Excerpt: Assassins Saviour *WORKING TITLE*

“Get him” ordered Captain Gravad as Erek slipped in through the window. Guards stepped forward to grab the young man before he could arm himself. Erek struggled vehemently, but release wasn’t coming, and all he received for his troubles was a breath-taking blow to the gut. Gravad stepped forward, grabbing Erek by the face with his thumb and forefinger, he squeezed gently. “Got you, you little rat” he sneered, slapping Erek hard across the face. Blood spurted from his mouth onto the wooden floor of the townhouse, covering a number of the guards in the sticky red liquid as well.
Erek hung limp against the guards, still trying to get his breath back following the debilitating attack to his gut. He kept his eyes on the Captain of the Guards the entire time, obvious hatred bubbling away behind his dark chocolate eyes. “Let’s go” ordered Gravad, a smile forming on his lips. “Someone’s got a date with a prison cell.” Erek growled, but the Captain of the Guards just laughed. “Take him away lads; we’ll never be troubled by this’un again.” Erek felt a rough pair of hands push him towards the door – he tripped and fell at the unexpected propulsion, and had to be lifted back to his feet by a smiling Captain Gravad. “Come along Erek, time to show you your new place of residence. I’m sure you’ll find it much to your liking.”
A rough pair of hands shoved Erek into his cell, and he heard the key click in the lock. His hands were bound tightly with rope – and he had already rubbed his wrists raw trying to worm his way free. He sat down heavily on the straw littered stone floor against the back wall, so he could face the cell door. A trap he thought helplessly, I blundered straight into their trap. They even knew how I’d enter the room. He blinked slowly, trying to focus his thoughts. How was I set up? I must get out of here, I must! He put his head in his hands, elbows on knees, hands lacing through his knotted and dirty silver-blue hair. Erek stood slowly, wincing as the bruise to his stomach sent a jet of pain through his body. He wasn’t especially tall, standing at no more than five foot eight, and he wasn’t especially muscular. But what he did have was agility, and skill with a blade, which is why Erek had become an assassin. Erek started to pace the room, trying to think of a way out of this mess. He knew the charges against him wouldn’t be fabricated – he was caught trying to kill a man, after all.
Erek stopped. It was so obvious, why hadn’t he thought of it before. He shuffled to the cell door, his stomach resisting every movement. “Excuse me, guard?” he said, pushing his face against the bars. He could see the two guards set to watch him, they were playing some form of card game, but in the flickering candle light Erek couldn’t tell what game. “What do you want?” said one of the guards. Erek winced as the guard screeched the wooden chair back across the floor, so he could stand up. “Let me talk to Lord Iseran. I know he deals with sentencing and punishments and the like. Make him come and talk to me before you kill me.” The standing guard snorted. He was fat, so fat he probably would have rolled had you pushed him over. How he was allowed to become a guard Erek didn’t know. “Why should we trouble Lord Iseran for the likes of you, murderer?” he asked. “Yeah,” agreed the other guard, who was still seated. He must have been an old veteran, his hair was grey and thinning, and his left eye was missing, a gaping hole where the eye should have been.
“Because, I must have the right to look upon, and talk to, the man who has the influence over whether I live or die. So go get him for me.” The guards looked at each other, a look of amusement mirrored on both faces. “You don’t tell us what to do, killer” said the fat guard, with a snigger. Erek’s mind raced, how would he persuade these guards to get Iseran? “Look, if you get Lord Iseran for me, I’ll give you directions to the place I’ve hidden my gold. After all, I’m not going to need it any more am I?” Of course, it wasn’t the only cold cache Erek had, but he wouldn’t tell these two that. “Tell Lord Iseran, and you can have all my gold. Do we have a deal?” Again, the guards looked at each other. “Fine” said the older one, “we’ll pass your message along, but we can’t promise Lord Iseran will come see you, we’re just guards, and we have no influence over what he does.” Erek nodded, it was the best he could hope for, and so he’d have to take it.

Moving back to where he sat previously, Erek sat back down to wait. There was not much more he could do, not until his old friend Iseran came to set him free. Erek was sure Iseran would help him out – after all, he owed Erek a life debt, he wouldn’t forsake that now.