Page 19 of The Study of Magic
“Yes.” He hurried to the guest quarters. Time wasn’t on their side. Good thing Valek had never unpacked. He grabbed his bag and they headed to her suite on the ground floor.
“I would have liked to say goodbye, and thank a few people,” she said.
“You can come back to visit.” When she gave him a dubious look, he added, “Eventually.”
She impressed him by how fast she gathered her belongings.
“I’m getting a raise,” she said. “I’ll buy what I need.”
They rushed to the barracks to pick up Ari and Janco. Halfway there, Valek spotted armed soldiers. They had formed a defensive ring around the stables.
CHAPTER4
“Do we need the horses?” Ari asked. “It’ll take longer to get to MD-5, but we won’t have to fight our way through a dozen soldiers to get to the stables.”
Valek and Ute had reached the barracks without being seen. So far, they were safe, but it wouldn’t last long.
“You outrank them,” Janco gestured to them. “Can’t you just order them to stand down?”
“They’re loyal to General Franis,” Ute said. “As far as they’re concerned, I’m impersonating an officer and Valek is my accomplice.”
“Then let’s fight,” Janco said with a gleam in his eyes.
“There’s only four of us,” Ari said.
“So? We can handle multiple opponents.”
“I’m not injuring our own people,” Valek said. “They’re only following orders.”
“We could do a merry chase,” Janco said.
“Do I even want to ask?” Valek looked at Ari.
But the big man looked thoughtful. “It could work.”
* * *
With no other good options, Valek and Ute headed straight toward the group of people guarding the stables. As soon as they were recognized, the soldiers pulled their weapons. As expected, ordering the soldiers to step aside resulted in a refusal, followed by a demand that Valek and Ute surrender.
In response, Valek and Ute took off running for the forest nearby. The soldiers gave chase. Valek didn’t know how merry it was, but they managed to draw the guards away from the stables. He hoped Ari and Janco would be able to execute their part of the plan.
When they reached the woods, Ute said, “Follow me. I know this area very well.”
“Yes, General.”
Ute laughed somewhat hysterically. “This is not what I imagined would happen after I’d been promoted.”
At least she wasn’t out of breath. However, the leafless trees provided minimal coverage and the dead leaves and icy puddles created quite a racket underfoot. Valek had no idea how they would lose their pursuers. A dozen or more soldiers pounded behind them, calling out their position.
The sun hung low in the sky, casting long, thin shadows. They might be able to disappear in the dark, if they didn’t run right into a trunk. He considered climbing a tree, but not while they were still visible.
Ute grabbed his arm, pulling him sharply to the right. The ground sloped down into a rocky area. They’d reached the edge of the foothills. Another sharp right and they ran along a gulley which deepened, blocking them from view. While happy to be out of sight, Valek worried they’d get trapped. Ute increased the pace and suddenly, the gulley’s walls disappeared as if a giant hand had knocked them down.
“Avalanche,” Ute said, panting. “This way. Hurry.”
They climbed up along the avalanche’s path, keeping low. Skirting big boulders and squeezing through narrow openings, they entered a maze of debris.
“There was…a…village here,” Ute said, heading to a pile of timbers.
