He reached her while still on the fly, swept her off her feet without slowing, and raced for the closest doorway. Using his magic as he ran, he released the locking devices so that the door sprang open. Spears and arrows flew all around them, and Federation soldiers, howling in rage, closed in from three sides.

But by then they were through the dark opening of the Inner Wall entry and the door had slammed shut and locked itself behind them.

Stoon, bruised and battered and furious with himself, stumbled back down the corridor tunneling through the Outer Wall to the door that had let him in and pushed his way back outside again, heading for the surrounding forest. Behind him the fighting was intense, raging all along the Outer Wall. He didn’t look back to see what was happening, having lost interest in being involved in any way. He was lucky to be alive, and he knew it.

He was almost to the trees when Drust Chazhul rushed out to meet him.

“What are you doing? You were supposed to stay inside and bring out the girl!”

Stoon waited until the other was right in front of him, and then said, “You want the girl, Drust? You go in and get her. I’ve seen all of her I care to see. I didn’t sign on for this.”

Drust seemed to catch the look in his eyes and backed away. “All right. Someone else will bring her then. But I can’t believe you let …”

Stoon was right in his face. “Don’t say it! Don’t even think it! You didn’t see what happened in there, but I’ll tell you this. If you get your hands on her, you better kill her fast.”

He swung away dismissively, looking back toward Paranor’s walls and the sounds of battle. “What’s going on in there? Your men were everywhere! The advance force didn’t have time to open the gates. How did the rest of them get in so fast?”

Drust handed him an aleskin and waited for him to drink from it. “Your man managed to give us a second way in. The Druids and their guards were so busy watching for us from the south and then rushing to stop us from the west that he managed to reach the east gate unnoticed. Once it was open, we rushed a contingent of men over from the south to hold them. The Trolls fought to retake them, but couldn’t manage it. Now we’re inside. It’s only moments until the Keep is ours.”

“Ours, is it?” Stoon sounded doubtful.