Wizard's Education (Book 2) by James Eggebeen

could hear anything.
    There was a rustling noise followed by the repeated slapping of a hand on the table. Lorit could not identify the sound at first. Maybe the guard was doing something that Lorit might take advantage of as a distraction. He had just decided to step out into the room when he heard a second voice.
    "Deal me a hand, why don't you?"
    "Gladly. How's the stinkin' tunnel? Safe and sound as ever?"
    "Safe and sound, and wet, and cold. How did you manage to stay awake the whole time I was walking rounds?"
    "By telling my fortune, with these here cards."
    "Oh yeah? And what does your fortune say? You going to get rich and marry a beautiful girl? Or are you going to be stuck down in this murky hole with me for the rest of your life?"
    "They say I'm going to have a change of fortune soon."
    Lorit crept back to where the Princess waited. "There are two of them now. It sounds like one of them just returned from his rounds."
    "I think I know how we can get past them," she said. "Come on back here."
    There was an opening to a side tunnel back the way they had come. After they had ducked into it, the Princess opened the lantern just a crack to illuminate their surroundings. The side tunnel was smaller and steeply angled. Water ran noisily down the center as it made its way from the castle drains to the main tunnel.
    "I think I can get one of them to come down here," she said. "Then you can hit him with something and knock him out."
    "With what?"
    The Princess looked around. She grasped a loose stone and wiggled it out of the side wall of the tunnel.
    "Here, use this." She held it out to Lorit.
    "You want me to use a stone to hit him over the head?" Lorit looked at her in disgust. "I'm a Wizard. We don't hit people with stones."
    "Go ahead then." She folded her arms across her chest and looked at him, waiting. "Put them to sleep so we can get on with it."
    Lorit reached out with his magic. He could sense the two guards as they sat at the table playing cards. The lantern sitting on the table burned brightly between them.
    He stretched out his hand toward the men. "Somnum penitus et somniare," he said quietly, commanding them to sleep deeply and dream.
    The sound of their conversation continued. "Vigilare non es defessus," Lorit said, willing the two men to be so tired they could no longer stay awake.
    "I don't think it's working," the Princess said. "The whole lower part of the castle is spelled to dampen any magic that acts against the King."
    "We may have to try it your way." Lorit picked up the stone to get a sense of the weight of it. It was heavy and cold in his hand. He hated to hurt the guards, preferring to put them to sleep and allow them to wake naturally on their own.
    The Princess stepped back into the main tunnel and crouched down, making herself into a small bundle on the floor. She pulled her cape around her and started to cry.
    She wailed louder and louder until Lorit heard the guards comment.
    "What's that noise?"
    "You go look, I just got back from rounds."
    Lorit heard the sound of a chair scraping on the rough floor. Footsteps echoed off of the walls as the guard approached.
    "It's some girl crying," he shouted back down the tunnel. "Nothing to worry yourself about. You can keep resting your weary feet. I'll take care of this."
    Lorit saw the guard bend over and examine the Princess. He pulled at her cloak, trying to get a look at her face.
    "What are you doing down here, Missy? You get lost on your way to meet your fella?"
    The guard pulled harder at her cloak until her face was partially exposed. He stood up and looked down at her with a sly smile.
    "Lucky you found me first," he said. "Lucky for me, that is."
    Lorit jumped from the side tunnel and swiftly hit him with the stone. He crumpled to the floor without a sound.
    "Hide," the Princess said. She turned her back towards the guard room and shouted. "Help, come quickly. Your friend's been hurt."
    Lorit heard the sound of footsteps as the second guard