The Kinshield Legacy (48 page)

Daia looked at Edan and jerked her head toward the manor.

Gavin scanned for patrolling guards while the two of them crept around the barn and made their way, crouched, to the five-foot stone wall that defined the boundary of the courtyard. Gavin should be doing that instead. If either of them were injured, he would never forgive himself.

Daia poked her head around the corner of the opening, where a gate hung crookedly from one hinge. She held up one finger and leaned to whisper into Edan’s ear. Edan nodded and they traded places. He nocked an arrow. With one motion, admirably fluid, he pulled the string, leaned around the corner, and fired with a soft thoop. He waved Gavin and the others forward.

Gavin, Domach and Brawna crept over to join Daia and Edan. “Good job, One-Shot,” Gavin said. “There are prob’ly more around front.”

“We can probably avoid them,” Edan said.

“If someone sees us and sounds an alarm, we’ll wish we’d killed them,” Daia replied.

Gavin nodded. “Yeh. Edan, you and Daia go around front and down any guards you see. Demonshredder, where’s Ravenkind keeping Risan?”

“In the cellar. The entrance is in the kitchen, just inside the back door.”

“We might be able to rescue Risan and get out without Ravenkind knowing,” Edan said.

“Let’s hope. But the bastard has my sword,” Gavin said, looking up at the manor with narrowed eyes.

“He keeps it in the library,” Domach whispered. “I suggest you go down and get Risan and I’ll get your sword.”

Gavin nodded. “Good plan.”

“What should I do?” Brawna asked.

Gavin looked around at the others for suggestions, but everyone looked to him for his command. “I need you at my back. Come to the house with us. Stand watch. Take down anyone who happens by. Everyone clear on your jobs?” he asked.

They all nodded.

“You two come to the back door when you’ve taken care o’the guards in front,” he said to Daia and Edan. With a beckoning wave of his arm, Gavin started into the courtyard. The body of the slain guard lay in the grass, and he made his way to it. Domach tapped Gavin’s shoulder and motioned him to go on to the house. Domach picked up the guard’s arm, pulled the body over his shoulder, and started back toward the stable. Gavin motioned to Brawna to follow him, and they crept to the back door of the manor.

Expecting to find it locked, Gavin turned the knob slowly. The latch clicked open.

Brawna followed Gavin through the back door and into a small covered porch. Mops, brooms and dustpans, crates of rags lined the walls. Beyond the threshold was the kitchen, immaculately kept. To the right, on the adjacent wall, was an open door and beyond it, a narrow hallway. Ahead, a large wooden freezing box sat against one wall with a door on each side of it. One had a heavy padlock. Probably the cellar. Brawna scanned the walls and found a key hanging from a nail. She tapped Gavin’s shoulder, holding the key between her finger and thumb. Gavin grinned as he took it, and unlocked and opened the door.

The cellar was completely dark. Gavin beckoned Brawna with a finger.

“Look around for a lamp,” he whispered into her ear.

The feeling of his prickly cheek and warm breath against her ear sent a thrill through her.
Such a man he is.
She’d seen the way he looked at Daia. If Brawna could impress him somehow, he might look at her that way too.

She ducked through the door on the right and started down a long hallway. On the right were three closed doors and on the left a staircase leading up. She went to the first door and eased it open. It was a tiny closet full of junk, but she saw no lamp. She closed the door and went to the next.

As she reached for the knob, it turned suddenly and swung inward. A white-haired man on the other side gasped and jerked. She ran her blade to the guard into his chest. He let out a groan and fell to the floor with a thud.

By Yrys, I killed him.
Her knees went weak and she stumbled, catching herself with her free hand on the doorframe. The feel of her sword as it slid out of his body unnerved her. Her mouth watered and her stomach lurched. Beyonders she had no trouble with, but she’d never thought she would kill an unarmed grandfatherly gent. Then she recognized the sympathetic face of Brodas’s steward, now slack and expressionless. The longer she stared at his dead face, the more horrible the sight of it became. His blood was on her sword, on her hand and sleeve, on her soul.
Yrys no, please, take it back.
A gagging sound escaped her throat.

She had to get control of herself. Gavin was counting on her. The king was counting on her. She could worry over the loss of life later. Brawna took a deep, steadying breath and stepped into the bedroom. Taking the man by the arms, she dragged him back away from the door, looking aside so that she wouldn’t have to see the face of the person she’d slain. A lamp sat on the night table. She grabbed it, shut the door behind her, and returned to the kitchen.

“What was the noise?” Gavin asked into her ear.

“I happened upon the manservant,” she whispered back.

Domach came into the kitchen and nodded to them both. He pointed to the sword on his hip, then to Gavin, and tiptoed down the hall Brawna had come from.

“He’s dead?” Gavin asked her.

She nodded and stifled another gag.

“You awright?”

She swallowed hard and nodded again, although she didn’t feel all right. She’d killed an innocent human being, a man that someone had loved. Someone’s brother, father, uncle and friend.

He put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. While she held the lamp in her quaking hands, he struck a piece of flint with his knife and lit it. Then he pulled the glove from his waistband and drew it onto his left hand. With his sword in the gloved hand and the lamp in the other, he went through the door.

