*Rated 12 for some violence
Icefire, part three
“Ow! Watch where you’re going!” a portly man snapped at the slim figure who had slammed into him.
The person didn’t respond. The man peered closer and saw that it was a woman—or perhaps a girl, for she seemed to be on the younger side. He couldn’t see much of her face, for it was hidden in the hood of the dark red cloak she had on, but it seemed to be tough. Very tough. The man suddenly felt uneasy and he turned and bustled away, muttering under his breath.
The girl watched him go with a small smile on her face, and then turned and wended her way through the crowd, ignoring the indignant looks she received whenever she bumped into someone. She stopped by a dark, deserted alleyway, made sure no one was looking, and then slipped into the shadows, blending in until she disappeared. The girl crouched down with her back to the wall and waited.
~~~~~
As the last golden rays of the sun hid themselves from view, Lynn left the inn. Very few people were out, and they took little notice of the dark-clad figure making his way to the bailey walls. Lynn moved cautiously, eyes darting right and left. Once, he thought he saw someone following him, but when he looked again there was nothing but darkness.
Lynn reached the walls and stayed in the shadows, waiting until he knew for sure that the guard who was pacing around the perimeter wouldn’t be coming back around his way. Lynn pulled out two icicles from his pack and stabbed one into a chink in the stone wall. It stuck fast, and he stuck the second icicle in a crack slightly above the first one. He kept on with the pattern, pulling himself up by sheer arm strength until he reached the top of the wall. He slipped over and leapt lightly to the ground.
The guards by the keep door had apparently seen something, for one of them headed over. Lynn hid behind a nearby structure while the guard looked around the wall area. Lynn waited until the guard was leaning over, looking at the ground for footprints, then picked up a small rock and threw it at the man. It hit him in the head, and the guard fell with a thump.
The other guard hurried over at the sound, and when his back was to Lynn, the boy dashed to the door, opened it softly and slipped inside. Once there, he dashed lightly through the passageway, then slowed as he reached the flight of stairs. He cocked an ear and, satisfied that there was no one, made his way gradually up the steps. His left hand rested on the dagger on his belt, and he could hear his heart thumping loudly as he neared the treasure room. At the turn right before the door, he paused and listened again. The sound of even breathing told him that the guard was still there. Lynn frowned, wondering whether to take the risk of assuming the guard was asleep or not. He took a deep breath and spun around the corner.
There was a startled move from the guard, who did happen to be awake, but he was quickly silenced by a smack to the head with the pommel of the dagger that Lynn had drawn. Lynn bent over the unconscious man and retrieved the keys from the belt, then opened the door and entered.
A single torch lit the room, and Lynn stared in awe at the masses of treasure around him. Jewels of all colors, shapes, and sizes adorned the room. In the very center was a lone stone pedestal with a violet satin pillow upon which lay a large green jewel. Lynn neared it and then for the first time realized that he didn’t know just what the Gem looked like.
Stupid! He reprimanded himself viciously. Why didn’t you think of asking Vergal? He was disgusted with himself for overlooking such an important detail. Although, of course, Vergal hadn’t told him what it was like, either, so the fault lay with both of them. But Lynn knew his teacher wouldn’t see it that way.
Lynn let out a sharp hiss of anger and then grabbed the green jewel. He turned around and came face-to-face with another guard, who let out a loud yell just before Lynn punched him in the gut, making the guard double over.
The boy didn’t hesitate. He pocketed the jewel and pulled out an icicle as he made his way down the stairs. The sound of several heavy feet approaching made him stop; he knew that there would be too many for him to handle. He whirled around, leaped over the two fallen guards, and sprinted down the hall. He opened the first door he came to and shut himself inside, locking it as he did so. He turned and found himself in a room with a courtier, who was sitting up in bed and saying blearily, “Here, here, what’s going on, lad?”
Lynn, ignoring the man, dashed to the window and perched on the ledge, calculating the distance below. The bailey was mainly clear of guards; there was only one by the corner, and Lynn figured he could easily take him out. That was if he survived the jump.
But there was no choice; the courtier was out of bed and reaching for a nearby fire poker while yelling in a rather high-pitched voice, “I'll have you know, I'm a trained man-at-arms, I am, and what's more--”
Lynn didn’t even bother to cast the man a disdainful glance; he just took a deep breath and jumped.
