Ghost Wounds, Episode 3
“I suppose I can wait until Lord Lucan returns,” you tell Noraster. A thought occurs to you, and you keep your voice calm. “Please escort me to the common room. I will take some wine, I think.”
And return with reinforcements.
“Of course, my lady,” says Noraster, a slight frown on his face. “I…”
Sudden movement on the balcony.
You duck, shoving Noraster aside, as a man steps into view on the balcony, a crossbow in his hands. An instant later the quarrel zips past your shoulder and buries itself in the wall. You come around in a spin, daggers in either hand, and leap at the shooter. The crossbowman bellows a curse and tries to swing his bow around as a club, but you drive your shoulder into his stomach and knock him over the balcony railing.
His leg makes quite a loud snapping noise as it strikes the street two stories below.
You whirl just in time to see two more men burst from Lucan’s bedroom, clad in leather armor, swords in their hands. Members of the Kindred assassins’ brotherhood, you realized, the frequent paid executioners of the magi. The Kindred have been trying to kill you for years now, but it’s a remarkable coincidence that they should turn up just after Lucan disappears…
Then the assassins rush you, and there’s no more time for thought. Right away you are overmatched, and the men drive you back across the sitting room as you duck and dodge, sometimes blocking swings with your daggers. Both the Kindred are good, and used to fighting as a team, and unless you think of something clever you’re going to die very quickly.
Then Noraster steps behind one of the Kindred, something black in his hands, and swings it smartly against the assassin’s skull. The man’s eyes roll up, and he collapses to the floor. The second assassin glances Noraster’s way, reacting to the new threat, and that’s all the opening you need to step forward and plunge your dagger into the man’s throat.
“Bother,” mutters Noraster as the assassin crumples. “Getting blood out of the carpets is always an ordeal.”
You see that the slender black thing in his hands is a sap, a cylindrical leather bag filled with metal pellets, and from the way he’s holding it, he’s used it before. Frequently.
“Interesting tool for a manservant to have,” you say.
Noraster bows. “Forgive me, my lady. His lordship likes to masquerade as a drunken idler, but we both know that his real business is a bit more…vigorous, shall we say? I have certain skills in that area, the legacy of a misspent youth, and have been privileged to assist his lordship from time to time. And his lordship would be most displeased if you were to come to any harm. Direct action is so dreadfully uncouth, but it seemed appropriate at the time.”
“Your timing was excellent,” you say, cleaning off your dagger on the dead man’s sleeve.
Noraster bows again and taps the unconscious Kindred with his foot. “I fear I might have struck this one a touch too forcefully, and he may not awake. However, if the screams coming through the balcony doors are any indication, the assassin you knocked over the railing is still alive, and may prove…ahem, amenable to questioning.” He gives you that kindly grandfather smile again. “I have certain skills in that area, as well.”
“That must have been quite a misspent youth,” you mutter, thinking it through.
You have to find Lucan before Croanna can kill him. If she hasn’t already, of course…
No. Don’t think about that.
It’s unlikely that the surviving assassin knows anything useful. The rank-and-file assassins usually receive their orders from the Kindred elders, and rarely know anything about their clients. It’s not impossible, however.
You could go to the Inn of the Golden Milestone, where Croanna ordered Lucan to meet her. Noon was six hours ago, but someone on the Inn of the Golden Milestone’s staff would surely have seen something.
Finally, someone delivered Croanna’s note to the Black Cuirass Inn. The Ghosts own the Black Cuirass Inn, and keep track of all visitors. If you can find whatever messenger delivered the note, it might bring you one step closer to Croanna.
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