Nightfall counted five landings when the upper cone of the tower steepled over his head, the rafters littered with frayed twigs and speckled with bird feces. One of the guards opened the door, and the other eight ushered their prisoner through it. It opened onto a room with a table surrounded by several chairs, and three doors broke the contour of the wall on the opposite side.
"Together or separate," one man asked a broad-shouldered brunet who was obviously the leader.
The large one considered for several moments. "Together, I guess. Better politics."
A short, stocky guard with a crooked nose raised doubts. “Are you sure the duke wanted him brought here? The dungeon…?"
The leader shook his head. "Better politics. We can always move him later. It’s easier to increase than lighten sentence, once done."
One of the sentries who had not spoken loosed a ring of keys from his belt and placed one into the lock of the central door. Nightfall studied it from habit, getting a feel for the general contour. He doubted he could relieve one of the guards of his colossal set of keys without the missing weight becoming obvious, but he did not believe the lock would prove all that difficult to pick anyway.
The leader patted Nightfall’s clothes from neck to ankle, then checked each obvious pocket. By the time he finished, the guard had opened the door and the others had taken defensive but nonthreatening stances. The room contained simply crafted furniture, including a bed, nightstand, and a table that held bins for washing. Prince Edward stood, staring out a semicircular window at the town. He turned.
"In,” the leader said to Nightfall.
Nightfall could not imagine any room looking less like a jail cell. This chamber seemed more comfortable than most of the inn rooms they had shared over the past few months. He entered docilely, and the door swung shut behind him. The oath-bond died to a level just above baseline.
"Sudian." Edward smiled, then his face furrowed. "What are you doing here?"
"Great to see you again, too, Master," Nightfall good-naturedly belittled Edward’s greeting.
"Well, of course I’m glad to see you." Edward moved to the center of the room. "I just don’t like the circumstances. I’m a prisoner, you know."
Nightfall could think of no direct reply that wouldn’t sound either patronizing or inane. "They haven’t harmed you, have they, Master?"
"Certainly not. They’ve taken fine care of me."
Nightfall politely stepped around Edward to look out the window. The ground lay five floors below them. He poked his head through the hole, gauging the distance. He could fit through easily; Edward would have to wriggle and shove. The regular blockwork of the tower would make scaling it a routine effort for him, but he doubted Edward could manage it at all without equipment. He turned. "Let’s go."
"Excuse me, Sudian?"
"I’ll climb out through the window. Then I can get the grapple up here, and you can come down." Although he had deliberately purchased a lightweight grapple, he did not feel certain he could toss it five stories. He did believe he could climb partway and accomplish the throw from there, if necessary. At the worst, he could clamber back to the top and place the grapple in position.
"You mean run? Escape?"
Nightfall blinked, his intention surely obvious. "Well, yes, Master. Of course."
Edward sat on the edge of the bed. "I can’t do that!"
"You can’t?"
“No."
"Why not?"
Edward entwined his fingers in his lap, his attention fixed on his hands. "I did something wrong. I’m imprisoned here until my father and the duke decide punishment."
Nightfall froze, shocked. This complication he had never considered. “But you didn’t do anything to Willafrida."
“I sneaked into her bedroom. That was wrong."
"But…” Nightfall started and stopped. This line of discussion would get him nowhere. They needed to slip away before sunrise or else they would not have another chance until the following night. By that time, Duke Varsah could decide he wanted Nightfall executed or tortured and a note would be on its way to Alyndar. "But, Master. We can’t stay in one place." A good reason presented itself in an instant. "The Iceman will find us.” He paced, wringing his hands, trying to look as frightened and agitated as possible.
Edward looked up. "He can’t find us here."
"He will, Master. I’m sure of it. By morning, every gossip in town will have some story of what happened here. Ritworth will hear." He added in sudden afterthought. “And he can fly." He made a broad arc with his arm to indicate a swoop through the window. "And what about Kelryn? You promised to protect her, too."
"Sudian, it’s all right. We’ll just explain to Duke Varsah, and he’ll protect us all."
"No!" Nightfall spoke before he thought his reply through, but the obvious horror worked as well as any gauged response. "You promised, Master. You promised no one would know about my… my…" He whispered, honestly concerned someone might overhear. "… my curse."
"You mean, birth-gift," Edward corrected.
"The curse is Ritworth. And others like him. There’s no gift in that. Master, please. Please don’t make me beg."
Edward studied his squire with sympathetic eyes. "All right," he said at last. "We go, but it’s against my better instincts. There’ll be long-term ramifications…"
Nightfall was out the window before Prince Edward finished the sentence.
Chapter 16
A wizard hoped to slay the beast.
He conjured up a poisoned feast.
The demon fed him to the crows Darkness comes where Nightfall goes.
– "The Legend of Nightfall"
Nursery rhyme, alternative verse
Moonlight bathed the He-Ain’t-Here Tavern to a red glaze in darkness, and horses stomped and snorted in the paddock. Pressed against the pasture fence, Nightfall watched patrons come and go, identifying them in the open doorway by torchlight from the common room. Prince Edward crouched beside his squire, his huge figure, light-colored silks, and golden hair too obvious a target to Nightfall’s trained eye. Given his way, Nightfall would have had them ride as swiftly as possible to the joust. Abandoning Kelryn would have seemed a blessing, but he had yet to think of an argument that could bypass the prince’s current obsession and convince him to leave her behind. Until he did, he would not mention the possibility as it would only cast suspicion on his motives once an appropriate reason occurred to him.
Silently, Nightfall cursed Edward’s persistence and the situation into which it trapped him. Logic told him allowing Edward into the tavern would prove too dangerous, and the rising tingle of the oath-bond confirmed his doubts. It made more sense for Nightfall to enter the tavern alone to collect their gear and a woman he would rather desert; yet caution would not allow him to leave the prince in an alley, alone and hunted, either. Snagged into a stalemate, Nightfall also realized the dangerous significance of time. The longer they tarried, the more likely Varsah’s men would recapture them.
Becoming impatient, Edward pressed forward. “She’s inside, Sudian. Let’s go."
Needing to delay, Nightfall blocked Edward with an outstretched arm. "Wait, Master." He took advantage of the sight of three men entering the tavern together. "Look there." He pointed to the strangers.
Edward glanced in the indicated direction, unimpressed. "What, Sudian?"