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To the Barracks

The door through which the relief detail had arrived was clearly the way to the the barracks.

Through it, they discovered a corridor cut through the bare rock (similar to the one that had taken them to their exercise yard and back). Opening off this corridor, which was about fifty yards long and lit with wall torches in sconces, were four doors. The first, closest to them, was closed. The second was partly ajar, and steam was emerging from it - along with voices. From the nature of the acoustics and a certain amount of splashing and general water noises, it could be assumed that this was some sort of large bathroom.

The third door was also closed and - moreover - had a large and hefty padlock on it.

The fourth door was at the end of the corridor - in other words, facing them. It too was slight ajar, and a liquid amber light spilled out. An occasional burst of laughter was coming from this room; it appeared to be where the off-duty watch were resting and amusing themselves.

Jenever froze with a grimace, then turned her gaze to her companions, one by one, her eyebrows raised slightly.

Morgan looked over at the door, nodded, and gestured to Haakon and Lazarus, then to himself. Once their attention was gained, he pointed at the door and moved his left hand in a rushing motion.

Seth hefted his crossbow, checked the bolt, and brought it to his shoulder. At least one of the guards would fall, if fighting broke out.

Lazarus nodded his understanding. Weaponless, Lazarus had only acquired foot-ware from the guards in the cage area. He interlaced his fingers and cracked his knuckles, a slight grin crept on his face.

Haakon nodded, readying himself for a charge. He wore a "borrowed" chain shirt, but carried no weapons.

As he prepared for the fight, he glanced over at Lynx and pointed to the door. "How many?" he mouthed.

She seemed to be counting on her fingers.

"Twenty on a shift," she said softly. "probably - four in the bathroom. Half the rest probably asleep ... all unarmed ... "

She fingered her own dagger a little nervously - it was clear she was inexperienced in its use.

"Please .. don't kill them all," she said unhappily, "I ... I know some of them."

She was clearly still thinking of the appalling carnage they had left behind.

The door was wide enough for at least three of the former prisoners to enter at once - with the rest following close behind.

Morgan watched her counts and nodded, but made no response to her plea. Instead, he turned to the others, raised the sword he'd coopted, and crept to the door, ready to rush in as soon as the others indicated readiness.

Jenever nodded. She held the sword in her right hand, the chain from the manacles looped about her left fist. "Only what we must," she whispered. "Lynx and Dot should stay here I think, and anyone else who isn't interested in this bloody work." She looked concernedly at Tobias.

Dot nodded quietly and looked at Lynx. Dot had heard something recently, and seemed enthusiastic on possibilities up until bloodshed became imminent. She had grown concerned.

Tobias was near, moving awkwardly in his newly aquired armor. On some, it might have appeared mighty or intimidating... on him, it was only stiff and misshapen. He glanced at his sword and winced.

"I'd be willing to guard the ladies, but I think we might need all the hands we can get. I'll go in last."

This was a very different conflict from their last - but then, the odds were immeasurably better.

For a start, they had surprise on their side.

They were also armed.

Six guards were in the middle of a lively card game - another seven were sleeping - or dozing - and another three were in a small alcove at the far end of the room cooking what smelled like bacon and eggs for everyone. Their bows were unloaded, and their swords were mostly put to one side - although the majority made a dive for their weapons when the blood-stained (mostly) and grim-faced prisoners burst into the room.

Their yells drew answering shouts from the bathroom - although as these four were armed only with loofahs, soap and towels, they were perhaps less of a threat ...

Morgan charged in with a cold professionalism. With that same professionalism, he killed any guard that fought him. He did not go out of his way to kill, but when he engaged someone, they died.

Tobias kept to the back of the fray, taking out any stragglers, looking from time to time to the nervous Lynx, attempting to discern which of these men she 'knew.' His strikes were slight, the only mortal ones lucky hits to a major vein. True to his word, he attempted to keep the women protected, turning gray at Morgan's carnage laden path.

Dot made an effort to ignore the carnage, with little success, but she managed to squeak to Lynx, "do you know what Simon was looking for when he arrived here?" The wet sounds of carnage interrupting her as she spoke.

