The others huddled around him, touching his arms. Kerrick’s magic stopped and we all blended in with the forest. Strange.
“Cool,” Quain said.
“Quiet,” Kerrick whispered. “They’re coming.”
With Kerrick in the middle, we drew in close together, making our group as small as possible for six people. No one moved.
Soon, soldiers passed us. A few quite close, and one man headed directly toward us. We braced for impact, but he stumbled, tripping on a vine and missing us by inches. In fact, many of the soldiers who ventured too close to us had problems with that pesky vine.
As we sat there for over an hour, I learned a few things. Kerrick didn’t use his magic on that vine or our camouflage, which was the opposite of how it worked in the past. And after the fight in the manor house, we were in serious need of a bath. Except Eva, who smelled like roses and kept unnaturally still the entire time.
A million questions for Kerrick bubbled up my throat, but I held them for later. When we escaped this situation, he’d have some serious explaining to do. Funny, I hadn’t thought if we escaped. Guess my outlook was rather optimistic. Hard not to be when I held Kerrick’s hand.
After another hour or so, Kerrick said, “Most of them have moved east. We can sneak north.”
We stood and stretched, unkinking stiff muscles. The blood had dried on my clothes. Kerrick had let go of my hand. He no longer blended in with the forest, but lines of strain etched his gaunt face. Thinner and paler than I’d ever seen him, Kerrick wiped a hand over the stubble on his chin.
I laced my fingers in his, feeling his magic again. Sharing my energy with him, I beamed at him. He flashed me a smile in response.
What a night. All that work and we didn’t rescue Estrid. I glanced at the POW camp. So close.
Flea noticed the direction of my gaze. “How much time do we have until they come back?” he asked Kerrick.
“The woods are crowded with patrols. Any one of them could return. Why?” he asked.
“Estrid’s in the POW camp. We could get her out before—”
“Too risky,” I interrupted. “I’m sure the camp is well guarded.”
Flea grinned. “It is, but we left a back door.”
“Oh, yeah,” Quain said. “Prince Ryne said it might come in handy someday.”
“Back door?” I asked.
“An escape route,” Loren explained. “When we hid inside during Tohon’s encirclement, we used a hidden exit to come and go without being seen.”
“How long would it take?” Kerrick asked.
“Not long to get inside the fence, but the complex has five or six buildings.”
Kerrick considered. “We have two hours until dawn. You have one hour to find Estrid, and then you have to return regardless.”
“Are you coming?” Loren asked.
“No, I’ll stay here and ensure no one sets up an ambush,” Kerrick said.
Eva offered to stay with Kerrick. “Probably safer with you guys than trying to rendezvous with the captain right now.”
Quain huffed. “You don’t know us very well.”
I hesitated. The desire to remain with Kerrick warred with the need to rescue Estrid. Duty won.
“Don’t go anywhere,” I ordered Kerrick, stabbing a finger at the ground.
“I won’t,” he said, but a haunted look clouded his eyes.
“Promise?”
“Oh, yes.” He leaned in and kissed me.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.
“Uh...Avry, time’s running out,” Loren said.
Breaking away, I gazed at Kerrick. “I’ll be back.”
He smiled. “You’d better.”
I joined the others.
“Our door leads right into the training ring. So we’ll check the converted stables first, then the smaller buildings,” Loren instructed. “We’re only saving Estrid. Most of the guards should be by the front entrance, but the first sign of unfriendlies, we retreat. Understood?”
Nodding, I found it interesting how Loren had stepped up to take the lead on this mission. He went first, followed by Quain, Flea, and finally me. We crept to the complex. Built of large barn doors tied to thick posts, the solid fence loomed over us. Keeping to the fence’s shadow, we traveled a few yards to the west.
When Loren signaled a halt, Quain pulled a thin metal pick from his pocket. He ran the edge of the pick along small cracks in the wood. Then he hooked the pick into a divot and pulled a three-foot-high panel away from the fence. Ah, the back door.