The dark-haired man on the table raised his head. He looked at her groggily, scanning her quickly before straightening in his chair and becoming more alert. He ran a hand across his crooked nose.
“Have you seen the innkeeper?” Raven asked. “His name is Rolf.”
The man sneered. “All the rooms are taken. The innkeeper is not available. You’d best move on if you know what is good for ya.”
Raven didn’t like this man. Her jaw clenched, and her hand squeezed over the handle of her weapon. “Where is he?”
The man lowered his chin and stared at her with a threatening glare. “I told ya tomoveon.” He put his palms on the table and began to rise.
Landyn slapped a hand on his shoulder and shoved him into his seat. He leaned forward to whisper in the man’s ear, “Where is the innkeeper?”
The man’s eyes shifted to the door. Then to Raven and his lip curled. “I don’t know.”
Landyn straightened. He indicated the door with a lift of his chin. “I’ll take care of him.”
Raven spun and hurried to the door. She eased the door open and waited for a moment as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Slowly, she quietly slid her sword from its sheath and stepped into the room. The door swung closed behind her. A candle was lit on a wooden table in the center of the room, dripping wax down its slender form. A large hearth for cooking was against the back wall with a black cauldron in the center. The fire below the pot was extinguished.
Raven heard a shuffling of fabric and followed the sound to the corner. She gripped her sword tightly, preparing for a fight.
When she spotted a small shadow huddled behind a chair, she cautiously walked to the form, all the while scanning the room for others. When she stood before the shadow, two round eyes greeted her from the darkness.
A child.
Her heart twisted. The child was terrified. “It’s well,” she whispered. “I won’t hurt you.” She couldn’t remember his name. “Where are your father and mother?”
“Upstairs,” the boy uttered quietly. “In the last room.”
Raven glanced toward the door. “How many men are there?”
“Three,” the boy answered. “They told me ta wait here in case they needed anything.”
“Stay here,” she ordered. “Stay hidden, if you can.” She turned toward the door. “I’ll come for you when it’s safe.”
The boy’s little hand darted out and caught her wrist. “Are ya going to save me mum and da?”
She nodded. “Aye.”
Suddenly, the boy lurched forward and hugged her fiercely, frightened.
Shocked, Raven stood frozen for a moment. Then she sighed and squeezed the child. She patted his head. “Stay here.” When the boy pulled back and hid behind the chair once again, she left the room, casting him one last look to make sure he was safe. He had disappeared into the darkness. She would not let them hurt him.
Murderers. Monsters.
When she emerged from the room, she spotted the man at the table lying the way he had when they entered, his head on the table. He was unmoving but she wasn’t sure if he was dead. Either way, Landyn had taken care of him. But Landyn was not in the room. She lifted her gaze to the top of the stairs. It was the only place he would have disappeared to.
He was going after Boucher.
Landyn clutched his sword outside the first room. Boucher’s man had not told him which room Boucher was in. And even if he had, Landyn wouldn’t have believed him. He’d have to check every room. He came to the first door and paused, listening. No sound came from the room.
He clenched the handle and squeezed, opening the door a fraction so he could peer in. When the door squeaked, he froze, scanning the room for movement. It was dark, but he would see an outline or a shadow. Nothing moved. No animal, no person. He eased the door open farther.
Someone bumped his arm.
He jumped and whirled to find Raven standing behind him.
“This way,” she whispered. She led the way down the hallway to the last door. She listened at the wooden frame for a moment.
Quiet sobbing came from inside the room.
Raven reached for the handle and pushed the door open.
A squeak of a floorboard alerted Landyn and he glanced over his shoulder. A man stood behind him, bringing down his sword.
Landyn acted quickly, pushing Raven into the room away from the swing and lifting his blade to block the strike. The metal swords clanged as they came together.
The door closed behind Raven, sealing her in the room.
