Nine
The Rendezvous
Summer 961 MC
Hayley leaned against the wall of the building, pretending to empty a stone from her boot. From her present position, she had an excellent view of the rear entrance to the Palace. There were a good number of soldiers in evidence, and she assumed that someone had raised the alarm. She pulled her boot back on and started walking towards the back gate, hoping to learn more. The guard at the gate looked uninterested with her approach but soon changed his mind as she presented her ranger token.
"Trouble?" she asked.
"Escaped prisoner," he replied. "The whole guard's been called out."
"Did they say who escaped?"
"No, but it must be someone important. All the knights have been roused, not just the foot soldiers."
"Perhaps I can help," she volunteered. "I
