Temple Hill - Drew Karpyshyn [11]
One of the Maces lunged after her, breaking formation. Corin threw himself at the captain, knocking her over. He didn't even break stride, but continued his rampage straight into the crowd, his momentum knocking several of those in the front ranks from their feet.
The crowd surged around him, grasping and grabbing at his clothes, trying to apprehend him-or at least push him back into the battle with the city guards. Others tackled the Maces who waded in after him, eager to strike an anonymous blow against Elversult's official guard. Mob mentality gripped the spectators, many of them still remembering the good old days when street brawls were the norm. Corin couldn't say how it started- an errant elbow, a careless boot tripping someone up- but a full-scale riot broke out within seconds.
Pandemonium swept the Fair. Those in the crowd trying to bring Corin down were attacked by others who wanted him to escape. The Maces disappeared under a wave of both foes and allies jumping into the fray, and Corin himself was buried beneath a press of bodies, indiscriminately punching and kicking at anything • within range.
Corin lashed out without rhyme or reason, trying to clear enough space to get to his feet. Above the shouts and cries of the mob, Corin heard the shrill sound of the Maces' warning whistles. The three short blasts calling for help told Corin that reinforcements were only minutes away.
Fortunately, most of the crowd knew what the whistles meant as well. In accordance with Yanseldara's orders, violence in the streets was dealt with swiftly and harshly. The soon to be arriving Maces were liable to try and restore order by arresting everyone who happened to be at the scene of the crime. Most of Elversult's population, despite the increase in "legitimate" commerce, still had a few reasons to try to avoid being picked up in a general sweep by the authorities.
The chaos and confusion of several hundred people simultaneously trying to vacate the Fair worked to Corin's advantage. No longer the center of attention, he was able to get back to his feet. He stayed low… working his way with purpose and determination through the panicked masses toward one of the many side streets leading out of Elversult's open air market.
While crouching down, Corin spotted the blonde woman who had started the whole mess. She was also in a crouch, frantically signaling to him through the maze of running legs and falling bodies. Once she realized she had his attention she pointed down a narrow side lane. Corin couldn't hear her above the shouts and screams of the mob, or the shrieking whistles of the converging Mace patrols as they signaled to each other, but he could read her lips.
This way. The alley is clear."
Staying low to avoid attracting the attention of the Maces, Corin pushed his way through the panicked crowd. The effects of his afternoon drinking binge still lingered in his system and several times he was knocked from his unsteady feet, but each time he would kick and claw his way from beneath the boots of the rabble. With a final lunge he burst from the crowd into the nearly deserted alley where the blonde girl was waiting for him.
In reality, the alley was nothing more than a narrow corridor between a pair of three story buildings. It was filled with refuse and waste, and when the stench hit Corin's nostrils it was all he could do to keep from expelling the contents of his stomach onto his boots.
The lane was half hidden in shadows, but as Corin's eyes adjusted he could see that the far end was sealed off with a twenty foot stone wall.
"It's a dead end!" he exclaimed accusingly. "We have to find another way out."
His guide shook her head emphatically.
"There is no other way out. By now the Maces will have set up road blocks and checkpoints along all the streets leading out of the Fair. And it won't be long until they organize themselves