As Garinor lay crumpled on the floor of the tent, he saw Tomli taken away by the guard. He was handled roughly and made to stagger about so he could not retaliate. Once again Tomli had acted to save his life. He needed to keep safe and not waste Tomli’s bravery.
He could hear the prince addressing Tomli crudely and having his hands bound together to keep him from fighting. Garinor waited in the tent for a chance at striking back without being caught.
Not long later, the prince and several of his men took Tomli away toward the northeastern cave. The others were left behind to keep tabs on the encampment and to ensure that no one could interfere with the prince.
Garinor stayed in the tent for a short while, trying to figure out when he should make a move. There wasn’t much chance for him to escape without being seen. His only hope was that some of the guards had left with the prince and most of those who remained guarded the Daggerfists. From his vantage point inside the tent, he could still see his father being restrained by three of the guards. He was amazed at how strong and ferocious his father had been in the fight. And Terrian had obviously impressed the guards, too, since they were keeping such a tight hold on him.
Garinor wondered if he could escape and cause enough of a scene that his father might break loose and wreak havoc on the others. It was a childish whim, he knew, thinking his father would be invincible even surrounded by so many others. But it was either that or wait in the tent until he was discovered.
Garinor looked around for some sort of weapon, but aside from goblets and food there wasn’t anything useful for him. His father had taken his one sword with him when the prince arrived. Without another option, Garinor put all the food and the goblets by the tent flap and then readied himself.
He started with a lump of bread. He held the canvas in one hand and the dough in the other. He yanked open the flap and heaved the bread across the way, hoping to hit one of the guards near his father. With a dull thump, the loaf hit the dirt and remained there.
But it alerted the guard nearest to its landing point. He turned around and tried to see where it had come from, but he had no idea. Garinor laughed to himself as he watched the young man spin on his heel, looking up into the sky as if bread typically fell from clouds. Garinor grabbed another lump of bread and, when he felt the coast was clear, he heaved his projectile, this time catching the guard on the back of the head.
“What’s this!” he called out, frustrated, and spinning around again. One of the guards keeping Terrian at bay went over to him to see what the fuss was about.
Garinor timed his third launch carefully. He checked toward the right to make sure no one was looking before he lobbed half of a tomato to the left. The juicy ammunition splattered successfully on one of the guards’ backs, which caused a bit of shouting to spring into the otherwise quiet air. The targeted guard called out orders for the area to be searched by anyone not already engaged. He joined the hunt for the foul interloper, determined to bring his fists down in justice.
The guard turned toward Garinor’s tent and strode forward with purpose. Garinor readied himself with one of the goblets. It was an iron cup and would act as a good blunt instrument if he could hold it effectively and manage a decent swing.
He tensed in anticipation as the guard drew closer, his hand reaching out to open the tent. Garinor pulled back to one side and held the goblet over his head. The guard’s sword entered the tent first, then his hand. Garinor held his breath and waited for the right moment, just when the guard’s head poked through the opening to see what was inside. Then he brought both hands down with force and cracked the guard over the head, felling him instantly. He dropped the goblet and grabbed the man’s wrists and dragged him into the tent, wondering if he had acted fast enough.
He glanced outside the tent, but no one was coming toward him yet. There were soldiers looking into other tents and they were working their way toward him, but they had not noticed this man’s disappearance. Garinor checked his supplies. He still had another tomato and both goblets, as well as the guard’s sword.
He kept his eyes open for movement outside, and when the coast was clear, he lobbed the last tomato into the air. It drifted across the camp and came to a crashing halt on the ground near another tent. The guard who was investigating that area let out a yelp and ran for cover.
Unfortunately, Garinor was seen by someone else. The observant guard snuck toward Garinor’s tent, sword drawn, and ready to pounce when Garinor opened the tent again. Luckily for Garinor, with all the sunlight outside, he was able to see the man’s shadow against the canvas. He took one of the goblets and held its base with his fingertips, poking the tent flap to make it stir, but the guard wasn’t fooled by that, so Garinor then extended the goblet out into the daylight.
The guard swung his sword downward and charged blindly into the tent. But Garinor was already armed with the other goblet. He knelt low and the guard’s sword swept over his head as he entered, then Garinor brought the goblet up sharply and caught the guard in the groin, causing him to drop his sword and fall to his knees. A knock on the top of his head with the goblet, and the second guard collapsed onto the first, equally unconscious.
Garinor’s luck was pressed after that, for two guards then advanced on the tent. He saw them approach without their swords drawn, perhaps thinking they would wrestle down anyone they found. He didn’t want to strike with a sword and end up killing anyone if he didn’t have to. After all, some of these men might have just been desperate for a job. But he couldn’t let them grab him, either.
Garinor had barely enough room to maneuver between the fallen guards and the tent flap. He crouched low with one sword near to hand but both goblets readied for action. When the two guards were mere steps away, he lifted the bottom corner of the flap and rolled out one of the goblets. The first guard stepped over it without realizing it but his companion was not as fortunate. His foot pressed down on the goblet and it rolled out from under him. He stumbled forward and toppled onto the first guard and they both tumbled down.
The guard in front scrabbled for purchase and the only thing he could grab was the tent itself. It was a sturdy tent and the support poles held firm, but the canvas ripped from his weight dragging down on it. The tent flap tore away and covered his head completely. Garinor used the other goblet to knock out these two guards as they fumbled to free themselves from the canvas, but then the game was up. Three other guards rushed forward to seize him.
One of those guards was originally keeping Terrian pinned down. Now there was only one guard left with him and it didn’t take much for Terrian to wrench himself away so he could protect his son. He managed to work the gag out of his mouth and with a primal cry he startled the guards who were advancing on Garinor. The boy used their hesitation to grab the nearby sword and to crash the flat of the blade against one of the guard’s shins. He readied himself to smack down another opponent, but his father was faster. Terrian used his bulk to smother the other two guards, crushing them.
Garinor used the sword to cut his father’s bonds before others rallied together. Terrian took the sword from his son and said in a grave voice, “Garinor, you must flee. If you remain, you will be killed. Go quickly, now. Do not argue! Flee!” He then rushed into an attacker and felled him instantly.
Garinor looked around and saw that his father was right. The guards looked anxious for battle. They drew their weapons and rushed to the scene. Some of those who did left behind Daggerfists who set about freeing their companions. A frantic battle struck up immediately.
Garinor’s father wanted him to run to safety, but Tomli had been taken by the prince and his men. The northern part of camp looked relatively clear and before he was caught in the battle, he needed to decide which way to go.