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littlemanpoet · 12-04-2003, 09:18 PM

"This way!" Uien's whisper was urgent. Falowik followed her. The man they'd left on the ground behind them gave a call. Falowik's heartbeat sped. Uien looked around them as she ran ahead of him, her eyes wide with fear and watchfulness. Falowik heard heavy boots running behind him. You should have killed him while you had the chance, old man! At least he had the sword, unwieldy in his unpracticed hand, his dagger carrried like an afterthought in his left hand.

Uien stopped. Falowik almost ran into her. There was a broken rock wall on their left, head high. On their right was a ruined cistern, and beyond it a wide gateway, the black iron gates hanging by the hinges like hands bent the wrong way off of their wrists. On each side of the gate posts was the foot of a statue, rubble strewn at the base of each; their limbs, torsos, legs, and heads could be made out, but were a jigsaw puzzle on the ground. Before them the walkway continued straight. But two men blocked it, swords drawn. A third stood amid the gateway. And their hunter stopped behind them. They were surrounded.

It was over. They were lost. Four seasoned cutthroats were too many for Uien, a healer, and Falowik, no fighter either, sword or no sword. Such were his thoughts. Uien looked around her in every direction for some kind of escape, glacing at him with pleading eyes, and back to the wall on their left. She was trying to indicate it as their escape. He could not imagine either of them making it up to the top of it before arrows or daggers struck one or both of them in the back or worse. Despair took him. As soon as it did, his mind loosened from his plight to the irony of his position, and he imagined Falco using the loss of Uien and Falowik as proof enough that Falowik had been in league with the evildoers. Now there was a thought. Hope kindled, born of likely failure at such a reckless dare.

"I've brought them to you just as ordered," Falowik declared. "Here's the first one. Watch out though, she's cagey." Uien turned and watched him, the despair of betrayal wide in her eyes. He kept his eyes on hers, cold and unblinking. It was important for these others to be convinced that he cared for her not at all. He hoped that she could find some way to save herself. "She might cast a spell on you if you look her in the eye. You never know with these Elves."

The four men looked at Falowik, and Uien, in varied states of suspicion, confusion, and uncertainty. Uien wasted no time and bolted for the wall, jumping to the top in a single leap, and was gone.

"I told you!" Falowik yelled. "After her!"

The two men who had blocked their way climbed the wall and gave chase. Falowik stayed rooted to the spot.

"Dod't you go eddywhere, liar. Sack!" He eyed the other man standing before the gate. "E's playid' us! Take 'ib out!"

"You do and you're a fool!" Falowik said. "My orders come from high up, and if the Master finds out, it'll be the end for you." Falowik had no idea if there even was a master, and the words coming out of him suprised him as much as it did these two men. Sack was stuck in his tracks, confused. He considered making a dash for it now that his way was clear ahead of him, but these two might be faster than he was.

"Give mbe the MBaster's ndabe, liar!"

Falowik thought fast and made a wild guess. "You don't even know it yourself, fool. He doesn't tell anybody his true name."

"That's true enough," said Sack. "Maybe he's the Master's man after all, Toad."

"Baybe ad baybe dot. So why'd you attack be?"

"I had to make it look like I was her ally, of course." Falowik heaped all the scorn he could into his words.

"That makes sense to me," said Sack, leaning on his sword.

"At eddy road we're takid' hib to Lieut. Let hib decide. Who kdows? If he aid't what 'e says 'e is, mebbe Baster'll wadt hib for the dext leechig."

Leeching? Falowik thought. Drawing of blood? What for?

"You break your nose again, Toad? What'd you do, fall on your sword?"