Seth kept his crossbow loaded, his first action to heft a dagger and throw. It passed between two guards and landed quivering, point first, through the deck of cards on the table. Seth followed, ending up close to the table, the crossbow trained on those guards who were not fast enough to stand. "Hands on the table, gentlemen," he said. "I'm much better with bolts."

There was enough death in the room now for the remaining guards to still. Morgan had killed four in his first onslaught; Jenever a further two, and Lazarus had wounded one. Behind them, Toby had, by good fortune, hamstrung another, while another was bleeding to death and two more, clad only in towels, were being held at bay by Tobias and Lynx - although it had to be admitted that the dagger Lynx held was wavering in her hand.

One of the be-towelled guards, a young man who bore a strong - if unfortunate - resemblance to the Hunter, said urgently, "Lynx! What is happening? Who are these people? Why are you with them?"

Lynx, clearly on the verge of tears, could only shake her head.

Tobias, still attempting to keep out of the way of sharp pointy objects, snapped his attention to the young guard. "Who are we?! I thought everyone in this bloody place knew but us!

"Lynx, who is this?"

Inside the room, the three remaining guards at the table placed their hands as Seth instucted. Behind them, the three who had been cooking wielded hot frying pans like weapons. and a couple who had been sleeping, and now half-naked, held their swords nervously.

The oldest man at the table, a grizzled veteran, shook his head.

"You'd better kill us now," he said. "Compared with what the Hunter will do to us when he finds you've escaped ... At least this way we'll die quickly. Our families will still die - but this way we won't have to watch it."

"None of us asked your opinion," Lazarus snapped at the veteran, "when we want it, we'll let you know."

Morgan smiled coldly at the guard. "Then I will not kill you. Those who willingly serve evil should suffer their fates just as willingly. Tie them and let us leave. We haven't much time."

"I hope for your sake you are able to live in your black-and-white world for a good deal longer," Jenever said to Morgan. "As for me, if any man here really would prefer to die now, I will kill him, and I will make it as painless as I can. Any takers?"

Morgan chuckled contemptuously. "Life is black and white. It is only people who insist on shades of grey. Let us go and leave these men to their choices."

"I have a better idea," Haakon said, speaking to the guards rather than to his fellow escapees. "Come with us. Help us get out of here.

"You've said yourselves you're doomed anyway, and dying in an escape attempt is likely to be quicker than what the Hunter will do to you. But you know this place better than we do; with your help, we can get out of here quickly, alive, and with a minumum of fighting, and you may have a chance to get your families out of danger as well."

"There's not much time to decide, as we're in a hurry. Come and fight like free men, or stay and die like dogs. The choice is yours."

Quietly, Lazarus interjected: "Let me remind everyone that we're a bit pressed for time. I'd rather not stand around socializing much... we've got friends waiting on us."

"That's for sure," Seth added. "One of the guards left when this started, remember. No telling where he's at now. I prefer to think the worst."

"Then let's get the hell out if anybody knows the way," Jenever snapped. She strode over to Lynx and touched her shoulder gently, trying to interpose herself between Lynx and the man who obviously knew her. "I thought I told you two to wait outside. You would not have had to go through this if you had obeyed me." She glanced over at Dot and Tobias and her expression clearly included them in the sentence.

Dot returned the look calmly. The violence, for the moment, was over, and she could abstract the gore.

Dot had kept a running map in her head, and given probabilities indicated a door through the baths. Not knowing the exact exterior was a hindrance, but the odds were with her. She pointed quietly while surveying the guards around her. She didn't think there was any need to kill them, but she kept her opinion to herself.

After Haakon's offer, several of the guards looked towards the warrior who had spoken at the table. He suddenly reached behind him and several of them tensed - but then it was apparent that he was only pulling on his jacket - which bore the insignia of a sergeant.

"Done," he said - and extended a broad hand to Haakon in token. Several of the guards looked troubled - but two of those with frying pans lowered them.

"We're doing it for our bairns, lads," the Sergeant said, and now there was nodding.

"What about Jacko and Oliver?" objected one of the others. "They ain't got no bairns."

"I'll come, Sarge!" shouted out a pimply faced, gangly red-head. "I want to get my old mum out of this!"

There was a laugh and a general ragged cheer from the other guards. "Good for you, Jacko!"

