"We are going to rescue Kid and anyone else who needs rescuing," she told the others over her shoulder.
"Mind telling us how?" asked Mumchance.
"We'll do like we always do. We'll make one plan as we go along," Ivy replied. "And have a spare plan hidden in our back pockets, just in case something goes wrong."
Ahead of them, Kid pondered the best way to murder a magelord. He knew that humans regarded him as a child and was often amused by their assumption that anything small must be young and harmless. Actually he was quite capable of defending himself and, prior to meeting Ivy, usually found the most lethal response as the easiest and quickest way to get what he wanted. It was the same with thieving. If you desired something, take it, because no one would ever just hand it to you-that he had learned long ago from the red wizards and the magelords.
But then he had met the Siegebreakers, who gave all the time-food to strays, protection to anyone who asked. They might moan and groan about how they would be bankrupt within days, or bluster about how they were heartless mercenaries only out for profit, but it never stopped them from defending a bunch of hardscrabble pig farmers against a wizard bent on stealing their land and hogs. And collecting no more payment than a few smoked hams.
"They are all children, dear sir," Kid had once told Mumchance, who was the only person on the farm even close to his own age and experience. "So open with their hearts, so naive."
"Of course, they have only lived a couple of decades, not centuries as you and I," said the dwarf. "Their earliest dreams are still fresh in their heads. That is the most terrifying feature of all those with human blood in their veins. They are capable of so much, simply because they believe that they can accomplish their dreams. Both good and bad. Of course, that is also their most attractive quality-one that can seduce even a centuries-wise dwarf and a cunning thief into believing the same dreams." Kid bowed before the old dwarf that day, realizing that Mumchance was right.
In his earliest decades spent in the dungeons of Thay, Kid had never known that the dreams of humans could be anything other than nightmares. Later, as the slave of Toram, Kid had survived by cringing before the grave-robbing magelord and pretending to be the child that he appeared. But the first flash of joy that he had ever known was the day that he sank his teeth into Archlis's hand and escaped from slavery. Now, Archlis thought he could take Toram's place as his master; but not for long, resolved Kid. He would never be a slave again. He had a home to go to, a barn roof to fix, and an odd assortment of a female fighter, a family of half-humans, and one ancient dwarf to protect. Without his cunning, who knew what trouble the Siegebreakers would encounter?
Kid fingered the knives hidden under the collar of his tunic and surreptitiously checked the multitude of charms hanging from Archlis's tabard-he recognized one or two that had formerly belonged to Toram. Such charms protected the magelord from most edged weapons. Still, if he could cut off the charm and then strike with the dagger, he stood a good chance. The bugbears he dismissed with contempt. He knew that he was faster and cleverer than they were.
Kid's ears swiveled back and forth as he considered the quickest way to kill Archlis. But what of Ivy and the others? Behind him, Kid could hear the river rising. Perhaps he should wait to kill the magelord-wait until he knew the way out and could lead the others. After all, they would need rescuing, and it was his duty (an odd word for him, and one that he had never used out loud) to save them.
Perhaps he should wait until the magelord had retrieved his prize. The Siegebreakers needed money, and Archlis would not be in this place unless he sought a very great treasure. Kid remembered the magelord's greed was considerable, but so was the mage's cunning. Archlis would not risk losing Fottergrim's patronage for a mere trifle.
So, wait until the magelord had what he sought in hand and then kill him, Kid decided, glancing up at the long-nosed wizard striding beside him. As Ivy would say, it was a plan. Then Kid's sharp hearing caught another sound coming from behind them-the sound that a pair of well-made bootheels make when their owner thinks he is being stealthy. Kid's eyes slid sideways as he checked the bugbears. They were busy with one of their growling arguments about poetry-love poetry in particular.
"One could say that a past love drives all chance of other loves out of the heart," said Norimgic in a bitter tone.
"Yet, one could still express desire for the nearest female, even long for her," answered Osteroric.
"True. And how much more moving that would be," mused Norimgic. "I want, I need, but I cannot love."
"Two emotions but never the third."
"Yes, but how to express this, my brother?"
"It needs a good strong rhythm, such a love poem."
Clearly the bugbears were paying no attention at all to anything but their own concerns. Archlis also was concentrated on the way before them, checking the corridor's turns against a page in the spellbook that he had stolen from the unlamented Toram.
Kid's right ear twitched back. Yes, that was definitely a pair of proper Procampur boots following them. Which meant a proper Procampur gentleman who believed that such things as duty and loyalty were as real as the crystals studding the walls. Once Kid would have called such a man foolish, but that was before he had met the Siegebreakers. Now he was just pleased that another mad dreamer was following them. Sanval would take care of the bugbears nicely, while Kid found a way around the charms that Archlis wore and slit his throat. Or maybe the charms only worked on metal, Kid suddenly thought, and a good solid rock right to the base of the skull would work.
A pair of golden doors blocked their way.
"Open this!" commanded the magelord.
"Certainly, certainly," said Kid, scurrying to where the magelord pointed. He kept his head down so Archlis could not see the malice in his eyes. The door locks were easy to pick and easy to leave open, all the better for any followers who might be coming after them.
And once they found the magelord's treasure, Archlis would be distracted and so much easier to kill. It seemed like an excellent plan to Kid.
Once down the stairs, a quick glance showed Sanval that the crystals lining the corridor generated a magical light, a twilight glow that seemed almost bright after nearly a day of tramping through dark tunnels. It made it easy to see the long scratch on the wall, left by the rake of a bugbear's claws. Osteroric was holding to his bargain, and marking the way for Sanval to follow. Of course, Osteroric thought Sanval was just following them to find a way out. The bugbear wasn't going to be too pleased when Sanval ambushed them, and that worried Sanval a bit. Was it honorable to turn on an ally, even if the ally was essentially helping you for a bright piece of armor and was also a creature not particularly known for its social graces? Sanval tapped his helmet to make sure it was straight and decided to deal with events as they happened.
Moving back up the stairs rapidly and as silently as he could, Sanval left his last candle burning on the top step. He remembered what Ivy had said about the keen eyesight of the dwarf and the others. Surely they would spot that light and understand that he meant them to follow him. Certainly the Siegebreakers would have destroyed the destrachans. If they had not… Sanval refused to consider that possibility. The beasts were just animals, and Sanval knew that Ivy, Mumchance, Gunderal, and Zuzzara were far cleverer than any animal.
Besides, as much as Gunderal did not fit Sanval's concept of a wizard (he tended to think of all wizards as strange, old, white-bearded men, never mind that the Pearl was the most powerful wizard in Procampur), he had seen her perform magic. Like most of those educated in Procampur-where wizardry was strictly regulated by the Pearl and largely discouraged altogether-Sanval believed that magic could give anyone an overwhelming, and rather unfair advantage in a fight. Which, of course, was why he needed to stop Archlis before the magelord returned to the walls of Tsurlagol and hurled his devastating fireballs against Procampur's troops. And there was that poor little chap, Ivy's friend Kid, who was probably terrified by the magelord. He could not leave a child in the grasp of someone so evil.