Tracato: A Trial of Blood and Steel Book Three (36 page)

The stone scraped as Errollyn heaved, then came free. He pushed it up, reached to set it aside, then heaved himself up on the lip to peer within. After a moment, he hauled up and disappeared, only to reach back down for his bow and lamp. Sasha followed, and rolled up onto a stone cell floor. The first of the nobles pulled himself through, unwrapped some keys from a bundled cloth and moved quietly to the door.

Sasha crouched beside him, and peered through the bars of the door’s small port, listening intently. She heard nothing but the clacking of the key, then the slow squeal of the lock. The cell door opened, and Errollyn pushed past into the corridor, handing the lamp to Sasha and gesturing for the others to stay back. He moved with catlike grace beyond the lantern’s dim light, past adjoining doors, and vanished in the dark. Sasha stood in the corridor, and could hear only her own breathing.

After a moment, Errollyn came back. “The first guards are not where they’re supposed to be,” he whispered. “They’ve gone.”

“Then our way is clear,” replied the senior nobleman—Torase was his name, and he was young, blond and brash. “Let’s go, quickly!”

Errollyn led the way, Sasha this time bringing the lamp. The corridor turned, briefly right, then left, and then some stairs leading to an arch. That was where the guards would be, they’d been told. Errollyn had been confident that even with their illumination, he’d have been able to approach and disable them without killing, guard duty being dull at the best of times, and in a hole deep underground, even more so. There was no illumination now besides the lamp.

Errollyn gestured Sasha to stay at the arch, and walked alone to where his
eyesight gave him the advantage, without illumination to give away his presence to any guards. He’d barely gone ten paces before he stopped, and cocked his head, listening. Sasha listened also—serrin hearing was no better than humans’.

There, she heard it. A distant yell, echoing. And another. More yells, a shouted conversation, somewhere up the corridor. A rattle of metal, an armoured man running. Sasha’s hand moved to her blade, then stopped, as she realised the man was running away, sounds growing fainter.

She advanced on Errollyn. “An alarm?” Errollyn wondered.

“Guards won’t leave their post for a mere alarm,” Sasha muttered. “It’s an attack.”

“Conveniently timed,” Errollyn said darkly.

Sasha nodded, and swore. The nobleman Torase approached, and Sasha had her blade at his neck before he could blink. “You told us nothing of an attack!”

Torase stared at her, his companions coming warily up behind, drawing weapons. He opened his mouth to lie, looked again at Sasha, and thought better of it. “It was necessary,” he said. “We needed a diversion.”

We’re fools, Sasha thought bleakly. Naive fools, to have trusted them. But still, it could work.

“Dammit,” she said. “Let’s move fast before they suspect something.”

Torase had the only keys, courtesy again of the inside source. Sasha moved with Errollyn to the head of the corridor, leaving the lamp with the noblemen. The light dimmed then brightened as cell doors were opened along the row behind, one after another, whispered words exchanged, footsteps scampering amid hushed cries and exclamations. Sasha peered up the steps from the dungeon, listening to the distant commotion. Errollyn had an arrow nocked to his bowstring, and he tested the tension.

Several loud, metallic blows, then, that echoed dangerously between walls. Someone was breaking chains. A hushed exclamation followed, as nearer doors creaked open. Then a fast approaching shuffle of footsteps.

“Sasha?” It was Alythia, barely visible in the dark. Her eyes were wide from several days without sunlight, her hair bedraggled. She hugged Sasha hard. “I knew you’d come! I knew it!”

“’Lyth, you have to go with the others,” Sasha begged. “Quickly, I’ll be right behind you.”

Alythia gave her a final, grateful kiss, and shuffled off, holding her dress up with both hands. Those retreating down the corridor were now carrying extra lamps, Sasha realised. At least the prisoners had not been left entirely without light. This row of cells now emptied, several of the noblemen were in dispute with a pair of newly released prisoners.

“My master Lord Hainel is not amongst these!” a furious ex-prisoner in dirty, once-expensive clothes whispered harshly, as Sasha retreated toward them. “There are more cells further along, we must empty them also! Hundreds of our noblest languish there!”

“We have the Lady Renine, and the Princess Alythia,” Torase retorted. “If we try for more we may jeopardise the rescue for them. We do not take risks with the Lady Renine’s freedom…!”

