Siege of Pailtar (21 page)

As Kiana pondered the mage’s appearance trouble arrived. Two more men were suddenly walking alongside  the mage. Kiana would bet any money that these men were also mages. Their simple appearance did not fool Kiana. They both had the same facial expressions and sharp eyes as the first mage.

Kiana dropped further back. Following three men was easier than one, but the risk of being noticed was greater.

Ahead of the mages was the large city guard barracks, home to Pailtar’s version of an army. Kiana watched in dismay as the three mages approached the building. The men raised their arms and started chanting. Magical energy flowed from all three mages into a small bundle of flames in front of them. As the men kept walking forward the ball of flames grew bigger and bigger until they pushed forward with their hands, the magical ball of fire flew through the air striking the barracks.

The loud explosion rocked Pailtar. Kiana could not believe the mages were attacking the city barracks! As soldiers ran out of the burning building, the mages fired more fire at the soldiers.

“Shields,” cried out one of the soldiers. “Don’t come out without shields.”

The soldier’s warning to his fellow warriors was heeded and a group of soldiers came out armed with shields and spears. They started attacking the mages. The mages started to flee the soldiers, firing fireballs at the soldiers to keep them at a distance.

The attack on the barracks shocked Kiana. She did not know what to do. Would the Guild want the mages followed? And what would she be able to do if they noticed her. Kiana decided the prudent move was to report what she had seen right away. She would already be in trouble with Keyon for following the mage. The question was who to report to? Kiana decided the best person to answer that was her mother. Kiana raced home. Her heart was pounding. Kiana felt the hand of fear and she ran faster.

24

Pailtar

TOLGA OYAL SAT AT his table in the Broken Dagger Bar nursing his ale. The bar was one of many Thieves’ Guild establishments in the city that they would be attacking. Tolga and twenty of his mercenaries were seated at various tables throughout the bar. When the signal was given they would attack everyone in the bar. Not all were members of the Guild, but enough to matter. His brother Tunc would be doing the same in the X pub. While two more groups of his mercenaries attacked other Guild businesses. Fire mages would be attacking the city guard barracks, keeping the city guards occupied while Tolga’s mercs dealt with the Thieves’ Guild.

Tolga admired the serving wench as she filled the mug of one of his men. Her healthy bosom and sparkling blue eyes made her a very attractive woman. In another place and time Tolga might have tested the waters to see if her attentions could be purchased, but today Tolga would not indulge in such behavior.

The explosion was loud, even inside the Broken Dagger everyone could hear it. As the bar's patrons started to stand, startled by the noise, Tolga and his men attacked. Tolga grabbed the attractive serving girl and ran her through with his dagger. Tolga could see the look of shock and pain in her big beautiful eyes as he wiped his blade clean on her blouse while watching her die. Turning away from his first victim, Tolga flipped his dagger and threw it into the chest of the bartender.

Screams of agony filled the air as his mercenaries slaughtered the clientele of the Broken Dagger. A few of its patrons were able to draw weapons and fight back, but after the initial surprise attack numbers were on the side of the mercenaries and those who survived the initial attacks were slain. Not a soul was left alive.

Tolga looked around the bar. One of his men had died at the hands of a sailor and another was wounded, very acceptable losses for an attack on the Guild. With satisfaction, Tolga assessed the number of dead patrons. The first attack had been a success. Tolga gathered his men and headed to the next Thieves’ Guild establishment on his list.

…

Everet put his foot up under the table and onto Severa’s chair. His foot rested between her legs.

Severa raised an eyebrow in question. Everet was not one for public displays of affection and him placing his foot on her chair was not likely an act of foolish flirtation.

“Take the knife out of my boot,” said Everet.

Severa placed her hand on his boot and pulled the hidden dagger out. “You do know I have my own dagger?” asked Severa, confused by Everet’s actions.

“Yes, I know,” replied Everet softly so only she could hear him. “When the attack comes, throw my dagger into the gentlemen behind me with his back turned to me. Don’t miss.

