Nodding, I found it interesting how Loren had stepped up to take the lead on this mission. He went first, followed by Quain, Flea, and finally me. We crept to the complex. Built of large barn doors tied to thick posts, the solid fence loomed over us. Keeping to the fence’s shadow, we traveled a few yards to the west.

When Loren signaled a halt, Quain pulled a thin metal pick from his pocket. He ran the edge of the pick along small cracks in the wood. Then he hooked the pick into a divot and pulled a three-foot-high panel away from the fence. Ah, the back door.

“Clever,” I whispered to Flea.

“Remember when the POWs escaped and Prince Ryne’s men helped fix the fence?” Flea asked.

“They added this then?”

“Yup.”

Wow. Ryne had really been thinking ahead.

Loren shushed us and climbed through the opening. Quain gestured for Flea and me to go next. He entered last, closing the door behind him. We stepped on the soft dirt of the training ring. No longer used for horses, this area had been the exercise yard for the POWs when Estrid had been in charge. The roof overhead blocked most of the moonlight.

After pausing to let our eyes adjust to the darkness, Loren continued. To me, the guys resembled darker blobs against the blackness. I wondered how we would find Estrid without light.

Before entering into the main stable area, Loren dug in the loose dirt off to the left. A faint metallic jingle sounded. Then he reached up along the wall and this time a clang rang out. Quain passed me, joining Loren. He muttered and cursed under his breath. Eventually a small yellow glow filled a bull’s-eye lantern. Loren slid the shutter until only a thin beam of light pierced the darkness.

They’d left a back door and an escape kit. Handy. We crept into what had once been stables. Now the stalls all had metal bars and thick locks. As Loren swept the light over one empty cell after another, I considered. Why would Cellina bother to lock up people who couldn’t move? Who needed no care?

I caught up to Loren. “She’s not here. Is there a storage shed inside the complex?”

He glanced at Quain and Flea.

“There’s that hay barn,” Flea said. “There wasn’t anything inside it except a couple straw bales.”

“Show us,” Loren said.

Flea took point and we stayed close behind him. He slipped from the stables. Loren closed the lantern, hiding the light. We scanned the area for any guards before crossing the open space between buildings. A creepy sensation raised the hairs on my arms as I imagined hidden gazes watching us.

Leading us to the smaller barn, Flea paused outside the entrance. Was another ambush waiting for us? He pulled on the door. The hinges squeaked. We hunched over as if under attack.