gelthius turned and saw the sergeant standing next to the open door of a tall cupboard, a black shield in one hand, a black-crested helmet in the other. "There's five sets in here, bound to find some that fit."
"What if we run into other blackcrests?" said Gelthius. "They might not know all the faces of the servants, but sure they would think it odd not recognising one of their own?"
"We can walk around as free as birds in this gear," said Muuril. He tossed the shield to Gelthius, who caught it awkwardly, snatching at the rim before it cracked on the varnished wooden boards of the floor.
"Fine," said the third captain, placing the shield to one side. "Let's see what they've got."
It took a short while to find helmet and breastplate that was not outrageously large for Gelthius' small frame. Muuril, being considerably larger than most men, also had a hard time, but managed to squeeze into a set of armour too. Swapping leggings for kilts and slippers for sandals once more, Gelthius somehow felt properly dressed again, even though his new gear chafed a little as he moved.
"We'll split up and have a quick look around this floor, and then head up to the top, right?" said Gelthius. "No point spending too long, eh?"
Muuril nodded and headed out the door, Gelthius just behind him. Gelthius turned right at the main passage, while Muuril headed back cross the landing to the left. The apartments that the governor occupied were self-contained, linked by three guarded corridors – and it did not take Gelthius long to check the three rooms he found; another dining room next to a reception chamber with low couches and tables, and a wide-windowed sun room overlooking the palace grounds to hotwards. Returning to the stairs, he met Muuril, who shook his head.
"More bedrooms," said the sergeant. Gelthius sighed. It was beginning to look a lot like their risky adventure would prove to be pointless. There was nothing here except old tapestries, poorly polished silverware, unused crockery and mouldering furniture.
Moving to the uppermost storey, Gelthius and Muuril discovered a set of double doors that led to a large hall, the floor decoratively tiled, the walls covered with embroidered hangings showing the Askhan legions conquering the Ersuan kings' armies. The pair walked around the walls, looking at the detailed threadwork.
"That's got to be Salacis Pass," said Muuril, pointing to the next hanging. It depicted a legion in a narrow mountain valley, advancing into a storm of arrows and rocks unleashed by barbaric, bearded Ersuans on the slopes above. "That was a fight and a half."
"Looks like it," said Gelthius. Muuril said something else but the third captain did not really hear it; he was sure he had heard a noise on the stairwell outside the main doors.
"Did you hear that?" said Gelthius, convinced he heard feet slapping on stone.
"I can't hear anything," said
"Do you know how to pick locks?" asked Muuril, his face showing more hope than expectation. Gelthius shook his head.
"The only robbing I done was stealing goats and chickens, and they wasn't locked up."
"Let's have a shufty down here," suggested Muuril, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder at a side corridor they had yet to explore.
Gelthius nodded, and the two of them sauntered under the archway and into the small passage. There was another arch at the far end, and Gelthius could see benches and cupboards. Entering, the two found themselves in a guard room, with holes in the wall overlooking the stairs so that defenders could see an attacking enemy and jab at them with spears or shoot arrows through the narrow gaps. Peering through the holes, Gelthius realised that they had been artfully fashioned; he had quite a view from the mid-storey landing but had noticed nothing of the murder holes when he had been coming up the stairs.
"Hey, these would be better than servants' gear," said Muuril. Gelthius turned and saw the sergeant standing next to the open door of a tall cupboard, a black shield in one hand, a black-crested helmet in the other. "There's five sets in here, bound to find some that fit."
"What if we run into other blackcrests?" said Gelthius. "They might not know all the faces of the servants, but sure they would think it odd not recognising one of their own?"
"We can walk around as free as birds in this gear," said Muuril. He tossed the shield to Gelthius, who caught it awkwardly, snatching at the rim before it cracked on the varnished wooden boards of the floor.
"Fine," said the third captain, placing the shield to one side. "Let's see what they've got."
It took a short while to find helmet and breastplate that was not outrageously large for Gelthius' small frame. Muuril, being considerably larger than most men, also had a hard time, but managed to squeeze into a set of armour too. Swapping leggings for kilts and slippers for sandals once more, Gelthius somehow felt properly dressed again, even though his new gear chafed a little as he moved.
"We'll split up and have a quick look around this floor, and then head up to the top, right?" said Gelthius. "No point spending too long, eh?"
Muuril nodded and headed out the door, Gelthius just behind him. Gelthius turned right at the main passage, while Muuril headed back cross the landing to the left. The apartments that the governor occupied were self-contained, linked by three guarded corridors – and it did not take Gelthius long to check the three rooms he found; another dining room next to a reception chamber with low couches and tables, and a wide-windowed sun room overlooking the palace grounds to hotwards. Returning to the stairs, he met Muuril, who shook his head.
"More bedrooms," said the sergeant. Gelthius sighed. It was beginning to look a lot like their risky adventure would prove to be pointless. There was nothing here except old tapestries, poorly polished silverware, unused crockery and mouldering furniture.
Moving to the uppermost storey, Gelthius and Muuril discovered a set of double doors that led to a large hall, the floor decoratively tiled, the walls covered with embroidered hangings showing the Askhan legions conquering the Ersuan kings' armies. The pair walked around the walls, looking at the detailed threadwork.
"That's got to be Salacis Pass," said Muuril, pointing to the next hanging. It depicted a legion in a narrow mountain valley, advancing into a storm of arrows and rocks unleashed by barbaric, bearded Ersuans on the slopes above. "That was a fight and a half."
"Looks like it," said Gelthius. Muuril said something else but the third captain did not really hear it; he was sure he had heard a noise on the stairwell outside the main doors.
"Did you hear that?" said Gelthius, convinced he heard feet slapping on stone.
"I can't hear anything," said
Similar Books