"Shaddup, Sack! The Elf lady got be." Sack hooted. "Give be back by sword, you!" It would be best to play along for now. Falowik handed him the sword, by the hilts. "I still dod't trust you, Baster's servadt. Tie 'is hadds, Sack. You better go williggly or I'll slit you right here." Falowik let them tie his hands. He was still alive, and maybe Uien had gotten away. After seeing her jump to the top of that wall, and over, he did not doubt that she could lose her pursuers.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 10:03 PM December 09, 2003: Message edited by: littlemanpoet ]

12-04-2003, 09:18 PM	#96
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	"This way!" Uien's whisper was urgent. Falowik followed her. The man they'd left on the ground behind them gave a call. Falowik's heartbeat sped. Uien looked around them as she ran ahead of him, her eyes wide with fear and watchfulness. Falowik heard heavy boots running behind him. You should have killed him while you had the chance, old man! At least he had the sword, unwieldy in his unpracticed hand, his dagger carrried like an afterthought in his left hand. Uien stopped. Falowik almost ran into her. There was a broken rock wall on their left, head high. On their right was a ruined cistern, and beyond it a wide gateway, the black iron gates hanging by the hinges like hands bent the wrong way off of their wrists. On each side of the gate posts was the foot of a statue, rubble strewn at the base of each; their limbs, torsos, legs, and heads could be made out, but were a jigsaw puzzle on the ground. Before them the walkway continued straight. But two men blocked it, swords drawn. A third stood amid the gateway. And their hunter stopped behind them. They were surrounded. It was over. They were lost. Four seasoned cutthroats were too many for Uien, a healer, and Falowik, no fighter either, sword or no sword. Such were his thoughts. Uien looked around her in every direction for some kind of escape, glacing at him with pleading eyes, and back to the wall on their left. She was trying to indicate it as their escape. He could not imagine either of them making it up to the top of it before arrows or daggers struck one or both of them in the back or worse. Despair took him. As soon as it did, his mind loosened from his plight to the irony of his position, and he imagined Falco using the loss of Uien and Falowik as proof enough that Falowik had been in league with the evildoers. Now there was a thought. Hope kindled, born of likely failure at such a reckless dare. "I've brought them to you just as ordered," Falowik declared. "Here's the first one. Watch out though, she's cagey." Uien turned and watched him, the despair of betrayal wide in her eyes. He kept his eyes on hers, cold and unblinking. It was important for these others to be convinced that he cared for her not at all. He hoped that she could find some way to save herself. "She might cast a spell on you if you look her in the eye. You never know with these Elves." The four men looked at Falowik, and Uien, in varied states of suspicion, confusion, and uncertainty. Uien wasted no time and bolted for the wall, jumping to the top in a single leap, and was gone. "I told you!" Falowik yelled. "After her!" The two men who had blocked their way climbed the wall and gave chase. Falowik stayed rooted to the spot. "Dod't you go eddywhere, liar. Sack!" He eyed the other man standing before the gate. "E's playid' us! Take 'ib out!" "You do and you're a fool!" Falowik said. "My orders come from high up, and if the Master finds out, it'll be the end for you." Falowik had no idea if there even was a master, and the words coming out of him suprised him as much as it did these two men. Sack was stuck in his tracks, confused. He considered making a dash for it now that his way was clear ahead of him, but these two might be faster than he was. "Give mbe the MBaster's ndabe, liar!" Falowik thought fast and made a wild guess. "You don't even know it yourself, fool. He doesn't tell anybody his true name." "That's true enough," said Sack. "Maybe he's the Master's man after all, Toad." "Baybe ad baybe dot. So why'd you attack be?" "I had to make it look like I was her ally, of course." Falowik heaped all the scorn he could into his words. "That makes sense to me," said Sack, leaning on his sword. "At eddy road we're takid' hib to Lieut. Let hib decide. Who kdows? If he aid't what 'e says 'e is, mebbe Baster'll wadt hib for the dext leechig." Leeching? Falowik thought. Drawing of blood? What for? "You break your nose again, Toad? What'd you do, fall on your sword?" "Shaddup, Sack! The Elf lady got be." Sack hooted. "Give be back by sword, you!" It would be best to play along for now. Falowik handed him the sword, by the hilts. "I still dod't trust you, Baster's servadt. Tie 'is hadds, Sack. You better go williggly or I'll slit you right here." Falowik let them tie his hands. He was still alive, and maybe Uien had gotten away. After seeing her jump to the top of that wall, and over, he did not doubt that she could lose her pursuers. <font size=1 color=339966>[ 10:03 PM December 09, 2003: Message edited by: littlemanpoet ]