Dungeon Runner (Book 1 and 2)

Stepping Up, Chapter 103

Tibs looked over the map of the town. He hadn't known there was an official map until Darran brought it to him. Until then, he'd been using the one the rogues had made, spread over stacks and stacks of papers. Samuel had redone some, fixed others and even glued papers together, so some areas were easier to understand, but he hadn't made one map of them all.

Tibs had mentioned to the merchant, when he'd bought a new set of lock picks, how the pieces of papers made figuring out how to position his people almost harder than just going from his memory. They got moved around, misplaced, or the people drawing them hadn't used the same system of symbols.

A few hours later, Darran was at the inn, taking the largest piece of paper Tibs had ever seen out of a tube and unrolling it on his table. In the time between it was taken out and unrolled, Tibs figure it was so he could draw the town and have it all on one paper, but Kragle Rock was already on it. Drawn in precise lines of ink instead of crude charcoal.

There was a group, Darran explained, whose sole job was planning the town, and making sure the maps were accurate. The description reminded Tibs of what Samuel had told him his father did, other than the making of maps part.

When Tibs asked how much it cost, the merchant smiled and said that it was his contribution to the defense of the town.

Immediately Tibs, Jackal and Quigly set about using it to prepare and now it was covered with charcoal lines and letters and numbers showing where the Runners should assemble depending on how Sebastian attacked.

* * * * *

Don entered, and Tibs sighed at what would be another interruption. He'd lost count of them over the last days. The number of Runners who told him they couldn't fight, townsfolk demanding to be included in the defense, or those imploring him for a way to leave before the attackers arrived.

With a few exceptions, they were always asking for something that was out of his control.

Hopefully, Don had some good news for him this time.

"The Attendants aren't returning," the sorcerer said, then dropped into a seat next to Quigly, leaving one as space between him and Jackal.

"The guild's not even trying, are they?" The fighter said.

"I... don't know," Don admitted unhappily. "Those I've been asking all tell me it's not their decision, and they're right. Harry and Tirania are never available when I try to talk with them, nor anyone who would know what the decision has been."

Quigly shook his head. "They don't want anyone to leave. This is going to be a war, and they're going to use us as fodder."

"I don't know that word," Tibs said, "but it doesn't sound like anything good."

The warrior looked the map over. "We're going to lose."

"I'm not just going to hand Sebastian the town," Tibs protested.

"If you insist on using this plan, you are."

"He's going to be at his most vulnerable once he's in Market Place," Jackal said. "We're going to be able to surround him. We'll be able to pick at his forces on the way there."

"I am telling you again," Quigly said, "you cannot wait for him to be inside the town."

"That's where he was when we kicked him out," Jackal pointed out.

"That was a different situation, one you had no choice in how you handled and one where Sebastian miscalculated when he judged what you were capable of. How many people can he have brought here? How many more can he pay to join his assault?"