Raymond Feist - Silverthorn

Jimmy backed to the end of the roof, until his heels hung in space. The assassin closed, saying, ‘You have nowhere left to run, boy.’

Jimmy waited, preparing a desperate gamble. The assassin tensed, the sign Jimmy had watched for. Jimmy crouched and stepped backwards all at once, letting himself fall. The assassin had begun a lunge, and when his blade did not meet the expected resistance, he overbalanced and fell forward. Jimmy caught the edge of the roof, nearly dislocating his shoulder sockets with the jolt. He felt more than saw the assassin fall past, silently speeding through the darkness to crash on the cobbles below.

Jimmy hung for a moment, his hands, arms, and shoulders afire with pain. It would be so simple just to let go and fall into soft darkness. Shaking off the fatigue and pain, he urged protesting muscles to pull himself back onto the roof. He lay gasping for a moment, then rolled over and looked down.

The assassin lay still on the cobbles, his crooked neck offering clear evidence he was no longer alive. Jimmy breathed deeply, the chill of fear finally acknowledged. He suppressed a shudder and ducked down as two men rushed into the alley below. They grabbed the corpse and rolled it over, then picked it up and hurried off. Jimmy considered. For the assassin to have confederates about was a certain sign this had been a Guild of Death undertaking. But who was expected down this street at this hour of the night? Casting about for a moment, he weighed the risk of staying a little longer to satisfy his curiosity against the certain arrival of the city watch within a few more minutes. Curiosity won.

The sound of hoofbeats echoed through the fog, and soon two riders came into the light that burned from the lantern before Trig’s home. It was at this moment that Trig decided to open his shutters again and resume his hue and cry. Jimmy’s eyes widened as the riders looked up towards the fuller’s window. Jimmy had not seen one of the men in over a year, but he was well known to the thief. Shaking his head at the implications of what he saw, the boy thief judged it a good time to depart. But seeing that man below made it impossible for Jimmy to consider this night’s business at an end. It would most likely be a long night. He rose and began his trek along the Thieves’ Highway, back towards Mockers’ Rest.

Arutha reined in his horse and looked up to where a man in a nightshirt shouted from a window. ‘Laurie, what is that all about?’

‘From what I can make out between the wails and screams, I judge that burgher to have recently been the victim of some felony.’

Arutha laughed. ‘I guessed that much myself.’ He did not know Laurie well, but he enjoyed the singer’s wit and sense of fun. He knew there was now some trouble between Laurie and Carline, which was why Laurie had asked to accompany Arutha on his journey to Krondor. Carline would be arriving in a week with Anita and Lyam. But Arutha had long ago decided that what Carline didn’t confide in him wasn’t his business. Besides, Arutha was sympathetic to Laurie’s plight if he had fallen into her bad graces. After Anita, Carline was the last person Arutha would wish to be angry with him.

Arutha studied the area as a few sleepy souls in neighbouring buildings began shouting inquiries. ‘Well, there’s bound to be some investigation here soon. We’d best be along.’

As if his words had been prophecy, Arutha and Laurie were startled to hear a voice coming out of the fog. ‘Here now!’ Emerging from the murk were three men wearing the grey felt caps and yellow tabards of the city watch. The leftmost watchman, a beefy, heavy-browed fellow, carried a lantern in one hand and a large nightstick in the other. The centre man was of advancing years, close to retirement age from appearances, and the third was a young lad, but both had an air of street experience about them, evidenced in the way they casually had their hands resting on large belt knives. ‘What passes this night?’ the older watchman said, his voice a mixture of good-natured humour and authority.

‘Some disturbance in that house, watchman.’ Arutha pointed towards the fuller. ‘We were simply passing by.’

‘Were you now, sir? Well, I don’t suppose you’d object to remaining for a few moments longer until we discover what this is all about.’ He signalled to the young watchman to look around.

Arutha nodded, saying nothing. At that point a red-faced puffball of a man emerged from the house, waving his arms while he shouted, ‘Thieves! They stole into my room, my very room, and took my treasure! What’s to be done when a law-abiding citizen isn’t safe in his bed, his own bed, I ask you?’ Catching sight of Arutha and Laurie, he said, ‘Are these then the thieves, the vicious thieves?’ Mustering what dignity he could while wearing a voluminous nightshirt, he exclaimed, ‘What have you done with my gold, my precious gold?’

The beefy watchman jerked on the shouting man’s arm, nearly spinning the fuller completely around. ‘Here now, watch your shouting, churl.’

‘Churl!’ shouted Trig. ‘Just what, I ask, gives you the right to call a citizen, a law-abiding citizen, a –’ He stopped, and his expression changed to one of disbelief as a company of riders appeared out of the fog. At their head rode a tall, black-skinned man wearing the tabard of the captain of the Prince’s Royal Household Guard. Seeing the gathering in the streets, he signalled for his men to rein in.

With a shake of his head, Arutha said to Laurie, ‘So much for a quiet return to Krondor.’

The captain said, ‘Watchman, what is all this?’

The watchman saluted. ‘That is what I was just undertaking to discover this very minute, Captain. We apprehended these two …’ He indicated Arutha and Laurie.

The captain rode closer and laughed. The watchman looked sideways at this tall captain, not knowing what to say. Riding up to Arutha, Gardan, former sergeant of the garrison at Crydee, saluted. ‘Welcome to your city, Highness.’ At these words the other guards braced in their saddles, saluting their Prince.

Arutha returned the salute of the guardsmen, then shook hands with Gardan while the watchmen and the fuller stood speechless. ‘Singer,’ said Gardan, ‘it is good to see you again, as well.’ Laurie acknowledged the greeting with a smile and wave. He had known Gardan for only a brief while before Arutha had dispatched him to Krondor to assume command of the city and palace guards, but he liked the grey-haired soldier.

Arutha looked to where the watchmen and the fuller waited. The watchmen had their caps off and the seniormost said, ‘Beggin’ Your Highness’s pardon, old Bert didn’t know. Any offence was unintended, Sire.’

Arutha shook his head, amused despite the late hour and the cold weather. ‘No offence, Bert the Watchman. You were but doing your duty, and rightly so.’ He turned to Gardan. ‘Now, how in heaven’s name did you manage to find me?’

‘Duke Caldric sent a full itinerary along with the news that you were returning from Rillanon. You were due in tomorrow, but I said to Earl Volney you’d most likely try to slip in tonight. As you were riding from Salador, there was only one gate you’d enter’ – he pointed down the street towards the eastern gate, unseen in the fog-shrouded night – ‘and here we are. Your Highness arrived even earlier than I had expected. Where is the rest of your party?’

‘Half the guards are escorting the Princess Anita towards her mother’s estates. The rest are camped about six hours’ ride from the city. I couldn’t abide one more night on the road. Besides, there’s a great deal to be done.’ Gardan looked quizzically at the Prince, but all Arutha would say was ‘More when I speak to Volney. Now’ – he looked at the fuller – ‘who is this loud fellow?’