Elf Sight (11 page)

Shadow stared at Thornton in surprise. He was the same build as Carson, but his hair was longer, and not neat like it had been in the painting. Now she could see him face forward, he reminded her a lot of Carson. There were a few differences. Carson’s lips were not as thin, and his nose was the slightest bit crooked where it had been broken before. Thornton’s hair hung knotted down his back, his clothes were torn and dirty and hung loosely on him.

“If I’d known I was to have a visitor I’d have dressed accordingly,” Thornton said dryly.

Shadow blushed. “Sorry. I was surprised at how much you look like each other.”

“But I’m the more handsome one, right?” Thornton grinned.

Shadow smiled weakly. “We have to go.” She turned and moved back along the passageway.

“Wait up. I’ve got to get my lantern,” Thornton called.

Shadow waited impatiently as Thornton fetched the lantern and came into the corridor with it. “Ready now?”

“After you, my lady.” Thornton gestured towards the corridor.

Shadow shook her head at his bantering and moved quietly towards the magic hid opening, Thornton following until they nearly reached the end.

“What are you doing?” Thornton asked.

“What do you mean?”

“A dead end.” Thornton pointed towards the magic hid opening.

“Oh.” Shadow laughed and grabbed his hand. Before he could protest, Shadow pulled him forward and into the main corridor.

“I’d have been stuck in there for decades.” He glanced back. “I can still only see a solid wall.”

“Come. Time’s wasting,” Shadow muttered.

“You’ve been hanging around my brother too long.”

“Not for much longer.” She was certainly going to have words with him about not telling her he was a prince. There’d been a few times when he could have easily told her, such as when he’d said the prince had been like a brother to him.

The corridors were empty, except for the two dead bodies they stepped around. Shadow hurried along to the door where the guard had been standing earlier. She smeared some of the powder on the lock and wiped her finger clean in the bag and turned her back on the door.

“When you’re ready, say the words,” Shadow said softly as she closed her eyes.

Thornton turned his back to the door and whispered the activation words. When the pop sounded, he turned to Shadow. “Do you know them?”

“Of course.”

Thornton smiled. “Just not very well, huh?”

Ignoring him, Shadow flung the door open. The men inside leapt to their feet. “Irlan!” Shadow ran to her brother and threw her arms around him, holding him tightly.

“Uncle! Fancy meeting you here.” Thornton smiled. “The people you meet when you’re away from home.”

“That’s enough lip from you, boy.” General Farnell strode forward to clap Thornton on the shoulder. He glanced around. “Where’s Carson?”

“Uncle?” Shadow asked.

“Never mind that? Where’s Carson? What about the rest of the men?” Farnell demanded.

“Carson led the guards away,” Shadow said.

“Then we’d better find him.” Farnell started for the door.

“Come, my lady. Show us which way he went,” Thornton said.

Shadow groaned as Farnell turned and stared at her. He looked towards Irlan.

“I’ll be talking to the pair of you later.” Farnell glanced between Irlan and Shadow. “There’s obviously a great deal more to discuss than I first thought.”

“Come on, Uncle,” Thornton said.

Shadow looked at the five soldiers with Irlan and Farnell. “Weren’t there six?”

“We lost one. Now move!” Farnell strode into the corridor. He stopped at the two bodies and removed a sword from one and a long dagger from the other, handing the dagger to Thornton. “You’d better remember how to use this.”

“After the amount of time you spent teaching us and hitting us with the broadside of your blade I doubt I’d ever forget,” Thornton said.

“Good.” Farnell turned to Shadow. “Which direction?”

Shadow pointed straight ahead and they moved along the corridor. Several more twists and turns later they came to another body. Farnell ordered one of his men to pick up the sword.

“Now where, girl?” Farnell demanded.

“It’s Shadow.” She stared him straight in the eyes.

Farnell glared back.

Shadow had put up with enough. Being female was not a bad thing and she refused to let Farnell act like it was. She raised her chin and continued to glare at him.

Finally Farnell said, “Which way, Shadow?” He stressed her name.

Shadow looked around. A fight won and no information to give him. She reached out and placed her hand on the stone of the corridor wall. The cold seeped into her and reminded her of the snow outside. She closed her eyes and wished she could find Carson.

She felt a vibration under her hand then she saw him, racing along corridors. He turned to attack a soldier who came close, leaping past him into an open room. The seven guards poured into the room after him. They circled him, swords drawn, all believing their rat cornered.

“No!” Shadow raced down corridors, following the maze she’d seen Carson take. Behind she could hear Farnell yelling at her to slow down. She didn’t listen. Rounding a corner, she could hear the soldiers taunt Carson.

“No smart remarks?” one of the soldiers demanded.

“Cat got your tongue?” another tormented.

“No, but my sword will soon have it,” another promised.

