Richard Tuttle - Elvangar

“They have not attacked him yet?” MistyTrail said hopefully. “He appears to be talking to them.”

Under the balcony, HawkShadow turned to face the officer.

“What are you doing here, soldier?” asked the officer.

“I was sent out to check the area,” replied HawkShadow. “The mage in the library sensed a presence down here. He demanded that I check it out. I do not see anything out of the ordinary. By chance was your squad patrolling under the balcony just recently?”

The officer shook his head and sighed. “Will these prima donnas never learn?” he asked rhetorically. “Why didn’t you tell the mage that he doesn’t have to worry about the balcony? Everyone in there should know by now that the shutters have been magically alarmed. You would expect more from a mage.”

“No wonder he is in the library,” snickered HawkShadow. “He still has much to learn, but still I dared not refuse him.”

“No, you couldn’t, soldier,” agreed the officer as he signaled for his men to stand down and sheath their swords. “Take my advice, though. The next time one of those great mages tells you to check under the balcony, take yourself a break and enjoy a snack. It is a much better use of your time.”

“I like that idea,” chuckled HawkShadow. “In fact, maybe I still have time to grab one.”

“Have one for me, too,” scowled the officer as he motioned for his men to form a column. “I have another four hours out here until I get a break.”

HawkShadow watched the column move towards the street that he had used to sneak towards the temple. He knew that he could not stay under the balcony, and he was loath to approach the front of the temple. He also could not be seen walking away from the temple. He inhaled deeply and turned towards the rear of the temple. His eyes scanned the edge of the distant forest, but he could not see his friends. He had no doubt that they could see him.

HawkShadow walked slowly around the corner of the temple. There were at least two squads of soldiers at the rear of the temple. The Sakovan assassin was tempted to hide in the shadows until the suspicious patrol had moved on, but other soldiers had already noticed him come around the corner. Several of them stared at him, as if a lone soldier in the city was an oddity. HawkShadow steeled his nerves and marched towards the gaping rear entrance of the temple.

He saw several soldiers tense at his approach and knew that he would be closely scrutinized if he tried to enter, so he stopped short of the entrance and leaned against the wall of the temple as if waiting for somebody. Eventually a curious officer approached him.

“You are not part of my detail,” declared the officer. “What are you doing here?”

“I am waiting for the delivery of two elves,” replied HawkShadow. “I was instructed to make sure that they were delivered to the proper cell.”

“Elves?” questioned the officer. “I was not notified that there was a delivery tonight. Where are they coming from?”

HawkShadow hesitated too long as he tried to think of an answer. He had no idea of any of the names used on the island, so he could not mention the name of another city.

“I asked you a question, soldier,” scowled the officer.

“I can’t say,” answered HawkShadow.

“You can’t say?” glared the officer. “What do you mean you can’t say?”

“It is a matter of secrecy,” HawkShadow replied softly. “I was ordered not to reveal the origin of the slaves.”

“Who ordered you to remain quiet about this?” demanded the officer.

Again HawkShadow felt a moment of failure. He did not know any of the Motangan names except Vand, and he didn’t think that the officer would believe that. He was sure that the Emperor had his own personal guards that would carry out special orders. As the officer once again demanded an answer, HawkShadow remembered Mistake mentioning that she had seen Aakuta inside the temple.

“Aakuta,” HawkShadow replied conspiratorially, “but I will deny having told you that. Look, I am not trying to be trouble to you, but I do not want to be punished by the mage.”

The officer’s glare softened and he nodded sympathetically.

“I won’t mention a thing,” promised the officer, “but I wish these mages would use proper procedures. How do they expect us to secure the temple when they go around breaking all the rules?”

“They do seem to be favored,” shrugged HawkShadow. “I try not to get on the wrong side of them.”

“That is wise,” nodded the officer. “When are these elves supposed to arrive?”

“They should have been here already,” frowned HawkShadow. “I think I am going to go looking for them. There is only one man escorting them, and that worries me, but the mage was precise with his instructions. I hope to be back shortly.”

The officer nodded, and HawkShadow started walking across the barren strip towards the forest. His friends watched him approach.

“Does he know these Motangans?” Tamar asked with surprise at seeing HawkShadow walking around freely.

“No,” grinned MistyTrail. “He has never been here before, but this is not the first time that HawkShadow has amazed me.”

“He seems to blend in wherever he goes,” admired Mistake.

HawkShadow entered the forest and walked well past his friends to make sure that no on saw him meeting anyone. He turned and crept back to them.

“What did you learn?” asked MistyTrail.

HawkShadow took a thin wire out of his belt and handed it to Tamar. Tamar looked at the wire questioningly.

“Bind the top of your ears so that they lay flat against your head,” instructed HawkShadow. “Make sure that your hair covers both the wire and your ears.”

Tamar nodded and made a large loop out of the wire. HawkShadow sat on the ground and faced the rear of the temple.

“The shutters to the library are magically alarmed,” reported HawkShadow. “If we tried to enter that way, we would be caught quickly.”

“There is another balcony on the far side,” offered Tamar, “but I have no idea where it leads to.”

“I think I have found a way in,” declared HawkShadow, “but I doubt that we will be able to leave the same way.”

“How do we get in?” asked Mistake.

HawkShadow smiled and pointed to the large opening in the rear of the temple. “I spoke to the officer there. He is expecting me and another soldier to be escorting two elves. Evidently, it is highly irregular for prisoners to enter in this manner, but I told him that Aakuta had requested it in secrecy. The soldiers do not care much for the mages here in Motanga.”

“There is a reason for that,” frowned Mistake. “The mages here are the ones who torture the prisoners. I feel uneasy even hearing Aakuta’s name.”

“What is done is done,” shrugged HawkShadow. “We should take this opportunity to get into the temple before that officer is replaced by another.”

“Do you remember the map I drew of the interior?” asked MistyTrail.

“I never forget a map,” smiled HawkShadow. “If my sense of direction is any good, we need to make a left upon entering the rear of the temple. There we should find the door that the kruls would not let you pass through.”

“And Avalar’s cage is just beyond it,” Mistake said excitedly. “Maybe we can get in and out of there so quickly that no one will even notice.”

“One thing at a time,” replied Tamar as he covered the wire with his hair. “First we have to get in.”

“Let’s go,” HawkShadow said as he rose to his feet. “Let me do the talking if we are stopped.”

HawkShadow and Tamar sandwiched the girls between them and then marched out of the woods. They walked normally across the barren strip. As they reached the rear of the temple, most of the soldiers turned to watch their approach. A few of the soldiers became alert, but they relaxed as the officer strode forward to greet them.