Blackmane cleared his throat. ‘What about the sleeping quarters?’ He raised his bow and shot another camp guard behind Tatum. ‘Or the gallows?’

‘That’s rather dark.’ Tatum turned and drove his sword through the guard’s stomach. ‘Though I wouldn’t put anything past Hodge at this point.’ He looked around. ‘Let’s start with the sleeping quarters.’

They weaved their way through the fighting, trying very hard to not be a part of it and failing miserably. Every now and then, Blackmane would load his bow and discreetly fire an arrow into a guard’s back if the prisoner he was fighting appeared to be at a disadvantage.

‘I saw that,’ Tatum would say.

The guards would have a chance to surrender once the wastelanders had control of the camp. Then Tolly and Thorn would send them marching east—with Hodge in tow.

There was no guard outside the first house, so Blackmane went straight through the door, bow poised as he turned in a full circle. ‘Empty.’

They continued through it, exiting via the door at the other end. There was a guard standing outside the second house. He startled when they appeared, eyes widening. Blackmane pointed an arrow at his face and said, ‘You have one chance to run.’

The man backed up all the way to the door, then took off towards the road.

Tatum pushed the door open, and Blackmane rushed in, gaze sweeping the length of the room. He stopped and listened. Nothing. He looked over his shoulder at Tatum. ‘Lucky number three?’

They headed to the exit.

Charging out the door on the other side, they almost knocked down a guard posted there. The man turned, sword swinging at Tatum. The commander disarmed him in three moves, then kicked him in the stomach. The guard landed on his back. They would have let him live if he had not drawn a dagger from his feet and come at them again. Blackmane shot him through the heart, gifting him a quick death.

‘No guard outside the third house,’ Tatum noted.

Blackmane watched the guard draw his last breath before looking up. ‘Let’s take a look inside.’

They stormed into the final building, turning in circles as they made their way to the far end. They combed every inch of the house to make sure they had not missed anything, lifting mattresses and throwing blankets all about the place.

‘Maybe the gallows isn’t such a crazy suggestion after all,’ Tatum said.

Blackmane looked back in the direction they had come. ‘Let’s go back to the second house.’

‘Why? It was empty.’

Blackmane met his eyes. ‘Because it was guarded.’

They headed back the way they had come, following the path back to the second house. They quietly pulled the door open this time. Blackmane entered first, finding it as empty as it had been before.

Tatum looked around. ‘Should we start slicing the mattresses open?’