Chapter 13
Aemere resisted cursing as she fumbled a thrust, her mind unable to focus on practice. While no one else might have noticed, she'd been an inch or so wide of the mark. Not much against an opponent of middling quality, but the moment she accepted any imperfection was the moment it would matter. She needed to be at her peak. And she knew what had caused her distraction.
She took in her surroundings as she went through a few more exercises to keep in shape, moves that required little concentration.
They'd taken up residence in an abandoned farmhouse on the edge of the Unassailable Ocean. The tree cover was light, and the building may’ve been from when the land was outside the forest.
The place wasn't derelict, apparently left stocked for any travellers who happened to get stuck out this way, with the understanding that anyone using provisions would restock them. Isolated, the place was at least a mile from the nearest road, so stumbling across it was unlikely.
Augni was seeing to their horses, ensuring they were ready for the night's excursion. Riding again had felt good. She hadn't realised she'd missed it so much. That and Augni's company had made the journey here pleasant.
Her ease had lasted until the job had been laid out. Thjorn had taken getting used to, and she still wasn't comfortable in his presence. He hadn't eased her into the idea of being a thief, even if only stealing from the Society. It shouldn't have been so much of a shock. She'd known what she was getting involved in. If she went ahead with the job. She could always decline. She was sure Augni wouldn't have a problem with that.
Yet she'd let them cover her lodgings and travel, and the repairs to her equipment, leaving her in their debt. And she’d admit the thought of hurting the Society in some small way appealed.
Had it really come to this? Was she willing to break a law to achieve a measure of revenge? But what laws would be left after the Society had finished, given they'd already influenced so many unfavourable ones out of being? Did she agree with Thjorn's war against the Society?
She glanced to where he absently carved a glyph into a tree. She didn't particularly like the free way he tossed glyphs around. She associated them with the guilds rather than as separate things. That was one area she didn't feel ready to agree with him, although she'd begun to question it. Not that she had doubts about refusing to use them in the Tournament. That was different to their use in everyday life. On that her sense of honour was clear.
'Are you okay?' asked Augni.
She spun, startled, and chided herself for her reaction and lack of attention.
'Sure,' she said. 'Just practicing.'
'And having trouble.'
She said nothing, focussing on cleaning her sword.
'It's not too late if you're uncomfortable,' he said. 'You're free to leave anytime you want.'
'No, I ...' she hesitated. She still hadn't decided what to do. But if she'd come this far she probably intended going through with it.
Augni saw something in her eyes, and was about to say more when Thjorn swept by.
'Skelldyn's back,' he said.
The fourth member of their group had been withdrawn and nervous around her, apart from occasionally glancing at her weapons. The others accepted his state without comment, so she'd ignored it. He'd been scouting their target.
She followed Thjorn into the house before Augni could say any more. She didn't feel like discussing it when she had no idea what she felt.
Thjorn glanced over the map of their target as he listened to Skelldyn's report.
The Society had a patch of land around an hour or so away, also on the edge of the forest. It held a compound in which they tested glyphs. One of the buildings had a sizable library, which held a book Thjorn was interested in acquiring.
The job, as he'd laid it out, sounded simple. They’d sneak into the main building at night, when it should be empty – the living quarters being in other buildings. Skelldyn reported irregular night rounds by the guards on duty, usually leaving around an hour between circuits. They'd wait for one circuit to pass and go in.
Drained of information by Thjorn, Skelldyn went to get sleep in preparation, leaving them watching Thjorn staring at the map.
'He claims it talks to him,' said Augni.
'And it remains quiet when necessary,' said Thjorn, not raising his gaze.
'Do you see any problems?' asked Aemere.
'None I don't have contingencies for.'
'What do we do if we're seen?' she asked.
'Don't be.'
'Very useful,' said Augni.
Frowning, Thjorn looked up. 'If we're seen, running is usually the best option, unless I think of something else.'
'And if we're recognised?' asked Aemere.
'The chances are remote,' said Thjorn. You could wear a disguise if you're worried.'
'A disguise?'
'Yes, a disguise. Something to cover your face. Maybe loose clothes to, you know, make yourself unidentifiable as a woman.' He waved vaguely at her identifiables.
She stared at him. 'That's your advice?'
'Simple is better,' said Thjorn. 'Why do you think I keep him around?'
