Page 107 of Sword & Shadow
Ethenn hesitated but nodded. “I think we should get a better look at the place,” he said and pointed up. “We’ll climb onto the roof of this building and see what we can learn.”
“I think that’s a good idea.”
With the assistance of some wooden crates in the alley, they made their way onto the slate roof. They stayed low, crawling to the ridge. The clay tiles were slick under their feet, but the slant wasn’t steep, and they easily sprawled across the wet rooftop.
Two buildings away, they surveyed the side and back of the tavern. Though it stood two stories, it wasn’t a large establishment. Often, taverns in Ephria doubled as inns in villages as small as this one. Perhaps Evylin and Auden were being held captive in a room on the second floor.
A separate alley wound behind the tavern, and two men stood guard by the back door. Their presence confirmed Ethenn’s deduction. There would be no reason to guard the back door of a tavern—unless you had something to protect.
“What do you think the chances are that those are the only guards?” Ethenn said cynically.
Deckard surveyed the shuttered and darkened windows of the second floor. “I’d say the odds aren’t in our favor.”
“I’ll get a better look,” Ethenn said, rising on his hands to shift away.
Deckard grabbed his arm. “It’s not safe.”
“I may not be as good at sneaking around as Raff, but I’m a hunter,” he noted. “Stealthy observation is part of the job.”
Reluctantly, Deckard nodded. Thiswaswhy he’d brought the lad. “I’ll wait here.”
With that, Ethenn scampered easily across the tiles to the building on their right. Deckard watched nervously as the young man stopped, surveyed, and moved again until he dropped out of sight. He tried to catch a glimpse of him on the ground but didn’t see so much as a flick of his dark cloak.
Turning back to the tavern, Deckard scrutinized every inch of the building. He could make out the rough outline of movement on the bottom floor. A few denizens entered and exited through the front. Aside from the guards at the back, nothing seemed amiss.
After the better part of an hour, Ethenn returned, almost soundlessly dropping back into his place beside Deckard. “There’s no way for us to sneak in,” he said ruefully. “The only entrances are the front and back doors or those windows up top. But with them shuttered and so high off the ground, our only chance to reach them would be through the back alley, but those guards will prevent that from happening.”
“Could we distract them?” Deckard asked, then added reluctantly, “Or take them down?”
Ethenn considered it. “Possibly,” he admitted. “But I don’t think it would do us much good. From what I can tell, there isn’t anything to climb on in the alleyway, and the back door isn’t hidden from the rest of the main floor’s view. Even if wecouldsneak in, there’s a good chance we’d only find ourselves face-to-face with more guards.”
“Hm.” Deckard gave the building one final inspection. “So we won’t be able to get in unseen?”
“I don’t think so.”
Pressing a hand to his temple, Deckard resigned himself to the one solution he had. A heaviness had settled over his heart in the last hour, spurring a dark mood. This wasn’t how the day was supposed to go. Evylin was supposed to come to Dunneshead, have an enjoyable break from the monotony of the road and her overwhelming depression, and return safe and sound.
Instead, he lay hunched on a rooftop, seeking a way to rescue her.
“All right,” Deckard said with renewed determination. Whatever else happened, hewouldsave his wife. “We’ve no choice but to go in directly.”
Ethenn turned to him in surprise, dark eyes wide. “You mean, go through the front door?”
Deckard began to back off the roof. “That’s precisely what I mean.”
Ethenn followed. “That’s a terrible idea!” he exclaimed in a whisper. “They’ll know we’re coming.”
They dropped into the alleyway once more. “Not if they think we’re patrons,” Deckard said. “We’ll order a drink and blend in, waiting for our opportunity.”
“Sir,” Ethenn said, his voice thick with agitation, “there have to be at least a dozen men in there. If they could take down Evie and Auden, don’t you think we’re a little out of our depth?”
Deckard set a hand on his shoulder and smiled. “Never underestimate what a man is willing to do to get his wife back, Loxley,” he said. “They’re after money. I’m after something I’d die for.”
The young man must have seen the violent resolve in Deckard’s stare because his chin lifted with confidence. “And you’re a Mage,” he noted. “I’d wager none of them will be ready for that.”
For the first time, Deckard felt a thrill at the mention of his magic, the Night Relic warming against his skin. Yes, he was aMage. He might still be in training, but he did not doubt that his power would respond readily in defense of Evylin, regardless of whether he had no true understanding of it yet.
They walked back onto the street, casually making their way to the tavern. A pleasant bell chimed as they pushed through the door. The soft strum of a mandolin came from the bard in the corner. Some patrons looked up at their arrival, turning back to their drinks after a few moments of inspection.