“And I say that my loyalty lies firstly with the Lord Hainel!” the exprisoner bristled. “I refuse to leave until—”

“You’ll do as he says,” Sasha told the man, “or we’ll beat you bloody, throw you back in the cell and lock the door.”

The man glared at her, but did not appear prepared to argue with the blade in her hand. Torase grabbed his arm and thrust him on down the corridor. Sasha and Errollyn followed, Errollyn turning constantly to watch the way behind, as the shadows advanced in their wake.

It was only when both she and Errollyn were back in the tunnel, and Errollyn was replacing the stone above their heads, that Sasha began daring to think that the entire exercise might actually work. She moved at a fast crouch, Errollyn behind, before meeting a queue as prisoners ahead climbed from the wall opening. Finally it was her turn, a short jump from the hole to the floor, behind shifted barrels of wine. Alythia was waiting for her by one barrel as other prisoners were ushered across the basement, and more men began shifting barrels back into place.

“Sasha, what now?” her sister asked breathlessly.

“’Lyth, did they hurt you?”

“No no,” said Alythia impatiently, “I’m fine. What is the plan, do you have one?”

“Me? I’m just going along with your friends, ’Lyth. I was a bit rushed, I didn’t have a choice.”

“And their plan?” Alythia pressed.

“A boat, I think, for you and Lady Renine. To Larosa, or Elisse.”

“I would rather stay! Feudalists are the majority in Tracato, we have money and weapons…we can win, Sasha! Why do they think to run away?”

“’Lyth…what’s this ‘we’?” Alythia frowned at her, not understanding. “I’m not on your side, ’Lyth! Or rather, I
am
on your side, but only yours!” She spared a fast look around, but those not leaving the basement were unlikely to understand Lenay. “They want me here because they think they can split me off from the Nasi-Keth, but…”

“Sasha, if the Nasi-Keth are to support hooligans and lawless murderers in taking over Tracato, what good are they for?”

“That doesn’t make me a friend of feudalists, ’Lyth.”

“Aren’t you the one always telling me that sometimes, we have to take a side?” Alythia insisted.

Sasha rolled her eyes. Rhillian, again, had made a mess—she could oppress the feudalists for as long as the Steel were in Tracato, but the Steel were overdue for the western front. Leave the Nasi-Keth and Civid Sein in charge of the city?

“Sasha, Sasha,” Alythia said soothingly, taking her hands. “It’s all right, I understand. But I still don’t see why they want to run away—we could stay and…”

“You don’t want to be in a civil war in Tracato,” Sasha said firmly. “The feudalists underestimate the Civid Sein, they’re
everywhere
, they have sympathisers all across the countryside even amongst those who are not truly declared members. And they’re coming, after today, I promise you that. Safer that you leave.”

“We have to go,” Errollyn broke in. “That fighting could spread downslope fast.”

Sasha grabbed Alythia’s arm and hurried her up the stairs…then froze halfway up as yells and shouting broke out above, and the crash of windows breaking. Sasha swore, whipped out her blade and ran to the top of the stairs to peer about. The room was wide, well furnished, and under assault. Noblemen grabbed tables and held them to the windows, piling behind to form barricades, blocking those attempting to enter. Sasha saw the broad shields and ridged helmets of Steel footsoldiers, a thrusting mass of oncoming armour.

“Up the stairs!” Sasha shouted at Alythia, pointing across the room to the next, upward flight. Alythia ran without question, clutching her skirts, Sasha and Errollyn having enough time to spin about, watching all sides as ex-prisoners ran in panic, and noblemen yelled for assistance, waving swords and gathering furniture to make further obstacles.

There was pandemonium on the stairs, Alythia stumbled, but Errollyn grabbed her as Sasha tried to clear the way. People were leaning from the windows of the second floor, dropping heavy objects onto the street below. No archers, Sasha had time to notice as Errollyn dragged Alythia around the bend and up the next flight. And none of those leaning out the window were under fire from below, as might usually be expected. It seemed the Steel, having been tipped off, were after prisoners. Had the whole thing been a setup, to recapture all the ex-prisoners along with their rescuers?

Two more flights, and they emerged into an attic. Set into the sloping roof on two sides were small windows, before which a number of nobility
were now clustering, the men jumping onto the adjoining roof across a short gap. Sasha joined one cluster, and was astonished that several noticed Alythia and immediately made way, pulling others aside as they did.

