“At least I managed to escape.” Leif shot back. He paused in the threshold of the cell. “Some legend you are. You let these guys get the drop on you.” He hooked a thumb at the guards.

“At least I didn’t walk blindly into a trap.” Valek stepped closer to Leif. “You let them kidnap you.” He snorted in derision. “You know why they call it kidnapping?” He moved until he was almost nose to nose with Leif. “Because only kids are stupid enough to get caught.”

Leif yelled and swung a wild fist at Valek. He duck and dove at the guard on Leif’s right, tackling him at the knees. Leif’s punch landed on the jaw of the man on his left. What looked like chaos erupted for a few moments, but Valek had already planned out every single move in his head, starting with the mock fight with Leif.

The three key components to a successful attack were surprise, speed, and intensity. Within a minute, Valek and Leif had unarmed the three guards and locked them in the cell.

“Are there any more above?” Valek asked Leif.

“I hope not. I’m hungry.”

Part 8

Valek and Leif crept up the prison’s stairs. So far, they had managed to capture eight of Owen’s men and Owen’s wife, who was a magician. Both were armed with the guard’s weapons, but Valek wasn’t taking any chances. An operation like this could easily employ a few more mercenaries. Plus Leif had said they were professionals.

He paused at the top, listening for any sounds. Behind him, Leif’s stomach growled.

“Sorry,” Leif whispered.

An ordinary house sat above the prison. Heavy curtains covered the windows in the front and back. Solid side walls meant the residence was part of a row or block of similar houses. Probably indistinguishable from its neighbors. Nothing like hiding in plain sight. Valek approved. It was how he picked his safe houses.

“Where did you run into the three guards?” Valek asked Leif.

“In the kitchen.”

Valek suppressed a sigh. Someday Leif’s stomach would get him into serious trouble.

Once they confirmed no one lurked on the ground floor, they searched the upper floors and surprised a group playing cards. It didn’t take long to subdue them and escort them down to the prison below.

“Wow. You’d think a dozen soldiers would be enough to keep us from escaping,” Leif said.

Then he sobered. “The man who has Yelena isn’t fooling around is he?”

“No. And he’s quite adept at lying even when he’s linked with another magician mind to mind.”

Concern for Yelena swirled around his heart.

“Can we send her a message, letting her know we’re free?” Leif asked.

“I signaled when Owen’s wife was linked to him, who was linked to Yelena.” Valek paused, marveling at the intricacies of magical communication. Ixia really needed to find a way to keep up.

“And?”

“If she remembers all the signals, she’ll know Owen can lie and to not trust what he shows her. I hope she’s leading him on a wild Valmur chase right now, waiting for me to catch up.”

“And if she doesn’t remember?”

“Then I need to rendezvous with her before she reaches the mines.” Valek calculated how much time Yelena had been on the road. Taking into account their slower pace due to having to keep a low profile and sneaking over the Ixian border, Valek guessed they were about half way through MD-5. They had to walk, but he had Onyx, which meant it would take him approximately seven days to catch up.

Valek wasted no time. He left Leif to inform the authorities, and to lead the soldiers back to the house so they could arrest Owen’s men. Returning to the Weir Inn, Valek saddled Onyx and headed north toward Ixia.

He arrived at the border between Ixia and Sitia a day and a half later. Ixian soldiers surrounded him as soon as he crossed into the Snake Forest, but they relaxed once they recognized him. He sent a message to the Commander’s castle. As the messenger raced to the northwest, Valek continued deeper into MD-5, following a smaller road that paralleled the main route through MD-5. He suspected Yelena would avoid the more popular road and keep to the side road.

Five days after leaving Fulgor, Valek encountered a squad patrolling the area. The soldiers blocked his path, forming a circle around him. A young, blond haired Lieutenant ordered Valek to dismount. None of the fourteen soldiers knew who he was. And to make it worse, he still wore his nondescript Sitian clothes under his cloak. I really need to spent more time in Ixia. A shave and a haircut would have probably helped, too.

Valek slid from the saddle.

“Papers.” The Lieutenant held out his hand.

When Valek introduced himself, the Lieutenant laughed. “And I’m the Commander of Ixia.

Want to try that again?”

He tried the code words that his special corp. used in case they ran into trouble.

“Those are two weeks old. You’re under arrest. Ben, secure our guest so he doesn’t get any ideas.”

Valek eyed the big bruiser approaching him. He could easily slip past him and escape, but then the whole squad would give chase. Losing them wouldn’t be the problem, he worried more that his disappearing act would cause a wide spread commotion that might reach Owen, tipping him off. Plus the Lieutenant couldn’t be faulted for doing his job. Despite the Lieutenant’s flippant attitude, Valek sensed the young man possessed a keen intelligence.

Frustrated with the delay, but unable to think of a better solution, Valek allowed the squad to arrest him. He hoped someone would recognize him back at their headquarters. No luck.