This seemed to relieve the tension among the guards considerably.

"I'll come too," said the dark haired guard from the bathroom who had recognised Lynx. She shot him a tremulous smile - but he ignored her. "I need to dress."

He looked at Tobias and Dot who were blocking his entrance into the room almost aggressively. "I'm not leaving here dressed only in a towel," he growled.

Dot moved out of the way, but looked at Tobias in that ~he should be watched~ kind of way. She gave further scrutiny to the items around them and wondered why everything was coming so easy.

Tobias seemed no more at ease as he watched the be-toweled man before him, sword waving lazy circles around a very delicate area.

"Quickly, then," he said, trying to sound assertive and self-assured. "Or I'll see you left with a Nicaragua necktie to go with your birthday suit."

The guard scowled and thrust past him, completely ignoring Lynx's cry of, "Oliver!"

Morgan smiled - almost wistfully - at the old guard. "Honor demands that I accept your statements as honest, and take you as companions. Truthfully, I pray that they are. We can use allies, and I do not care to let anyone suffer for another's actions. So, unless you betray us, I will accept your aid and presence. Welcome."

The Sergeant nodded curtly. "I'm doing this for my children - so I have a least a chance of saving them. And my lads will be the same."

Haakon took the man's hand and shook it once, firmly, giving a faint smile to go along with it. "Right then -- let's get these men dressed and get a move on. Sergeant, what's the fastest way out of this place?"

Soon Oliver - and the other uninjured guard from the bathroom - were dressed - as were the rest of the guards. At the Sergeant's order, they placed the dead and wounded guards on the bunks - and then moved to stand by the Sergeant.

"There's two routes," said the Sargeant at last. "One .... through the bathrooms. That'll take you through the wine cellars - close to the main part of the Castle.

"Through there ... " and he pointed at a door at the far end "there's a staircase leading down to the old well. And there's overflow pipes, to prevent flooding. Those lead to the outside ... but their narrow ... stinking."

Haakon looked to the other escapees, particularly Dot, who seemed to have a good idea of the layout of the place. "Any idea which of those will get us closest to the crystals? Or are we writing those off as a lost cause?"

He glanced around the room. "We don't all have to go the same way," he said, a little doubtfully.

"Oh, yes, we do, sergeant," Haakon replied.

"Nothing's ever easy," Seth said, looking down at his prison clothes. "I'd rather keep us together, though. I don't plan to keep these clothes, anyway."

"I could use a change and a shower," Jenever agreed, "but not here and now." She turned a cool eye on their newfound allies. "Gentlemen, if you are with us, grab what you need and let us go." She ran her eyes over them after this order, sizing them up one by one.

The Sergeant grunted.

"Well, I'd say either road was as bad as the other ... "

He broke off suddenly, listening intently.

"What's that?"

Oliver, the dark-haired guard looked up, his expression intent. Then he smiled grimly.

"The dogs. They'll be setting the dogs on your trail."

He stood up.

"Whichever way we're heading - we don't have long to choose."

"Then let's get about it," Seth said. He looked to Dot. "If you say the showers are the quickest way, then I am inclined to believe you. I'm telling you, though, my feelings are pointing me this way," and he pointed to the far door.

He turned back to the guards. "Any of you have food here? Spices? Pepper? Paprika? Anything?"

"I'd rather trust Seth's feelings than quicker routes, myself. There's something about you..." Jenever trailed off. "Never mind.

"We've got a good spice box," said one of the guards a bit suspiciously. "It's over there ... "

He pointed to the kitchen area and young Jacko, clearly a helpful sort, ran over and fetched a wooden case, filled with jars of spices, mostly about half full.

"What're you gonna do?" he asked expectantly.

"Dogs work in a linear fashion," Seth said. "They're not gonna take a shortcut- they're gonna follow our trail perfectly. If they follow us into the pipes- I'd rather they get a snootful of red pepper before they break out into the open with us. I want their noses out of commission."

Lazarus spoke up, "Quick thinking Seth."

"Listen," he addressed everyone, "we need to end up along the northern wall, if possible. There's a market there, I believe, with a couple of gates from the servants' quarters and three drains... I gather one of the drains would be a bad choice, but I don't know which."