'To curb your excesses,' said Augni.
'Of intelligence, yes,' said Thjorn.
'So why don't we all wear disguises?' asked Augni.
'I don’t because it feels clichéd, but go ahead if you feel the need. I shan't jeer too loudly while we're on the mission.'
With the meeting apparently over, they left Thjorn to his preparations.
'Does he ever stop?' Aemere asked Augni. 'He always seems to be on the move.'
'Not that I've ever seen. I've wondered what would happen if he did.'
'What keeps him going?'
'Anger,' said Augni. 'Pure blinding anger.'
'About or at anything particular?'
'Potentially everyone and everything around him. But mainly the guilds.'
Augni joined her in obscuring his appearance. She felt odd without her armour, even if it was quieter. While not feeling vulnerable – she still had her sword – she felt too light for a situation where she'd be alert.
The journey to their target was uneventful, if wearing on her nerves.
The lights around the compound were the opposite side of their target, illuminating the smaller structures. This meant they could see only so much of the building.
A small orchard lay before it, offering cover for their approach. The open patch to the right, containing even rows of crops, would be exposed, and she couldn't see how uneven the ground was. To the left was the river, and a walled up bank protecting the land around the buildings from erosion. There was a small dock from which they could sail all the way out to sea.
The only noise they'd heard for a long while had been the local wildlife, to which she'd grown accustomed. They'd left their horses with Skelldyn a mile back, and approached on foot. A wise choice given the low branches and clumps of uneven ground they passed. Riding through that could be dangerous.
Running over it could be dangerous, though probably less of a threat. Hopefully running wouldn't be necessary.
They didn't have to wait long for the guards. Strolling from the river side halfway up the orchard, they crossed it and returned towards the buildings, all at an unhurried pace. Their voices drifted along, the words lost in the trees.
As soon as they passed from sight, Thjorn led the way, strolling through the orchard with little attempt at stealth. It probably wasn't necessary, Aemere had to admit. Still, it took effort for her to match their casual manner.
They slowed as the trees gave way to a paved section before the house and stood listening for a few moments. Apparently satisfied, they approached the door.
Thjorn crouched to examine the glyph. Aemere was dubious how much he could see in the moonlight. She could barely see the glyph – with barely enough light to make out the general detail of their surroundings – let alone its pattern. Then again, she didn't know what glyphs Thjorn had. Maybe he c
ould see as though in daylight.
Thjorn began scratching his own glyph, and she turned her attention to their surroundings. Standing in the open with nothing to do was more nerve-wracking than the walk down the orchard.
The scratching stopped, and he tried the door handle. Nothing happened as he opened the door with care. It moved with a minimum of protest, and they slipped inside. The poorly-illuminated hall had a staircase directly before them, and an open door to either side. Their target would be on the next floor.
Thjorn stood listening, forcing them to stay quiet and do likewise. There was nothing, except maybe the wind playing through the old house. An odd creak came from the left, not uncommon in old buildings. As the seconds wore on she heard more sounds, probably her imagination playing tricks.
After less than a minute, Thjorn turned, pushing them out the door. Aemere held her questions. They were halfway across the paving when a shout came from behind.
'After them!'
They ran, Aemere taking an easy lead. She spotted a couple of forms moving from the far end of the open patch to her left. The interceptors would get ahead of them and slow them down enough for the others to catch up.
'Men running to intercept,' she said. A quick glance back showed seven or eight forms in pursuit, armed and probably armoured.
'Hold them back,' said Thjorn, and charged past as she and Augni turned to face them. She sent a quick glance after Thjorn, briefly wondering if he'd just sacrificed them. He crouched a short way along, drawing something.
Their ambushers were upon them. She easily parried a couple of quick jabs. The men weren't amateurs, quickly guarding against any counter. That, their number, and the fact they had armour and she didn't, could pose a problem. And meant she couldn't afford to fight defensively, not with the possibility of being overwhelmed all too real. She was reluctant to engage in lethal action, though. Yes they worked for the Society, but they were just grunts.
A third joined them, pressing at her flank. Ignoring him until he lunged, she stepped back, grabbed his wrist and pulled his face into her elbow. She let him slump between her and the other two.
A slash at head height sent them back a step, and she held her ground, using their prone ally as a barrier. Venturing a glance she saw Augni hard pressed by one attacker, the man’s skill evident even in the moonlight filtering through the trees.
