James Barclay - Shadowheart

The spiral stair unwound into a long corridor lined with blank walls and heavy wooden doors. A single iron-bound door stood at the end some sixty paces distant. The Unknown spoke for the benefit of the hidden guards.

'Lord Heryst is in front of us. You don't want him hurt any more than we do so I suggest that you stay wherever you are hiding. No one needs to be a hero. We're all on the same side. But we've come for Darrick and no one leaves here until we get him.'

Silence.

The Unknown smiled. At least they had some discipline. The Raven, Heryst at their head, moved slowly along the corridor, footsteps echoing loud from the dark stone walls and low ceiling. The cell block smelled damp and vaguely rotten, as if the filth of ages had pervaded the stone where no amount of scouring could remove it.

'Cheerful place.'

'Shut up, Hirad,' hissed The Unknown.

They passed the first doors, the cells they fronted dark and quiet. By the number and spacing of doors, the cells were very small.

'Stop,' said Erienne suddenly. 'Left and right, second cells. Swordsmen. Two each side.'

Heryst drew in a sharp breath.

'Not a word,' whispered Hirad.

The Unknown considered briefly. He indicated Thraun and Denser to the left door, moving to cover the right himself.

'Let's move on,' he said loudly enough.

Heryst opened his mouth but Hirad's dagger pushed into his neck, pricking the skin.

‘Iwill bleed you,' he said, voice low. ‘Idon't want to but I will.'

He pushed Heryst on towards the end of the cell block, their footsteps slapping echoes off the walls.

The Unknown waited, watching Erienne closely, uneasy at the split forced on them but needing to take the gamble. She walked slowly in Hirad's wake, body tensed, her mind straining to keep a rein on the power sluicing through her. The walkers passed another two sets of doors before Thraun indicated noise. Simultaneously, Erienne stopped and looked sharply left. Doors seemed to open everywhere.

'Damn!' spat The Unknown, already moving down the corridor. 'Hirad, keep Heryst moving.'

Behind him, he heard the sound of metal-shod feet on stone. Ahead, two figures emerged from a cell left and one from the right.

'Erienne!'

Lost in the One, Erienne was slow to react. A leather-clad warrior ran at her, lowering his sword and thumping into her with his shoulder and sending her sprawling against the opposite wall. She cried out in surprise and Hirad turned, began moving towards her but found his way blocked by the second soldier.

'Hirad! Behind!' shouted The Unknown. But Heryst was already moving, running towards the end of the corridor. The Unknown could see his hands describing arcs in the air as he went. 'Trouble.'

He charged up the corridor, his pace fast despite the stiffness in the hip damaged on Arlen's docks. Fast enough to surprise the lone figure who stood in front of the open cell door right. Without pause, The Unknown whipped a fist into his cheek and chin, spinning him round and hard into the wall. He fell senseless. The Unknown hurdled both him and Erienne to chase the casting Heryst.

As he passed, Hirad swore, moving to attack the threat to Erienne. He stepped smartly inside a round arm strike, blocked the sword arm away with his left hand and thudded the hilt of his dagger into the soldier's temple. The man sagged under the blow and Hirad helped him down with a double-handed strike to the back of his neck.

The Unknown closed the gap fast, footsteps ringing in his ears, the shouts and sounds of hand-to-hand fighting behind him that he couldn't afford to let distract him. Heryst slowed and turned, eyes widening a little at the sight of The Unknown's huge frame coming at him. He held his hands wide, encompassing his targets. The Unknown dropped and slid in, feet first, boot buckles striking sparks from the stone. Heryst's mouth moved. The Raven warrior ploughed into him, sweeping his legs from under him.

The spell was lost. Heryst crashed heavily down, half on, half off The Unknown who was already shovelling sideways and coming to his haunches. He rested one hand on the back of the struggling Heryst's neck.

'Enough, Heryst.'

Back down the corridor, Erienne was in trouble. Overpowered by her attacker, he had her in a neck lock, his short sword close to her midriff.

'Back off!' shouted the soldier. 'I'll kill her.'

Hirad advanced another pace. Out of the soldier's view, Denser and Thraun were closing in, leaving four still figures behind them. The Unknown could see blood on Dehser's face and Thraun's knuckles but the floor had none of the slick that told of mortal wounds.

'We have your Lord,' said The Unknown, coming to his feet and dragging Heryst with him. 'No one is killing anyone in here. Least of all you.'

'You don't want her to die,' said the soldier, fear in his voice.

He retreated, his back to a wall. The Unknown saw him swallow hard as he watched The Raven close in but focused his attention principally on the door behind him. Darrick was beyond it, that much was sure, but how many others? Mages. Prepared and ready to cast. And an honour guard of anywhere between two and six. Not great odds and they had little time before the door above them was breached, trapping them.

Erienne was calm, waiting for what she expected to be the inevitable. In front of the soldier, Hirad and Thraun obstructed his view of Denser. The soldier was naive. And in a magic college, that was unforgivable.

'Idiot,' hissed Heryst, his voice choked by The Unknown's powerful grip.

'Shame,' muttered The Unknown.

'When you're ready,' said Denser.

Thraun and Hirad parted. Denser cast. He was a very accurate mage. His tightly wound spell snapped out, catching the soldier square in the face. Blood spattered from his broken nose and in his surprise, he dropped his weapon, both hands clutching at his face. Hirad moved in and put him on the floor.

'Good work,' said Hirad. 'ForceCone, was it?'

'You're learning,' said Denser. 'Are you all right, my love?'

'Never better,' said Erienne but she was pale and a deep frown pressed on her eyes. 'Bit of a headache, though. Too much focused mana in here to do what I was trying.'

'Raven, let's step it up!' ordered The Unknown. 'Denser, Spell-Shield; Hirad, come take your charge back. Thraun, you're with me. Erienne, stand down, we'll take what comes through here.'

The room beyond was proofed against sound from without. It was to protect both those inside and those in the cells awaiting their fate. Not that a condemned of Darrick's calibre would cry out for mercy. But even he would wish to enjoy his last moments in peace. The Raven, though, had no intention of letting these moments be his last.

The Unknown drew his sword.

'Everyone inside signed up to Darrick's sentence. Kill if you have to.'

'Unknown, the Code.' Hirad had his sword drawn but he was uneasy.

The Code: to kill but never murder. It had guided The Raven for more than fifteen years. Raised them above mere mercenaries. Earned them a respect they had never abused. Made them legend.

'They would murder an innocent man,' said The Unknown. 'A Raven man. They forfeit their right to life within the Code. But remember. Only if you have to. The Gods know we need everyone we can get for the fight against Xetesk.'

'I don't understand,' said Heryst.

'No,' said Hirad. 'You don't.' He turned and faced the door. 'Raven. Time to take our man back.'

It wasn't a cell door. Thraun and The Unknown shouldered it simultaneously, the timbers cracking under the sudden, brutal force. Denser followed them as they tumbled in, scattering wood and heavy drapes, his SpellShield covering them. Behind them came Hirad and Heryst, the Lord Elder Mage bowed and humiliated.

Thraun rolled to a crouch and sprang at two soldiers standing opposite the door. Neither had a weapon drawn. The Unknown moved smoothly to his feet. To his left, two mages from the law council sat behind a table. Darrick sat in a plain, hard-backed chair to the right, writing in a book. He was flanked by guards who dragged swords from scabbards and paced towards The Unknown. Across the room, Thraun clattered his fist into the face of one soldier, stood and threw the other man at die advancing guards, a growl escaping his lips.