him the Elvasi didn’t patrol very far out of their camp, so he didn’t need to worry about seeing them just yet.
They moved silently until he could see the edge of a cliff. He crouched down and moved low, tucking his wings in close, so they didn’t hit anything.
I wish I were sneaky like Bryn. He’s so good at this part.
Once on the cliffside, Mat smiled. Below, there was little activity. Only a few fires were lit, and some Elvasi wandered around, but it wasn’t bustling with activity.
“How do we get down?” a warrior asked behind him.
“Carefully,” Mat answered. “Follow my lead.”
He edged closer and checked the shadows. His side of the valley was covered in the red glow of the moon, which would make it obvious they were climbing down. That was a problem he was grateful Zayden wouldn’t have. The south side of the valley was in the deep shadow of a mountain, thanks to the angle of the moon.
Mat moved east, looking for a trail down. It was risky since an Elvasi could be patrolling or guarding it, but that was a chance they had to take. They would get spotted climbing down the cliff without a doubt.
He found what he was looking for, a trail on an incline instead of sheer cliffside. Down the trail were two guards in leather armor, waiting with a couple of torches to light their area. A simple entrance, probably for patrols to come and go.
Mat pointed for his Andinna to follow him, circling wide around the guards, who seemed relaxed and out of it. Typical night watch boredom. Mat knew the curse of being night watch and getting sloppy. He’d only ever made that mistake once after Alchan whacked him, then Leshaun whacked him when Alchan was done with him.
Mat took his warriors as close to the Elvasi as he felt comfortable, holding up a fist to make them wait. They spent the last month making sure everyone knew the hand symbols, and he was glad to see it had stuck.
He readied his sword, his eyes flicking around to see if there were any other watchers.
Once he confirmed there weren’t, he struck, and Kick followed him. As Mat stabbed into the back of one, Kick rushed around him and drove his sword into the chest of the second. They didn’t let the bodies drop and make any more noise. Dragging the dead Elvasi soldiers into the forest cover, they propped them up behind trees, out of sight from the torches.
Mat then led his warriors into the camp. They were all attentive.
“Fucking Andinna,” an Elvasi said from one of the makeshift buildings. Mat threw up a fist and pointed to a shadowed space between two tents. They ducked together, waiting. “Do they really think their tricks will save them from the might of the Empire? The only reason they have any victories in this sad rebellion is they play dirty.”
“Yeah, I think they’re just suicidal at this point,” another said. “If they really want to die, we can do that. I’d much rather be at home with my girl than here, though.”
“That’s right! You just got married last year.”
“I did, but then I heard these barbarians killed Prince Lothen. I wasn’t going to miss out on getting revenge for that.”
Mat listened for footsteps, hearing them retreat as the conversation continued. Once he was certain they were gone, he looked around the corner, and they kept moving. It didn’t take long to find a potential target. It was late, and the building was quiet, but a quick look inside told Mat it was the mess, where they met for meals. The food stores are either inside or close by. Those would be better. We could do both, though.
He looked into the next building and found exactly what he wanted. Kick was suddenly beside him, flint in hand. Mat nodded at him as the other warriors took defensive positions around him. Mat poured half of the skin’s liquid onto the packages and crates inside, focusing on open food items like potatoes. Once he was done, he stepped outside and moved to the mess, covering the door and its frame in the remaining liquid.
Kick was there suddenly, giving him a thumbs up. Mat looked at the storage building, its door closed. Smoke was beginning to creep out. Kick lit the door, and they started moving again, knowing they had to go fast. Mat led. They were passing the dead guards when the fire alert