Michael Manning - The Line of Illeniel

“What exactly does ‘dangerous’ mean?” It was a different voice but still it came from the back. Given the situation I couldn’t blame them.

“I’m planning to recover my possessions from the King’s warehouses in the next hour. I plan to be away from the capital in less time than that afterwards. Any more questions? Because I’m really short of time,” I answered. I could see lights going on in some of the nearby houses. My antics had not gone unnoticed.

A short man standing in the front spoke up, “Do we have to fight?”

“Not today, not if I can help it, in a few months possibly. You’ll have plenty of time to change your minds before then if you so choose,” I replied hastily. “Now we really have to be moving. Those of you who wish to come… follow. I will hold no grudge against those that don’t.” I turned and began striding purposefully down the street. For a moment I had a horrible urge to look back, certain they would be dispersing in every available direction. Magesight comes in handy sometimes… I could feel the majority of them following us.

I spoke to Penny without turning my head, “Looks like most of them are still with us.”

She smiled slyly in the dim light, “Most of them I think. We need to move faster Mort. That scene outside the tower had to have drawn attention. Even if none of the guards from Hightower’s have reported, someone must surely be taking news to the watch.”

Her words echoed my own fears. If the city guard was roused in full force things would not go well. A conflict in the streets would be a loss for all concerned. The men I would be fighting here were citizens of Lothion; any casualties would only weaken us… and further alienate us from the king. I paused to address the people behind us, “We’re going to move faster now… follow my light and try not to fall behind.” I increased the light coming from my staff to highlight my words.

We began jogging down the streets of Albamarl. It was a surreal experience; my staff cast strange shadows around us, creating odd shapes between the buildings as we passed. The sound of over a hundred feet running behind me was exhilarating in a way that I had not expected and Dorian’s words came to mind… he was right, this was true power. Except you barely have any control here, these men are strangers, I added mentally.

Two startled watchmen on patrol appeared suddenly from the dark. Their faces were lit with shock and surprise as they saw the huge crowd of people running toward them. I put them to sleep without slowing and hoped they wouldn’t be trampled by the men behind me.

Fifteen minutes later we had reached the duke’s house. The gate was open and the instinct of those following me was to enter. I held my staff high, “Stop! We wait here for a moment.”

Joe had been waiting for us and as I spoke the wagons began rolling out into the street. Rose sat beside him in the lead wagon, a crossbow in her lap. “Are the lanterns ready?” I asked him.

“See for yerself,” Joe answered pointing behind him. On each wagon were two lanterns, one sitting beside the driver and another unlit in the bed of the wagon. We would need them in a few minutes.

“Follow the wagons! We’re only a few minutes from our goal,” I shouted to the crowd. The wagons began moving as the crowd walked alongside them. Penelope slipped her hand into mine as we walked. “Are you alright?” I asked her.

“Nervous,” she replied with tight lips.

“There’s no way left but forward,” I told her.

Her free hand was gripping and releasing the hilt of her sword repeatedly. “I know,” she said.

Mentally I hoped things would go smoothly. If a confrontation occurred and got out of control Penny might hurt a lot of people. I worried how that might affect her, but there was little I could do about it.

We entered the warehouse district without trouble. The streets here were wide, to better accommodate wagons, and the buildings were large. The royal warehouses were enclosed by a stone wall, separating them from the rest of this part of the city. Our wagons rolled to a stop as we reached the wide iron gate that gave access to them. Naturally it was closed and locked. Looking through its bars I could see four large buildings looming in the darkness… our goal.

“What are you people doing here?” a voice called from inside the gate.

“Step back from the gate, it’s about to open,” I told the voice, and then repeated myself to the people behind me.

“You’d best clear off! They’ll arrest the lot of you if you try to steal from the king!” Whoever was inside sounded scared. I probably would be too if I were a night watchman facing an unknown mob. I didn’t bother to answer this time. I released the power I had been holding, channeling it along the length of my staff. The gates rang like a bell as they were ripped apart by the force of my magic, slamming them inward. One flew back to strike the inside of the wall while the other was torn completely free.

The men behind me cheered and the wagons began rolling in. “If you find any watchmen inside let them go. We’re not here to fight!” I called out to the men. At this point I anticipated that whatever few guards were within would be in more danger than my own men. Hopefully they would have the good sense to run or hide.

Rose had gotten down from her wagon and stood beside us now. “You sure that’s wise? They’ll bring the town guard.”

“They’ll need a large force to stop us, and that will take time to muster. We should be gone before they can effectively counter us. Chasing down the watchmen would be dangerous and waste time. Very likely some of them would be killed in the confusion. I don’t want that on my head,” I answered. In the dim light I could see a man’s form on the ground and I knew it had to be the man who had been at the gate.

I hastily moved to examine him and I drew a sharp breath. The man lying there looked to be in his late sixties at the youngest. His head was only attached to his body by a bloody bit of flesh and bone, the gate had nearly severed his neck. My only consolation was that he had probably not had time to feel it. A wave of guilt and self-loathing washed over me. I had killed someone’s grandfather. Through no fault of his own the man before me was dead. How many people would mourn him tomorrow?

Rose stepped up beside me, “We should put him in the wagon.”

“Why?” I asked once I had gotten control of myself.

“If they find his body it will only worsen your situation,” she replied calmly.

Penny stared at her, “How can you be so cold?”

If the remark bothered her Rose didn’t show it, “We’re at war. Anything that distracts from Mordecai’s efforts to stop Gododdin will lessen our chances of victory. Something like this could undermine whatever good-will Mordecai has among the people of Albamarl.”

Something broke inside me, “I am not at war with these people, and I won’t take this man’s body to hide my crime. How would his family feel? Never knowing what happened to him? They couldn’t even grieve properly, not knowing if he was alive or dead.” I bent down to examine his uniform. The cloth was old and thread-worn, the result of many years of wearing and washing. His name had been stitched across the left side, ‘Jonathan Tucker’ it read. I was sure I would never forget it. It was one more crime I could never atone for.

While I brooded over the fallen watchman the wagons had continued rolling in. Joe had brought a large crowbar and they soon had the doors to the buildings open. Men were moving quickly back and forth, loading the wagons with everything that could be moved. Large wooden crates and sacks of grain were stacked high upon the wagon-beds.

Even with as many men as we had loading it took nearly half an hour to fill the wagons. I couldn’t tell for certain what we had taken. There was surely a lot of grain and dry goods. A casual inspection with my extra-senses told me that most of it was food of one sort or another. Many of the crates held weapons and armor, or possibly tools. I didn’t take the time to be sure; we loaded everything that would fit.