ANDOR.
We stayed in the tavern till nightfall. When I was sure it was dark enough, we left the Tavern. Patrick had his lips pressed together; he was nervous about what we would do but said nothing out loud. I knew that if I talked to him about it and offered him a way out, he would take it, so I said nothing. As a man, doing the things that scared you was critical.
We crept through the dark, avoiding as many guards as possible until we were in front of the palace of Mercia. They were Ten guards standing outside the palace gate. They all were well trained because it was in the middle of the night, and they still looked sharp. I turned to Patrick; his eyes bulged out of their sockets. I tapped his shoulder gently. "You can wait here. Stay hidden."