She couldn't offer assistance at the moment, as the two facing her pushed in again. One tried an overhead chop, falling foul of a branch he nearly hacked through. It trapped his sword, letting her focus on the other for a moment.
He was too close to a tree to do more than thrust. Unarmoured, she couldn't risk him getting as close as she'd usually allow, so she ducked aside and stabbed. Her position let her achieve little more than sending him back a step.
It gave her a moment to focus on the other. As he freed his sword she slashed at the hand holding it. Whatever he wore wasn't enough, and with a yelp he lost hold of his sword. The reprieve just gave her time to swat away an attack.
A sword slammed into her side, sending her stumbling. She turned to find the one who'd been harrying Augni had included her in his frenzied assault.
She suppressed her concern at the wound. Without armour she must have taken a bad cut, yet all she felt was the sting of impact. She focussed on the wound, even while countering his continued assault and that of her earlier assailant. The pain wasn't as great as it should have been, even for a blunt attack with that momentum.
She realised with a start that her clothes must be glyphed. Thjorn had given her glyphed clothes without telling her. She suppressed a flash of anger by imagining what the damage would have been had he not.
She couldn’t let the likelihood of them being glyphed change her strategy. She had no idea how much damage they could take.
An explosion from behind suffused the area with a low purple flash. The glyph Thjorn had set up to protect their backs, presumably. A quick glance showed two forms lying prone behind them, as Thjorn charged the attacker on her flank.
She left him to it, focussing on the main threat: the likely leader of thee ambushers.
Her opponent's attacks kept her on the defensive, coming quickly and with enough skill that she couldn't afford a moment to counter. He was good. Even enhanced by glyphs, his base skill must be close to hers. And she was unarmoured – or in glyphed clothes whose limits she didn’t know. Not good in this situation.
They had to flee. While the ones blocking their retreat were no longer a problem, they couldn't easily escape while trapped in a fight.
She batted aside her opponent's next thrust, trying to push his blade towards a tree. He saw it and snapped the sword away, punching at her head. She ducked and responded with a slash at his exposed head, causing him to flinch back.
He was on her before she recovered her stance. He used probing strikes, with enough power behind them that he could push the attack at the first sign of weakness.
She gave him one – a clumsy realignment of her blade after batting away his thrust. He leapt at it, thrusting. Swatting his sword to the ground, she spun and slammed her elbow into his head. He maintained his senses enough to dance back, keeping his sword in a defensive position.
Taking advantage of the opportunity she launched a series of slashes at his blade, keeping him on the retreat, and risked a glance at the rest of the fight, wary of an attack on her rear.
Only a couple of their attackers still stood. That was reassuring. Less reassuring was the sound of more approaching from the far side of the building. They'd obviously drawn attention, and she had to assume they'd be combatants.
'Make for the river,' said Thjorn, and she didn't have time to question him.
She slashed at her opponent's face, nearly losing her sword in a tree. It gave her the moment she needed to take off, trusting her lack of armour would let her outrun him.
They were halfway to the river before she spotted movement ahead, barely making out someone in a boat. Thjorn didn't slow as he reached the bank and leapt into the boat. He barely avoided flying out the other side.
Seeing little alternative, Aemere followed, Augni close behind. She leapt the five-foot gap, and threw herself backwards so she didn't overshoot. She hit the side of the boat awkwardly with her shoulder. The glyphed clothing blunted any real damage.
The boat surged ahead as soon as they were in, whatever glyphs it had quickly taking them out of sight of their target. No sight – nor sound – of pursuit followed.
She was unsurprised to see Skelldyn at the rear of the boat, squinting at river ahead. Had he always been intended to take them back, or had he been a contingency? Not that it mattered.
'Didn't get it?' asked Skelldyn.
'You'll still be paid,' said Thjorn. He exhibited little interest, and sounded like they were simply out for a pleasant sail. Augni looked at him, saying nothing, and she couldn't make out enough of his expression to guess his thoughts.
If he was thinking coherently, which she had trouble doing. She finally latched onto the question of why she'd let herself get dragged into this. She could’ve been caught and, at best, gone to prison. For what? Money. Admittedly it would fund her way through the Tournament, but there must be a safer way. Even betting on herself had to be better than this. She'd come close to failing, and couldn't afford that.