The echoes irritated Thjorn. Their direction and proximity were difficult to gauge in the caves, so it took focus to tell whether they were a danger. He did what he could to block them out. Augni was on watch, so he’d warn of trouble.
Fortunately the tunnels – even those pretty much abandoned – had glyphlights along their length, so they wouldn't be detected by telltale lights. Of course they also wouldn't be able to easily spot anyone approaching.
Since this area didn't see much traffic they should be safe. Whether their absence would be noted where they should be working was another matter, and one they'd deal with later.
Their absence also offered protection from Snaenjar. He'd been surprisingly reluctant to act the past week, wary of any threat Thjorn still posed, which wasn't unreasonable. But he couldn't afford to let it go on too long.
He'd had at least a couple of opportunities while they'd been working down remote mines. The guards supervising them stayed near the rear, only getting involved if outlying tunnels got too loud.
They'd remained alert and watched each other's backs, but it wouldn't be long before Snaenjar had to act. Probably before they could get out of here, the way things were going.
The glyph on the sealed steel doors before him wasn’t one Thjorn had encountered before, but it was relatively easy to understand.
He half-focussed on scratching a glyph into the door. Once he’d worked out what he needed and pictured it in his mind his hands got on with transcribing while he considered other things. Such as immediate escape possibilities.
Their current position didn’t allow many options. Side tunnels had died off a short way back. This part of the tunnels was old – having been here longer than the prison – and the floor showed few signs of recent passage.
'We'll be missed soon,' Augni said unnecessarily.
'Fine,' said Thjorn.
'How long will you be?'
'Done. I'm obscuring it.' The glyph would neutralise the old one without alerting anyone. He smoothed dust from elsewhere on the door glyph.
'So are we going in?' asked Augni.
'Not yet. We'll be missed if we take too long here.'
'Do you at least have a way of getting the manacles off us so we can get past the barrier?'
'Getting the manacles off is easy. That won't get you past the barrier.'
'Why not?'
Suppressing a sigh, Thjorn knew he’d have to give some response. He’d been reluctant to share much the past days because, yes, he’d been angry. He also needed to focus on the way out of here – rather than the not knowing how things progressed outside – and the options weren’t good. Answering questions only invited more, but he should try and make peace. Augni had only been trying to help. 'The manacles are nothing to do with the barrier. They let the guards hurt us, and I can counter that when we’re ready.'
'But the barrier works,' said Augni.
'The barrier works on everyone who doesn’t wear the passage glyphs the guards have on their armour.'
'So why lie about it?'
'So prisoners don't attack the guards for their armour. Not that it'd do much good against the other defences.'
Augni considered this. 'How come you know the truth?'
'I looked at the posts and their armour,' said Thjorn.
The glyphs had confirmed what he’d suspected before coming here.
Satisfied with his work, Thjorn rose. 'Let's go.' He led the way back towards their work area. It was a good ten minute’s walk, which he managed in silence.
He knew Augni was uneasy with the tension between them, but couldn’t afford time to deal with it. Not that it would matter once they were free. He obviously couldn’t rely on Augni, so he’d have to go on alone. His plans were in too delicate a stage to have unreliable factors in play.
Acquiring the prison rotas hadn’t been easy, but it had been worth it to plan his arrest for when the new prisoners would be working close to where he needed to be. Even so, with the scale of the mines he’d been lucky to get them this close. He’d rather have had more time, but the altered plan should work.
He’d also managed to get the key to the signs used to mark the corridors – although they were remarkably easy to decipher, and he could have done so unaided.
They approached where they should be working – recovering their tools from nearby – and he let Augni edge forward for a peek. Satisfied the guards were out of sight, Augni led the way back among the other prisoners.
The nearest group – working the material sent back from the shafts – gave sullen looks as they adopted tired slogging paces.
No one had alerted the guards when they'd left, so they’d be unlikely to do so now. They might later, but openly doing so would shorten any life sentence.
As they moved down the shaft they drew fewer glances, and less hostility. Until they met Snaenjar and his boys. They’d come from the other shaft in their absence. Looking for them, no doubt.
Snaenjar stepped into the middle of the shaft as they approached. His men held their tools threateningly – as though they'd have enough space here for more than one to swing. Even that would have to be controlled.
The shaft was wider further along, but they'd chosen a narrow sections for some reason. Assuming reason had played any part in it.
'Where've you been?' asked Snaenjar.
'Looking for your spine,' said Thjorn. There was no point trying to appease him. He’d take that as weakness. While Snaenjar’s timing was unwelcome, Thjorn had accepted it was unlikely he’d have time to do what he needed to before the idiot made his move.
This wouldn’t be his move, or he’d already have made it, but he was getting close to having no choice. The only option Thjorn could see was to trigger him where they didn’t have the terrain to do much before the guards responded. It risked getting Thjorn and Augni confined or moved, but it might also delay Snaenjar moving on them properly. It was the best option at the moment.
Snaenjar bristled. 'You think anyone’ll care if your bodies are left here to rot? You think...?'
'Please stop flirting with me in public. It's embarrassing.'
Anger flashed on Snaenjar's face, along with the knowledge he couldn't leave that unanswered, not with so many witnesses. His shovel lunged at Thjorn. The angle was tight to avoid the walls – and the prisoners scrambling away. Thjorn’s pick blocked it with disdainful ease. The crash echoed dully down the tunnel.
The thugs tried to join in, only succeeding in getting in each other's way. The shaft was barely eight foot wide, so even with a couple backing away, three took up the width with little space to do more than jab. Even with their weight behind them, the blows had limited effect.
While the jabs were easily blocked – as long as they both moved fast – the first to get through would be a problem, letting the next one follow and so on. Thjorn kept half a watch behind, in case anyone decided to try getting on what passed for Snaenjar's good side. Everyone had backed as far away as possible.
Snaenjar snarled as their defence continued, aware the noise would force the guards to investigate. That wouldn't go well for any of them.
The increasingly frenzied attack forced them to defend faster. Only Snaenjar was trying to inflict killing blows. The risk of being linked to a death would be too great for the others. Wounds to slow them down however, could be useful.
Before a blow got through, the world exploded in pain. Thjorn saw the others drop as he collapsed. Augni, their attackers, and any prisoner unlucky enough to be in line of sight of the guards, fell.