***
Click.“Have it, Captain,” Sir Brayden announced with a grin. The final door swung open, releasing the young smith who clapped Sir Brayden on the shoulder in approval.
Holger looked at Callum. “Plan?”
“Escape.” Kameron stated the obvious.
Holger rolled his one open eye. “For certain, wee shit, but there must be a bit more to it than that.”
Callum stepped between them. “Kameron, I wager you know this keep well?”
The thick torso rose. “Aye.”
“Where would they have taken my lady?”
“Most likely the highest floor. This is where all the bed chambers reside.” He pointed at the closed door with a lone torch beside it. “The stairs leading off the passageway from this tunnel. These go all the way up to the top floor.”
“Do you have a path toward the stables which is less known?”
“Aye.”
Callum looked at Holger and Brayden. “Show them both, gather the horses, and the pair of stolen smiths. Then wait for Lady Fawnella and myself before we all take our leave.”
“How?” Holger pressed.
“An opportunity shall…”
“Present,” Holger finished, rolling his good eye again.
“Aye.” Callum nodded then glanced at the shuttered doorway again. “For now, I shall stand behind the doorway. Kameron, I need you to yell for the guard. Say someone has fallen ill. Door opens and—”
“You slay the guard.” Holger gave a dark grin.
Callum shook his head. “Nae, same as the pair at Lady Alaina’s, you must curb the blood thirst, Northman. I take him as leverage for the upper floor. Everyone unto your places.”
As the three re-took their cells, Callum dashed behind where the door would swing open.
“Guard! Guard!” Kameron boomed.
The door slowly opened.Wait. Make sure it is only one guard.Oh hell. Six shadows appeared! Including the one who had taken Kameron’s hammer earlier; he still had it in his grasp. Callum spied the six backs covered in chainmail by armed enemies as Holger and Brayden’s eyes grew at the newfound development. Wait for them to grow closer to the cells, then slam the door, surprise the guards. Looked like Holger was going to get to satisfy that blood thirst after all.
“What is it?” the lead guard mewled at the young smith while holding up the torch he had taken off the sconce by the entry door. Kameron’s eyes had doubled at the numbers present.
“Sir Brayden has taken ill,” Kameron hollered. Brayden made a move same as if he were about to retch. The guards leapt away in a backwards action.
Callum met Holger’s stare.
Now.
Slam!
“For Nella!” Callum sounded a Gaelic battle cry.
The door shut by Callum’s fist the same moment Holger’s cell door blew open, catching the guard closest to the Northman on the temple. The iron crashed with such force the guard’s head snapped at an unnatural angle before he collapsed.
Brayden charged his low broad weight at his cell door.Bang!A guard who was reaching for his sword howled in pain when the door flew open, snapping the guard’s wrist from thelow horizontal bars crashing the bone. Brayden charged with his fists.
Kameron bolted from his cell. Hell, the lad was fast. In a flash he grabbed his hammer from the stunned guard’s grasp. Holger went for the fourth who had the torch, ripping it from the guard’s hand. He cracked the fire over the unprepared enemy’s skull whose hair lit on fire, and he began to scream before Holger’s fist landed his jaw.
