alley leading to their rented room. One of the chimneys looked too squat, and there was a shadow at the end of the alley that should not be there.
“Damn. Someone found us,” said Madd.
“We did make a noteworthy appearance last night. This way,” he said, turning to go back down the street toward the dubious safety of the crowded bazaar. That was when he spied two other men approaching, their black garments rippling over toned muscles. Swords glinted in their hands. He and Madd were armed only with their newly purchased knives.
“They want us alive, or we’d be dead already.” Madd spoke in clipped, cold words. Good. He was thinking, not panicking. “Baron’s orders. If I die, the basilisk in the egg he used to bespell my collar dies, and the basilisk is worth good coin. And you—”
“I know about me. Can you work any magic? Make them itch?”
“No. I haven’t—I can moonblind them, maybe. That works for a bit. The moon should be on the horizon at this time of year.” The pale orb was nowhere to be seen, given the cloudy day, but Madd sounded confident. “Moonblinding only blinds anyone close enough to see me. But it won’t affect you, so—”
“Do it, then. And be prepared to run.”
The men were moving toward them now. Madd focused, face intent and hands lifted, eyes fixed while his lips spoke a few soft words.
Vorgell soon heard cries to every side, in several languages. “What was that?” and “I can’t see!” People milled and turned in the street, hands stretched before them.
“Villains!” Vorgell drew his long knife and launched himself at their now blinded attackers. Madd screamed at him to run, but running had been the plan for his friend, not himself. It made more sense to take out their enemies. Two men were not so many, even if joined by the two from the roof.
He kicked the first man, his size a great advantage as his foot connected with a jaw and dropped his target immediately. Dispatching the second was easier—a simple slash of his knife across the throat. He then stomped on the chest of the first man and looked around to see if anyone was joining the fight. As he’d expected, someone jumped him from one of the roofs. There’d be at least one other. Because of their concealment and distance from the street, these two weren’t blinded.
His attacker lacked his brawn, and Vorgell easily ducked to roll the man off his shoulders, sparing his head and giving him a clear target. Stepping on the fallen man’s knife hand, Vorgell sliced his own blade deep through the back of the leg, cutting his opponent’s tendons. Hearing footsteps behind him, he looked and caught just enough glimpse to deliver a backward kick to that man’s groin. The fellow fell, writhing.
“Let’s go!” Madd grabbed at him. “You don’t have to kill them. The city guards are coming. We can’t stay here!”
Heeding his partner, Vorgell joined him, and they fled.
Buildings in this part of the city pressed close to the street, and the alleys were narrow. They ran until the crowd thinned and they could no longer hear the shrieks and cries of the still-blinded onlookers. Even with that in their favor, they could not return to their room. Too many people had seen them. Fortunately, neither of them owned enough yet to have left any possessions behind.
Barely avoiding the contents of a chamber pot being dumped into the alley, they slowed to a walk and recovered their breaths. The sun had dropped low enough that a few rays pierced the clouds and cast the alleyway in shadow.
“That was close.” Madd shook his head, his cheeks flushed prettily from exertion. He still clutched the bundle they’d gotten from Ibeena, his fingers curled anxiously into the thick hide. Beads of sweat trickled near his ear. A wild impulse to lick those drops swept through Vorgell, and he pushed Madd in one rough movement against the nearest building. Madd looked up at him in alarm.
“Are you all right?” Vorgell bent near
“Damn. Someone found us,” said Madd.
“We did make a noteworthy appearance last night. This way,” he said, turning to go back down the street toward the dubious safety of the crowded bazaar. That was when he spied two other men approaching, their black garments rippling over toned muscles. Swords glinted in their hands. He and Madd were armed only with their newly purchased knives.
“They want us alive, or we’d be dead already.” Madd spoke in clipped, cold words. Good. He was thinking, not panicking. “Baron’s orders. If I die, the basilisk in the egg he used to bespell my collar dies, and the basilisk is worth good coin. And you—”
“I know about me. Can you work any magic? Make them itch?”
“No. I haven’t—I can moonblind them, maybe. That works for a bit. The moon should be on the horizon at this time of year.” The pale orb was nowhere to be seen, given the cloudy day, but Madd sounded confident. “Moonblinding only blinds anyone close enough to see me. But it won’t affect you, so—”
“Do it, then. And be prepared to run.”
The men were moving toward them now. Madd focused, face intent and hands lifted, eyes fixed while his lips spoke a few soft words.
Vorgell soon heard cries to every side, in several languages. “What was that?” and “I can’t see!” People milled and turned in the street, hands stretched before them.
“Villains!” Vorgell drew his long knife and launched himself at their now blinded attackers. Madd screamed at him to run, but running had been the plan for his friend, not himself. It made more sense to take out their enemies. Two men were not so many, even if joined by the two from the roof.
He kicked the first man, his size a great advantage as his foot connected with a jaw and dropped his target immediately. Dispatching the second was easier—a simple slash of his knife across the throat. He then stomped on the chest of the first man and looked around to see if anyone was joining the fight. As he’d expected, someone jumped him from one of the roofs. There’d be at least one other. Because of their concealment and distance from the street, these two weren’t blinded.
His attacker lacked his brawn, and Vorgell easily ducked to roll the man off his shoulders, sparing his head and giving him a clear target. Stepping on the fallen man’s knife hand, Vorgell sliced his own blade deep through the back of the leg, cutting his opponent’s tendons. Hearing footsteps behind him, he looked and caught just enough glimpse to deliver a backward kick to that man’s groin. The fellow fell, writhing.
“Let’s go!” Madd grabbed at him. “You don’t have to kill them. The city guards are coming. We can’t stay here!”
Heeding his partner, Vorgell joined him, and they fled.
Buildings in this part of the city pressed close to the street, and the alleys were narrow. They ran until the crowd thinned and they could no longer hear the shrieks and cries of the still-blinded onlookers. Even with that in their favor, they could not return to their room. Too many people had seen them. Fortunately, neither of them owned enough yet to have left any possessions behind.
Barely avoiding the contents of a chamber pot being dumped into the alley, they slowed to a walk and recovered their breaths. The sun had dropped low enough that a few rays pierced the clouds and cast the alleyway in shadow.
“That was close.” Madd shook his head, his cheeks flushed prettily from exertion. He still clutched the bundle they’d gotten from Ibeena, his fingers curled anxiously into the thick hide. Beads of sweat trickled near his ear. A wild impulse to lick those drops swept through Vorgell, and he pushed Madd in one rough movement against the nearest building. Madd looked up at him in alarm.
“Are you all right?” Vorgell bent near
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