Jean Lorrah - Dragonlord of the Savage Empire

Then he projected exactly where Galen and the circle of Adepts were. But even as Aradia was telling Wulfston and the boy, it was too late. Galen could not help but Read everything Lenardo projected strongly enough for Aradia. "Master Lenardo!" Torio tugged at the bridle of his horse, bringing him back to the fields they were riding through. "We're not going to be able to help them if we don't get out of the empire," the boy said, and Lenardo realized that when he had begun to project strongly, Torio could not help Reading it, either.

Julia, though, was not Reading. She was struggling to stay awake and in her saddle, which was not suited to a child of her size.

"Come here, Daughter," said Lenardo, and lifted her onto his horse before him. "There, now, sleep while you can. We'll need your help later."

With Torio he Read all around them, but it seemed that the attempts at ambush along the way had stopped. They were assumed to be trying to leave the empire, and all exits were blocked by empire troops. Lenardo Read that even far to the west, at the seaports, armed guards were watching the gangplank of every vessel.

But for the time being they rode swiftly, with Julia so tired that she slept despite the rough ride. And then they were within Torio's range of Adigia.

By this time, Secundus was on duty with the soldiers. "That's good," said Torio. "He thinks I'm still a little kid with skinned knees. He'd never dream I'm one of the fugitives the army is after." //Secundus,// Torio projected. //Torio. What are you doing in the relay, son?// //I'm not. I'm on my way to Adigia. Master Clement sent me.// Truth, so far as it went. //Why?//

//Because Master Lenardo was a friend of mine. Portia wants him alive. Perhaps I can persuade him to give himself up.//

A sad sigh. //Aye, son, I hope you can. Lenardo a traitor. I never understood it, from his day of exile.// //You haven't located him?// Torio asked. //No, not yet. Come join me on the tower, Torio. You're a better Reader than I am. Perhaps you can help find him.//

//I'll be there in a few minutes.// Torio stopped Reading and said to Lenardo, "So your name came through the relays, but not mine. I'll ride on ahead and join Secundus on the tower. Somehow I'll have the gates open by the time you get there." "Torio."

The young Reader turned his face toward Lenardo but could not "look" at him because he was not Reading. "I know," he said. "I'll be careful. Use that trick you have of Reading without being Read, and choose the right moment."

"I will."

Then Torio rode on, Reading only ahead of him, not behind. He rode openly through the streets of the city, greeted by everyone who saw him. Lenardo Read no suspicion. Everyone knew that something was afoot, and so the arrival of a better Reader than their three regulars was no surprise.

Alerted by Secundus, the tower guards were waiting to take Torio's horse and let him mount the tower, where he had access to the pulley system that drew up the immense bar holding the well-fortified gates in place. But there were two guards in the gate tower and others on the walls nearby who could turn and cast spears or shoot arrows at the tower. Torio had not chosen an easy task.

To Lenardo's surprise, Torio greeted Secundus with a hug, but then he realized that the boy dared act no differently now from any other time when he might meet an old friend after several months' separation.

Then Secundus was asking, "Who is with Lenardo, Torio? We were told another Reader has turned traitor and they've stolen a child."

"I don't know. Another Reader and a child was all I was told, too."

Even though Torio was a better Reader than Secundus, the older man had known Torio since he entered the Academy. Lenardo doubted that the boy could lie to him for long. He was approaching the outskirts of Adigia now, with Julia still sleeping in his arms. He sat her up, but she merely gave a murmur of annoyance and tried to snuggle back into his arms.

"Julia, you must wake up," he told her, and touched her on the forehead, between the eyes, the way one woke an Adept. It was the way people accustomed to Adepts also woke Lenardo, and it always brought him wide awake at once. It worked with Julia, too.

"Where are we?" she asked. "Where's Torio?" "On the tower. He's going to try to open the gates for us. Julia, I want you to ride into Adigia alone." " But Father-" "Hush! They're looking for two Readers and a child, together. Torio's already fooled them. Now you ride on ahead of me. Don't Read. I'll be Reading you. There are guards along the way, so try to ride close to a family group. Let the guards think you're with them. Work your way to the gate tower. You can see it over the houses straight ahead."

"Yes, Father. But what about you?" "If I'm taken, you and Torio try to escape. If you want to come back to rescue me, don't do it until you have Aradia and Wulfston to help you. The important thing right now is to get Readers to them in Zendi-if not all of us, then as many as we can. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Father," she said bleakly. She hugged him and then got on her own horse and rode ahead.

Julia had no problem escaping the notice of the guards. She followed an old woman for a while and then seemed to be part of a family of peddlers. She was well on her way to the gate tower by the time Lenardo entered town. He arranged his cloak to disguise his long, lean silhouette and recalled that the many people of Adigia who knew him had never seen him with a beard. He Read no recognition, although several guards scrutinized him as he passed. He rode boldly forward and Read Torio Reading him, carefully keeping it a visual Reading without recognition, waiting for the moment when Lenardo and Julia would be near the gates.

"There he is," Torio shouted. "It's Lenardo!" In a moment's shock at Torio's betrayal, Lenardo almost did not react when the guards at the gate began running at him. Then Torio grabbed one of the guards on the tower crying, "Go get him!" and shoving him down the tower stairs-as if by accident in his excitement causing the man to fall but in reality very deliberately tripping him.

That guard screamed in pain as his leg twisted under him and broke. His fellow started down the stairs to his aid, and Torio leaped to the mechanism to raise the bar from the gates.

"Torio, what are you doing?" cried Secundus, and that brought the second guard back to the top of the tower, sword in hand. Torio turned, drawing his weapon, and closed with the guard as Secundus retreated in shock.

In broad daylight, Torio took advantage of his disconcerting blind eyes. He had learned years ago to appear to be "looking" at a person he was conversing with, but when he fought, he let his sightless eyes drift where they would, causing confusion in anyone used to seeking advantage by looking into an opponent's face. Torio's skill with a sword was well beyond Lenardo's. He outclassed the guardsman easily.

Meanwhile, Lenardo fought with the guards below in the narrow gateway, Julia beside him, both knowing that time was against them as more guards came running in the direction of the struggle. They would be surrounded and taken if Torio didn't get those gates open…

Torio backed his opponent against the tower railing. With sword at his throat, he pushed the guard over. Secundus, unarmed, nonetheless lunged at Torio, who cried, "Let me go, Secundus. I don't want to hurt you."

"You're a traitor," the man cried, trying to grasp Torio's sword arm.

Between a gasp and a sob, Torio said, "Not by my choice. You don't understand what is happening. I'm sorry." He swung his arm high, bringing the sword hilt down on Secundus's head, knocking him unconscious.

Now Torio turned back to the pulleys, straining to turn the wheel meant to be turned by two men. As the bar creaked and began to rise slowly from its brackets, the guards on the walls, who had been looking into the melee by the gate and trying to decide where to shoot, suddenly realized that someone on the tower was raising the bar. A shower of arrows rained about Torio. Miraculously, none hit home. He ducked down and tried to turn the wheel from there, but he lacked leverage. Reading the archers, he stood, drawing their fire, and then he ducked. While they drew new arrows from their quivers, he gave the wheel one more turn. The bar hung free above its brackets. By their own weight, the massive gates creaked outward a handspan. Lenardo and Julia spurred their horses, surging toward the guards to drive them against the gates, shoving.