The Fallen Fortress - By R. A. Salvatore Page 0,64
arrow.
The remaining two enemy archers opened up on Danica, but her course was too erratic and her agility too great. Arrows skipped off the frozen ground, or snapped apart as they struck, but Danica, rolling and diving, cutting sharper angles than the soldiers could anticipate, never came close to being hit
"Hee nee nee," chuckled Pikel, running with Ivan far behind the monk and thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.
Shayleigh returned the fire with vicious accuracy, skipping arrows in between the parapet stones and forcing the guards to concentrate more on keeping their heads down than on firing at Danica. Still the men tried futilely to cry out, to warn their associates of the peril.
Vander scooped up Shayleigh, settled her atop his broad shoulders, and ran after the dwarves.
Cadderly focused once more on the front wall, loosing another illusory volley to ensure that the soldiers would remain tight in their holes. Smiling at his own cleverness, the young priest raced off after his friends.
As Danica reached the base of the tower, the door burst open and a swordsman rushed out to face her. Always alert, she rolled headlong and came up within his weapon's descending arc, the ball of her fist connecting under his chin and driving him away.
Above Danica, one of the archers leaned out, angling for a killing shot Shayleigh's arrow, loosed before he had even drawn his bow, sank deep into his collarbone.
The other archer, tight against the corner of a squared stone, responded with a shot that caught Vander in the chest, but the arrow did little to slow the giant Howling and growling, Vander yanked out the puny bolt and hurled it away.
Her angle improved by the fact that she was ten feet above the ground, Shayleigh smiled grimly and loosed another arrow. It skipped off the squared stone and ricocheted into the enemy archer's eye. The man fell back in agony, obviously screaming - but again, not a sound came from the enchanted area.
Ivan and Pikel disappeared into the tower behind Danica; Cadderly could see that there was some fighting within. The young priest ran with all speed, slipping in on Vander's heels, but by the time he, the firbolg, and the elf maiden got there, the five goblin guards of the tower's first floor were already dead.
Danica kneeled before another doorway across the small chamber, studying its lock. She pulled the clasp off of her belt and straightened it with her teeth, then gently slipped it in and began working it, side to side.
"Hurry," bade Shayleigh, standing by the outer door. Across the courtyard, cries of "Enemies in the tower!" could be heard. The elf maiden shrugged - the deception was no more - and leaned out the door, shooting off an arrow or two to keep the enemy forces back. One quiver empty, her second growing lighter, she regretted now her decision to join in the battle in the valley.
Cadderly pulled her in by the elbow and closed the door. It was an easy thing for the priest to magically reach into the essence of the wood, to swell it and warp it so that the portal was sealed tight. Vander piled the dead goblins against the door as added security, and again all eyes focused on Danica.
"Hurry," Shayleigh reiterated, her words taking on more weight as something heavy slammed against the tower door.
With a grin to her companions, Danica slipped her makeshift lockpick behind one ear and pushed op*n the door, revealing a descending stairway.
Cadderly looked at the passage curiously. "Not heavily guarded and not trapped?" he mused aloud.
"It was trapped," Danica corrected. She pointed to a wire along the side of the jamb, secured in place with the other part of her belt None of them had the time to admire the skilled monk's handiwork, though, for another, louder crash sounded on the outer door, and the tip of an axe blade poked through the wood.
Ivan and Pikel pushed ahead of Danica and rambled side by side down the stairs. Vander and Shayleigh went next, the firbolg using his innate magics to reduce himself to the size of a large man. Next came Cadderly, and then Danica, who turned back and, with a subtle twist of her pick, locked the door and rearmed the trap.
Another door blocked the way at the bottom of the stairs, but the dwarven brothers lowered their heads, locked arms, and picked up their pace.
"It may be warded!" Cadderly called out to them, understanding their intent