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ELINA STOOD ON THE edge of the road, looking at the spot where the soldiers had disappeared into the night with Finn. Her shoulders slumped. It was over; time to go home. At least Gudmund would be happy that Finn was no longer in his way. Henge walked up beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder; he was surprisingly quiet for his size. She shook her head. "Time to get some rest. We've got a lot of ground to cover tomorrow."
"What do you mean?" Henge asked. "We can't just leave Finn. We have to try to save him. From what I've heard about Jorun, this will be his death sentence."
Gudmund would be delighted to hear that. It would help him consolidate the Rebellion's hold on Gilgin. "There's nothing we can do for him," Elina said dully.
Henge gently turned Elina until she faced him. He bent down and smiled at her. "There's always hope."
Elina stepped back; she couldn't bear Henge's look. "Look, he's surrounded by guards, inside an impregnable fortress, in the middle of the walled capital city of the Inquisition. We're not going to simply walk in there, get him, and walk out again."
"I never said it would be easy. Just that we have to try."
Elina made a dismissive gesture at Henge. "You're crazy."
"We owe it to him," Henge said. "He's our friend. He would try to get us out."
"Yes, but the difference is that he would probably succeed."
"It seems like your mind is made up." Henge straightened. "I respect that. I will go on my own, then. He was there for me when I needed him; time to repay that debt."
"Henge, wait," Elina said. Even if her brother would hate her for it, she couldn't let him face the Inquisition alone. "You'll only get yourself killed. I'll help."
"Great!" Henge actually sounded optimistic. "Let's go. The sooner we try, the better our chances."
They gathered their few belongings and started down the road after Finn. Elina went over her trips to Brimir Keep as she walked. The main entrance was through the barbican; that was out of the question. The guards would probably have her description by now, in case she did try to rescue Finn. Even if they didn't, she doubted she could talk her way in again.
That left either scaling the walls or trying one of the side gates, both of which were impossible to do unnoticed. Once she'd made her way in, though, locating Finn would be easy; he'd be locked in the dungeons under the long hall next to the courtyard. Getting him out of there would, again, be impossible. There was only a single entrance, and that was constantly watched by guards. And, of course, once she'd made her way out of the dungeon, she had to make her way out of the castle and the city with a fugitive in tow.
She rubbed her face. Finn would be able to pull it off. He'd take it one step at a time. Step One was getting in. Elina asked Henge, "How are we going to get into Brimir?"
"What do you mean?"
"We can't just walk into the city. You'll be spotted the moment you approach the gates. And Jorun has probably given my description to the guards. With no way in, how are we going to get to Finn?"
Henge walked on in silence, staring at his feet. At last, he looked back at Elina. "Could we use the tunnel you used to get out when you rescued Kelsa?"
"Perhaps I can still find it," Elina said. "But I think it locks from the inside."
"We'll worry about it when we get there."
Elina pulled her cloak tight around her against the chill.
Most of the night had passed by the time they reached the knoll where the tunnel entrance was hidden. A thin strip of light on the horizon announced the new day. Elina searched through the grass and picked up rocks all over the slope. She stomped with her feet, trying to find the tunnel. "It must be around here somewhere."
"Let me try," Henge said. He bent down, placed his hand on the ground, and closed his eyes. Goosebumps stood up on Elina's arms as a faint blue glow surrounded Henge.
Henge looked up and pointed at a small fold in the slope. "There."
"How did you do that?" Elina walked to where Henge was pointing
"It's a simple trick." Henge stood up and walked over to Elina. "You feel the rocks, and then you search for a place where you feel nothing. Anything artificial has sharper edges and is usually larger than a natural hollow."
Elina knelt and pushed aside the rubble on the ground, finding the door. Henge had been right. She felt around the edges of the door for a latch or hidden release. There was nothing there. The sides were smooth; the door must lock from the inside. Elina sat down next to the door and gave a big sigh. "We're not getting in here."
Henge gave a small, rumbling laugh. "I don't think this door was built with Manhir in mind." He grabbed the edges of the door frame and pulled. The wood groaned, and the hinges on the side of the door snapped. Henge laid the door on the ground next to the tunnel. He motioned at Elina. "After you."
Elina clambered down the tunnel. Without a light, she had to feel her way along the wall. A scraping noise behind her told her Henge had to squeeze to fit through. If anyone came from the other direction, she would be stuck, with no way to defend herself.
