HawkShadow nodded and leaned out the window of their room, which faced an alley. He looked both ways before easing through the window and waiting outside for StarWind. She followed silently and the two Sakovans stole up the alley. It was well past bedtime for all but the most nocturnal of citizens and the streets were empty except for Imperial Guards. The patrols were sparse in the Merchant’s District with the majority of security centered around the government buildings. While this made their trip towards the center of the city rather uneventful, it also made entrance into the Mayor’s mansion all but impossible.
The two black-clad warriors reached the center of the city and halted in the darkness of a doorway. They looked out across the park and studied the movements of the patrols for a long time.
“There is a pattern,” offered HawkShadow, “but it does us no good. They have it arranged so that there is always a patrol visible. There is not a chance that we can make it across the park. We will have to work our way around to the other side and see what that looks like.”
“The other side has a high wall,” informed StarWind. “We will be blind to who is inside if we have to scale it.”
HawkShadow shrugged and nodded and led the way back out of the City Center. StarWind followed silently as they circled around the blocks of government buildings, keeping well away from the areas that were heavily patrolled. Eventually they came out to a broad avenue with large oak trees on one side and a high stone wall on the other. The solid expanse of wall was broken every so often by a stone pillar that rose slightly higher than the wall. HawkShadow scampered up a tree and peered in both directions for a time before dropping back to the ground.
“The patrols turn around at the ends of the wall,” he mentioned. “They do survey its length, but I do not think any of them will actually march down here unless there is a disturbance.”
“I am more worried about what waits for us on the other side,” whispered StarWind. “Once we drop into the grounds, we will be exposed if we try to climb back out. We could be trapped in there.”
“It is likely that there will be patrols inside the wall,” agreed HawkShadow. “That is probably why they don’t need a lot of scrutiny out here. Do you have a better idea?”
StarWind shook her head and lifted the coil of rope off her shoulder. With a signal to HawkShadow, she dashed across the avenue and placed her back to the wall alongside one of the pillars. HawkShadow darted over as StarWind tied a loop in one end of the rope and tossed it over the top of the pillar. HawkShadow grabbed the free end and tugged once before scampering up the rope. StarWind followed right on his heels and pulled the rope into the mansion grounds as she landed on the other side of the wall.
The two black-clad warriors crouched next to the wall and surveyed the estate. The ground along the wall was peppered with low shrubs, but nothing large enough that would impede the view of the patrols. The landscape between the duo and their target building was flat and open, broken only by a small grove of trees halfway across the broad expanse. A pathway ran between the grove and the building and another between the grove and the wall. HawkShadow peered at the mansion and tried to estimate how long it would take to dash across the open ground and throw his rope over the balcony railing and climb up. His estimate of their success was not good, but he tied a loop on his own rope anyway. Too much was riding on this mission for them to turn and run. A war could be avoided and they had to try their best to get to the Mayor.
With a sudden tap from HawkShadow, StarWind flattened herself to the ground alongside the Sakovan assassin as a patrol rounded the corner of the distant building. HawkShadow could see the two distinct paths the patrol could chose from and hoped they took the one closer to the building as the near one would bring them dangerously close to where the Sakovans were, almost assuredly leading to their discovery.
The patrol chose the path along the wall and HawkShadow cringed as he lifted several stars from his pouch. “We have no choice,” he whispered to StarWind. “If they get the chance to alert the others, we will be dead in minutes. I will take the lead two and you get the other two.”
StarWind did not reply as she extracted stars from her own pouch and prepared to kill the Imperial Guards. HawkShadow slithered away from StarWind to put some distance between them before the patrol arrived. He was just about to toss his first star when an Imperial Guard stepped out of the small grove of trees and called to the patrol. The patrol halted not twenty feet from the prone Sakovans and turned towards the Imperial Guard who had hailed them. The lone guard approached the patrol and started issuing terse commands, pointing and gesticulating towards the front of the estate. The patrol leader saluted and led his team on the run in the direction the lone guard had pointed.
HawkShadow slid back to StarWind and whispered to her, “That guard must have seen us enter from where he was in the grove. I do not understand what is happening or why he sent the patrol away. Should we kill him and make a dash for the building?”
StarWind studied the guard, who was standing on the path starring in their general direction, but not right at them. She squinted and cocked her head as she watched the guard smile broadly. He waved his hand to summon the Sakovans out of their hiding spot and StarWind stood up and walked towards him. HawkShadow’s eyes widened with shock and his mouth refused to close as he watched his partner give herself up to the enemy. His arm drew back, star in hand, to wipe the smile off the guard’s face as he watched StarWind approach.
“HawkShadow,” she called softly, “hurry up. There is no time to waste.”
HawkShadow’s arm froze before releasing the star. With a great deal of skepticism, he rose and followed StarWind towards the Imperial Guard. He heard StarWind speaking to the guard and hastened forward.
“I don’t know if I can divert them again when you are done,” the guard was saying, “but signal me and I will try. Don’t dally because that patrol’s confusion will only last for a while.”
“Get yourself out of here, Fisher,” ordered StarWind. “You are taking too big of a risk. Either the Mayor will give us safe passage out, or we will not be leaving.”
HawkShadow halted alongside StarWind and gazed at the Imperial Guard with shock. “Fisher?” he questioned. “How in Kaltara’s name did you get in here?”
“Why would anyone keep an Imperial Guard Captain out?” grinned Fisher. “Hurry along. Another patrol is due shortly and the first may return unexpectedly.”
HawkShadow nodded, pushed his questions out of his mind, and raced for the building with StarWind close behind. He swiftly tossed his rope over a balcony railing post and tested its firmness before climbing up. When StarWind reached the top, HawkShadow hauled the rope up and dropped it to the floor. Looking back towards the grounds, he noticed Fisher had already disappeared and he turned his attention to the door barring his entry into the building.
StarWind flashed a thin piece of metal, but HawkShadow shook his head as he eased the unlocked door open. The black-clad duo stepped into the room and slid the door closed. HawkShadow waited stiffly for a few moments as his eyes adjusted to the darker interior and then scanned what appeared to be a bedroom. A lone figure occupied the bed. StarWind shook her head and led the way to another doorway leading into the main part of the mansion.
Torchlight penetrated the darkness as StarWind cracked the door open. She peered into the hallway before easing through the door with HawkShadow right behind her.
“How do you know where to go?” HawkShadow whispered.
“I don’t,” admitted StarWind, “but I do know that the Mayor lives on the third floor. The first floor is for offices and the second hosts guest bedrooms. We have to find some stairs.”
HawkShadow nodded and swiftly led the way down the hall, his figure moving like the shadow of a hawk, giving credence to his name. As they reached the end of the hall where it intersected with another corridor, HawkShadow heard someone approaching and backpedaled to the nearest door and tried the doorknob. It was locked.