Hearth stiffened, looked closely at the barbarian, and then snapped, “Stay in the carriage!” He leaped out of the opposite side, leaving his door wobbling back and forth.
I thought that a curious action until I recognized the barbarian was one of Maddox Hammersmith’s gang members. When he slid his scimitar out of its sheath, our driver panicked and fled.
I heard the clash of resounding arms.On the far side of the carriage, Hearth had just used his cane to block a slice from a night elf’s katana.Sweet potatoes and gravy! Hammersmith’s gang was here?!
My door opened, and I found myself looking at the dwarf brothers. They reached into the carriage and each grabbed me by an ankle. I shouted in horror and tried to kick free as they dragged me out of the carriage, bounced my head off its step, and pulled me out onto the filthy cobble stones. My already-injured back yowled in protest.
Hearth came somersaulting through the open doors of the carriage and smashed into one of the brothers, bouncing away with him. This freed me to kick the other one in the side of his head. He didn’t let go, and so I kicked him again. This staggered him; his grip loosened; I kicked my way free and scrambled underneath the carriage.
The barbarian was racing from the front of the carriage. Hearth, still sprawled on the cobblestones, smashed his cane into the barbarian’s kneecap and then swept his cane up to catch the barbarian in the face.
The night elf was coming around the back of the carriage. I grabbed his passing boot and held on. He toppled like a tree in a forest. I realized what I had done, let go before he could turn on me, and scrambled back underneath the carriage.
One of the dwarfs was now back on his feet and heading for Hearth, hand axe held high. Hearth brought his cane down heavily onto the dwarf’s skull, dropping him in an instant.
Hearth’s cane lashed back, but the barbarian leapt away just in time.
The night elf was back on his feet, closing on Hearth from one direction while the other dwarf closed in from the opposite side. The barbarian was also limping nearer on his injured knee.
I swallowed my heart, popped out of my sanctuary, raced past Hearth and hit the dwarf with a high tackle. We fell and his hand axe was knocked free when I landed on top of him. My single flash of triumph vanished when he wrapped both fists around my windpipe and began to squeeze. At that moment, I was ten times stronger than I’d ever been in my life, but I couldn’t break the dwarf’s death grip on my throat. He kneed me in the crotch. The blow sent stars shooting out of my eyes and caused a double-high-C to squeal in my ears. We rolled over with him coming up on top of me, his knees pinning my arms to the ground. He put his full weight down on my throat while I laid in a puddle of rainwater and lashed helplessly with my legs.
I could hear blows and grunts from Hearth’s battle, but all I could see was the dwarf’s ugly face, grinning in glee as he slowly and surely murdered me.
The handle of Hearth’s walking stick suddenly swept in from the side of my vision and struck the dwarf’s head with a fearsome blow, stunning him. I shoved the dwarf aside, rolled away, and got to one knee, coughing and choking. Forcing my gaze upwards, I espied the other dwarf staggering up to his feet.I rose, charged him, and punched him in the eye just as hard as I possibly could. The power of my punch knocked us both on our backsides. The bones in my right hand shrieked in agony. Instinctively I doubled myself protectively around it.
But I had to help Hearth. I had to. I shoved myself to my feet, using the side of the carriage for support.Suddenly,THUNK, a dirk buried itself into the wood beside my hand.I looked around and spotted Hammersmith’s younger brother, some distance away, reaching for another throwing knife. With my good left hand, I pulled the dirk free and hurled it at him. He ducked but I hit him anyway. Sure, it was with the handle instead of with the blade, but I’d hit him!
The squeal of a city watchman’s whistle cut the air, and Hammersmith’s brother took to his heels, vanishing into the warren of twisting streets.
Cradling my agonizing hand, and with my back throbbing, I shuffled around to survey that battleground. The barbarian, the night elf, and both dwarfs were laid out cold. Hearth was down on one knee, trying to catch his breath. Watchmen were running in from various directions. Our driver returned with some of them. Even our old friend Detective Moss came trotting in.