The journey through the dark was longer than she remembered, but eventually the walls on both sides fell away and they stood in the beer cellar of the Uncut Gem. "Let's look for the innkeeper," Elina said.
She snuck out of the cellar and tiptoed through the dead-quiet hallway. Elina tried the first door she passed, which turned out to be a storage room. The second door was locked, but the third opened on a bedroom. She snuck to the bed, Henge following on her heels. She clamped her hand over the mouth of the sleeping person and pressed him down with her knee. The person's eyes flew open and fixed on Elina. He struggled against her weight.
"Keep still," Elina said. "If you scream, you die. I will remove my hand if you keep quiet. Blink twice if you understand."
The person blinked twice. Elina removed her hand and weight from the person and stood back as he sat up. She had found the innkeeper.
The innkeeper looked wide-eyed at Elina. "What do you want?" He noticed Henge looming behind her, and he scrambled back.
"We want to borrow your establishment this morning," Elina said. She pointed over her shoulder. "This is Henge. He'll look after you until we're ready to leave." She turned to Henge. "Be nice to the innkeeper. Don't eat him."
As Elina walked out the room, she let out a pent breath. Henge came after her and closed the door. "Eat him?" Henge asked. "What was that about?"
"He needs to believe he's in danger if he causes trouble. That way, he'll keep quiet."
"Very well. What's our next move?"
"You stay here and watch the innkeeper," Elina said. "This is our exit point, so we need to keep it secure. I'll head to the keep to see if I can get Finn."
Elina walked through the empty common room and out the tavern. A single beggar limped through the streets outside. She tossed him a copper piece and hurried on towards Brimir Keep. If regular customers found the Uncut Gem closed, then they'd get suspicious. She had to be back with Finn before that happened. She would only get one chance at this.
She was forced off the street by a cart coming towards her. "Out of the way!" shouted the teamster. Closer to the keep, a baker was opening his shop, and a brewer was unloading barrels from a cart. The smell of an early breakfast being cooked wafted over from an inn. Several people hurried past on their way to the morning market.
She rounded a corner and saw Brimir Keep, looming dark against the brightening sky. Small figures walked the ramparts. She cursed; the walls were definitely not an option, and the central gate was still closed at this hour. Trying that would only draw attention. She walked along the outside wall. Around the corner, a grocer was unloading vegetables from his cart at a postern gate. A single guard leaned against the wall, coat drawn tight around him, eyeing the grocer. The grocer disappeared inside, carrying a basket filled with leeks and turnips.
The keep would be getting all sorts of deliveries early in the morning, and no soldier would refuse an extra ale delivery. All she needed was a way to deliver some, and she would have her way in. Maybe a barrel was even a way of getting Finn out again... and the brewer she'd passed earlier might be just the solution. She turned back the way she'd come. Once she was out of view of the guard, she ran. Hopefully, the brewer and his cart were still there. She reached the shopping street she'd come through earlier. The cart was still there, a barrel sitting on the back, the brewer nowhere to be seen.
Elina stroked the donkey. This was a well-cared-for animal. The brewer would miss it. She sighed and shook her head; she would repay the brewer later. She untied the bridle and climbed on the cart. With a little encouragement, the donkey plodded down the street. She strained her ears, fearing a yell from someone, demanding what she was doing with the cart.
No shout came. She drew up outside the side gate. The guard had disappeared inside. She jumped off the cart and pounded on the door. "All right, all right," a voice said from the other side of the door, "I'm here already." The guard she'd seen earlier opened the gate. "What do you want?"
Elina pointed at the barrel. "Ale delivery."
"We're not expecting any ale this morning."
Elina's heart was pounding in her chest. "It was missed in an earlier batch." Elina prayed that this brewer supplied the keep.
"I've never seen you before," the guard said. "Where is old Viljo?"
Elina thought fast. "He's my uncle. I just got here from Roldin. My parents want me to apprentice with Viljo. He wasn't feeling too well this morning. Had a party last night." She winked at the guard. "So, he asked me to do this delivery for him."
The guard shook his head. "He does like a drink. We're not missing a barrel, but I'm not one to complain about that." He opened the gate further, walked to the cart and started to unload the barrel.
"Let me," Elina said. "I can't have customers take care of the delivery."
