Thread Slivers (Golden Threads Trilogy) (39 page)

“N
O, I SWEAR THAT PRIESTS and priestesses just appeared from the alleys the moment the three men ran that way.” He pointed west to indicate the direction. “It was like magic. I didn’t see them before or during the fight, but then I was busy watching the fight more than looking at the other spectators. The high priestess herself came out of Drillian’s Alley last and had that golden artifact from the Temple. She ran when called by a healer and touched it to the wounded person the healer indicated. Some acolytes came with stretchers and started taking the wounded away. The high priestess walked between two of the stretchers, concentrating, with a frown on her face and that thing glowing like the sun. That’s it — except for the blood on the street I might not have believed I saw it at all.”

Elades considered the baker’s statements as compared to the story he had already assembled in his notes. The baker was only one of a dozen near or direct eyewitnesses to the fight in front of the Dolphin. In fact he was the most factual direct eyewitness of them all. If it hadn’t been for the immediate arrival of the healers most of Echo Squad would be dead. Instead only two had suffered wounds too serious for direct healing, and they were still alive at the Temple. One of those was expected to make a full recovery.
How in the Lord’s name did they know to be here? I have been refused admission to the high priestess three times now, and the healers just say they go where needed. Forgive me, Lord, but sometimes holy types can be really annoying.

Allua, one of his squad’s Daggers, ran in and leaned over to whisper in his ear, “Sir, the hound is ready. Alpha and Echo are ordered to river walk for him.”

Shocked at the news, Elades stood. “Thank you very much, Nualli Baker, I appreciate your help with this. Do you desire compensation for lost work?”

The baker stood. “Thank you, but my assistants are likely doing OK in my absence. I am glad things are finally getting cleaned up here. I live for the true Princes and their Regents.”

Elades smiled and waved him out. Turning, he saw more of his men had already stepped into the room as the order was being rapidly passed. Looking at Allua, he asked, “Where?”

“West Gate.”

“Of course; and Echo?”

“Already informed, sir.”

“Ridge run to within four blocks, then river walk on Duke’s lead.” No one waited a breath longer and they all bolted, most grinning with excitement. Elades couldn’t keep from smiling himself.
I don’t know how he did it, but if he can truly hunt now we might finally have the advantage. Playing catch-up is even more annoying than dealing with holy types. Sorry, Lord, but you know it’s true.

They poured out of the building, using every alley, door, and window, heading in many different directions. Of course, once out of sight, they each took a separate path, turning toward the western gate at their best speed.

Elades approached the west gate from along the wall. He was stepping over another dead bird, cooked by the lightning-balls on top of the walls, when he noticed that it had something on its foot. Stopping, he picked it up. The bird was charred, like it had been in a very hot fire, especially its wings. The legs, however, were relatively untouched. On one leg was a small canister containing a sliver of paper; he took it off of the bird and pulled the sliver of paper out of the canister. It was in some kind of code.
I need to show this to Duke.
Looking up, he saw the silver balls at the tops of the long spikes that topped the wall sparking with lightning occasionally.
Well that explains those things. Interesting counter-intelligence device, for sure.
For the dozenth time, he wondered what the effect would be on a person trying to climb over the wall.
We’ll have to scout the outside of the wall carefully for bodies when Duke opens the gates. This might be very interesting. I should also have our patrols look for more carrier birds.

He continued to the gate and arrived within minutes of Duke, who was sitting next to the gate, looking at the area quietly. Duke turned and walked to the gate and then sat down. He looked at it curiously, then said something, and the six-foot-thick, fifty-foot-wide metal slab slid down rapidly, with a slight grating sound like a knife being dragged over rock. It sank until it was a few inches below the street level, making a slotted line in the road across the gateway. The slotted line was where it had been paved over, hiding it from view.
Must have been done when the pretenders figured out they couldn’t control it and put in the more normal gate system.
Duke said something else and it slid up just as fast, closing without much more than a soft
thunk
.
That thing has to weigh as much as a large house; what kind of machinery could lift such a weight so efficiently and evenly?
Duke then opened it and closed it a few more times, and each time it moved at a different speed. Not once, however, did it close with the speed and power it had when it had cut Ticca off from the Nhia-Samri, who had then managed to fight clear and escape.