Should she go with the king to protect him? No, he’d killed Enamaria easily enough. Brawna could offer him no protection except by guarding the door. She watched, holding her breath and trembling still, while he started down the stairs.

Chapter 57

The cellar started to brighten, not from the daylight falling down between the boards above, but from the staircase. A few of the stairs creaked as heavy footsteps descended.

Risan sat up, waking Dwaeth with his movement. He cupped a hand gently over the boy’s mouth, then whispered, “Stay quiet,” into his ear. He eased himself down from atop the wardrobe, picked up the broken leg of a chair, and held it ready.

“Risan,” someone said quietly. “Are you here?”

Could it be Domach come to help? Risan would take any help he could get -- even from the man who had beaten him unconscious. But neither would he take chances. If it meant getting out of the cellar alive, he’d take down anyone who stood between him and the door. He flexed his fingers around the makeshift club.

A giant of a man stepped around the corner. In his right hand, he held a lamp, in his left a sword. Not Domach. Risan stepped forward, ready to let loose with a mighty blow. Then recognition bloomed. Gavin Kinshield.

Risan released the club and it clattered to the floor. “Gavin, praise Yrys, it is you.” Risan held out his hand, and Gavin set the lamp on the table and grasped it. Risan felt Gavin’s fingers slip over his fingerless knuckles and loosen, but he gripped Gavin’s hand more firmly and took the warrant knight’s massive forearm with his other hand, pumping madly. “Damn, I am so glad to see you.”

“Good to see you’re awright,” Gavin said softly. He raised his eyes to Dwaeth sitting on the wardrobe.

“Ravenkind?” Risan whispered.

Gavin pointed up. “Asleep.”

Risan turned and beckoned Dwaeth with a wave of his hand. The boy climbed down and came over. Risan put an arm around Dwaeth’s shoulders and pulled him close. “Dwaeth, this is my friend, Gavin,” he whispered. “Let’s go upstairs.”

Dwaeth eyed Gavin warily.

Gavin sheathed his sword and squatted down on his haunches. “You look like a strapping boy about the size of my youngest nephew. What are you, about six? Seven?”

Dwaeth nodded. “Six,” he whispered. “I’m not supposed to talk to strangers.”

“Gavin is not stranger,” Risan said quietly. “He is hero who saved my lovely wife from drowning, and now he is here to help us. Gavin is real warrant knight, strongest swordsman in all Thendylath. His horse, Golam, is big as mountain. If he was stranger, you would not know so much about him, would you?”

Dwaeth smiled and shook his head. He put one hand in Risan’s and reached for Gavin’s with the other.

Together, they ascended into the approaching daylight.

As Gavin neared the top of the cellar stairs, he saw Brawna look toward the door and tense. Gavin drew his sword and stepped into the kitchen in time to see the door swing open. Domach stepped in. A woman’s body hung over his right shoulder and in his left hand, he carried a pair of swords, one bloody. He took the dead guard to the porch and set her down just outside the back door.

“That man works for Ravenkind,” Risan told Gavin, keeping his eyes on Domach.

Domach put his arm around Brawna’s shoulders. “This is my sister. She’s alive because of Gavin. She’s alive because you trusted me.”

Risan nodded and offered Domach his hand. “Then you proved to be honorable man. You kept your promise.” He turned to Gavin. “But I did not. Ravenkind has sword I made for you. I am sorry.”

“It’s not in the library,” Domach said. “He must have it with him.”

Damn. Gavin needed that sword. All right, he wanted the sword. If Brodas could get the King’s Blood-stone using the gems in the sword, Gavin had to get it back. Provided the wizard was still here.

Daia and Edan came into the kitchen from the back door. Daia smiled at Risan. “Good to finally meet you,” she said quietly, offering her hand. “I’m Daia.”

“I owe you debt of gratitude,” Risan whispered as he shook it.

“We should leave now,” Edan said in a hushed voice. “Get to the cave before Ravenkind awakens.”

“He has sword I made for Gavin as
fël
. I will not leave without get it back,” Risan said.

Gavin’s companions turned to him for a decision. “Awright,” Gavin said. “We go upstairs and end it now.” He looked around for agreement and each of them nodded.

“His room’s at the end of the hall,” Domach said.

Dwaeth tugged on Gavin’s shirttail. “One of the stairs creaks,” he whispered.

Gavin squatted. “If I count stairs as I go up, do you know which number it would be?” he asked Dwaeth.

“Twelve?” Dwaeth said with a one-shouldered shrug. His little brow furrowed. “I can’t remember,” he said.

“That’s awright. Twelve’s a good enough guess.” Gavin ruffled his hair and stood. “I’ll go up first.” Daia pressed her lips together and shook her head, but Gavin ignored the gesture. “Once I identify the step, I’ll lay my scabbard across it and everyone else can step over it.” He looked at Risan. “Risan, take the boy and get to safety.”

“I can battle with you, Gavin,” Risan said. He glanced at the weapons Domach had collected from the guards. “Give me sword. Let me help. I have debt to pay Ravenkind,” he said, holding up his three-fingered hand.

Gavin would have suggested Brawna take the child, but he thought Brawna might be better to have with them in a battle than Risan. The Farthan was familiar with weapons, certainly, but was he trained for combat?