Ashyn was just reviewing everything he learned for the tenth time with Rizen when he heard a guttural scream erupt from the cage behind him. It was so angry and so fierce that it ripped his concentration from the water and slammed him back into reality with bone-jarring force. He blinked away the confusion and ambled to his feet looking towards the cage.
The other cell was much larger than the one he shared with Rizen, and so all he could see was a large group of humans gathered around two people that were on the ground. The one on top was large, with black hair, and tattered darkened clothing, like he had spent time in the mines. He must be new in the Water Pens, because he still had hair on his head.
The other on the ground was harder to see. He was clearly smaller, and skinnier, but it was hard to determine how much so because he was balled up with his hands protectively over his head.
The man on top was an animal. His screams were indecipherable. He was tearing and swinging at the body beneath him with the savagery of a predator pouncing on its kill. Ashyn knew the man underneath would likely die if no one did anything. Where was Macky? Why didn’t he stop this?
Ashyn’s heart dropped as he saw a glimpse of the man’s face. Small eyes and a button nose. It was Uriel.
The man he was attacking was Macky!
“Ashyn!” a stressed voiced called him to his right.
Surprised at hearing his own name, the wizard looked up immediately. It was Jenhiro. The Ferhym once again wore different marking across his skin. Ashyn was amazed that the simplicity of the disguise worked so easily on these Elves. No wonder they thought he was a Wood Elf for far longer than he thought possible.
Jenhiro seemed deeply troubled at the events happening within the cell. Ashyn was terrified for the safety of his friend, but to see such a reaction from a hym dismayed him. “You have to do something!” Jenhiro said urgently, and then placed his hand against his chest so it was hard to notice and pointed upwards. “If she sees, this whole plan will fail.”
“What did you do?” Ashyn asked quickly before catching a glance at Uriel. The man was wild, but Macky was defending himself well. It seemed like most of Uriel’s attacks were rapidly losing power. Still Ashyn knew it would only take one good hit to lay Macky out. If that happened, it didn’t matter how tired Uriel was. He could still smother him or choke him to death.
Jenhiro looked towards the other elves who were looking into the cage with amused interest. They hadn’t noticed him speaking with Ashyn. Not yet.
“Relm needed to convince Avrimae to trust us. To do that we had to move her friend.” Jenhiro looked into the cage. “If Brodea sees him though, she’ll know something is amiss. It will jeopardize everything!”
Ashyn cursed as he looked upwards. He didn’t see anyone looking back down at him yet. Fights in the cages below were commonplace enough. But he knew that she would soon react to the chaos coming from beneath her if Jenhiro became involved. When that happened she would, see Uriel. Would it matter? Would she know who he was? Probably. She knew everything else about Ashyn’s childhood in Czynsk.
“Can you handle this alone? I should leave before someone recognizes me, or worse realizes that we are working together.”
Ashyn nodded. “Go. I will think of something.”
Jenhiro clasped his fist to his heart. “Soon.” He moved swiftly off towards the Ferhym homesteads.
Ashyn looked back and saw that Macky was in bad shape. As quickly as Uriel had been losing wind, Macky’s defense had also been breaking down. Ashyn could see a small, but growing, puddle of blood beneath Macky’s head. Blood poured liberally from his nose and mouth.
Impulsively, Ashyn wanted to yell at Uriel to stop. Yet he knew Brodea would recognize his voice immediately, worse it may bring the druid over, or the guards, and they just might kill Macky outright. Thanks to Relm, Ashyn now knew that Brodea didn’t need Macky anymore. She had stronger leverage now. That made the priest expendable. If he was judged too wounded, they might just kill him anyhow to provide meat for the starving people in the pens.
No, Ashyn needed another solution, without screaming at the top of his lungs at Uriel.
“They killed her!” Uriel screamed with every weakening swing. “They killed her! She’s dead!”
Macky was laying still now, the pummeling too much for him. Passed out and bleeding, but still breathing. Ashyn thought Uriel might choke him or suffocate him, or just beat him to death, but he didn’t. He stopped at looked down at his bloody and worn hands.
“My wife is gone. They told me so! Taunted me with it! The scarred elf bitch just laughed at me!” He whispered hoarsely, “Because of you!” Uriel’s enraged eyes came up searching, probably for a means with which to end the priest’s life. Ashyn was alarmed that no one was coming to Macky’s aid. Not a single person was trying to stop Uriel at all. Their cellmate, their partner, their spiritual leader, and they were just going to watch his murder. Ashyn was too, unless he figured something out fast.
Yet his mind was in a fog! As much as he wanted to save his childhood friend, any yelling he did would cost them Jenhiro, or even Relm. Their whole plan would unravel and more than just Macky would perish. Few for the many, reverberated in his head once more. Always the few.
Uriel looked right at him and Ashyn hoped for a moment there might have been recognition, but just as quickly he cast his murderous gaze elsewhere. Ashyn could tell by the growing smile on Uriel’s face he found something suitable for Macky’s death.
Ashyn followed that gaze to the sewage, and the wizard knew what Uriel had in mind for Macky.