"I won't tell anyone," the guard said. "And I can't have a lady do all the heavy lifting." He took the barrel on his shoulder and disappeared inside.
Elina's heart sank. If she objected any further, the guard would get suspicious. The gate closed with a thud. Elina kicked against a wheel of the cart. "Shit!" That was the only plan she had. Now what? Her head drooped. There was nothing left for her to do here. She got on the cart and drove off. Leaving it here would rouse suspicion, and the brewer deserved to get his cart back.
Indeed, the brewer was overjoyed to get his cart back. The cart and donkey were more precious to him than the missing barrel. Viljo promised her a reward when she visited his brewery.
After taking her leave, she hurried back to the keep. A queue with all manner of petitioners had lined up outside the gates. They would open soon. She decided to check the other side of the castle. This side also had a postern gate. Next to it, a soldier leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, facing the sun that had appeared over the roofs of Brimir.
Elina stared at the soldier. He might be a way in... if she could seduce him. Elina took off her cloak. She opened the top buttons of her shirt and pulled it tight around her middle to reveal the curve of her bosom. She undid her braid and let her hair cascade round her face. She had no mirror in which to examine the result, but it would have to do.
She swayed over to the soldier. "Hello, handsome," she said.
He opened a single eye and looked up. "I'm not interested."
Elina twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "I walked past, and you were looking so lonely. I just had to come over to keep you company."
"I'm perfectly happy all by myself." The soldier closed his eyes again.
"Nonsense." Elina sat down next to him. She placed a hand on his arm. "Oh my, what impressive muscles you have."
"Humph," the soldier grunted, and pulled his arm away.
This wasn't going according to plan at all. "I'm..." Elina groped for an exotic name. She blurted out the first one that came to mind. "I'm Aina."
The soldier faced Elina. "Look, Aina. You're a lovely lady, but I spent last night hunting for some traitor in the woods and I'm going on duty again at the next change of the watch. Come back tomorrow and I'll give you all the attention you want."
Damn. This was going nowhere. There was one last trick she could think of. She looked up and down the street. A couple strolled along the sidewalk, probably headed for the market; otherwise, there was no one around. Elina placed her hand on the soldier's leg. "I'm sure I can give you a really good time as thanks for your service to our great city. If you know of a place in the keep somewhere, then I can have you back here in time for your shift." Elina tilted her head and gave the guard her most seductive smile. She slid her hand up his leg a fraction. "I'll do all the work if you want."
The soldier looked Elina up and down. "How much?"
Elina felt a blush creep up her neck. She hadn't thought of that. "Uhm." Elina hesitated. "Five silver pieces."
The soldier let out a whistle. "You must be really strapped for cash at that rate."
Elina placed her hand on his leg and leaned towards him. "Consider it an introductory offer." She winked.
"Deal," the soldier said. He got up and unlocked the gate. "Follow me. Don't talk to anyone." He went in, expecting Elina to follow.
Elina breathed a sigh of relief. She was one step closer to Finn. Now all she needed to do was get rid of this soldier, find Finn, break him out of a prison cell, and somehow get him out of an enemy castle without being caught. That was all.
The hallway was dark after the bright morning sun. Elina ran her hand as a guide along the rough stone wall. The soldier opened the first door on their left, and let Elina pass. In passing, she ran a finger along the soldier's jawline. The room turned out to be an armory. A shaft of light from an arrow slit formed a bright rectangle on the floor. Round shields with the Inquisitional wolf hung along one wall, spears and short swords along the other.
The door closed behind her with a click. Elina turned. The soldier had locked the door and was walking towards her, untying his breeches. "How do you want to do this?" he asked.
Elina walked backward, dropping her cloak on the ground. One of those shields would be perfect for knocking him out. "However you like, honey." She hit the shield rack. Her hand fastened on the edge of one.
The soldier stepped closer and dropped his pants to the floor. Elina swung the shield at his face. A satisfying crunch told her she'd hit home. The soldier staggered into a rack of swords; several clattered to the floor. Blood streamed from his broken nose. "You bitch!"
He leaped at her. Elina grabbed the shield in two hands and swung it again; this time, he ducked under the shield. He grabbed her arm and pulled, tripping her as she passed him. Elina smashed to the floor face-first. She scrambled on hands and knees to get away; but then the soldier was on top of her. He forced her to the floor. "You'll regret this," he said in her ear. His breath stank of sour milk. He rolled her over as his free hand yanked up her skirt.
