"Ashyn!" Ronan called.
Tova pushed under her arm, supporting her as she rose. She limped to Ronan.
"Something's happened," she said. "I need to find Moria."
As she turned away, his arm shot through the window and grabbed her cloak.
"Wait!" he said.
She tried to yank free, but his grip was too tight.
"Don't leave me here," he said as she struggled. "Whatever's out there, I can help. I can use a blade. My family were warriors once. I'm trained."
She fumbled to undo the clasp on her cloak and escape.
"Ashyn, please. I'm locked in a cage. If anything comes, I don't stand a chance."
She hesitated, then threw open his cell latch and raced down the hall.
Fifteen
Ashyn and Ronan crept along the barrack wall. Ashyn could barely see--the village lights were out and the moonless sky offered little help. But Ronan seemed as surefooted as Daigo and equally adept at seeing in the dark. He padded along as quiet as a thief.
She tried to emulate him but kept stepping on pebbles and stumbling in the dark. Tova's nails clicked along the stone.
As they moved, Ashyn squinted into the night and listened, but there was nothing to see, nothing to hear.
She focused on Ronan's back, tapping him with directions as they moved. They passed the barracks and two more buildings before he stopped. Something lay on the road ahead. Ashyn squinted, then swallowed.
It was the guard. Facedown on the road.
Ronan knelt a few paces away, as if he could check the guard's condition from there. Ashyn started forward. Tova caught her cloak in his teeth, and when he did, she saw why Ronan hadn't gotten closer. The guard lay in a pool of blood. His face was turned toward them, his eyes wide and empty. His throat . . .
He was dead. There was no doubt of that.
It couldn't have been those smoke spirits. You don't try to converse with smoke.
As they circled the blood, she saw footprints leading away from it. Bloody bare footprints.
Ronan followed her gaze. "Someone must have stolen from the body." He said it casually, as if looting a corpse was a natural occurrence. "His blades are still there, though. Both of them."
Ronan skirted the puddle and picked up the sword. He hefted it. Then he leaned over the guard again and eyed the dagger. It lay under the guard, covered in blood. He took a careful step into the pool and snatched it up. Then he wiped it clean on the guard's back as Ashyn stared, horrified.
Ronan slid the dagger into his belt, and pointed the sword. "Onward."
When they neared her house, Ashyn darted ahead. Ronan caught up at the door, and shot his hand out to stop her from opening it.
"I'll go first," he said, lifting the sword.
"You've seen Moria throw her dagger. If anyone but me opens that door . . ."
Ashyn expected he'd square his shoulders and say he'd take that risk. Apparently, she'd been in a garrisoned town too long, with warriors who'd never let her step first into danger. Ronan waved for her to go ahead.
As she reached for the door handle, Tova whined. She looked down to see his nose twitching.
"It's all right," she murmured. "If they aren't here, we'll find them."
She opened the door. It was dark inside. Tova pushed past hard enough to nearly topple her.