Kael's hair fluttered, his tight chest lifted from Tonio's shoulder. Houses and recruits dissolved into a blur. The wind's whistle cut sharp against his ears, replacing the thugs' commands. But more than the wind, it was his heart that pounded in his ears. Forty steps in a couple of seconds. Undiscovered.
Tonio would do it. He was fast. So fast that Kael would've been flung off his shoulder if not for the grip locking his legs to Tonio's chest.
Before he could imagine himself crashing in the middle of the street, his broken nose slammed into Tonio's back. He covered it with two fingers, the rest of his hand muffling a grunt.
He lifted his head, his fingers tightening on Tonio's coat. The surroundings cleared: rusted pipes on ruined walls, and junk bathing in sludge all around him.
On Tonio's other shoulder, Els grinned at him, her green eyes alight. The alley! They made it!
Not yet. The recruits.
"Where are the dogs?"
Someone's strained voice reassured Kael; likely an archer tired of holding the draw. Soon, they'll send patrols to search for the source of the noise. He would give them something to chase.
Smirking, he whispered, "Tonio, put us down and shoot an arrow in the alley we came from."
Only as Tonio helped him sit against the wall did he notice the rat-man's breathing. His chest heaved as if he had run for hours, and sweat slicked his facial hair to his face. "You good?"
Els patted Tonio's back. "He needs rest."
"He needs to shoot."
Tonio wiped his forehead with his sleeve while the other clutched the bow on his back. He closed his left eye, forcing a slow nod that made Kael clench his fists against his thighs.
"Good. Kael and Els light. Eat more." Tonio nocked the arrow and drew the bowstring to his cheek.
Kael massaged his brow. Light with everything they carried? After fighting Joss? No, Tonio's posture was hunched compared to earlier, and the bow trembled in his hand. He just tried to hide it, to think about eating together around a warm fire after escaping from the beggar streets.
I promise I'll make it happen.
The twang of the bow brought the arrow into focus. It flew much slower than the first, straying too high. Fine. They didn't need speed or precision anymore.
CRACK
The arrowhead crashed into the side of the roof across from them. Rubble blasted down, moldy thatch raining down into the alley they had just left. They clanged against junk, rattling pools of filth.
Instantly, someone screamed. "Move! They're coming from the other alley!"
"Don't let them reach our wounded!" Amidst a flurry of clomping boots, another man commanded.
Before the recruits could regroup, the wall's support vanished. Tonio slung him on his shoulder, then reached for Els.
Shaking her head, she ran first, pausing only at the shine of the first arrow they had fired. It took her a heartbeat to pull it from the ground, and in the next, Tonio had already caught up with her—slower, but still faster than either Kael or Els could run on their own.
Without Kael reminding him, Tonio halted at the edge of the alley. Pressed against the wall, he leaned enough for them to peek at the first street.
Fewer recruits patrolled, with most investigating the alley beside Borris' shop. Some sat by the bakery's open doors, bloodstained bandages replacing armor. Only two men stood on roofs, close to the exit—so far, Kael couldn't make out more than their silhouettes.
Protect our wounded... Had they turned the building into an infirmary? If so, the panicked command from earlier made sense.
How should he slip out now?
Another shot would further deplete Tonio's stamina, not to mention the thugs would suspect the odd pattern. Danger came from the two archers at the exit, who would spot them from afar. Their priority... Protecting the infirmary?
His eyes moved from Borris' shop to the shadows beneath the rooflines.
Good. He gestured for Tonio to move back into the alley.
Three steps later, Els crossed her arms over her chest, panting. "No more alleys to hide in. What's your plan?"
Kael's lips crooked between a smile and a grimace. "Simple. Move along the walls. Avoid open spaces. Once we're at the exit, throw a rock at Borris' shop. The archers might not..." He shook his head. "They won't move, but they'll track the commotion. So will the thugs on the ground. We slip by when they do."
"I don't like it. Too risky..." Els smacked her lips. "But we don't have much of a choice, do we?"
"We don't. And we should already be moving." Kael patted Tonio's back. "Carry her, Tonio. Sprint across the street, then walk. Speed won't help us here. Silence will."
With a nod, Tonio slung Els on his free shoulder after she picked up three rocks. A quick scan of the street, and the stench of medicinal herbs replaced that of the alley.
Wind howled in Kael's ears, but nothing blurred this time. Two recruits recovering by the shop turned their heads toward them. His heart stuttered. Not his mind.
No time for commands. "Stand. Behind," he managed as he pressed his palm on Els' mouth and bit his own lip.
Instantly, Tonio leapt behind a deserted stand by the side of the road. He crashed on his stomach, scraping Kael's and Els' legs.
Els wept, the palm against her mouth muffling the sound, while the coppery taste of blood filtered from Kael's pierced lip.
Stay silent!
Tonio crawled beneath the stand's grill, legs tucked tight against his chest. The air reeked of coal left to die hours ago. Cold, brittle, lifeless. Like the sweat clinging to Kael's back.
Had they been discovered?
The answer came from a casual voice. "Man. Why did you turn when I reached the best part?"
"You turned, too." Another voice followed.
"Only because you did. Don't tell me a breeze scared you. Well, after the war and the dogs, I understand. But don't let it get to your head. We proved ourselves right in front of Silma Reed."
"Mh... I could swear I saw a shadow move..." Kael barely heard the second man's whisper. "Perhaps... no, you're right. It's getting on my head, you know? To see everyone wounded."
