Page 68 of A Tale of Ice and Ash
“Cole…”
“Yes?”
“When this is over, if… if you ever think I’m being corrupted by power, if I’m using it for selfish reasons, if my people ever come close to fearingme,do you… do you think you could stop me too?”
Cole’s fingers tightened around hers. “That won’t be you.”
“Can you promise me anyway?”
“I’m not sure I’ll have the strength to do this twice.”
“Please, Cole.”
“All right,” he said, “I promise you. But you need to do everything you can to make sure that never, ever happens.”
Eirwen nodded. “I promise.”
∞∞∞
Two days later, Eirwen was in the city again, Wren, Oakley, Merry and Onyx behind her.
“Are we absolutely sure this is the right course of action?” she asked again.
Onyx nodded. “Have I ever steered you wrong, child?”
“What about the time you told me to investigate that hole?”
“Learning experience.”
“Or that time you left me to fight those three shades on my own?”
“I’m a ‘sink-or-swim’ kind of teacher–”
“What about that time she almost drowned in–” started Wren.
“All right, all right! That’s enough. I’m sure on this one, child. Do you remember your words?”
Eirwen pressed the paper in her breast pocket. She’d been repeating them from last night until this morning. She nodded fervently, trying to swallow her pounding heart.
“You’ll be fine.”
“And if you’re not…” Wren patted the crossbow on her back, and pointed to the pistol at her side. “I’ll have you covered.”
Merry held up a long wooden pipe. “We’ll try the less lethal options first.”
Eirwen nodded once more, exhaled carefully, and stepped out into the square.
Her target was the grain store, a tall, round building, guarded by only two men. Taking out two was easy enough –especially with Merry’s darts– but the aim of this wasnotto do things stealthily. The aim was to draw attention.
A quick scout had revealed four more guards within easy distance. There would be no way to do this without drawing their wrath. She just had to hope the dwarves managed to take them out before they reached her, or the countless citizens she was about to draw into the fray.
The pounding in her chest grew louder. She wished she didn’t have to do this bit alone.
The door grew close. The guards sensed her approach and tightened their position, drawing their spears across the entrance.
“Halt!” they said.
Eirwen swallowed, hoping she wasn’t trembling. She tried to make her voice as loud as possible. “I wish for you to open this door to the public.”