“No!” Shadow burst into the room, trying to come to a halt. She was moving too fast and collided with one of the soldiers. His arm went immediately around her waist and the other, which held his sword, went to her throat.

“Shadow!” Carson lunged forward. One of the soldiers barrelled into him and knocked him to the ground.

There was the sound of feet in the doorway behind them and the soldier holding Shadow turned and backed further into the room.

“Come any closer and I slit this one’s throat,” the soldier warned.

“Slit it.” Farnell stepped into the room.

“No!” Carson and Irlan shouted together.

The soldier chuckled. “Sounds like insubordination to me. So what’ll it be? Surrender?” The soldier turned slightly. “Or this one’s throat slit and the one on the ground impaled.”

Shadow saw Carson lying on the floor, a sword pressed against his back between his shoulder blades. She inhaled sharply.

“That bother’s you, does it?” the soldier asked Shadow.

Shadow didn’t answer. She frantically tried to think of something to do. Seconds counted. Something had to be done. Her mind raced. Her heart kept pace.

“We can afford a couple of casualties,” Farnell said with a shrug.

“Not those two,” Thornton argued as he reached his uncle’s side.

“Make a decision. Drop your weapons and give up or I’ll slit this one’s throat and give the order to despatch that one.” The soldier nodded towards Carson. “I’ll give you to the count of ten.”

“Can you count that high?” Carson asked.

“Right! You go first,” the soldier promised Carson.

“No!” Shadow protested. Suddenly she knew what she could do. Her fingers groped for the bag she had hung at her belt.

“Oh how touching. What’s he to you? Your lover? Does he dress you as a boy so he can sneak you along with him on campaigns?” the soldier taunted.

“Leave her be,” Thornton said.

At the same time, Carson demanded, “Let her go. She isn’t part of this.”

Shadow’s fingers dipped into the bag. She felt the powder stick to her fingers. She didn’t know if it was enough. She smeared more on them, spreading it to her palm.

“Her bad luck then, isn’t it?” the soldier sneered. “One… two.”

“How can we trust you to keep your word?” Thornton asked.

“Don’t even think it,” Farnell ordered.

Shadow pulled her fingers out of the bag her eyes meeting Carson’s.

“Three… four.”

“I outrank you, Uncle.” Thornton smiled.

“This is battle. I outrank you,” Farnell argued.

“Five.”

“Shadow! No!” Carson shouted as she raised her hand above her head, ignoring the blade that pressed harder against her throat.

“Six.”

“Say it,” Shadow ordered Carson.

“No,” Carson said.

“Seven… eight.”

“Do you want to die?” Shadow closed her eyes, but could still see what happened in the room, like she had in the corridor.

“Nine… t-”

Carson closed his eyes and said the words to activate the powder. Thornton closed his own eyes, barely in time, as he turned and pushed his uncle towards the men in the doorway.

There was a pop. Light flared in the room and Shadow screamed. She dropped to her knees as the arm and sword imprisoning her let go. There was bedlam as soldiers called out, temporarily blinded. Carson staggered to Shadow who clutched her hand to her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks. She breathed shallowly as she tried to fight the waves of nausea that rushed in with the overwhelming pain.

“I tried to tell you.” Carson cradled Shadow.

She barely heard him. All she could focus on was pain. Even the relief of escape did nothing to alleviate it.

Thornton, Farnell and two of the soldiers with them rushed into the room, disarmed the guards and tied them up. There were cries of fright as the enemy stared blindly around.

“We’ve got to get out of here.” Thornton crouched beside his brother.

Carson nodded.

“Do you need any help?” Thornton looked towards Shadow huddled in his brother’s arms.

“I’ve got her.” Carson lifted her. “Although you could get my sword for me.” He smiled fleetingly. “I’d miss it.”

All of them were armed again. As they made their way through the corridors, Farnell and Thornton led the way. The two soldiers who could see led their three companions and Irlan who had been blinded by the flash of light. They eventually came to the door that led into the snow. Farnell swung it open to show it was pitch black outside.

Carson looked at the felt hat that still lay on the floor and pushed it with the toe of his boot towards his brother. Thornton picked it up and glanced towards Carson who nodded. Thornton tucked the hat into the back of his belt and blew out the light of the lantern before they followed Farnell and the soldiers outside.

“Guess this is why you couldn’t wait for night,” Shadow murmured, the pain in her hand now bearable.

“So it was,” Carson said.

Shadow heard the smile in his voice. “You can put me down.”

“If I have to.” Carson steadied Shadow when her feet touched the ground. “Are you all right?”

“Yes.”

Carson’s lips brushed across hers. “If you ever do anything so stupid again, I’ll slit your throat,” he growled.

“Sure.” Shadow couldn’t hold back the smile that formed.

“Can you two quit pawing each other so we can get out of here? Girls don’t belong in the army for a reason,” Farnell snapped.

