He met Chancy’s wife just as she came onto the property. Even in the dark he could tell something was wrong. Her eyes were open wide with fright and she fell into his arms sobbing.
“What is it, Opal?” he asked.
“It’s Chancy,” she cried. “Marsdyn’s got him. He threw the rest of us out of the inn. He told me if you hadn’t surrendered by morning he’d kill Chancy.”
“Bastard!” Lorik said angrily.
“I’m sorry Lorik, but he’s serious. He’ll kill Chancy if you don’t give up. I didn’t know what else to do.”
“You did the right thing coming here,” Lorik said. “I won’t let anything happen to him.”
Lorik turned from Opal for a moment. It was dark, but he didn’t want her to see the anguish on his face. He had to make a decision and make it quickly. There was no way to refuse Marsdyn’s demands. The outlaw would kill Chancy if they didn’t show up, but he would also kill Stone and Lorik if they surrendered. The only option was to fight and it was almost certain he would be killed in the attempt, but Lorik refused to give in. Too much blood had been spilled, too many threats had gone unanswered. Stone’s leg wasn’t seriously hurt, but there was no reason for both of them to risk their necks. Besides, Stone had Vera, and Lorik really didn’t have anything left to live for.
“I want you to do something for me,” Lorik told Opal. “Vera and Stone are in the barn. Go there and tell them I heard something and wanted to check it out. Don’t tell them about Chancy and Marsdyn. Give me half an hour at least. Stone will want to come after me, but it’s better if he doesn’t. Stay here until dawn, then you can come back to the inn.”
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
“I’m going to finish this,” he said grimly.
“But they’ll kill Chancy if you don’t surrender.”
“Not if I have anything to say about that.”
“You can’t fight him, he’s got that crazy man they call Mert with him, Lorik. That man’s a killer. He has no soul.”
“Don’t worry, he doesn’t have to have a soul to die.”
He lifted his axe and looked Opal in the eye.
“If I don’t make it, tell Vera this place is hers.”
She put her hand on his arm, the look of fear in her eyes suddenly replaced with compassion.
“Goodbye, Lorik,” she said softly.
“Goodbye, Opal.”
Then he turned and hurried away. Vera and Stone watched him go from the window of the barn.
“Where is he going?” Vera asked.
“To the inn, I suppose,” Stone said. “That’s Chancy’s wife down there.”
“What is she doing here?” Vera asked.
“Bringing Lorik a message, I would imagine. Marsdyn’s made his final move. He needs to draw us out, make us fight on his terms.”
“What could he possibly do to make us leave?”
“I don’t know, but whatever it was, it worked.”
“You don’t know Lorik is leaving,” Vera said. “He could be going for a walk, or getting something we need.”
“I doubt that,” Stone said. He was stretching his aching muscles and gingerly testing his wounded leg to see how much weight it would hold. “I can’t imagine why he wouldn’t have escorted Chancy’s wife back here.”
“She’s coming,” Vera explained.
“But he isn’t with her. My guess is he told her to give us some kind of excuse so that I won’t follow him. It’s a noble gesture, but a foolish one. There’s no way I’m letting him face Marsdyn alone.”
“So now you’re leaving, too?” Vera asked. “It sounds like you’re both playing straight into Marsdyn’s hands. You’re doing exactly what he wants you to do, and it will probably get you killed.”
“Maybe, but I can’t stay here and let Lorik risk his neck on my behalf.”
“Men are so stupid,” Vera said. “We should have left days ago. We would be halfway through the marshes by now.”
“We can’t run,” Stone said. “This is your home. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you, or push you away from this place.”
“My home is with you,” she said firmly. “What will I do if you get killed?”
“I won’t,” he promised.
“Your leg is hurt,” Vera said. “How do you expect to fight?”
“I’ve fought through worse,” he said, starting down the ladder and trying not to grimace from the pain in his leg.
“Don’t be stubborn. You’re really going to leave me and Opal undefended?”
Opal had just come into the barn. She took in what was happening but didn’t speak.
“Just stay in the hayloft,” Stone said. “Keep watch and you’ll be fine. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Please be careful,” she said, knowing that arguing would only make things worse. She was smart enough to know that nothing she said would keep Stone from going after Lorik, and in a way she didn’t want him to. She knew Lorik would need Stone’s help, and if she made him feel guilty for leaving her, he might be distracted and get killed.
She followed him down the ladder and Opal met them near the stall where Stone’s horse was stabled. She smiled sadly at Vera.
“Lorik heard something,” she said. “He wanted to check it out.”
“Why did you come here, Opal?” Vera asked.
The innkeeper’s wife had tears in her eyes. “I’m not supposed to say,” she said.
“Marsdyn has your husband, doesn’t he?” Stone said.
Opal nodded.
“We guessed as much,” Stone continued. “I have to help him,” he said to Vera.
“I know,” she said. “You wouldn’t be the man I love if you didn’t. Just be careful and don’t let anything happen to either one of you.”
He smiled and then swung up onto his horse quickly. It took him a moment to adjust his wounded leg so that it didn’t hurt too badly. Then he nudged the mare and urged her out of the barn. Vera and Opal watched him go, fading into the darkness until he was just a shadow.
“We need to lock up,” Vera said, closing the big barn door. “Help me with the cross beam.”
They heaved the heavy wooden timber into place and then climbed back up into the hayloft. Vera struggled not to dash to the window. She knew Stone would be gone. She wanted badly to see him one last time, but when she reached the window there was no sight of Stone or Lorik. They were gone, and she realized they might never return.
