Page 88 of Kingdom of Chains

‘Remember,’ Tatum said to Blackmane, ‘Thorn’s going to retrieve Isabel. You’re not to go anywhere near Hodge. We get the children out and leave the fighting to them.’

‘I remember.’ Though he did not like it.

‘Shoot only from the shadows,’ Tatum added. ‘We’re aiming for discreet.’

Blackmane gave him a casual salute before following the others.

They taught the plank technique to defenders early in their training. It was effective for small walls. Anything over fifteenfeet would be a challenge. One end of the plank went to the top of the construction, the other to the ground. Two men would follow close, one with pegs and the other with a mallet. These were used to secure the wood in place. The moment they stepped back, two men carrying the second plank would run to the top of the first, securing the other half of the bridge in place. They did not always have the luxury of pegging the other side. In fact, often the second plank would be dragged away by the occupants, forcing the intruder to jump if they wished to enter. Usually, if enough planks landed at the same time, a few would manage to survive. They only needed a few entry points.

So, every fifty feet along the fence line, planks simultaneously hit the ground on the other side. Chaos erupted inside the camp.

The remaining children were the first priority. Two of the wooden bridges landed inside the enclosure, and Tatum and Blackmane were first to cross. They immediately took cover, their job to guard the fence and protect those who followed them in, whose sole purpose was to get the children to the runners waiting on the other side.

But the children were not there.

Tatum watched the fence down his arrow. ‘They knew we were coming.’

‘What now?’ Blackmane asked, gesturing to the others to draw their weapons.

Tatum headed for the open gate. ‘Now we hunt.’

The pair exited the children’s pen and entered what could only be described as a battlefield. Not only had the rebel groups successfully penetrated the camp, but the prisoners, realising what was happening, had joined the fight.

Tatum stopped one of Thorn’s men as he went to run by. ‘Direct all the women to the children’s enclosure,’ Tatum said. ‘The runners will take them to the safe zone.’

A camp guard came for Tatum as they resumed walking, sword raised to strike him. Blackmane shot him through the neck.

‘So much for being discreet,’ Tatum muttered. ‘The warden’s going to have our heads when he finds out about this.’

Blackmane was firing arrows left and right at that point. ‘I’m technically in the shadows due to the angle of the sun.’

Tatum put his bow away and drew his sword. ‘I may as well fight properly if we’re in trouble anyway.’ He looked around. ‘Where would you hide sixty-odd children?’

Blackmane’s eyes kept drifting in the direction of the guest tents at the end, hoping to glimpse Isabel. She would likely be in hiding with Hodge, under heavy guard.

Tatum clicked his fingers in front of Blackmane’s face. ‘Are we focused here?’

Blackmane cleared his throat. ‘What about the sleeping quarters?’ He raised his bow and shot another camp guard behind Tatum. ‘Or the gallows?’

‘That’s rather dark.’ Tatum turned and drove his sword through the guard’s stomach. ‘Though I wouldn’t put anything past Hodge at this point.’ He looked around. ‘Let’s start with the sleeping quarters.’

They weaved their way through the fighting, trying very hard to not be a part of it and failing miserably. Every now and then, Blackmane would load his bow and discreetly fire an arrow into a guard’s back if the prisoner he was fighting appeared to be at a disadvantage.

‘I saw that,’ Tatum would say.

The guards would have a chance to surrender once the wastelanders had control of the camp. Then Tolly and Thorn would send them marching east—with Hodge in tow.

There was no guard outside the first house, so Blackmane went straight through the door, bow poised as he turned in a full circle. ‘Empty.’

They continued through it, exiting via the door at the other end. There was a guard standing outside the second house. He startled when they appeared, eyes widening. Blackmane pointed an arrow at his face and said, ‘You have one chance to run.’

The man backed up all the way to the door, then took off towards the road.

Tatum pushed the door open, and Blackmane rushed in, gaze sweeping the length of the room. He stopped and listened. Nothing. He looked over his shoulder at Tatum. ‘Lucky number three?’

They headed to the exit.

Charging out the door on the other side, they almost knocked down a guard posted there. The man turned, sword swinging at Tatum. The commander disarmed him in three moves, then kicked him in the stomach. The guard landed on his back. They would have let him live if he had not drawn a dagger from his feet and come at them again. Blackmane shot him through the heart, gifting him a quick death.

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