Michael Manning - The Line of Illeniel

A few minutes later we were marching him down the corridor, at sword point. He had insisted on the sword, claiming it would be easier to explain later if one of his men happened to see us. Soon enough we had the door to Rose’s room open. Penny marched Lord Hightower in ahead of us.

As he stepped in a heavy wooden club swept out, catching him in the stomach. He folded over at the waist and sagged to his knees. “Oh Daddy! Oh gods! I’m so sorry!” said Rose, dropping the makeshift weapon.

Penny and I looked on, aghast at the scene. I quietly applauded Penny’s decision to lead with the prisoner. I was still slightly shaken from the mace that had struck me earlier. I looked around the room as Rose fussed over her wounded father. On one side was a large four post bed. It looked to be a beautiful piece of furniture but it was now listing oddly to one side. Glancing down I realized Rose’s weapon had been the fourth post. I was beginning to wonder how Hightower had survived her childhood.

Rose finally took notice of us, “Penny! What are you doing here?”

“I heard you needed a rescue, but it looks like your captor might have the worst end of this arrangement,” Penny said, giving Lord Hightower a sympathetic look.

“I thought it was one of the guards,” Rose said sheepishly. “Even so I aimed for the mid-section so I wouldn’t hurt them too badly.” Hightower groaned where he lay on the floor but he still hadn’t gotten enough wind back to talk.

“Where would you hit them if you did want to hurt someone?” I asked aloud.

“Pray you never find out Mordecai,” said Rose as she helped her father stand up. “Oh! Look at that eye! Did I do that?” I was gaining endless amusement at Rose’s startled exclamations. What did she expect to happen when she hit him there? It was a good thing she hadn’t become my Anath’Meridum, there would have been a string of bodies between here and the outer door by now.

Several more men came pounding up the stairs. Given the length of time since Hightower’s last yell I had to assume these had found the men we had left sleeping below. I stood in plain sight and waited until they had cleared the stairs fully before I put them to sleep. It pays to be careful. A friendly rescue might turn ugly if we ‘accidentally’ murdered someone in the course of it.

I stuck my head back in the door to Rose’s room, “We need to hurry or I’m going to have to put everyone in the place to sleep before we leave.”

Her father was able to speak again and he waved for me to come closer, “I want you to realize I don’t agree with what you’re doing. I think it’s foolish and wasteful, but since I can’t stop you or my daughter I thought I’d give you some advice.”

“What’s that sir?” I asked politely.

He leaned close and spoke softly in my ear, “Make sure you have a good escape route planned for my daughter. When the enemy is knocking on your door and you have nowhere else to run she had better not be there with you. If anything happens to her and you somehow survive… I will spend my life hunting you down. You can count on it.” There was no humor in his face now. A chill ran through me, for I knew he meant every word.

I looked at him squarely to let him know I took him at his word. “Sir, if something happens to her and I survive there will be no need to hunt for me; I’ll present myself to you personally.” I turned and left with Rose and Penny close behind.

“What was that about?” Penny wondered.

“Most likely my father gave him one of his ‘have my daughter back by nine o’clock’ speeches,” Rose replied with a laugh. Penny didn’t understand the reference at first… not having been courted as Rose had, but Rose explained it to her. Soon they were both laughing behind me. Personally I didn’t think it funny; I had meant every word I had said to the man.

We walked with Rose between us until we reached the outer door again. Along the way we met several more guardsmen but had little trouble. I put them all to sleep. Rose protested after the first one, “There’s no need to do that.”

“Would it be more effective to beat them with a bedpost?” I asked with a chuckle.

Rose grimaced, “I’m sure they’ll stand aside if I order them, and that was an accident.”

I didn’t feel like taking chances, I put every person we met on the way to sleep. Soon enough we were outside and walking carefully away. Running might have attracted attention, so we kept our pace brisk and steady. “How do you plan to get us out of the capital?” Rose asked. “The king’s men will be scouring the city for us by morning. They’ll probably seal the gates once they know you’re here.”

“First I plan to recover our property, and then make a leisurely stroll back to Washbrook,” I said nonchalantly. Penny sighed.

“Surely you jest Mordecai,” said Rose. “Penny, tell me he’s joking?”

Penny snorted, “Oh no… he’s quite serious. What’s more I’m half convinced he’ll succeed.”

Rose’s eyes went wide, “Only half? The alternative might be quite unpleasant.”

“We don’t have a happy ending ahead of us Rose, so it’s hard to worry about unpleasant alternatives. We have a goal ahead of us, that will have to be enough for now,” I told her.

“You were never so grim before Mordecai… I’m not sure it suits you,” Rose opined.

“It will suit the king even less,” I gave her a feral grin. “Where are the men you hired? James said they were all taken away.”

“Those who could afford to pay a small fine were paroled, the rest were locked up in the Crown Tower,” she informed me. “Surely you don’t plan to attempt a break out?”

“I’ll need them to load the wagons. Speaking of which… where would they have taken my goods?”

Rose was alarmed, “Mordecai, this is insane. There’s no way this can work. The king will have your head!”

“The goods Rose… you can stay behind if you don’t like the plan.”

“By now he will have stored them in the royal warehouses. He’s been stockpiling grain and other materials there for the spring campaign. All the same things we were buying, it was his primary motivation for seizing the goods at Lancaster’s house,” she replied. “And I’ll be damned if you leave me behind.”

I ignored her declaration of loyalty, “I need directions to the Crown Tower. How far is it from there to the warehouses and how far from those to Lancaster’s home?” Any other time I might have been less rude, but the stress and anxiety of our situation had begun to wear on me. Our foray into Lord Hightower’s home had been nerve-racking, and I had two more places left to force my way into.

It turned out the warehouses were only a few minutes’ walk from the Lancaster residence, a fact that would be very convenient for my plan. The Crown tower however was a bit over twenty minutes from the warehouses. I wasn’t sure how quickly it would take the city to respond but I had a feeling things would get hairy.

“Rose I want you to go back to the Lancaster residence alone. Joe is there. Tell him to get ready, I want him to have the wagons and drivers ready and close to the royal warehouses,” I told her.

It was to Rose’s credit that she never even considered complaining about returning alone. Instead she worried about my plan, “Even as late as it is now people will notice if we park a line of wagons in the road.”

I had to admit she had a point, “Then have them wait within the Lancaster’s yard. I’ll come by there first. It should be close enough. If it isn’t then I’ve already attracted too much attention.”

She nodded, and a moment later we had split up. I worried for her, walking alone in the dark. Then again after a moment’s consideration I decided I should be more concerned for whoever might try to interfere with her. Penny and I began our own walk, striding quietly down darkened streets.