The Seeker - Isobelle Carmody [125]
“A signal from Peter,” Jow said. “He should have been here by now; I’ll go and look.”
A cold blast of wind swept through the back door as he left. I shivered, less from the cold than at what lay ahead. I prayed Domick could do his part in freeing Matthew and the others.
When the door swung open again, Jow had brought the older musician, Peter. With them, to my surprise, was Gilaine.
She took my hands in hers. “The others did not want me to come, because I am known to have associated with you. But I wanted to say goodbye. I wish you did not have to go,” she sent wistfully.
I squeezed her fingers. “We’ll meet again someday. I’m sure of it.” I leaned forward and kissed a cheek that smelled faintly of honey.
“Come,” Jow said impatiently. “There’s no time to waste.”
Gilaine gave me a gentle push and waved as we followed Jow and Peter into the stormy night. Looking over my shoulder, I saw her disappear round the corner of the house.
It began to rain in earnest then, as if it had been waiting for us. To my consternation, the flashes of lightning lit up the streets. Anyone glancing through a window might see us.
I trotted to keep up, trying to ignore the pain in my feet. We stopped to rest in one of the alleys running between the dark storehouses alongside the gate. Peter left at once with a terse farewell.
“I live near, so it’s safest for me to be seen here,” Jow explained. “I’ve left two horses in the front yard nearest the gate. They’ve agreed to run the minute they’re let out.” Jow was a beastspeaker.
“Your job is to break the latch on the yard gate,” he told Jik. “Wait until a crack of thunder and smash it with a rock. Then get out of sight. I’ll come out and call the gatewarden to help me catch the horses. They’re to run down to the other end of the camp. There’ll be enough noise to attract the attention of the posted guards in the corner lookouts. Even so, you’ll have to be quick. And don’t leave any tracks showing which way you’ve gone. There must be no doubt you’re making for the main road around the head of the river. Elspeth, you’re sure you’ll be able to relock the gate from the outside?”
I nodded. “My powers aren’t blocked when there’s physical contact. If I’m touching the door, I’ll be able to lock it mentally.”
Jow looked up as a flash of lightning lit the alley. “Count five and thirty once you’re in position, to give me time to get back to my hut. Then bash away,” he told Jik. Then he was gone.
We stared at one another, frightened and excited. “Go on,” I prompted Jik after the time had passed. He darted off into the shadows, and Kella and I edged closer to the main gate. The whole aim of Jow’s plan was to give us a head start. Jow hoped no one would even realize we had gone until we were discovered missing at nightmeal. And even then, the locked gates would make them think we were hiding somewhere inside the camp.
But everything depended on our getting away unnoticed.
I jumped as a loud crash of thunder mingled faintly with the sound of splintering wood. Two horses thundered past us into the street, their hooves making a great clattering noise on the stones. We watched as Jow burst out of a door, shouting for help. Two other doors were flung open and men came out, wondering what was happening. A man poked his head out of the gatewarden’s hut, and Jow called him to help catch the horses before someone was killed. He pulled on a coat and ran after the shouting group without looking back.
As soon as they were all out of sight, we hurried across to the gate, Jik running up behind us. My heart beat loud enough to drown the thunder. We were completely exposed, and my hand trembled as I reached for the lock.
But even as my fingers closed around the bolt, a hand shot out of the gatewarden’s hut and fastened on my arm. Kella screamed and jumped back, knocking Jik to the ground.
Still holding my arm, the black-bearded man who had caught us in the first place came out into the rain, an unpleasant smile on his mouth. “What have we here?” His eyes ran over our bundles