Ed Greenwood: The Wizard's Mask

"A child-no, a halfling. You do own some crossbows, do you not? And know how to use them? Go and get them and shoot it down, but alive. I need some questions answered. I think it highly unlikely a masked halfling could fool even Halidonese merchants into thinking he was a man-even with stilts, or a chair. Yet what better spy than a halfling? And Nirmathas has spies everywhere ."

Gods spit , was this man for real? He sounded like a bad actor in one of those tavern-stage satires Hroalund had liked so much.

Two of the Molthuni soldiers were hurrying back around the tower, no doubt to fetch those crossbows. Leaving just this devilspawn Lord Investigator and one bloodcoat.

Which meant her time, if she was to live much longer, was now .

Tantaerra sighed and started to undress.

"Whoa! Lord-"

"I do have eyes, soldier. They're called 'breasts' in polite company. Even halfling ones. You are professional enough not to be distracted, I trust? Good. Have your spear ready for when she jumps. Mind you aim low, away from the face and the heart. I'll need her to live long enough-"

Overvest and tunic bunched up and firmly clenched in her teeth, Tantaerra launched herself off the edge of the roof, the plump little bags she'd retrieved from her armpit-slings in either hand. She'd only have one chance at this.

She threw almost gently, trying for accuracy.

And almost missed the bloodcoat's face anyway-but the bag from her right hand caught the Lord Investigator square on the nose, and burst in a dark red cloud covering the two men.

The Lord Investigator shrieked helplessly as his face was drenched in pepper, but still got his sword out lightning-swift as he staggered, slashing the air wildly and blindly.

And she was falling right into that steel, was going to be hacked by this too-clever Molthuni shark -ass after all …

The instant before steel bit into her, the sneezing, helplessly sobbing soldier staggered right under her, spear falling from his hand-and got butchered by the Lord Investigator instead.

Tantaerra bounced off his head and shoulder into a hard landing in the street as his dying gurgle began.

Soldiers were running hard from around both sides of the barracks now, but the blind and suffering Lord Investigator was rushing about and hacking like a madman, and they slowed warily to try to go wide around him.

"These blades," Tantaerra could not resist calling out cheerfully, "are not for show."

Then she was off and running again, her tunic back down to her waist as she raced into the night. In the direction of the forest, just as fast as she could, before-

A Molthuni bloodcoat trudged out of a side street, spear in hand. Behind him were more, a dozen spears at least, and a hooded lantern.

"Thief! Runner! We've got us a runner, lads- after him! "

"And so, as always, it comes down to me being entertainment," Tantaerra gasped aloud in amused exasperation. She sprinted one street closer to the forest, then was forced to swerve north again to avoid a crowd of men spilling out of a pitiful rural excuse for a tavern in order to watch the chase.

She'd never wanted to be a thief, and was just about out of thieves' tricks, but how else was an escaped slave to eat? If she could become a citizen of Molthune, now-

Later. She'd chewed on such thoughts too many times, these last few days, and this was no time to be gnawing on them again. She'd need all her wits to get clear of this legion of enthusiastic bloodcoats-and how by all the grinning gods could Molthune field armies to pillage and plunder her beloved Nirmathas at all, if a backland logging village had this many dolts in uniform? After all, whether veterans or clumsy untried recruits, they all had to be paid, and eat and drink every day.

The small, no-two-alike homes that leaned against each other in clusters were giving way to muddy spaces, and fences, and huge barnlike buildings that had to be warehouses.

The shouting soldiers were right behind her, lanterns bobbing and spears glinting in all directions. They seemed to have gained reinforcements; there were dozens of them!

Soon she'd be out amid fields, in the moonlight, with nowhere to hide except the wild forest on her left-and she'd have to plunge dangerously deep into it to shake off this many pursuers, with no time to climb or hide.

Uncaring stars twinkled down. Molthune stretched off in gently rolling hills as far as she could see to the north and east, and-and she'd be damned if a bunch of heavy-booted Molthuni bloodcoats were going to catch her after all this!

There were more than ten warehouses, and that might just be enough, if she could start some sort of fire or loose some draft-beasts or start some other distraction.

Aye, always the "if," as the saying went.

She had to get in among them, far enough ahead of all of these bellowing bloodcoated heroes that they couldn't see precisely where she went, and try to get inside a warehouse that wasn't empty, without leaving obvious signs of her entry.

At a dead run, in the middle of the night, in a place she'd never been before, with a few panting seconds to manage it all.

Grinning gods, why was anyone fool-headed enough to try thievery?

Well, perhaps most of them were as desperate as she was.

She took the second muddy cross-trail, between warehouses and their fenced-off paddocks. The dirt fields stood empty-no one had carelessly left wagons or tethered beasts or anything else she could let loose or topple or otherwise use to slow the pursuit.

Tantaerra sprinted, huffing for breath, feet slapping on the dirt. She had to be fast and nimble, and all that mattered now was staying alive.

Damn these bloodcoats and their heavy-booted enthusiasm! Why couldn't they all hie themselves off to Canorate and do something useful , like keeping the peace in that city of seething feuds and cutthroat traders? How much guarding did trees need, anyway?

The soldiers were as thick as a stone wall between her and the forest, but if she went the other way, back down the spine of muddy, ramshackle Halidon …

Blast it, no! Her only way to there, the road she'd come down after getting clear of the barracks and turning this way, was blocked by three bloodcoats.

Older men, by their faces, veterans who had formed a careful and determined barrier, spears held low and ready before them, spaced close enough to be effective, but not so close that they'd be in each other's way. The tallest one had drawn his sword and planted it upright in the road, handy for him if he needed it-and in her way as she ran.

Damn damn damn blast !

She'd have to turn back, and into all the waiting teeth in such disarray behind her, with that one capable guard chasing her and the rest of them angry but having had time to reorder themselves and close in around her …

No, they were closing in already! Trying to get past these three was her only chance, however poor …and it was slim and getting more skeletal by the second …

She ran, heart sinking, right at their ruthless grins. This was it, this was-

Suddenly, one of the three soldiers was moving. Face startled, helpless-

Thlangg!

Someone she could scarcely see in the darkness, someone dark-garbed and strong, had just grabbed the necks of two of the three soldiers from behind and dashed their helmed heads together.

Tantaerra got a glimpse, just for an instant, of a single bright brown eye peering at her from behind the Molthuni helms. Then it was gone, that ringing clang still loud in the air, as the two dazed bloodcoats were shoved hard into the third, grounding them in a brief chaos of thudding bodies and wildly kicking legs. Whoever had felled them darted off into the darkness-leaving a hole right in front of Tantaerra.