“You don’t believe in me?” asked Will with a grin.
“I’m up here, damn it!” swore Tiny angrily. “Shut up and let me focus.”
When they were finally on the ground once more, Will could see that his friend’s face was covered in sweat, not from the effort—climbing with a spell was relatively easy—but from nervousness. It was something he hadn’t really seen before from the usually quiet and easygoing soldier. Tiny caught him staring and looked away.
Will took out the letter Blake had given him and reread it to give his friend a chance to regain his composure. The message was from Lognion and had arrived while he was at the library with Janice. While it didn’t materially affect his plan for the evening, it did inspire a mixture of anger and anxiety in him.
William,
I send this missive to inform you that since you’ve taken it upon yourself to assume the protection of Mark Nerrow’s elder daughter, I have decided to withdraw the Driven from that area. Partly this is for your own protection, so we avoid any confusion between your movements and the activities of my men.
I do hope you’ve prepared yourself sufficiently, as you’ve chosen to take on a dangerous enemy, one that even I would hesitate to face without considerable support. I’m sure you wouldn’t attempt such a perilous duty alone. My daughter would be heartbroken if something terrible happened to you.
If you have any understanding of this foe, then you should be aware that this enemy bears similarities to a wound that has turned sour. Sometimes healthy tissue must be excised to save the host. As sovereign, I consider the city, nay the nation as a whole, as my own body. I will not hesitate to remove a rotten limb to save the rest.
Stand too close to the fire and you will be burned.
L.
Tiny noticed him reading it again and put a hand on Will’s shoulder. “Little does he know you actually do have support this time.”
Will nodded, grateful for the big man’s presence. But will it be enough if we actually meet one of them? What if there’s several? Lognion apparently had small squads of highly trained combat sorcerers hiding in various locations around the city. If the king felt the situation was that serious, what hope would a lone wizard and an armored soldier have? And I haven’t had a chance to learn any of the spells Arrogan recommended yet.
Although Will was more combat capable than any wizard at Wurthaven, as well as most sorcerers, he knew very few spells that were applicable to the current situation. His repertoire of useful fire spells included a simple method for starting fires and a spell to warm the floor when sleeping on the ground. Neither would be particularly helpful in a fight, and chances were that there wouldn’t be a sorcerer around tossing fireballs around for him to steal.
The wise thing for me to do would be to stay home, Will thought sourly, but he knew that wasn’t really an option for him, and apparently the king knew it as well. He glanced at Tiny. “Are you sure you’re up for this?”
The big soldier waved a hand dismissively. “The wall scared me more than any vampire could. What’s the plan?”
Will had actually put some thought into it. Even with the spells he had put on Tiny, he wasn’t confident his friend could avoid notice, so he intended to make use of the fact. The king’s men had been hiding underground last time, while the vampire had dropped down from above. Given that the Drak’shar were inhumanly strong and impervious to ordinary injury, it made sense that they would prefer to hide on the rooftops.
Tiny would move ahead of him at a distance of twenty yards. While he would be hidden by the same spells that Will was using, his size and inexperience would make him more likely to be spotted. If anyone or anything noticed the big man, they’d be less likely to notice the somewhat more inconspicuous wizard shadowing the soldier once their attention had been occupied. If they attacked, Will would have extra time to choose an appropriate response if they were targeting Tiny first.
Of course, there was every chance that the enemy wouldn’t risk appearing in the same place twice. Will wouldn’t, if he were in their position, but he didn’t know what other limitations the enemy was operating under. Catching Laina near her home, at night, might be the only option available to the vampires. He couldn’t take the risk with her life.
There was a secondary reason for scouting the area around Laina’s home, and it made itself apparent within the first fifteen minutes as they slowly completed their first circuit of the block around the Nerrow house. Will had already adjusted his eyesight so he could see heart-light, so when Darla’s figure detached itself from the wall near Laina’s front gate he wasn’t surprised.
As she approached, he noted that while the Arkeshi was difficult to see, the effect was somewhat greater than just a chameleon effect produced by her cloak. His eyes tended to slide away from Darla if he didn’t continually force himself to remain focused on her.
“Someone is approaching,” he warned Tiny. “But they aren’t hostile so don’t overreact.”
“Where? I don’t see anyone,” whispered the big man.
“Here,” said the former assassin, pushing back the hood of her cloak. She was standing just within ten feet of the squire when the chameleon effect ended, and Tiny uttered a strange ‘yip’ before clamping his mouth firmly shut. Will was forced to smother a laugh.
“Darla,” said Will, greeting her simply. “We meet again.”
The Arkeshi inclined her head slightly. “We do. I was under the impression that my mistress warned you to stay away.”
“And do you agree with her?” he asked.
Darla frowned. “It isn’t my place to judge such matters.”
“I know you were trained as an assassin, rather than a bodyguard, but you still have to realize that the things that may be hunting her are too dangerous for you to face alone. You know you need help.”
She looked at him appraisingly. “You’re more likely to get in my way. Stay on the other side of the street. If anything happens, don’t expect help from me. My duty is to Laina only.” She began to turn away.
Will stepped forward, causing the Arkeshi to jerk to one side. A blade appeared in her hand and Will could see silver runes laid into the steel. He held up his hands. “I didn’t mean to startle you, but I have a question before you go.” He heard Tiny’s body shift as he lifted his spear in reaction. Will waved a hand at his friend. “Don’t. We’re just talking.”
“What’s your question?” asked Darla with a tone of impatience. “Quickly. I dislike being away from my post.”
“Did you see someone else around the house, before I came? A woman?”
Darla went still, then asked, “Was it with you?”