“Oh dear lords!” Alythia exclaimed as she looked down at the gap. There was light enough from these windows to see the opposing roof clear enough, and the gap itself…but no light from below. Only a seemingly endless drop.

“’Lyth, let me go first, I’ll guide you from the other side.”

An arrow hissed and buzzed, and Sasha’s heart nearly stopped. Errollyn pulled an arrow, nocked and drew impossibly fast, and scanned the direction it had come from with night-piercing eyes.

“We have crossbows in the windows of the adjoining property!” he announced for all to hear. “Time your jumps, and do not tarry!”

He released, a thump and twang like a heavy drumbeat, and quickly drew again, as Sasha began her slither down the tiles.

“Did you get him?” Alythia asked eagerly.

“Frightened, I think.”

“But Sasha says you never miss!”

“Yes, but I
meant
to frighten him,” said Errollyn, a touch sarcastically. “Not every target is clear.”

Sasha gathered herself and leaped. An easy jump, for her, and she held enough momentum to scramble up and grab the window frame. Errollyn fired fractionally before a bolt whizzed past, barely an arm’s length from Sasha’s head.

“That one I hit,” Errollyn announced, drawing again. “Though his helmet saved him.”

“I’m beginning to think Sasha may have exaggerated,” Alythia remarked. Not finding a target, Errollyn put away the arrow, and drew his sword instead.

“Hold still,” he commanded, and drew the razor-edged blade quickly about Alythia’s skirts, cutting effortlessly. He sheathed the blade, and knelt before her. “I’ve always wanted to do this to a princess,” he remarked, and yanked at her skirts. With a great tear, they came away, revealing shapely legs in hose.

“Well, Master Errollyn, I never!” Alythia began positioning herself awkwardly to slither backward, Errollyn clutching her hand.

“Just slide,” he told her, “I’ve got you.” Another crossbow shot, and someone further along the gap was hit, on the verge of jumping, and toppled into the darkness. A thud from below.

“Let your foot reach the rim!” Sasha called. “A little lower!” She could hear crashes, armoured clattering and yells from lower windows as the Steel
forced their way up the stairs. Alythia’s foot strained, toes searching; Errollyn bore most of her weight one-armed, his bicep straining. Alythia’s toes touched, and she wriggled around to a sitting position, most ridiculous with her bare legs hunched up, looking desperately across the gap.

Sasha was about to call more instruction when another crossbow shot whizzed by. In sudden panic Alythia stood and leaped, gracelessly, and crashed onto the sloping tiles before Sasha’s secure window ledge. Sasha leaped forward, one hand clutching the window rail, one grasping Alythia’s arm…the leap had dislodged tiles, which clattered down the slope and over the edge. Sasha’s grip slipped, and Alythia slid, and screamed.

Errollyn slid straight down the opposite roof, planted feet on the edge and leaped, landing directly beside Alythia while hurling his bow through the window, and grasping the window ledge. His other hand grabbed Alythia, and pulled. With Sasha he bundled her through the window and followed her in.

He recovered his bow and led them across the attic room to another window, from where they could see a flat roof—a sungarden. This jump was shorter, and Alythia went last, with Errollyn and Sasha to catch her without falling.

They ran across the pavings, the half-moon giving enough light to see. Others also ran across the rooftop, or along adjoining roofs, and Errollyn paused to peer over an edge.

“I see no one,” he said, rejoining the women as they ran.

“Doesn’t mean they aren’t there,” said Sasha. “The Steel will follow, let’s see how far we can get.”

It was quite far, as it turned out. The adjoining floor was occupied by cityfolk who offered to hide them, but as Sasha told them, all of these buildings would surely be stormed and searched in short order. Another flight of stairs got them into the attic, out those small windows and up the side of the sloping roof. They balanced along the peak, Errollyn spotting the next sungarden and easiest jump well ahead. Alythia skinned her knee on that jump, and they were all now breathing hard and sweating profusely in the sultry night air.

There the easy routes ended. Sasha risked a trapdoor and stairs, which took them down through a common hall, and then more stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, Errollyn peered out into a small courtyard, an arrow to his string. Past her hard breathing, Sasha could hear distant yells, but no more.

“I wonder if Lady Renine got out?” Alythia wondered, a low whisper past laboured breathing.

“I’m sure she did,” Sasha replied, calm and low. “She had a lot of people to help her, and she was ahead of us.”