But there was another explanation in her dark eyes looking up at him that made Tyr blink. He caught her elbow and walked with her around the corner.
Zarman and the others were ranged along the wall in darkness. Zarman came forward and looked at the girl, and whispered, "She is an ardth."
"Forget her. Tell me of yourself."
"The Old Ones caught us easily. Otho blabbed with his traitorous mouth. They came and took us, though we fought."
"If I set you free, what can you do for your freedom?"
"We can fight, god Tyr. We can burrow like the mole, and battle like a cornered rat. Try us!"
Katha went around the corner for the key to the manacles. She searched the implementa of the guards and brought it back proudly.
The men lowered the chains and manacles into a hole they dug beneath the cobblestones. They reset the stones and kicked the dirt into crevices between them. One of them took the gun Tyr handed him.
Zarman made a motion to the men, and they faded out of sight.
"We go underground. Into the old tunnels dug during the war with the ardth. Only the Trylla know those labyrinths."