They didn't have to wait for long. Within an hour the murmur of activity could be heard. James said, "Wait here," and went to investigate.

He came back shortly and said, "It's a hornets' nest out there. The cook must have awakened to find the mess I left, and they think Edwin's climbed up to the surface." To William and Treggar he said, "You wait. If I'm not back in an hour, a.s.sume I'm dead and do what you think is best." To Edwin, he said, "Come with me."

Left alone in the dark again, William said, "Captain?"

"Yes?"

"Does it bother you to take orders from a squire?"

Treggar laughed. "If you'd asked me a week ago, I'd have said I never would. But James is not like any other squire I've met." Then his voice dropped and he said, "Besides, he's got the Prince's authority, and I would never argue with that. Does it bother you?"

"Sometimes," William admitted. "But that's mostly because he's so d.a.m.n c.o.c.ksure."

Again Treggar laughed. "That he is." After a moment, he continued, "But being c.o.c.ksure, or at least looking that way, isn't a bad thing in a leader. Always remember that. When you're a general or duke, and your men are looking at you, make sure they see a man who's certain of what he's doing. That counts for a lot."

"I'll remember that."

They fell into silence as the sounds of alarm spread throughout the fortification.

James and Edwin moved cautiously. The noise of running men had died down. James had exhausted unused routes, and now they were working their way through a series of former storage rooms that were being used by the a.s.sa.s.sins. Two rooms and a connecting hall remained between their present location and the stabling area and the east gate.

Edwin clutched a short sword James had liberated in the previous room. He wore the stolen robes and looked like an Izmali a.s.sa.s.sin.

Movement ahead caused James to halt. He didn't have to tell the Pathfinder to do likewise. He might not be a thief, He might not be a thief, James thought, James thought, but he knows how to move with stealth. but he knows how to move with stealth.

Two men were coming toward them. James quickly pushed Edwin in front of him, and tried to keep close to the wall, so at first glance the a.s.sa.s.sins might judge them two more of their own number.

The ruse worked for a moment, but as they got close, one of the men's eyes widened. That was all the alarm Edwin needed, and he took two quick steps and threw himself at the first man.

The second man was drawing his sword when James's dagger took him in the chest. Edwin sat atop the first a.s.sa.s.sin, and quickly cut his throat.

"We've got to move these bodies out of the way," said Edwin.

"Over in that room," said James, dragging one by the arms. Inside the room they found an empty weapons trunk, and put the bodies inside.

They took one quick look to make sure they hadn't been spotted, then hurried to the stabling area.

When they got there, they found it still in a state of frenzy, though it was clear the last squads of riders were being dispatched. All but half a dozen of the forty stalls were empty and the two large corrals were vacant. James whispered, "They've got nearly a hundred riders out looking for you."

"Good," whispered Edwin. "That much confusion will make tracking easy."

A band of men stood in the center of the large underground stable, conferring. They wore dark robes, but they looked more like the ritual robes of priests than the a.s.sa.s.sins' garb worn by the others.

Finally the priest turned and moved toward an exit in the western wall of the stable.

When they had vanished, the stable was almost empty save for a pair of guards at the gate and a couple of men still saddling horses. James suspected they would be used as gallopers, to recall those out on the search should the fugitive be caught.

James motioned toward the two men readying their horses. Then he and Edwin moved in stages, from stall to stall, hugging the shadows, toward the unsuspecting men.

When they got next to the two stalls where the riders were preparing their mounts, James signaled and Edwin moved out, pa.s.sing the first rider, who glanced up for a moment, then seeing one of his fellow a.s.sa.s.sins pa.s.sing, returned his attention to tightening the girth on his saddle. He looked up when an unexpected movement caught his eye and he saw the newly-arrived a.s.sa.s.sin had stepped behind the rider in the next stall and now that rider was slumping to the ground.

He never knew James was behind him until a dagger struck deep in to his lower back.

James nodded and both men led the horses out of the stalls, mounted, and started riding toward the guards.

One guard looked at them and it took him a moment to realize one of the riders wasn't wearing black garb. He shouted, and his companion looked over, unaware of what had triggered his comrade's warning.

Edwin leapt out of the saddle, taking the first guard down to the stone floor. The second guard pulled out a curved scimitar as James threw his dagger. The man ducked to one side and instead of a killing blow, the blade glanced off the man's shoulder.

"d.a.m.n," said James, leaping from the saddle and drawing his blade. "I hate it when they don't stand still."

Edwin wrestled with his opponent and got his own sword across the man's throat. With a sudden downward jerk, he crushed the man's windpipe.

James almost walked into the point of the scimitar, dancing backward from an unexpected thrust. "Now I'm really mad!" he shouted, smashing the blade aside with a violent blow, then slashing sideways toward the man's neck.

The man pulled back, blinking in shock at the speed of the move, the point of James's sword narrowly missing his throat.

He leapt backward two steps, then crouched, sword at the ready. James marched forward, swinging his sword in the opposite direction. The man lunged, and James hesitated, letting the sword-blow pa.s.s. As the man fell back, James pressed again, at the same pace as before.

Three more times the man swung, James hesitated, then pressed forward. The fourth time, as the a.s.sa.s.sin began his swing, James suddenly stepped forward and impaled him with the point of his sword.

Looking toward Edwin, James said, "Never fall into a rhythm. It'll get you killed."

The Pathfinder nodded once, and silently leapt on the back of the closest horse. With a slight wave of one hand for a goodbye, he kicked hard at the horse's flanks. The horse was two steps off into a gallop.

