Shadowdance 01 - A Dance of Cloaks

lurched awake.
    “Hush now,” Torgar said, putting a hand over the man’s mouth and then using it to shove him hard against the wall. “I don’t want to start cutting pieces off you already.”
    The Spider paled a little and nodded. Torgar chuckled.
    “Good,” he said, drawing his sword and resting it across his knees. “You just remember I got this, all right, and things will go well for everyone involved.”
    “What do you want from me?” the man asked as Torgar removed his hand.
    “Your name, first off,” Torgar said.
    “Tobias.”
    “Well, Tobias,” Torgar said, “now that I know your name, how about I get to know a few more things? For starters, where were you rushing off to in such a big hurry?”
    Tobias shut his mouth and purposefully looked away. Torgar rolled his eyes. He struck him with his fist, grabbed his arm, and then buried his sword through the palm. As Tobias screamed, Torgar shoved his hand over his mouth and slammed his head back.
    “Listen closely, dumbass,” Torgar said. “You ever heard of the Blood Riders? They’re stationed out of Ker, carry quite a reputation in the west?”
    Tobias’s eyes widened at the mention of their name.
    “Oh good, you have heard of them,” Torgar said. “You know what their favorite method of torture is? They take four of their horses, one for each arm and leg, and then tie a rope securing you from saddle to wrist or ankle. After that, it’s off to the races. You should see how much blood can splatter into the air when those ropes pull tight.”
    Torgar shoved his face into Tobias’s and then grinned.
    “I used to be a Blood Rider, you goathumper. See my horse over there? I may have only one, but you’d be surprised what I can do with a little bit of rope.”
    Cold sweat covered Tobias’s body. Torgar twisted his sword around a little, shifting bone, and then pulled it out. That done, he removed his hand and asked his question again. This time he got an answer.
    “Soldiers attacked us at Leon’s place,” Tobias said. “I was outside the complex when they came. I hoped to find Thren and warn him.”
    Torgar glanced east, where a giant plume of smoke stretched to the night sky.
    “I think he might already know,” Torgar said. “Let’s try for something that I wouldn’t find out on my own in the next five minutes. Your guildmaster has someone special, very special. Do you know who I’m talking about?”
    Tobias’s look showed he clearly did.
    “Don’t ask,” the Spider said. “Please, don’t ask. Thren will kill me if I tell.”
    “I’ll kill you twice as bad,” Torgar growled.
    Tobias actually laughed.
    “You think you’re more frightening than Thren?” he asked. “Go ahead. Use your damn horse. I won’t tell.”
    Torgar sighed. He’d thought for a moment he’d avoided lengthy torture. Oh well. At least it was something he was good at.
    All it took was ten minutes. He left Tobias holding his intestines in his hands.
    “You’re right, Thren may kill you,” Torgar said as he mounted his horse. “But you really should have saved us both the trouble.”
    He rode back to the main street and then hurried east, the clomp of his horse’s feet on the dirt a soothing pattern. The directions were simple, the safe house plain and poorly guarded. From what Tobias had told him, Thren didn’t have any men to spare on his glorious night. Torgar snorted. Well, he’d play his part in tarnishing that old bastard’s glory. So far the smoke seemed focused on the Conningtons’ place. Hopefully his own master’s mansion had survived intact.
    The house appeared the same as any other, with a small door in the front center, no windows, and a slanted roof of wood and clay. Torgar rode a few more houses down to maintain surprise, dismounted, and then tied his horse’s reins to the handle of a door. The mercenary captain drew his sword, kissed the blade, and ran. He slammed into the safe house door at full speed, throwing his shoulder into it. The wood cracked and splintered.
    “Shit!” Torgar heard a man shout from within. Knowing he had little time, he flung his weight against the door again. It burst open, revealing two men of the Spider Guild standing with their daggers drawn. Madelyn lay slumped in the corner, unmoving. Torgar desperately hoped she wasn’t dead. He had no intention of falling on his sword, but by the gods, he didn’t want to spend the rest of his days fleeing from Laurie Keenan either.
    “Come on,