“Hey, is that guy following us?” Kaden whispered, nudging me.
I hoisted my bundle of purchases higher on my hip and glanced back. The streets of Amren were clogged with vendors, shoppers and entertainers, and it took me a moment to see the man Kaden had indicated. He wore a cloak that failed to conceal the hunch of his shoulders and was keeping close to the edge of the street, in the shadows of the shops and houses.
I nudged Nath, who looked. Arkady and Flavius, both laden with packages, were oblivious. Nath’s forehead ceased in a frown as he muttered, “Claptrap.”
Kaden nodded, sidestepping a gaggle of women carrying shopping baskets. “You know what? That guy’s really starting to creep me out. D’you think Fable sent him?”
It was barely past noon and the sun was glaring overhead, but a shiver tickled my spine all the same. “Of course. Fable sent him to spy on us. Time to lose him, boys.”
We pushed through the throng and caught up with Flavius and Arkady, who were loading their armfuls of gear into the back of a cart. “The driver’s going up to hill to deliver the post,” Arkady told us, waving a hand at the man holding the reins, “and he doesn’t mind taking our bundles up with him so we won’t have to carry them on the return trip.”
I could feel Claptrap’s eyes on us as I hefted my baggage into the cart, but stopped myself from looking back. “Listen, guys, Claptrap’s over there spying on us, and we need to get rid of him. No – don’t turn around – let’s take the long way home, all right?”
Making an effort to keep his eyes fixed on the cart, Arkady replied, “You mean, the long way that consists of us taking every back alley we can find and leaving by the southwest gate and sneaking through the forest?”
“Yes,” I murmured, rolling my eyes. “That long way.”
After Flavius had paid the cart driver for his trouble, we plunged into the stream of bodies and let it carry us down the main road in the direction of the Sanctum. The domed structure loomed overhead as we ducked into a side street festooned with washing lines and started running. I dodged around and under billows of cloth that were people’s nightgowns, sheets and tablecloths. The others stayed close behind me as we skidded around a corner and took off down a different alley. Arkady, I saw, was wearing someone’s long underwear about his shoulders. My feet pounded through puddles and potholes, mud spattering my shins, and then the alley ran out and we turned another corner, and another. The others puffed with exertion, and my own ragged breathing was loud in my ears, but we didn’t stop running, and we didn’t look back.
After a few more turns and backtracks, I no longer knew where we were. The buildings in this part of town were tall and unsteady, swaying into one another like men who have had too much to drink, and their rooftops hid the Sanctum from our sight. I slowed to a jog, then stopped altogether, doubled over and gulping down air. Flavius sagged against a wall, and Kaden sat where he was, laughing so hard that tears rolled down his cheeks.
“What’s... so... funny?” Arkady panted, trying to untangle himself from the underwear wound around his torso.
Kaden laughed harder, and even Nath grinned as he stood with his hands behind his head, catching his breath. “You should leave it on,” Kaden wheezed. “It becomes you!”
I took the opportunity to look back the way we had come while Arkady was busy throttling him with the garment. At first, I saw only strips of sunlight hitting the paving stones, but between one blink and the next, I saw something else. Something that stole away all that breath I had just worked so hard to get. “Hey, guys,” I said.
They were laughing too loudly to hear me, even Flavius. I elbowed Nath in the ribs. “Guys!”
“What?” they chorused, and turned.
Everyone went still. Everyone, that is, except the dozen or so burly men stalking towards us from the other end of the alley. Sword blades glinted in shafts of sunlight as they moved forward, leering.
In the confusion that followed, I think I might have been the one who shouted, “RUN!”
I hoisted my bundle of purchases higher on my hip and glanced back. The streets of Amren were clogged with vendors, shoppers and entertainers, and it took me a moment to see the man Kaden had indicated. He wore a cloak that failed to conceal the hunch of his shoulders and was keeping close to the edge of the street, in the shadows of the shops and houses.
I nudged Nath, who looked. Arkady and Flavius, both laden with packages, were oblivious. Nath’s forehead ceased in a frown as he muttered, “Claptrap.”
Kaden nodded, sidestepping a gaggle of women carrying shopping baskets. “You know what? That guy’s really starting to creep me out. D’you think Fable sent him?”
It was barely past noon and the sun was glaring overhead, but a shiver tickled my spine all the same. “Of course. Fable sent him to spy on us. Time to lose him, boys.”
We pushed through the throng and caught up with Flavius and Arkady, who were loading their armfuls of gear into the back of a cart. “The driver’s going up to hill to deliver the post,” Arkady told us, waving a hand at the man holding the reins, “and he doesn’t mind taking our bundles up with him so we won’t have to carry them on the return trip.”
I could feel Claptrap’s eyes on us as I hefted my baggage into the cart, but stopped myself from looking back. “Listen, guys, Claptrap’s over there spying on us, and we need to get rid of him. No – don’t turn around – let’s take the long way home, all right?”
Making an effort to keep his eyes fixed on the cart, Arkady replied, “You mean, the long way that consists of us taking every back alley we can find and leaving by the southwest gate and sneaking through the forest?”
“Yes,” I murmured, rolling my eyes. “That long way.”
After Flavius had paid the cart driver for his trouble, we plunged into the stream of bodies and let it carry us down the main road in the direction of the Sanctum. The domed structure loomed overhead as we ducked into a side street festooned with washing lines and started running. I dodged around and under billows of cloth that were people’s nightgowns, sheets and tablecloths. The others stayed close behind me as we skidded around a corner and took off down a different alley. Arkady, I saw, was wearing someone’s long underwear about his shoulders. My feet pounded through puddles and potholes, mud spattering my shins, and then the alley ran out and we turned another corner, and another. The others puffed with exertion, and my own ragged breathing was loud in my ears, but we didn’t stop running, and we didn’t look back.
After a few more turns and backtracks, I no longer knew where we were. The buildings in this part of town were tall and unsteady, swaying into one another like men who have had too much to drink, and their rooftops hid the Sanctum from our sight. I slowed to a jog, then stopped altogether, doubled over and gulping down air. Flavius sagged against a wall, and Kaden sat where he was, laughing so hard that tears rolled down his cheeks.
“What’s... so... funny?” Arkady panted, trying to untangle himself from the underwear wound around his torso.
Kaden laughed harder, and even Nath grinned as he stood with his hands behind his head, catching his breath. “You should leave it on,” Kaden wheezed. “It becomes you!”
I took the opportunity to look back the way we had come while Arkady was busy throttling him with the garment. At first, I saw only strips of sunlight hitting the paving stones, but between one blink and the next, I saw something else. Something that stole away all that breath I had just worked so hard to get. “Hey, guys,” I said.
They were laughing too loudly to hear me, even Flavius. I elbowed Nath in the ribs. “Guys!”
“What?” they chorused, and turned.
Everyone went still. Everyone, that is, except the dozen or so burly men stalking towards us from the other end of the alley. Sword blades glinted in shafts of sunlight as they moved forward, leering.
In the confusion that followed, I think I might have been the one who shouted, “RUN!”
Claptrap is such a creeper. *smites*
Workin' on Chapter Three!
Commander Kip
We're gonna explode? I don't wanna explode!
Normal is overrated!
