Page 124 of Arrows and Gems
Mildly surprised, Cap looked down to see Rouge standing with her hands on her hips.
“Won’t that use a substantial amount of magic?”
She folded her arms and scowled up at him. “Yes. But it would be safer.”
“Only until someone sees it.” He shook his head. “Three people crawling up a rope is less obvious than a hole in the wall.”
“It would revert to normal as soon as I release it. And it could be small enough to crawl through.”
“It would still be noticeable. And loud.” Cap glanced at the line outside the city. “Besides, you’re supposed to be savingyour magic for your brother’s cuffs. Youarestill storing it every night, aren’t you?”
She looked up at Jean-haut. “How can I not? I can’t imagine what it would be like to be cut off from my magic.” Turning back to the wall, she continued in a disgruntled voice, “But I’ve done almost nothing but pour my magic into objects for two months. I’d like to be useful again.”
He gave her a crooked grin. “Everything you’ve done has been useful, Rouge. The objects you enchanted helped us succeed.”
A tiny smile pulled at one side of her mouth. “Good. I’m glad to see that you still appreciate my talents.”
Nodding, he replied, “Of course. Find a tree and get comfortable; we have a long wait.”
~
Cap crawled through the tall, dry grass on his elbows. He hadn’t practiced this move in over a year, and after two hundred yards, he was starting to feel it. He could hear Rouge panting with exertion to his right, but only the rustle of grass disturbed the silent night to his left. Jean-haut had never been in the guard, but he didn’t lack strength.
He signaled for a break, and they paused to let a pair of guards stroll past. With the amount of moonlight filtering through the clouds, fifty yards was close enough to see the grass move.
Once it was clear, they resumed their journey. Cap stifled an idle wish that Jean-haut could help them over the wall. They would simply take a longer rest before they attempted the climb.
Considering how his upper arms ached, he could only imagine how Rouge’s felt.
He let the next patrol pass before pulling out his preparedarrow. It had a length of rope tied to it that Jean-haut had created back when they first began their less-than-legal activities. The rope didn’t need magic to sustain its altered qualities, but it had extraordinary strength and packed well in their bags.
Rolling onto his side, he nocked the arrow and took aim at a tree about twenty yards from the wall. The arrow landed with a satisfying thwack. He waited, but the night remained silent.
Jean-haut dashed across the short distance first, leaping to grab the rope. Cap motioned for Rouge to go next. She sighed but rolled to her feet and sprinted after her brother. Cap followed soon after.
Once they were all at the top, Cap looped the rope around one of the crenelations so they could climb down. Jean-haut scrambled up the tree as soon as his feet hit the ground, pulling the arrow free and letting the rope fall.
“Patrol!” Rouge hissed.
Jean-haut froze on the tree branch. Cap abandoned the arrow, pulling his cloak tight and crouching next to a bush with his head dipped toward his knees.
He counted in his head while the guards passed. The thud of their boots accompanied a few wisps of conversation that drifted down to him.
“—a real looker. That chestnut hair—”
“—spunk.” Laughter. “I don’t envy him the task—”
The mention of chestnut hair drew Cap’s mind to Margit. Was she safely hidden somewhere in the city? Or had the General thrown her in the dungeon with the rest of their friends?
The thought of Margit bound and helpless made his fists curl. What if General Valentin had hurt her? She could be barely conscious, sprawled across one of the tiny cots in a cell, too weak to even blow her chestnut waves out of her face—
He forced his eyes open and stared at the dirt pathwayunder his feet. It did no good to fret about what might be. If he didn’t want to join her in the dungeons, he needed to stay focused on the moment.
As soon as Jean-haut whistled the all-clear, Cap coiled the rope and stuffed it in his bag. The nearby streets were deserted, but he and his companions slipped into the shadows cast by the thin moonlight anyway.
The deeper into the city they went, the more patrols they crossed. The fourth time they had to dart into the deepest part of the shadows to avoid discovery, Jean-haut whispered, “Maybe you should just challenge the General to a winner-takes-all duel. I doubt he’s left any evidence for you to find, and these increased patrols are a bit excessive.”
Cap shook his head. “The people who believe his claims will not be persuaded by a sword match. Besides, General Valentin is quite skilled.”
