The Seers of Oak

Book 3 - Chapter 22 - If at first you don't succeed

Ginata gasped and heard Nate do the same. The clearing came into focus as her mind spun. "Why didn't you end it?"

"I was too surprised, I think." He shook his head, adding a casual shrug. "I'm a little out of practice at deadly visions—the ones I did for the Council generally included when the next frost would hit, not when the next blade would impale me."

Ginata chuckled at his dark humor. "Now what?"

"We do it again." He held out his hands a second time and Ginata looked at them.

"Can we do it my way this time?"

"Of course, my love, I'll enjoy seeing what sort of tortures 'your way' leads us into."

Ginata gave him a dirty look before taking hold of his hand. After a moment of concentration, Nate rose and pulled himself into the saddle. "Poor horses." He tapped the beast's flank and the stallion shot into the forest at breakneck speed.

Ginata hurried to follow suit and ended up trailing him all the way to the point where his horse collapsed. This time she stopped him as he began trekking toward the walls. "This way."

"The caves?" He gave her a distasteful look. "Didn't you try that once?"

"Twice, and it worked the second time."

She didn't stop moving until they had marched into the cave. As soon as the guards appeared, she boldly loosed two arrows straight into her victims. The first survived long enough to gasp before Nate's throwing knives cut off his air supply.

"Nice shot." Nate retrieved the dagger and one of the arrows, but the other was too deeply embedded. Wiping the weapons on their bodies, he joined Ginata in hauling the pair into the shadows.

Together they moved into the darkness and Ginata couldn't help her amusement when Nate slammed headlong into the crossroads wall. With a small giggle, she pulled him after her into the dead ended section of the cave. They waited until the approaching torch passed them as two replacement soldiers entered the large room.

Ginata pulled her bow taut again and let loose two more arrows. The thump of bodies was the only sound this time. As quickly as they could, they stripped the outer layers from both soldiers, amused to find that one was a woman and the other a man. The outfits hung large on their young bodies, but close enough that the extra wouldn't be noticed from a distance.

Using the soldier's torch, they walked back as though they were the relieved guards. No one barred their passage and they moved beyond the main hut at the end of the tunnel in minutes. Now she hesitated.

"There's got to be a protocol for reporting to someone at the end of a shift." Nate glanced out the window and into the growing darkness.

"I imagine there is, but let's just head for Baron's hut."

"You want to get us all killed?"

"He's got more strength than you do." She gave him a teasing look.

"Oh fine," Nate grumbled. "You're lucky I won't remember that insult."

Ginata led the way boldly as if she belonged. Her steps were sure as they moved through the lower city and toward the upper. As the houses became finer, she moved toward one crude hut erected among a sea of furnaces and kilns. Two taps to signify their presence, and Ginata attempted pushing open the door only to his to crossbeam.

"Baron," she hissed. "Baron!" Her voice rose to a command.

The sound of shuffling followed by a large object being moved preceded a hairy face peeking through a crack in the door. Baron stared at them in guarded confusion. "Yes?"