Severa calmly looked past Everet to the next table. Three men were sitting there drinking ale, at first Severa couldn’t notice anything alarming about the table of men, then she started to notice small details. The men all had weapons and wore riding boots, these were not sailors nor were they part of the city guard. In addition, all three of the men were not talking or drinking, they were waiting for something. Glancing around the bar, Severa noticed several other tables with men of similar garb and posture.

Everet waved down their server, a young lass named Emily.

“Would you like some more ale?” asked Emily.

“No, tell the bartender I’d like some Venecian wine, and I want it as soon as possible,” replied Everet.

Emily nodded, “Right away.” The request was somewhat odd, Everet and Severa had been coming to the bar for several days in a row and had never ordered wine, nor spoken to her so abruptly, but Emily was a smart girl who had seen many strange requests, she immediately went to the bartender and repeated Everet’s request.

The bartender looked over at Everet who was scratching his neck, making eye contact for the briefest second, the bartender watched Everet bring his fingers across his throat. “Emily, go upstairs and find Colby. Tell him to bring the Venecian wine and a couple swords.”

Emily nodded and slowly walked up the stairs, she was not just a serving girl, she was a full-fledged Guild member, an accomplished pickpocket who only worked at the bar to pay her Guild membership. She knew that something bad was about to happen if Brendon was asking for Colby.

Without knocking, Emily entered the private lounge and went directly to Colby. “We need the Venecian wine and a couple swords right now.”

Colby turned to the rest of the men sitting around the room. “Grab your weapons, walk downstairs one at time.” Colby turned to Emily, “A couple more of the boys are sleeping, wake them and tell them to go outside and watch the exits. When you’ve done that, stay here.”

“I can help,” insisted Emily.

“I know you can,” replied Colby, “You are going to take that crossbow on the wall and make sure no one that you don’t recognize comes up those stairs. Make sure you watch the back door. I am keeping my back to the stairs, so don’t be letting anyone past you. If they do make it by you, yell like a banshee.”

Emily took the crossbow from the wall along with a quiver of arrows and stood beside the stairs, determined to do her part.

Colby motioned for his companions to make their way downstairs one at a time. It was time to find out what was actually happening downstairs.

Colby grabbed a bottle of wine and went down into the bar. As he reached the bottom stair Colby scanned the room. At first glance it was a normal crowd, a mixture of sailors and locals. A second glance showed Colby what had Everet worried.

Instead of going towards Everet’s table, Colby walked up to the bar and placed himself between two men whose intent might be questionable. As Colby positioned himself at the bar another of his men came down the stairs and casually made his way towards the fireplace. Colby wanted to smile, his men knew exactly what to do. As each of them made their way into the bar they spread out and positioned themselves near a group of the strangers.

…

Tunc Oyal stood at the entrance to the Barnyard pub, he waited for the explosion that would mark the signal for him to enter the bar. Once he entered the bar, his men would start attacking everyone in the pub. The distraction caused by the explosion would give his men all the advantage they would need to quickly kill everyone in the pub. Most of the patrons would be innocent victims, but that was not his problem. The Barnyard was a Thieves’ Guild establishment so it was on his list. Any business or person associating with the Guild was on his list of targets. King Ganus had a good number of spies in Pailtar, giving Tunc and Tolga a very large list of businesses and people to target. Tolga folded his copy of the list and slid it inside his pocket. He would look at it again when they finished at the Barnyard.

Tunc just finished putting the list away when he heard the explosion. Tunc entered the Barnyard, signaling for the attack to begin.

…

Everet heard the explosion and sprang into action, jumping up a half second before Tunc walked into the bar.

As the door opened and Tunc entered, his men stood up and drew their weapons. They expected everyone else to be in shock at the loud explosion. Instead they found men waiting with weapons drawn.

As Evert had instructed, Severa threw Everet’s dagger into the man sitting behind him. The man had been turning, intending on stabbing Everet in the back.

The gasp of air behind him told Everet that Severa’s aim had been true. Everet used his other dagger to stab the man at the next table as he tried to rise to attack. Around the pub, Everet could hear the sounds of men being stabbed and throttled with bottles and beaten with chairs. The attackers without the element of surprise on their side were outnumbered and were falling victim to their own plan.