“What!” Irlan demanded. “Get your hands off my sister. Who is it? Shadow?”

“How long until they can see again?” Shadow asked.

“You tell me. How long until you feel no pain?” Carson asked.

“I don’t know. It feels like I shoved my hand in a fire.”

“Shadow? Who is it?” Irlan demanded.

“Move it!” Farnell snapped, giving Irlan a push towards the trees.

They quietly walked across the open area to where the horses had been left. They whickered softly.

“Sorry old boy.” Carson patted the neck of his horse. “Shadow, you and Irlan can ride on my horse. Two of the blinded soldiers can go on your horse.”

“What about the other two?” Shadow asked.

“They’ll have to stumble through the dark until we get back to the other men,” Carson said.

“Will they have made it, do you think?” Shadow asked.

“We’ll soon see,” Carson said softly.

“How many did you lose?” Thornton asked.

“Quit gossiping. Move it!” Farnell snapped. “Now!” Farnell ordered when Thornton didn’t move.

They stumbled through the dark until they were far enough from the fortress to be able to light the lantern. Carson put his tinderbox back in his belt pouch and handed the lantern to his brother.

Shadow gasped when she saw how exhausted Thornton was. She slipped off the horse. “You ride,” she said to him.

“I will not ride while a woman is forced to walk,” Thornton protested.

“Then I’ll hit you over the head and have you thrown over the horse like a sack of grain. Don’t be stupid. You can barely stand up. I haven’t spent the last few months in a cell,” Shadow said.

Carson laughed at his brother’s expression. “You’d better do it. It wouldn’t surprise me if she did knock you out. And you don’t look like you can defend yourself.”

“Don’t you know hitting the heir of the realm is a punishable offence? Look at how many witnesses I have.” Thornton waved towards the men who turned their backs on him. “Fine,” he grumbled and hauled himself into the saddle with Irlan. “Is your sister always like this?”

“Sometimes. She gets these notions occasionally,” Irlan said. “Can be real stubborn.”

Carson draped his arm around Shadow’s shoulders. “Are you well enough to walk?”

“There’s nothing wrong with my legs,” Shadow said.

“That’s not what I asked.”

“I’ll live. Hopefully. Oh no!”

“What?” Carson demanded.

“The boulders blocking the tunnel.”

Hearing Shadow’s words, Farnell demanded, “What’s she talking about?”

Carson sighed and explained it to Farnell.

“Will we need to find another exit or can we move the boulders?” Farnell asked.

“I don’t know. But I’m guessing we won’t have the time to move the boulders. We’ll have to get away as quickly as possible. We’ll have soldiers following as soon as those guards are found,” Carson said.

“Oh great,” Shadow muttered.

“I knew that’d please you,” Carson teased.

“Why are you so happy?” Shadow demanded.

“We’re out of there. You’re safe, the prince is safe and we found the General,” Carson said.

“Your brother is safe,” Shadow corrected.

“Ahh. What exactly did Thornton tell you?”

Shadow had never heard him so hesitant before. “Not much, Captain Relth, I mean Prince Carson of Relthon. I should have known something was odd that you’re named after our country.”

“Actually, the country’s named after our family.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I did a bit,” Carson said.

“Second son! Sure,” Shadow muttered.

“I am.”

“The second born twin of the King and Queen,” Shadow corrected.

“Exactly. The second son.”

“You’re a prince?” Irlan demanded.

“Not exactly,” Carson said.

“We’ve got to talk about that,” Thornton said.

“No,” Carson stated.

“You’re more suited to all this,” Thornton argued.

Carson shook his head. “I’m a soldier, not a statesman.”

“I’m not interested in all the rubbish that goes with it. Or the headaches,” Thornton said.

“Will someone tell me what’s going on?” Shadow demanded.

“He wants to abdicate,” Carson said.

“He what?” Shadow asked.

“I’m not king material,” Thornton protested.

“He wants you to be the next king?” Shadow asked incredulously.

“If you’d waited a bit longer it wouldn’t have been a problem,” Thornton pointed out.

“You wanted to die?” Carson shouted.

“No, of course not. But if I had, you’d have been stuck with the job,” Thornton said.

“We’re not discussing this anymore.” Carson looked away from his brother.

“Good.” Farnell snapped. “I’m sick of hearing about it. Ever since you were children you’ve fought over who doesn’t want to be king. Most people would kill to have the chance to be king. Hell! Are you both blind? What do you think all this has been about? Someone has been killing to get the throne.”

“You don’t want to be king?” Irlan said incredulously.

“I’d much rather have a nice estate, a pretty little wife and a quiet life,” Thornton said. “What do you say, Shadow? Interested?”

“No,” Carson answered for her.

Thornton chuckled. “I thought that.”

“Shut up!” Farnell ordered.

“Yes, Uncle,” Thornton said.

“General.” Farnell quickened his pace.