Chapter 19
Lorik jogged forward. His muscles burned with the exertion, but after days of being cooped up in the barn, stretching his muscles felt good. His property was only a ten-minute walk from town, and he was soon at the horseshoe-shaped main street. He moved more slowly as he neared Chancy’s Inn, staying in the shadows and watching his friend’s establishment. The inn was bright, with light shining from the many windows. A rider stood watch outside the inn and as Lorik studied him, he was reminded of Pallsen. He had taken advantage of the element of surprise in the trading village, but he had no such advantage now. Lorik knew he could hold his own against any of Marsdyn’s men, but there would be no chance for a fair fight from the outlaw.
“What’s the plan?” came a voice from behind Lorik.
The big teamster spun around and found Stone, standing idly in the shadows behind him, holding the reins of his horse.
“What are you doing here?” Lorik asked. “You left Vera and Opal alone?”
“Had to,” Stone said. “I couldn’t let you face Marsdyn all by yourself.”
“How the hell did you sneak up on me while leading a horse?”
“You were focused pretty intently on the inn. I was just being careful.”
“How’s your leg?”
“Not as good as I’d like, hence the horse.”
“Okay, so you can ride. Can you fight mounted?”
“Sure,” Stone said.
“Good. If I’m right, that guard standing outside the inn is just a decoy. Marsdyn wants us to think he’s in there.”
“You don’t think he is?”
“No, Marsdyn’s too smart for that. He’ll sacrifice that guy,” Lorik said, pointing to the sentry, “to draw us out into the open. And he’ll want to fight us on horseback—that gives him an advantage.”
“So, when we go sneaking up on the guard, they come riding out and kill us.”
“That’s what I would do,” Lorik admitted.
“Okay, so what do we do?”
“I’m not sure yet. But with you here, I was thinking about lighting a torch and walking right down the middle of the street.”
“Why? Just to draw Marsdyn out?”
“Exactly. If I’m right, the one thing we can count on is for Marsdyn to be overconfident. He’ll think that just because we left my property that he’s already won. He won’t expect us to have a plan to face him.”
“So he’ll be overconfident. How do we use that?” Stone asked.
“If we can get him to reveal himself, we’ll at least even the odds a little.”
“He wants me more than you,” Stone said. “Maybe I should walk down the street with the torch.”
“No, he’ll think that I’m hiding with my bow and won’t show himself until he’s sure I won’t be able to shoot him from a distance.”
“I didn’t think of that.”
“I’m sure there are things I haven’t thought of either,” Lorik said. “That’s what scares me. Marsdyn is a smart guy. There’s no telling what other tricks he might have up his sleeve.”
“You think he has more than three men left?”
“I imagine so,” Lorik said. “We only saw three earlier, but he’s had all day to bolster his numbers and put his plan together. He won’t play fair either, you can count on that. So watch your back.”
“I will,” Stone said.
They watched the inn for almost another hour. The light from the inn never faded, and the guard was almost like a statue. Lorik guessed that there were booby traps at the inn entrances. Getting inside to free Chancy would be difficult. He only hoped his friend wasn’t in danger.
“All right,” Lorik said. “I can’t think of a better plan, can you?”
“Well, I can only think of one thing,” Stone said. “Marsdyn has a reputation to uphold, and chances are word has reached the Point of what you did in Pallsen.”
“What we did,” Lorik said.
“Yes, yes, what we did. What I’m getting at is it might be possible to challenge Marsdyn. If you make enough noise, he’ll have no choice but to fight you. Otherwise, word will get out that he was afraid. For a man in his line of work, that’s a death sentence.”
“So you think I should challenge Marsdyn,” Lorik said, mulling the idea over in his mind. “And what will you be doing?”
“I’m going to challenge Mert,” Stone said.
“Not with a bum leg! Are you crazy?”
“A little,” Stone said with a smile. “Don’t worry, I have a few tricks up my sleeve.”
“I like the plan, but I think you should stay out of it,” Lorik said. “If things go bad for me, you can escape with Vera.”
“I’m not going to sit back and let you take all the risk,” Stone said. “It’s my fault we’re in this mess.”
“Fine, I’m not having that argument again, but if you get yourself killed, Vera will never forgive me.”
“Neither will I,” Stone said with a smile.
“All right, let’s do it.”
They moved back, and then took their time lighting a torch. Once the flame had taken hold, Lorik looked at the younger man. He realized that although he’d had friends before, he hadn’t had close ties with anyone other than Vera since his parents died. It felt good to know that he wasn’t alone.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he said. “You’re a good man, Liam. And a good friend.”
“I’m glad, too,” he said. “I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have at my side right now.”
“Me neither. If I don’t make it, I want you and Vera to have my property.”
“I couldn’t do that,” Stone said.
“Sure you could. It might take you a while to learn the ins and outs of the marshes, but you’ll have all you need.”
“Your parents are buried there,” Stone argued. “It wouldn’t be right.”
“Of course it would. Vera is my family and now you are, too.”
Tears sprang into Stones eyes. He had lost his father early in life, and his mother had passed away before Stone was a man. His mentor had been slain, and since then he’d been all alone. Now he felt a sense of family he didn’t think was possible to have again. He felt wanted, like he belonged. It was not something he took lightly.
He looked Lorik in the eye, then he shook his friend’s hand. Finally, he climbed up onto his horse.
“I’m ready,” he said.
“Let’s go, then,” Lorik said.
He walked out of the little alley where they had lit the torch. He held the firebrand in his left hand, holding it over his head, so that the light shone around him but not directly in his eyes. Stone followed behind Lorik, trying to keep an eye on the road behind them. They walked directly toward the inn but stopped when they were within shouting distance.
“Marsdyn!” Lorik shouted. “Marsdyn, this is Lorik Horaceson. You’ve tried to kill me four times and failed each time. Now I’m here for your head. Come out and fight me, coward. Stop sending your thugs to do your dirty work.”
The guard looked up, but didn’t leave his post.