Page 67 of The Dark Mage
The tax collector stomped and shouted, running in circles like an enragedfool.
Ren’wyn watched the plan unfold effortlessly.
An arrow pierced the chest of the first guard, knocking him back.The others flailed as the mud crept up their legs.Startled, they let go of the wagon and tried to free themselves, but the muck had reached their thighs.Esrin’s magic pulled harder, dragging themdown.
Miguel burst from beneath the bridge, vaulting onto the wagon.He slit the driver’s throat before the man could reach his sword.
Lia loosed another arrow—this time, straight into the tax collector’s throat.Ren’wyn felt his life flicker out as his body crumpled.
Miguel leapt from the wagon, slicing the throat of another guard.Esrin’s mud swallowed the last two, and Ren’wyn felt them drown, their souls slipping into theVoid.
The three of them crawled from the lookout.Below, Miguel and Esrin were already dragging a soldier’s body toward the river.Fael and Alen grabbed another, while Ren’wyn and Lia hauled the tax collector.He was heavyset and richly dressed, clearly used to luxury.
He must be good at his job,Ren’wyn thought bitterly,torturing villagers until they handed over everycoin.
They shoved the collector’s body into the river and watched it disappear into the current.
Alen crouched by the collection box, a small leather pouch of tools in his hand.With two slender picks, he worked the lock until it popped open.Esrin tossed each of them abag.
“Not too full,” he warned.“Only take what you can carry comfortably for the next day’s travel.”
They worked quickly, scattering the extra coins into the ditch.Esrin used his power to nudge the cart free, rolling it over the riverbank.The ground rumbled beneath them as the wagon tumbled into the river with a splash.
Ren’wyn stumbled, caught off-guard by the tremor.Fael’s arm shot out, steadyingher.
Alen took the horses—each branded with the imperial crest—and rode them toward the main road.He would release them for someone else tofind.
As they set off into the woods, Ren’wyn hesitated.Retracing their path felt unwise, but they crossed the road instead, heading away from camp into the widening forest.
“Where are we going?”Ren’wyn hissed toFael.
“I don’t know,” he replied.“My guess is a false trail to cover our tracks.”
He didn’t elaborate, and she didn’t press him.The pace was brutal—branches snagging her cloak and hair, which she yanked free with reckless intensity.She kept silent like the rest of the group, deciding not to ask if this was typical.I’m here to observe,she reminded herself.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Esrin halted.They were deep in the woods now.He dropped his pack and pulled out a bag of travel food, sitting without ceremony.The rest of the group followed hislead.
“We’ll camp here,” he said, glancing at Fael and Ren’wyn.“After a job, we camp either deep in the forest or in small groups near the road, varying our patterns.Since we could be tracked from the road, we’re staying in the woods tonight.No fires.No formal camp.We place our bedrolls among the undergrowth and make ourselves invisible.”
Alen added, “We’ve done plenty of jobs where we split up afterward—change clothes, stay a day or two in a town far from camp.Leta and Miguel like the rough camping, but Esrin loves a soft bed in aninn.”
The group laughed, and Ren’wyn’s mouth tugged into a small smile despite herself.She remembered Esrin’s love of good food and a soft featherbed.
“If I remember right,” Esrin said with a smirk, “you hated outdoor living, too, Ren’wyn.Something about ‘bugs, heat, and sweat’?”
He wasn’t wrong.She’d always packed extra blankets in the cold, searched for shade in the heat, and made sure their group returned to a hot meal after hiking.She’d loved dressing neatly and staying clean.
“It’s amazing what changes when it has to,” she replied coldly.“I’ve come to appreciate the outdoors after three seasons in the wild withFael.”
Esrin’s eyes darkened at her tone, flicking briefly to Fael.A familiar heat pressed against her senses.When she turned, Fael was watching her, his expressionsoft.
“These are smart,” Fael said, holding up his pack of travel food.His comment was addressed to no one in particular, but Alen and Lia smiled.
“They were Alen’s idea,” Lia said.Her melodic voice cut through the tension.“Simple, compact meals for quick energy and endurance: nuts or dried meat, hard tack, and dried fruit.Sometimes fresh fruit, if it travels well.Easy to pack and light to carry.”
Fael nodded as he sorted through his small canvas bag.Ren’wyn could tell he was already adding the idea to his mental arsenal.When he glanced her way, she offered a broad smile to ease the tension betweenthem.
But it hurt to see the wariness in hiseyes.
