Novel Snippets: A Silence in the Shadows: Entering the Castle

Another quick snippet for you all! Enjoy! 🙂

“Come on,” Crater whispered, and the five of them ran toward the castle.

They would have to climb up over the castle wall and come back down inside. Crater unpacked the big crossbow that hung on his back. He loaded it with a grappling arrow with a hook on the top and rope attached to the hook, and aimed at the top of the castle.

He pulled the trigger gently. The arrow shot out of the crossbow, and came up over the side of the wall, the rope trailing after it like a very long, struggling snake. It fell down, and the hook caught on the side of the wall.

Crater smiled and tugged at the rope. It was firm.

Jered went first. He climbed swiftly, holding onto the knots that had been tied into the rope, and sometimes using the wall to push off of, hoping that he would not attract the guard. He leaped up onto the wall. He crouched in the shadows, waiting for the others.

Faal was only half way up, when suddenly, Jered heard a shout.

The guard was charging toward him. Jered leaped into action. He quickly jumped to the side of the wall, but he tripped over something. It was a bow and a quiver of arrows, most likely left by a lazy guard at the end of his duty.

Jered did not think. He acted. He grabbed up the bow, and knocked an arrow. Aiming quickly, Jered let go of string. The arrow whizzed toward the guard. It grazed his chest, but kept going. Jered did not have time to knock another arrow. He grabbed another arrow and threw it like throwing a dagger. This time, the guard was so close that the arrow pierced the guard. The guard gasped and staggered. He leaned over the side of the castle wall and fell off.

Jered winced as he heard the thud of the guard hitting the ground. Jered ran to the rope. Faal was up, and Angela was already almost to the top. Belak was next.

He started climbing, but suddenly an arrow from the ground whizzed his leg. The Silent grunted and fell. He slammed into the ground. Groaning, Belak rolled over.

Crater yelled and spun around. He raced forward and collided into the guard that had spotted them from the ground. The guard yelled and fell to the earth. A second and a third appeared. Crater swung his fists with deadly accuracy and struck another to the ground. The third grabbed him from behind but grabbing the guards arm and shoulder, Crater dropped to the ground and the guard flew over him and hit the ground with a thud. The powerful Silent walked to Belak as he blew on his fists, but Belak was already up. He had been not far from the ground and he was trained to break his fall by slapping his hands against the ground before his back did, which made the energy of the fall run through his hands instead of his back. No damage had been done. The two of them ascended the rope and then quickly pulled it up behind them. They began to walk toward the ladder that would lead them to the inside of the castle.

The first part of the mission was complete.

Enjoy? I hope so! Tell me what you thought of it in the comments below!

A Silence in the Shadows

Caleb E King

Note: This piece of work has been specifically selected and edited for the convenience of the readers, and came from a novel in progress. Not an official piece of the novel.