Elina pulled up her knees and kicked. She hit something, and the soldier's weight shifted. She scuttled backwards until she hit a wall, and he came towards her again. Elina flailed her arms around, looking for anything that could help. She felt something: a sword hilt. The guard was at her feet again. Elina grabbed tight and swung her hand round. The sword struck the soldier in the side of his neck, and blood squirted liberally from the wound. He collapsed with a look of surprise on his face. Blood pooled around him.
Elina dropped the sword and stared at the dying man. This wasn't how it was supposed to go! She'd just wanted to knock him unconscious. He should have had a headache and hurt pride when he woke up, that was all. As she stood up, something wet fell on her hand; she looked at the droplet and realized she was crying. She leaned against the wall, closed her eyes, and focused on her breathing.
She opened her eyes again when her breathing had steadied. She would mourn for this soldier later. Right now, she was in the enemy's keep, standing next to a dead man. She looked around the room; there was nowhere to hide him. She dragged him to a corner of the room; when the door opened, it would at least obscure the body. Hopefully someone in a hurry would miss him... and the pool of blood on the floor, of course. There was nothing to be done about that.
She cleaned her hands on the soldier's breeches. As she did so, she noticed that blood had spattered all over her blouse and skirt. Shit. That would raise questions. She recovered her cloak and pulled it tight around her. Hopefully that would obscure most of the blood.
Elina listened at the door and heard nothing. She sighed, and opened it a crack. The hallway was abandoned. She stepped through and closed the door tight behind her, then made her way to the central courtyard. There, a cart filled with weapons came through the front gate and pulled up to the smithy. A group of soldiers came out of the mess hall. They were probably the night shift turning in.
Elina pulled her cloak tight around her neck. One cry from any of these soldiers would be the end of her. The dungeons, where Finn would most likely be, were on the other side of the courtyard, through the long hall and down a set of stairs. It was going to be hard enough to get there, but how would she get Finn out? There were guards, and his cell would be locked. Maybe she could use magic... if she found a room adjacent to the dungeon, then perhaps she could go through the wall?
She stepped out of the doorway and made her way across the courtyard, forcing herself not to run. The far wall of the long hall was dominated by a mural depicting an opulent hunting scene. A group of officers stood in front of an image of a hunter skewering a boar. Two servants walked past her carrying a large basket between them and in the corner by the fireplace a group of soldiers played some manly game where they tried to stab their own fingers.
Finn had said the staircase in the corner led down to the dungeon. She needed to find out if there was a basement next to it. She left the great hall on the side of the dungeon and found herself in a hallway. A spiral staircase sat at the far end, leading up and down into the castle. She hurried down and found herself in a storage room, where shelves filled with cheeses and preserved vegetables lined the walls.
If she somehow emerged at the front of the room, the guards would spot her right away, so she made her way to the back of the room, where she found an obscured spot next to the wall. She set jars of jam aside until she had access to a wide patch of bare wall, then placed both her hands on the stone. She closed her eyes and felt for the rocks that made up the wall. An outline of the wall formed in her head, a speck of heat pulsed in its center. She focused on the wall until it firmly stuck in her mind. She noticed a crack running between two stones that made up the wall; she willed them to spread apart to create an opening, as Henge had explained to her.
Instantly, pain exploded in her head; the wall vanished from her mind. She opened her eyes, and the whole room seemed to spin around her. She closed them again and plopped down. Flashes of light danced inside her eyelids as she placed her hands on the floor to steady herself.
Elina took several deep breaths. Her head throbbed, but after a moment, the pain subsided. She opened her eyes again. This time the room only wobbled, so she grabbed a shelf and pulled herself up. "That was not a good idea," she muttered. She staggered back to the staircase, using a shelf for support.
She sat down on the stairs. That was it; she was out of ideas. She had no means of breaking Finn out. She couldn't go through the wall, and she had no way of overpowering the guards. Elina stuck her hands in her pockets and leaned her head against the wall—and her hand brushed over a clay disc. She took it out of her pocket and examined it; it bore the seal of the keep's magistrate, the token he'd given to Finn days before as sign of his authority to pass the guards at the gate. Maybe it would work on the guards down in the dungeon as well.
