Thief's War: A Knight and Rogue Novel Read Free

bound and gagged still has his ears, was already searching the guard’s pockets. “Nothing. If I had the proper tools, warm hands, and all the time in the world, maybe I could. As it is? No. But there’s another way. Hang on.”
    He threw his cloak over Master Ruffo’s thin, drenched coat before he raced off. I was beginning to shiver myself; the poor farmer had tremors running all through his body.
    I put my hand under the cloak and began to rub his back, briskly for warmth, but gently too. His muscles felt like wood they were so cramped, and I feared we’d have to carry him.
    “Master Ruffo, what will happen if you vanish tonight? It occurred to us that an escape might leave you in even worse trouble.”
    “Get me out of this.” The man’s teeth chattered so much he could hardly speak. “I’ll worry about the rest later.”
    My sensing Gift, which sometimes tells me when I’m followed or that someone is about to approach, must have been taking a nap. I wasn’t aware of the woman’s presence till an astonished voice demanded, “Who under two moons are you?”
    Gifts are talents that anyone might possess, enhanced to an unnatural degree. Some of them are as reliable as breath. And some, like the sensing Gift, aren’t.
    She stood at the edge of the light, old, though not as ancient as Fisk had feigned to be. A basket hung over her arm.
    “Madge!” Master Ruffo’s voice shook. “Get out of here. You’ll get—”
    “We’ll get both of you out of here,” I promised, somewhat rashly. “Mistress, remember that guard is probably listening.”
    Indeed, he’d fallen silent to hear better.
    “Have you any way to open the lock?” I nodded toward her basket.
    “No. I thought he’d have the key.” She rolled aside a loaf of bread and pulled out a short club, which she’d evidently intended to use on the guard to obtain it. It should have been comical, but something in her expression… That guard had gotten lucky with Fisk and me.
    The basket also held a full bottle of liniment. Though I knew at a glance ’twas not magica, I still applauded her forethought. We were rubbing it into Master Ruffo’s back when Fisk came trotting back, carrying a long crowbar.
    He cast Mistress Ruffo an appraising glance. If he didn’t immediately realize the whole story, he clearly understood that she was on our side.
    We fitted the narrow end of the bar into the padlock’s closed hasp, and pried. It took both Fisk’s and my strength, and in the end it was the smaller loops attached to the stock that gave way, tearing free of the wood with a shriek like a dying rabbit.
    I looked around, but all the shutters that faced the square stayed firmly closed. Given the amount of noise we’d made this night, that told me a great deal about how the townsfolk regarded Master Ruffo.
    He couldn’t move after we lifted the heavy plank off his neck and wrists. He could barely lower his hands to his lap, wincing with pain as he did. But Mistress Ruffo continued rubbing liniment into his stiff shoulders, and Fisk and I helped the man stumble to his feet and half-carried him away.
    I thought about leaving the guard to his deserts, but lying all night in the cold spring rain… I went back and cut the rope that bound his ankles.
    “You can stand up,” I told him, not trying to disguise my voice, since he’d been listening to it for some time. “The inn’s gate, on the far side of the square, is still open. You’ll find it eventually.”
    He kicked at me, and started shouting through his gag again. I shrugged and returned to Fisk and Mistress Ruffo, who where hurrying the rescued man along at a fair pace now.
    “Are we going somewhere?” Fisk asked politely.
    “Willy!” Master Ruffo exclaimed. “Where’s Will? Did you get him back?”
    “I’ve been too busy getting you back,” his wife snapped. “We’ve some friends in town, sir. They’re at the inn, grumbling about the storm and not wanting to go home just yet, so