"We're much better off than Gunter. Flames ate up half of the bastard's face. We'll get our asses a nice promotion once we're back to the Black Cask. Focus on it as I do."
They exchanged a chuckle that blew like hot air on Kael's back. They were exhausted and hurt, but at least still undiscovered, and that meant survival until they reached the exit.
"Crouch and try to recover under the eaves. We'll sleep for two days once we're out."
"Meat. Els cook." Tonio crouched, his broken speech even more fragmented by his ragged breath.
Els removed Kael's hand from her mouth. "I'll cook a feast. You can do it, Tonio."
"Tonio no can. Tonio do."
Eyes sharp beneath the round frame of relic 78, Tonio left the cover of the stand. With quick steps, he reached the wall, then slowed down.
Whenever he could, he took cover behind other stands, run-down walls, or lampposts, waiting for patrols to pass them before continuing. Slowly, his breaths lengthened. But Els clasped Tonio's coat as if it were a barrier, and Kael clamped his teeth so hard that his jaw hurt as they edged toward the exit.
The recruits who had been checking the alley returned wrench-faced. They clutched blades and spears, kicking rocks on their way.
Kael couldn't let them patrol again. "Stones."
In the shade of the stall that had greeted them when they entered the beggar streets last week, Els shoved the three stones into Tonio's hands.
The two archers held their bows against their thighs, one scrutinising the street, the other overlooking Ashcoil Row's neighborhood. They stood on opposite roofs, sealing both entry and exit. On the ground, four men leaned against their spears, unfocused, or simply counting on the archers to sound the alarm if an intruder dared approach.
Tonio helped Kael and Els down behind the stall, facing the wall to avoid notice.
When Kael tried to speak, he thought his jaw would never open. It still did. "Aim high so they can't track them. Seventy steps away. A bit far, but Borris' shop is large."
Tonio inhaled sharply, then leaned out. Still crouched, back pressed against the metallic frame, he swung his arms three times as if getting a feel for the best angle.
Then, he hurled the first stone up. The second and third followed, drawing three curves high over the street.
Els clasped her chest, and Kael closed his eyes. Please hit.
When he reopened his eyes, the first stone clattered on the roof beside the infirmary. Thugs glanced up for a second, then returned to carrying clean sheets and buckets of boiled water.
The second stone, however, shattered a cobble on the pavement five steps in front of the building. Those seated rose; others set down their loads and reached for their weapons.
Before anyone could approach the broken cobble, the third stone flew true. It struck the rising thug, the very same who had caught Tonio's shadow earlier.
He took a single step forward, then crumpled onto his stomach. Blood seeped across the pavement from his torn skull.
"We're under attack!" A thug instantly roared.
A ladle clanged against a basin repeatedly as more commands erupted. The returning recruits charged to the infirmary.
Good. The archers...
They glared at Borris' shop from their roofs, their line of sight higher than the stall hiding Kael.
"I'm not letting Silma mark me as incompetent." The archer on the left jabbed an arrow into the roof.
"Let the others protect our wounded. You four drag the mad bastard who dared to attack us from his dwelling." The second archer spat, and four sets of boots rushed toward the stall.
Kael pressed his lips into a tight line. Els huddled against his shoulder. Tonio pressed back against them, his back to the wall, his face between theirs.
The louder the footsteps, the harder it became for Kael to breathe. Would they be discovered right in front of the exit? This was the kind of moment everyone prayed to the gods for a sliver of luck, right?
His eyes sharpened. Not him. Never.
The footsteps dimmed behind him, a voice echoing. "Check the houses across from the infirmary first. Dray and I will move up. You two move down."
"On it."
Tonio didn't wait. He wrapped his arms around their backs and rose, carrying them on his shoulders before Els finished gasping, or Kael exhaled fully.
Then, he charged, hugging the wall toward the exit.
The world dissolved into a blur again, but his eyes remained narrowed. Not a flinch, not a prayer. Not to the eight bastards. Not for luck. Tonio breathed like overheated water in a kettle, each of his stomps drilling his shoulder into Kael's stomach. No more plans. Only one truth.
We're getting out!
After what felt like an hour and ten seconds at the same time, pain exploded against his nose. Blood smeared Tonio's back as tremors spread across his body.
The three of them grunted before the wall Tonio crashed against came into view. Had he... run so fast that he missed the exit?
Wait... behind... the archers were still perched on their roofs, but he stared at their backs. They were facing the other way, looking into the street. So, the wall...
It was as stained by dust as any other in Ashcoil Row's neighborhood. Dirty, but whole.
He exchanged a glance with Els, whose tears trailed down her face.
They made it out!
Tonio pushed himself, cupping his forehead and shaking his head. "Out?"
"Yeah! Continue, Tonio!" Els kicked her legs against his chest, muffling her laughter against his shoulder.
Kael smiled. Finally... they would finally rest.
However, a voice twisted his smile into a grimace.
"The beggar streets weren't closed off for the likes of you to snoop around. Follow me for questioning."
A teenager of his age stood at the corner of the street. Herbs and balms released a potent medicinal scent from the two baskets he carried. For a moment, he glared at them, then he scowled. "Kael?"
"No..." Els covered her mouth.
"Els, too? What are you doing here?"
Kael exhaled. Of course... they sent Jorgen to resupply on medicine. The fool had to run into them and speak as if he were already in Garrick's pocket. Unlucky... for him.
His smile died.
"Gag him, Tonio!"