After experimenting with the gate, Duke moved around the periphery of the fight area, which was still being guarded by a dozen city guardsmen. Duke stopped at each guard and Dagger asking them to hold their hand out to be sniffed. After getting each person’s scent he continued his circuit, snuffling the ground. There were key points where he stopped and snuffled around dramatically before continuing around the scene. One spot near the gate Duke spent more than a minute following the scents. Finally he followed the fight path to and from the gate a few times before also examining the steel gate where the Nhia-Samri had pounded on it in frustration.

Duke looked around. There were a number of people watching the event with interest. Duke called out, “Alpha and Echo Commanders, front and center!”

Elades jumped down into the alley, past another of his men, who was concealed in the shadows watching the alleyway diligently. Once down, he walked out to Duke, around the fight area, which everyone was under orders to not cross for any reason. Echo’s commander, Sonnua, was coming up the street.

As they came to Duke, Elades took command as was appropriate, answering for both squads. “Sir.”

Duke glanced curiously at the bird in Elades’s hand for a moment. “Commander, evacuate the vicinity for a space of three blocks in all directions. Pay what is needed to compensate business owners. I want three detachments of guards made ready. Place one of those detachments on the perimeter here. They are under orders to not allow anyone to re-enter, but not to raise arms to anyone who refuses or who exits after the evacuation. They are to take careful note and request firmly a piece of clothing, hat, or coat to be returned later of anyone exiting late or re-entering. Again, they are not to raise arms if refused, just take careful note. Bravo Squad to assemble at the center square with the other two detachments. Elades, remain here; and Sonnua, please attend to this.”

Elades turned and signaled for Alpha to remain on guard while Sonnua started giving orders to the guards present.

Elades turned back to Duke, holding out the bird. “Sir, I found this in route.” Holding out the small paper and canister in his other hand, he added, “It had this.”

“Feed me the bird.”

Elades tossed the bird in the air and Duke snapped it like a dog catching a tasty morsel from the table. Duke chewed it whole for a few moments, then swallowed. “Not bad. Mash and corn fed, definitely a prized bird. Give that message to Ladro, with orders to make a copy for the royal scribes and for Delta’s commander to decipher.”

Elades smiled.
Yes, let’s see if the Nhia-Samri agents will feed us good or bad intelligence. I wondered when we were going to deal with them. But they have done a good job so far, nothing even out of order, other than paying a little too much attention to other units’ orders.

Duke looked around as the guards were escorting everyone from the various buildings, making sure they walked down the side of the main roads and out of the area. “Elades, give me your hand.”

Elades held out his hand and Duke sniffed it carefully. “Good. Also, have anyone else involved with that fight come here immediately.”

He signaled for Alpha to report in individually. Over the next twenty minutes Duke took a good smell of every single member of Alpha Squad. By the time he was done the streets were completely silent. Duke motioned for Elades to remain still and sat in the middle of the empty street with his head held high. Although Duke’s eyes were closed his ears rotated back and forth rapidly. Once or twice his head would snap around in a direction with his ears perked in the same direction like a pointer dog.
He’s waiting for something or someone. But, what? The area is evacuated.

Duke stood with his head pointing up at one of the buildings down the street, which looked like a rich merchant’s home. “Alpha, deer hunt!”

Duke burst forward like a released arrow, straight at the building, while a dozen Daggers came out of the alleys all around and ran at top speed in the direction Duke was heading. Elades felt his heart rate jump and he followed Duke as fast as he could. Duke didn’t bother heading for the main door; he ran right at the building. When he was ten feet away, he leaped high into the air, bursting through a lower window. Three other Daggers, with Elades, ran right up under the window and then partially up the wall, managing to grab the window ledge. From there they pulled themselves up and followed Duke inside.

