Continuing to the third floor, they paused and Throst gave a silent look to both his men. Dan nodded in understanding and handed the candle to Olaf. The light began to quake, and Throst smirked at Olaf's fearful quake. He shot Throst a frown and looked away. Using hand gestures, Throst pantomimed strangling a man with both hands. Dan mimicked him with a wicked smile. Throst stepped down and let Dan go first. Though he had an ax and sword, a silent death was necessary for their eventual escape. Besides, blood would run through the floorboards and alert the guards below.
Unfortunately, the guard on this level had already awakened. He sat at the edge of his makeshift bed, hair a tangle with bits of straw still clinging to it. He rested on his knees, and stared at them as if he hadn't yet awakened. Throst feared the guard would shout a warning, but Dan struck fast. His ponderous weight thudded heavily across the floorboards, loud enough to Throst's ears to awaken everyone between here and Paris. Yet Dan's thick hands seized the Frank's throat, and the two fell back on his bed.
The swaying light of Olaf's candle flashed across the struggle. The Frank began kicking, and Throst grabbed his legs to still him. A desperate choking sound was all the Frank managed, and ceased long before Dan released him. After a few more moments, Throst tapped Dan's shoulder.
"Don't pop off his head," he whispered. "I think you can drop him. He's bluer than a dolphin."
Olaf hissed for silence, and the three froze. Olaf shielded his candle and all three watched the dark hole of the stairs down. Relieved it was nothing more than snoring, they returned to their task.
"Let's get gone." Olaf's voice cracked as he tried to keep it low. Throst ignored him, picked up his ax and sword, then faced the bolted door where Gunnar and Toki were imprisoned.
"Just a few more things to do, and we're finished." Throst drew the sword and placed the sheath by the dead guard. With both weapons in hand, he gestured for Dan to unbolt the door.
The heavy bolts lifted out of the brackets, and Dan gripped one like a hammer ready to strike. Olaf, lofting his candle high with one hand, pulled the door open.
At first Throst saw nothing in the darkness but the faintest rectangle of gray predawn light high to the left. Olaf's candle feebly lit the entrance and nothing but rotten straw showed. A terrible smell of sweat and urine spilled out of the room. Impatient, he nodded Olaf forward with the candle, which he hesitated to do until prodded with the point of Throst's sword.
The circle of light crawled across two sets of booted feet peeking from beneath a single wool blanket. Throst recognized Gunnar and assumed the other man was Toki. Both slept soundly, and Throst let out a relieved laugh. He had expected a rush from the shadows.
"Good morning," he said as he pricked at their feet with his sword. "Time to get up and face the most important day of your life."
Gunnar recoiled from the blade, his eyes wild and disoriented. Toki, startled by the commotion, reacted with more alertness. He too backed up, but he had already gathered the blanket into his hand to serve as a net if he needed it. Throst stepped back from both of them.
"We're not Franks; so keep your voices down if you don't want to summon every man in this tower."
Toki was on his feet and Gunnar regained himself. Throst had Dan to flank him and Olaf to block the exit. His two weapons flashed candlelight, and Toki's eyes flickered to them.
"And you don't seem much like friends, either. Who are you?"
"You would not recognize me, but your nephew should. Olaf, bring that candle closer."
Throst smiled as Gunnar studied him. He enjoyed the rapid transition of expressions, from confusion, to curiosity, then to recognition and finally rage.
"Throst, you fucking bastard!" Gunnar leapt forward but Toki barred him with an outstretched arm, his eyes never leaving the gleaming point of the sword facing them.
"Voices, please. Only the guard on this floor is dead but the others are quite alive. The sun will rise soon, and so will they, if you don't awaken them now."
"What is this all about?" Toki asked, pulling Gunnar closer to his side. "If you're here to kill us, then you won't get the quiet you demand."
"Killing either of you was never my intent, at least not directly."
"Then what about Hakon?" Gunnar hissed, and again Toki laid his arm across his chest.
"Your father hanged my father then tossed my family into the wild. That should be all the explanation you need, but let me be clearer. My father was a stupid drunk, worthless to everyone. Your father knew it and I'm sure he was glad to be rid of him. Honestly, so was I. But it's not for anyone to take what is mine and no one treats me like your father did. No one."
Throst checked his own growing rage and cleared his throat. "I had a chance to build something great, or at least I thought I did, and a chance to make your father pay. I've done that part, I would think. But now everything is different. My plans are all failures. I've gotten nothing for my efforts, but for these two friends with me this morning. Clovis stole my only hostage, your dear brother, and has stripped me of my honor. He has me shoveling horse shit. Do you know how much one horse can shit in a day, never mind the dozens that Theodoric has stabled here?"
Gunnar and Toki stared at him as if he were mad. Perhaps he was, and he did not care. He was telling them the truth and it felt good. No one treats a freeman like a slave, and makes a skilled warrior a stable boy.
"Your hardship touches me," Toki said. "It's too bad that deceit and treachery don't pay more coin."
"I agree, for I should be a rich man by now. I should've grabbed Ulfrik's first offer and ran, but there was more for the taking. I just couldn't get it. Now Clovis will have all the fun. Or at least he thinks he will."
Throst let their confusion bloom in the pause, then he lowered the sword to the floor, keeping his ax at the ready. Toki and Gunnar stared blankly at the weapon as he backed away from it. Dan stood poised to bash them with the heavy wooden bolt if they attacked. Both edged to the door, and Olaf was tugging at the back of Throst's shirt. "Hurry, dawn is coming."
"I've no means to get back at Clovis other than to ruin his plans. Take this sword and find your way out, or earn yourself a good death. As long as Clovis can't profit from you, I'm happy. Now I've got to go. Your brother is held on the floor below us, and the rest of your men somewhere below this tower. I've never seen that place."
"By Freya's tits, man, shut up. I'm leaving," Olaf pulled back, but Dan caught him before he could go.
"How are you getting out?" Gunnar asked.
"This ax, darkness, and a rope is all I need." Throst winked at him. "But I'm not leaving it behind for you."
Gunnar stepped forward to retrieve the sword, he pointed it at Throst and hissed as loudly as he dared. "This bit of help won't save your hide. When I find you next, you will die."
"You won't find me, not unless I want you to, little boy."
Olaf glided down the stairs, followed by Throst and Dan covering the rear. Neither bothered to check if the others followed. At the exit of the tower, Olaf extinguished the candle and they flitted into the shadows between buildings. Throst glanced at the tower behind them, wondering how Gunnar would fare. He shook his head. That whole adventure was over now. He had to settle a few more things before moving on.
"Dan, the coil of rope." Throst held out his hand. "I'll take a running leap at the wall, and once Olaf and I are on the other side we should be able to anchor this rope well enough for you to climb. But you've got to be quick."