Without a King (Greatest Thief 1, mxm)

Chapter Seventeen

"Why do you need your sword?" I asked. "Where are we going?"

Tannix was just finishing buckling his belt. Without looking at me, he went to his closet and pulled out a deep blue cloak. "I told you we didn't have time for a walk," he said unhelpfully, as if that answered my questions. He draped the cloak over his shoulders.

"Yes," I said. It was clear he wasn't going to elaborate. "When you're in a hurry, do you always decide to waste time by bringing your sword?"

"We're in a hurry because I'm on guard duty tonight, and soon I'll need to relieve one of the guards near the main gate. For that, I need my sword."

"You have guards? I've never seen any."

Tannix sighed as he crouched to tie his boots. "We post guards by the main gate. When we get older, we gradually start to take shifts. We don't guard the walls because it is assumed that they're impossible to get over. Obviously a design flaw, and I would report it, except that I enjoy your visits." He hesitated as he stood up. "So yes, we have guards."

"Should I avoid the gate?"

"Usually, but now I want you to meet me there. We can talk until I have to go on duty, and then you'll have an easy route out."

"And if the other guard sees me?"

"He won't," Tannix said. "I can plan better than that. Do you want to see a map?"

I shook my head. "No, I'll find it on my own. How long will it take you to get there?"

"Ten minutes at the most."

I turned towards the window and stepped up onto the sill, not saying anything for a moment. "That long? I'll be there in five." I pulled myself outside before he could come up with anything to say in response. Considering I didn't really know where I was going, I actually doubted I would get there before him.

When I reached the roof, I looked across the courtyard towards the gate. Most of the wall was tall and solid. If not impossible to get over, it was at least hard to climb. Then again, anyone trained to climb at the Order could potentially make it over, which really made me wonder why no one had thought of it before. I turned my attention to the courtyard. It was quiet, so I wasn't worried about being seen as long as I was careful.

I climbed down from the roof, planning my route in my head. The thin cobbled walkway that ran between the wall and the ring of buildings would be the safest route. The courtyard looked deserted, but it wasn't worth the risk of sauntering right through it. When I reached the path, the memory of the last time I had been there crossed my mind, when I had finally told Tannix the truth about who I was. 

When he had let me go. 

I did my best to ignore the memory as I continued along the path. A few times, I heard voices and pressed myself into a shadow, but no one stepped out onto the walkway. I thanked Zianesa silently each time it happened.

The gate itself was arched and seemed unnecessarily tall, because it had more than enough room for a man on horseback to ride through. The opening was blocked by a sturdy metal portcullis that could be drawn up to allow people though. Within the portcullis there was a smaller hinged section about the size of a normal door, which would be used more often. There was one guard near it, standing against the stone wall and lazily holding a spear in his hand. 

This part of the wall was thicker, unlike the rest of it there was quite a lot of room for people to walk and move around. There was even a little building above the gate which I assumed was a guardhouse. On each end of the platform, I could make out the faint silhouette of a guard.