Elades swung himself into the library with a kick. Landing, he rolled, coming up to a fighting stance and drawing his daggers. Duke had barreled through the library, knocking a table and some large chairs out of his way and crashing through the closed double doors. Elades checked that the three others were up and ready. He smiled when he recognized his second, Idanas, as well as Nullo Sidurson and his brother Essen — his best knife fighters — were the three with him. Together, the four of them followed Duke at a cautious run.

Through the doors was a large, round, two-story room with stairs going up both sides. Duke ran through the middle and jumped up, just clearing the banister to land half-way up the stairs. Elades signaled for two to follow Duke and Nullo to stay with him. Together they ran left and then up the nearer stairs. Idanas and Essen ran across the room to follow Duke up the far stairs. All four of them reached the top together. From the first floor the front and back doors crashed loudly as they were kicked in by the rest of the squad.

Duke turned right, towards the street, barking loudly, “First floor alley-side, second floor street-side,” at the top of the stairs, then barreled through a set of large white double doors. Duke’s growls sounded like a whole wolf pack. Below the sounds of more fighting could be heard. Elades waved Idanas and Essen off to a pair of doors to the left of the ones Duke had forced; then he and Nullo dove into the room where Duke was already fighting.

There were three Nhia-Samri in what looked like a spacious sun room, with large windows overlooking the gate and street. All three were dressed simply, but had odassi blades out and were circling Duke cautiously. Duke dove at one, who dodged out of the way, while the other two tried to spear him. One of them managed to stab Duke. Duke grunted with pain and twisted around, pulling the attacker off-balance as his blade was stuck in Duke’s side. Duke’s teeth succeeded in grabbing the end of his attacker’s leg, which was all Duke needed to yanked the warrior around; Elades had to admire the guy’s tenacity as he didn’t yell out or panic instead he tried to stick his other knife into Duke’s head.

Duke saw the coming attack and yanked his head around hanging on to the guy’s leg. The Nhia-Samri was whipped around violently, like a doll. The Nhia-Samri must have had a death grip on his blades; the one stuck in Duke’s side was ripped out, causing a spray of blood that arced around Duke, following the sword.

Elades stepped up to Duke’s wounded side and blocked a second attack by the remaining Nhia-Samri on that side. They exchanged a rapid series of knife thrusts and parries. On the other side of Duke the sound of another knife fight told Elades that Nullo had engaged the third Nhia-Samri. Exchanging knife strike after knife strike, he fought his opponent. They circled each other and Elades saw that Duke was slamming the one he had up and down on the floor, turning him into nothing more than a bloody pulp of a man. Duke flung the pulped man out of the window into the street and turned to Elades’s opponent.

Duke made a snap for Elades’s opponent, which forced the Nhia-Samri to dodge. That gave the opening Elades had been waiting for. Elades swiped his dagger at the Nhia-Samri’s neck with all his entire strength behind it, half decapitating the man. Blood sprayed out and over Elades and Duke as the Nhia-Samri fell.

Not pausing, Elades turned and jumped over Duke’s tail to the other side of the room where Nullo had been cut on his arm and leg but was still fighting the Nhia-Samri there. Duke’s ears twisted toward the hall, he barked and launched out of the room, giving them more space to fight. Elades stepped in and attempted a double-cut strike at the Nhia-Samri’s head, which he blocked, leaving his lower belly open. Nullo didn’t hesitate, plunging both of his knives into the Nhia-Samri’s gut. The Nhia-Samri tried to cut down on his killer, but Elades quickly parried the attack and kicked him backwards off of Nullo’s blades to fall by the window.

Grinning, they turned and followed the sound of fighting to another room where Duke was standing on one Nhia-Samri’s arms, pinning him down, while snapping at another who was trying to get Duke off. The Nhia-Samri who was pinned was ineffectively kicking Duke as hard as he could from below. But Duke ignored it. Two other Nhia-Samri were fighting Essen and Idanas individually. Nullo jumped into the fight to aid his brother. Elades whipped his dagger at the Nhia-Samri who was attacking Duke. His dagger imbedded into the Nhia-Samri’s throat, making him fall backwards into a chair, landing in such a way as to look asleep except for the dagger sticking out of his throat and the blood running down his front.