It has been something of a strange day, and one we have been lucky to survive. We left the inn early and made steady progress all day. If our estimation was correct we would have another 13th Hour incursion during the late afternoon and wanted to make the inn as a means of protection. this didn't happen and we were forced to wait out the hour on the top of a hill - at least it gave us a good view of the approaching band of demons.
Whether Alfred has been correct prior to today, I cannot say, but this band have definitely followed us as they were led by the one I fought and wounded yesterday. As a result we need to make better time and the cart just slows us down. We have managed to trade the cart and horses for a meal, bath, and a pair of fresh horses, and intend to travel through the night. Hopefully this will enable us to be beyond their reach when the 13th Hour occurs again in the morning.
If my writing is poor then please forgive me for I'm writing this in not the most favorable of conditions and my only light is coming from the blue glowing wall that surrounds the Castle - in fact it is the first colour I have seen during the 13th hour since being grabbed by my mothers tendril.
We arrived here early this evening having been caught by Charity and Allagahn this afternoon. Alfred and I had made slow progress during the night mainly due to his inability to alter his form to see in the dark. His paranoia then resulted in us having to detour off the road and seek shelter in a farm house during the 13th Hour this morning. Once it passed we made could progress, adopting riding techniques I had learnt from the cavalry units at home. We passed the 3rd inn shortly before midday, and were about half the distance between it and Amber when we heard the horses behind us.
After exchanging greetings Charity led us away from the road and along a path which ran along the cliff tops. After about a further two hours of travel were force to abandon the horses as the track only became passable on foot. A further two hours brought us to this rock cleft which gives us a good view of the castle, the stair which leads from the docks below to the foot of its walls, and a substantial portion of the city. Shortly after we arrived here Alfred found some signs that indicated someone else has been here recently. There was a puddle of dog urine and some bits of wrapping similar to those of the "Hershey" bars they have in their packs. Apparently they obtained them when my mother deposited them at Cordelia's who ever she may be. Alfred also said that this person Cordelia had a large dog. Who ever she was, was it possible as he speculated that she been here? If so how did she get here before us or without passing us in Nancheng?
We are now waiting for the 13th Hour to end so that we can attempt to sneak up the stair way to the castle. If the patrols don't change their pattern we should be able to follow the guards most of the way up the stair without having to worry about anybody coming down. How exactly we then get into the castle I don't know. I'm just hoping that Charity knows what she's doing..
My disdain for Allagahn has reached new levels. He is a peacock who speaks of great deeds but has a spine made of jelly. He struts around with fancy armour and a fancy sword but hasn't the first idea of how to use them. If he's dead then I for one will not miss him. As for Charity, I cannot forgive her running off like that leaving us stranded in the middle of the castle. Tomorrow I shall have to rest for my wounds are still not healed, and then I will have to see whether I can get back into the castle and find what has become of them or at least something that may help me on my quest.
Tonight I shall remain here in this inn. I'm now quite glad that I vacated my hiding place and came here. The weather turned this morning and it was the first sprinkling of rain that had roused me. As I have not the equipment to remain comfortable in these conditions, save growing a thick coat of fur, I was forced to vacate the bluff. I had thought the bluff secure but I had the strangest notion that somebody was observing me as I made preparations to leave, which hastened my departure. The feeling persisted until after I left the horses and rode off down the cliff path. Given my lack of coinage I shall have to retrieve them and sell them to enable me to continue, but some instinct at the time told me to leave them.
Perhaps I should have listened to my instincts last night, but I chose instead to trust Charity. Her initial plan was sound. After the 13th Hour ended we waited until the patrol had passed and then slipped in behind it. It was at that point I should have gone no further. Neither Allagahn nor Alfred could see in the dark and both made copious amounts of noise. I didn't and we climbed to stair to a little way before it flattened out. It was at that point we should have turned back but Charity insisted we could climb along the rock face and then up over the outer wall. Well Charity and I could, by simple means of lengthening legs and arms, and growing hooked talons. If Alfred hadn't spent however many years denying what he is he could have as well; but pompous Allagahn is stuck in that inferior form of his. So Charity and I played mule and carried them across the rock face and up into the castle - all without discovery.
The she walked into a trap. She should have just drawn her sword and killed the guard at the first sign of trouble rather than trying to bluff her way out. At least then he would have raised the alarm and we'd have stood a fighting chance. Of course once he'd raised the alarm we had no choice, and we attacked. I may not have that great a skill with the sword but this was the first time I had used it and it very impressive. I must thank my mother for it and inquire as to how it was made. It allowed me to make short work of two of the guards before reinforcements arrived. It was at this point things went very wrong. Charity turned and ran dragging Alfred with her and leaving Allagahn and me to fight the guards. By the time we had killed them she had vanished from sight. Allagahn was sure that the library was on this floor and that what we had come for was there. With no sign of Charity and with noise of pursuit from below us we started to search for the library. It was at that point things got worse. I still cannot understand the stupidity of the man. If you're trying to hide from pursuing guards you do not announce your location to the world by hurling a chair out of a fully glazed window, unless you name is Allagahn! So having given our position away he continues to search. I kept looking over my shoulder waiting for the guards to appear. They did but they took a while doing it and they didn't make many mistakes.
Allagahn on the other hand did. He decided that the best thing to do was to hide up the chimney. Very brave of him. It was the only decent hiding place but the problem was discovery led to one event death. I chose the other option, hide in a side room and wait. At least if I was discovered I could fight my way out. What I hadn't expected was the spineless behaviour Allagahn exhibited. He had already demonstrated that he couldn't wield his sword to save his life, but at least with him present there were two targets, and I could then wield mine to good effect. As it was the bastard remained stuck in the chimney and I was forced to fight for my life.
I can't remember how many I killed in the end but I didn't escape lightly. Had it not been for my shape shifting abilities I would not have survived. Even so shifting wounds around is very tiring, even for me, as is fighting four assailants at one. With no help coming from Allagahn I was forced to fight my way out of the library and into the corridor. Whilst I now had and escape route it also left me facing the Guard Captain. With a heavy wound in my right arm he was more than a match for me and I was forced to retreat. Thankfully I was quicker than him and was able to move out of talon range and retreat dawn the corridor. The problem was he anticipated this move and sent his remaining guards to cut me off. I did the only thing available to me and bolted for the nearest door. We traded wounds as we passed and he dropped back sending more of his men after me, but I had bought the time I needed. Emulating Allagahn I hurled a chair out the window, but unlike him I followed it out, growing flaps of skin between my arms and rib cage as I fell.
So it was I glided over the edge of the wall and into the valley below. In the moonlight I could clearly see the stair we had laboriously climbed but an hour before. Using it as a guide I retreated to the cleft and proceeded to heal my wounds.
| Back | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hero of the Hour - Sorcha | The Keep of the Thirteenth Hour |