James hurried to close the gates before anyone appeared. He muscled the two bars into place, a feat that drenched him in perspiration.

He dragged the two bodies into the nearest stalls and covered them with hay, then did the same with the first two a.s.sa.s.sins they'd killed.

Abandoning stealth for speed, he ran from the stabling area and into the two rooms that led him toward the abandoned portion of the fortress.

He was nearly out of breath by the time he reached William and Treggar. He sat down and lit his last taper. Between gasps, he said, "Edwin's away. With luck, Arutha will know what's happening and where we are within a day."

"With luck," said the captain.

"What do we do now?" asked William.

James caught his breath, then he asked, "Have you eaten?"

"Yes," said Treggar. "We finished off our portions. We left a bit for you. Just in case."

"Thanks, but I'll eat later, if I can." He looked at his two companions. "Arutha has two hundred men with him. If he comes straight here, he may find some of the searchers still out looking for Edwin.

"I've killed my share of Nighthawks. In an open fight they're just like other men. Their strength is reputation, stealth, surprise, and fear. If Arutha catches any number of them outside, he'll crush them."

"What about those still here?"

James said, "If he finds this place, and arrives at the eastern gate, he's going to find himself looking at a bare stone wall with two large wooden doors in it. There are loopholes dug through the wall above the door so he's going to lose men breaking in the door. Once the door is down, he'll be facing superior numbers in room-to-room action."

Treggar said, "He could be defeated."

William said, "What do we do?"

Treggar and James drew their swords. "We make sure none of the a.s.sa.s.sins leave before Arutha gets here, and while we're waiting, we lower the odds."

William looked from James to Treggar, then he, too, drew his sword.

FOURTEEN - Murders

James held up his hand.

He signaled to Treggar and William that three men were waiting in the next room. Treggar walked forward in a crouch, sword out.

William stood behind him, his two-handed blade at the ready. A fearsome weapon, it was hard to wield at close quarters and all agreed he should be the last into the room, lest his presence hinder his companions.

James took a deep breath, saying a silent prayer to any G.o.ds who might be listening. He exhaled, stepped into the room and threw his dagger at the closest man. He then stepped forward as the dying man's companions hesitated and calmly began to pull out his sword.

Treggar was past James and attacking even as James unsheathed his sword. The captain was a brutally effective swordsman, without scruple when it came to combat. Any dirty trick that would defeat an opponent was employed, something that James had come to appreciate. The captain faked a high lunge and when the a.s.sa.s.sin's sword came up to block, Treggar kicked him between the legs.

James winced in sympathy as the man started to fold, but he appreciated the efficiency of the tactic. Before the a.s.sa.s.sin could will himself to keep his guard up, the captain struck him on the side of the head with his sword hilt, and as the a.s.sa.s.sin went over backward, Treggar thrust home with the point.

James quickly disposed of his opponent, and then William entered the room. "That's sixteen, counting the four you killed in the stables," said the young lieutenant.

"That leaves a hundred and thirty-four or so," said James, retrieving his dagger from the first man he had killed. "Things are still frantic around here, but soon they'll start finding corpses and then they'll start looking for us."

Captain Treggar said, "Someone's coming!"

"No time to hide the bodies," said James. "That way!" He pointed down a side corridor. They ran.

They were moving through a series of chambers used by the a.s.sa.s.sins, with torches burning in the wall-sconces. In the third room, they burst in on a single man who looked up with surprise. He died before he realized these were enemies, Treggar barely breaking stride as his sword lashed out.

They reached a "T" intersection, with torches visible off to the right, and darkness on the left. "This way," said James, pointing to the left.

They rushed into the dark corridor. After a short run, the darkness forced them to a slow walk. The sounds of pursuit followed them.

"Put your hand on the left wall," said James. "There's a nasty break in the floor ahead on the right. If you hug the wall when I tell you, you'll avoid it."

"How did you find it?" asked William.

"The hard way." He didn't provide further details.

William still almost lost his balance when his right foot didn't meet resistance a few steps further. He was glad of the warning, as an updraft gave him the impression the hole was a deep one.

They reached a series of small rooms, and James said, "I think these might have been cells or storage, but all the doors are missing."

"I can't see a thing," said Treggar.

"Neither can I," responded James, "but in my former line of work it paid to remember where you'd been, even if you were fumbling around in the dark. Keep your hand to the walls."

"Where are we going?" asked William.

"A place I think well be safe for a while."

Think?" asked Treggar.

James said, "We're not in what pa.s.ses for ideal surroundings, captain. There are no rooftops and only a short run of abandoned sewer to hide in. This is solid stone and brickwork, and we're fifty feet below ground. Our choices of hiding places are limited."

They moved around the corridor and James said, "Step to the right wall and put your hand on it. Then follow me."

They did as he instructed, and continued on into the new corridor. "But I have found one place."

"What?" asked William. "A bolt-hole?"

"No," said James. "We're here."

"Where?"

"I had a torch the last time I came through here. Directly above us is a crack in the ceiling, a flaw in the stones of this place. It looks big enough for us to hide up there for a short time."

"Looks?" said William.

"I had no way to go up and see," said James. "Boost me up."

William said, "In the dark?"

"Do you have another light?" asked James.

"No."

"I thought not. Now boost me up, please."

William sheathed his sword, then reached out until he touched James on the shoulder. "Hands, or shoulders?"

"Kneel down, so I can step on your shoulders, then when I tell you, stand up."

"If you say so." William knelt.