Discordant Note | TBATE

Chapter 43: Rescue

Naereni

I watched the Joan Estate from the trees, noting how there appeared to be fewer men on patrol than the last time I came here. I was standing outside their perimeter, staring in through their iron gates. The grounds were ominously quiet, not even crickets chirping to alert us of life.

Karsien had elected to work with these renegade mages in saving Toren, but our goals were not just one. After all, the distillery wasn't destroyed yet.

But there was a spark of hope where before I felt despair. Our number had more than doubled from these new mages. Most of the group was composed of shields, so we would be able to defend from far more than we could put out.

Wade stepped up to the fence, a couple of rats crowding around his feet. They had slowly joined him as we ran over here, their little feet keeping up with our group surprisingly well. His light brown hair was a mess from the beating he'd received, and he hadn't managed to find a new pair of glasses.

Karsien squinted through the bars, his mask hiding what he thought. Then he turned to our new companions. "We've got two goals, here: find Toren, and destroy the blithe distillery," he said.

I heard one of the shields grunt. He had a slight paunch, but I suspected if he ever smiled he would look jolly. But the man had a look on his face as if he was constipated. "Didn't sign up to help the Joans make drugs," he said. "Dusk's my priority, but I'll help where I can."

There were words of agreement from the other mages. I'd learned that they were all part of the Clarwood Forest expedition which Toren saved. Apparently, the realization that the acidbeam paper they'd risked their lives to obtain was being used as a pleasure drug did not sit well with them.

Additionally, the fact that their benefactor was being held captive by those very employers was enough to make them turn.

"Do you have a plan to locate either Dusk or the distillery? I'm sure the distillery was moved somewhere beneath the estate from what I heard in my last few days working for the Joans, but I don't know anything specific enough," Aban said, looking at Karsien meaningfully.

"That's where our sentry comes in," Karsien said, gesturing to Wade. "He's scouted this place before, so it'll take less time. We'll know everything about it soon."

Wade blinked as the attention of everybody turned to him. After a moment, he began to speak, holding his chin upright even though he wasn't facing the audience; off by perhaps thirty degrees. "My familiars can report what they see back to me," he said. "Even if I can't see very well right now, they can just fine."

A hand went up hesitantly, connected to the other sentry. "I have a question," he said. "Do you get images back from your familiars, or do they communicate in a different way?"

"Images, but they have to return to me first," Wade replied.

"Then I might have an idea..."

—

Wade's rats scampered off in twos and threes, bounding across the lawn toward the estate. I watched them go nervously, twirling an ice dagger in my hands.

The other sentry was doing something with his mana, peering at the building with squinted eyes. My heart rate was noticeably above the norm, the nerves and tension of preparing for this battle making me think over everything I had done.

Was I strong enough to actually attack this place? The last time I was here I was sent running away. It was my first big failure, and looking at the well-cared-for grounds made the familiar shame of being caught rise up again.

"You're ready for this, Naereni," Hofal said from beside me. He was staring at the estate as well, his axe resting on his shoulder. "You're one of the strongest women I know. You've laid down enough blocks to make a wonderful structure. Now, all you need to do is affix that steeple," he said, referencing one of his old stories.