Lazarus looked at the guards and Lynx, "Does that sound right to you? If so, would the servants' gates be easy enough to get to?"

"Oh," Lazarus added, "our crystals... I would hate to leave without them..."

"I'd rather have my life," Jenever said coolly, "for the time being. I plan to return here for revenge someday when I have the strength to effect it, and perhaps then we will have the time to sightsee. I can guess the minds of the Hunter and the Lady, and my guess is that wherever the stones are kept will be one enormous trap."

"Perhaps," said Tobias slowly, glancing out the door from time to time, ears perked and breathing quick. "But how far will we get without them? Powerful as they are, I'm loathe to leave without at least one to guide our way..." He mulled over the situation for a few fleeting moments, clenching and unclenching his jaw.

"I'll go. I can meet with the rest of you later."

Morgan nodded briefly. "Tobias is right. Without them, I doubt escape will last longer than it takes for the 'Lords' to marshal their forces. I feel ill at ease having you go alone, however. I am no sneak-thief, but if a strong arm can help you, I will aid as I can."

"Are you insane?" Haakon growled. "The crystals are going to be in the most heavily-guarded part of this place, and you don't even know exactly where that is. There are sure to be magical protections on them as well as physical ones, and splitting up just increases the odds that someone will be seen and cost us our one chance to escape. It won't take them long to find out we're gone, and when they do, the crystal chamber is going to be the first place they look. It's a suicide mission. We've been lucky so far; let's not push it."

After a pause, he continued, "If we're going to head out through these pipes, let's get on with it. We've wasted too much time here as it is."

Morgan shook his head and frowned slightly. "No, I am not. But do we really want to leave that kind of power in their hands? Yes, it is dangerous. And if it is not necessary, then I agree we should not do it. Can you, however, say that it is not necessary? Can you say that we stand an equal chance of escaping with or without them?"

"No," Haakon replied immediately. "We stand a better chance of escaping without them, because they'll expect us to do exactly what you're suggesting. Once they know we're out of the cage, they'll redouble the guard on the crystals, which means that many fewer guards coming after us while we head in the other direction. We're tired, undernourished, outnumbered, and have no idea where the crystals are or how they're guarded. What makes you think you have any chance of getting them back?

"As for leaving them the power, don't you think they already have enough of their own? If we get out of here, we have a chance to find more crystals and fight them on our terms. If we die trying to recover the crystals we lost, then they have our crystals and no one left to oppose them.

"Do what you want, gentlemen, but I'm heading for the hills. If you're staying here, tell the dogs I said hello." And with that, Haakon headed for the far door, the one indicated by Seth.

Morgan looked at Tobias. "I dislike it, but he has valid points. I doubt we'll be able to find the equal of what we had, but I can see no means of avoiding the very real dangers involved in trying to recover ours. Since I owe you my aid, I will aid if you insist on trying this, but I suggest that we think on it after our escape."

Tobias sighed, stepping around a growing pool of blood, and looking forlornly out the hallway.

"Very well... Mother will be boiling, though, when she finds out what I lost... As if losing the Easterns contract wasn't enough, I have to add this to it..."

Lazarus managed a weak laugh, "I'm sure she'll cope."

With a look at those standing around him, he nodded and said: "Then we forget the crystals for now, let's get out of here."

"Then let's go," said the dark Oliver impatiently. He moved over to Seth. "Give me some of those spices. I'll see if I can try and mask our trail. "All of you," he added, slightly louder, "try and stay in the centre of the tunnel. Don't brush against the sides ... "

As the group - prisoners and erstwhile guards, filed out together, the Sergeant caught at Jenever's sleeve.

"What you said ... earlier." He spoke quietly. "That you'd give us a quick end. Will you do it ... for the lads in there? The ones that are too wounded to come with us?"

There were three of them ...

"I'd do it myself." he said. "Only ... it'd be hard, having know them all, and trained them up. I'd see their wives and their childer ...

"But I know it will be worse for all of us if the Hunter finds them alive. Them ... being taken - and us when they betray us - as they surely will."

"I meant what I said," Jenever said quietly, holding her appropriated sword carefully. She didn't like swords, but she did like edges. She stooped by each man, prepared to end their lives. Her face was devoid of expression and her eyes were not sad.

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