Gathering her courage, she made her way to the dungeon. The place smelled of urine, and a single lantern illuminated a landing where two guards were playing cards. Discarded plates and a pile of gnawed bones lay against the wall. "I'm here for the traitor, Finn Trollarvik," Elina said firmly, and placed the token on the table. "The magistrate wants him."
"Now? What for?" The left-hand guard picked up the token and looked it over.
"How in Ragnarok am I supposed to know?" Elina said in a disgusted tone. "I was just told to fetch him. He probably wants to talk to him or something." Elina pulled her cloak tight around her. Hopefully, in this light, the guards would miss the bloodstains.
"All right, miss." The guard picked up a set of shackles and walked over to the cells. "All right, no need to get snippy. I was just curious. Nothing much happens down here."
"Sorry," Elina said, "but he's impatient. You know he is. If I take too long, then he blames me."
"Ain't that the way of it." The guard banged on a cell door. "Hey, traitor, someone here for you. Stand back." The guard unlocked the door and went in. A moment later, he pushed a worse-for-the-wear Finn out the door. "Here he is, missy."
"Thanks." Finn looked up at Elina's voice. "I can take him from here."
"You don't want us to come with you?"
"He's shackled. What can he possibly do while we're still inside Brimir Keep?"
The guard shrugged. "Whatever you say." He shoved Finn towards the stairs.
Elina stepped aside to let Finn pass, and then walked up after him. The air in the long hall smelled sweet and fragrant after the stinking dungeon. Elina laid a hand on Finn's back and directed him to the courtyard. There, she led him to a quiet corner.
Finn had a swollen eye and a bruised lip. "How do you feel?" Elina asked in a low voice.
"I've had better days," Finn said, "but I can walk." He held up his shackles. "You should have asked for the key."
"I just wanted to get out. I was terrified they'd question me closer."
Finn pointed to the smithy. "We should be able to find something there, eh?"
Elina led the way along the wall of the courtyard. The smithy stood empty. It was open at the front, with the furnace and anvil to one side. A rack of tools hung on the other wall. Elina grabbed the largest pliers she saw from the tool rack. Finn held out his arms; she placed the pliers on the chain and leaned on them with all her weight. The pliers closed with a snap, freeing Finn's right hand. The other side followed shortly after.
Finn rubbed his wrists. "Better. Those things chafe."
A shout went up outside. "Murder!"
Elina jumped. They'd found the soldier; the chase was on now. Any moment, someone would come in and apprehend her. Out in the courtyard, people started running. One of them would notice surely her, and it would all be over.
Finn cocked an eyebrow at her. "You?"
Elina dipped her head. "I didn't mean to." A tear welled in her eye. "I'm sorry. Now they're going to find us, and I've just made matters worse for you."
She felt Finn's arms around her, and looked up. "It's not your fault," Finn whispered earnestly. "I know you didn't mean to. We can mourn him later. But you need to stay strong for a while longer."
Warmth spread through her at his words. Elina wrapped her arms around Finn for a moment to regain her balance, then let go and stepped away. As she looked up, she saw that the people outside were still running about.
Finn stepped back. "What's your plan to get out again?"
"There isn't one," Elina said to her feet. "I didn't think I would get this far."
"We'll just improvise, then. With everyone looking for a murderer, the main gate is out of the question."
Elina's cloak had fallen open while she'd been working on the shackles. She noticed the blood spattered across the front of her blouse. The guards at the gate would be anxious; perhaps she could take advantage of that. "Maybe not," she said. "Follow me." Elina pulled her cloak closed again and hurried out of the smithy, then made straight for the arched passage of the gatehouse. There, she turned to Finn. "Hide here. Get ready to make a run for it." She threw open her cloak and ran down the tunnel. "Murderer!" she yelled.
The two guards at the gate turned and stared at her. She threw her arms around the closest. "Oh gods, the murderer!" She clung to him and looked at him with wild eyes. "He's in the courtyard! Quickly, you've got to help them!"
The guard gently freed himself from Elina's embrace. His eyes widened when he saw the blood spattered across her blouse, and he glanced at his companion. "Let's go!" He grabbed his axe in both hands and ran towards the courtyard, his companion following close behind.
A moment later, Finn joined Elina. He whistled between his teeth. "Impressive performance," he said.
"I learned from the best." She drew her cloak tight again. "Time to get going. They'll be back soon enough. Henge is waiting for us in the Uncut Gem." She walked through the gates and hurried down the street, Finn following on her heels.