Death's Sword Book 1: Finding and Seeking

Chapter 16, part 3: Day 23 closed

"It's very irregular," said the guard, shaking his head in doubt, "Very irregular indeed. More'n my jobs worth to let you through," he decided, a note of regret in his voice.

"Oh, please!" begged the youth on the shaggy little dorvei, "I have to get to my uncle with an urgent message. He's with our sheep. Just this once? It can't hurt, can it?" His face was twisted in anxiety as he pleaded with the guards. "Well, I don't know," said the first guard, pushing his helmet back and mopping his brow with a piece of cloth. "Oh, go on, Franz," said the second, giving him a nudge, "The boy's right. What harm can it do?" The first guard began to look undecided again. "Well...," he said, pulling a face. The youth cut into the brief pause, "My aunt, the other one, she works at The Golden Bell. I'm sure if I told her how you'd helped..." His voice trailed off suggestively, a gleam of hope coming into his eyes. "Oh, alright, then. Be quick about it, though," said the first guard, unbolting the small gate.

With considerable effort from both men, the gate swung open. The youth pushed through the long tunnel that cut through the wall, leading his dorvei. He opened the gate at the other end with ease. "Thanks!" he called back to the guards, "You won't forget this!" He jumped into the saddle and disappeared from their view. The guards looked at each other, puzzled by his words.

From above came a shout of alarm and outrage. Archers ran along the wall, fired a couple of despairing arrows at some target beyond the defences. "Hey, what are you doing?" shouted the second guard, pounding up the stairs. The leader of the archers greeted him in a fury, "What did you think you were doing, idiot? Look!" The guards looked. A tall brown dorvei was racing across the cleared area, directly away from the wall. On its back sat a hunchbacked figure wrapped in a tattered leather cloak....