Glancing back to see that Serena was safe, Everet noted with satisfaction that she had already pulled out her own dagger and attacked one of the other two men at the table behind him. Another of Colby’s men was fighting with the third from that group.

Everet turned his attention to the man coming in the door. This would be the leader, he would be the one Everet wanted to keep alive, at least for a short while, to get information from him. Everet danced his way through Guild men and the attackers, making his way to the leader.

As Tunc entered the bar he immediately saw trouble. The first man up was not one of his own and as that man rose, the woman sitting across from him threw a dagger into the chest of one of his men. From there things only got worse. Tunc’s men were ambushed, someone had anticipated the attack and the room was full of Guild men, armed and ready. The battle was a slaughter, but not in the way Tunc had envisioned it when he and Tolga planned it.

Fury and frustration filled Tunc as he watched that first man, the one who had started his own ambush, make his way towards him..

Raising his sword, Tunc moved forward to meet the bastard who had thwarted his plan. Tunc advanced to kill the son of a whore and then flee the pub. Hoping for a quick kill, Tunc lunged forward striking out with a quick stab of his sword. With luck, the whoreson would run right into the blade and impale himself.

Tunc was not lucky.

Everet, seeing Tunc’s intentions, dove to the ground and did a barrel roll, rolling on his shoulder until he was crouched on one leg sitting at Tunc’s feet. Using his dagger, Everet sliced the man’s Achilles tendon, and then when the man lifted his wounded leg in agony, Everet slammed his shoulder into the man’s other knee, sending him crashing to the ground.

Everet stomped on the man’s sword hand, forcing him to release his weapon. Everet then kicked the sword away.

Tunc could not believe it. Not only had his lunging attack failed, he was now sitting on his backside, one tendon sliced open and his other leg collapsed by the whoreson of a scheming bastard! Tunc closed his eyes and tried to ignore the pain of his legs. He knew he was doomed.

“Who sent you?” Everet asked the injured leader.

Tunc looked up at Everet and grimaced, “You think you’ve stopped anything? This is just the beginning.”

“Come on, don’t be like that!” Everet reached down and grabbed Tunc’s injured leg.

Tunc screamed in agony.

“Let’s try again. Who sent you?”

“King Ganus. It was King Ganus,” spit out Tunc, the pain overriding his desire to not cooperate with Everet.

“That is a much better answer, thank you. Now, where else are you planning on attacking.?”

“Torturing me isn’t going to help you, King Ganus is coming. Pailtar will fall!” yelled Tunc. He then pulled a small blade out and defiantly slit his own throat.

“You know, when a man would rather kill himself than talk to you it is probably a good indicator that your people skills need work.”

Everet turned to see who was critiquing his interrogation techniques.

Colby winked before continuing, “So King Ganus is hiring mercenaries. I recognize this one. His name is Tunc Oyal. He and his brother have a large mercenary force.” Colby looked around the pub and counted dead mercenaries. “I don’t see his brother, and they had many more men than this under their command. I’m afraid this will not have been the only attack.”

Everet agreed. “That explosion was north of here.”

Colby thought about it for a few seconds. “It might have been an attack on the city guards. Something to distract them from helping us.”

Everet kneeled down beside the dead Tunc. “We better see if he had any information of value on him.” Patting him down, Everet found the list in his pocket. Pulling it out, Everet glanced at it and then handed the paper to Colby.

Colby barked at the Guild men, “Grab everyone you can find, and check the warehouses. Bollo, you come with me. Colby turned to Everet, “Thank you, without your warning we would have been slaughtered. If I can bother you for another favor I need to go check on the Broken Dagger, it was the next place on this list.”

“Let’s go,” said Everet.

…

Tolga and his men arrived at the Guild school. As promised, a mage was waiting for them. Several of the instructors at the school were powerful magic users, and some of the older students would be trouble to defeat. The mage, a dark and mysterious man said to be from the Western Isles made Tolga nervous, but attacking the Guild School without a powerful mage was suicide so Tolga ignored his distrust of the strange magic user.