Chapter 28: Creeping Past the Gates

As the Imperials advanced towards them along the city wall, Alcar watched as Olynka tried to secure the grappling hook on a metal torch loop on the inside of the wall. He then looked out to the street beyond, and recognised that the long, dark building up ahead was the main city prison. This could be where Duke Frage’s men had taken Brutus’s owners.

Brutus could be faithfully waiting there at this very moment, he thought to himself...

“Hurry,” said Leppie, looking over at Olynka’s work with the grappling hook.

“I’m trying,” she replied. ”It would be easier if there was a pole or something that we could just loop it around.”

“Shouldn’t there be some knots to climb down, too?” asked Leppie, leaning forward over the edge and raising a coil of rope in her hand. “I don’t think we can just slide down.”

“We’ll just ask the Imperials to wait while you tie knots in the rope, then,” said Etienne.

“Very funny.”

“They’re almost here,” said Olynka, glancing around, her eyes widening as the Imperials continued their approach.

“Then get going,” said Alcar, feeling suddenly determined now that a decision had been made. “Leppie, let it down!”

Moments later, Alcar was standing atop the front crenellations of the wall as one after another of the companions began to climb down the rope. Etienne had gone first, holding one sack, followed by Leppie with the other. Olynka had fired a warning shot towards the approaching soldiers, causing them to slow and raise their shields, and then followed. Alcar knew it wouldn’t be long now before the soldiers were on him.

He had to hurry.

Alcar took one last look to see that Olynka had slid to around two-thirds of the way down the rope. “I’ll join you near the gate!” he cried, and then he darted across the top of the wall to where the grappling hook was secured. Pulling out his dagger, he slashed at the rope, causing it to fly across the wall. The end whipped out and disappeared over the top of the wall. But by that point, Alcar was already sprinting down the steps and into the city again, the soldiers just a few yards behind.

“Stop the wizard!” cried a voice, and there were several answering jeers.

Alcar was aware of the clanking and the sound of booted feet on the steps behind him, but he barely paid them any mind. He had only got a slight head start due to the element of surprise, as the pursuers no doubt expected all four of the fugitives to descend the rope and make it over the city wall. But now, if he kept running, he could surely lose himself in the backstreets.

And then he could look for Brutus.

It wouldn’t be easy, though. The bottles, jars and other sundry purchases were bashing around his legs as he ran, and the staff was weighing him down, too. More importantly, he knew that he would be extremely conspicuous to all, due to the bright-green robes.

As he ran, though a plan for better concealment had already started to form in his mind. He was still holding Brutus’s blanket tucked under his arm, and without breaking stride, he looped it around his shoulders. That would be his disguise – but first he needed to get out of the soldiers’ line of sight.

He turned a corner into a back alley, hoping that it would lead through to the next street. It was dark, and a smell of stale urine assailed his senses. The worst case scenario would be to hit a dead end, and get cornered. As long as he avoided that eventuality, he could keep twisting and turning. And even with his staff and other possessions, he could surely run faster than a soldier in chainmail.

To his relief, the piss-stench alley twisted to the left and then opened out into the street beyond – a wide, paved street that was much more in keeping with what he had seen in the merchants’ quarter so far. He darted across at an angle, and dived into yet another alley. This one was much shorter, and he cut to the left, all the time making for the city prison building.

Now the building loomed clearly ahead of him, the area outside it strewn with discarded barrels and boxes. He could still hear shouts from behind, and the clashing of sword hilts against armor. His pursers had not given up. But one, two, three glances over his shoulder confirmed that none of them were immediately behind.

Smiling grimly at the irony of a situation that saw a fugitive running towards prison, he hunkered among the boxes on the street near the prison building itself, pulling the blanket over his head and trying to make his body as small and low as he could. He was now acutely aware that his lungs were heaving from the chase – surely a giveaway. He needed to get control over his breathing, and quickly.

Fortunately, he could see some things even with the blanket right across his face, for it was thin enough to let some light through. At the row of houses that he had just passed through, two soldiers were now emerging, one on either side. They came out into the street that ran alongside the prison, and looked both ways. One turned away towards the wall, and shouted to some as-yet unseen comrade. Then the pair moved off in opposite directions along the street.

Alcar smiled... until the third soldier emerged, and took up a position at the end of the row of houses himself, planting his spear butt into the ground and waiting.

Damn!

He had assumed that the Imperials would either run the wrong way, or return to the main city wall. He hadn’t counted on them sticking around, blocking him from moving from the spot where he was currently hiding.

At least he was well concealed, a large broken crate largely in-between him and the guard. He slowly shifted his gaze, doing his best to scan the area despite the limitations on looking around from under the blanket.

There was no immediate sign of Brutus being anywhere close, that was for sure.

And so, Alcar waited.