Kingdom Born

Chapter 11: Flight in the Night

The narrow corridors were brightly lit by bracketed torches every five paces. Apparently, the Palace had enough patrons to pay for the wasted amount of wood to keep the halls blazing and it made escape extremely difficult. There were no shadows to blend into. If we encountered anyone I would have to silence them quickly before they could raise any alarm. I hiked up the long skirts with one hand to make it to the end of the hall without tripping.

"Lady..." Isaac bent down gathered up the trailing ends, then knotted them high enough to be out of the way.

"Thank you." I peered around the corner. The touch light flickered on the closed doors and there were no posted guards. "Which way?"

"Right." I held the knife loosely ready just in case one of the doors opened as we passed. Different noises assaulted our ears as we passed the doors. Some were groans of passion; some were pleas for mercy. Then I heard the unforgettable snap of a whip followed by a man's scream. I tensed up. By the Goddess...

Isaac touched my arm. "It's all right. David likes it."

"Goddess..." The whip sounded again. This place should be burnt to the ground.

"Come on..." Isaac stepped around me and began leading. He reminded me that I had another mission. Several times we had to stop and stand in the shallow doorways as women passed by the end of the corridors. This place was a maze. The air suddenly became cooler and there was a draft along the floor. He held up his hand, then poked his head forward.

"Boy, come here." Isaac stiffened, waved me back a few paces then disappeared around the corner.

"What are you doing out here?" Kayla stood dressed in a brightly coloured, garish silk robe overlooking a sunken room filled with writhing bodies. Laughter, music and the strong odour of bittergrass drifted up from below. I peered around the edge of the corner to see Kayla reached out and cuffed Isaac on the back of the head. How I stayed back behind the corner I will never know.

"Do you need another one to refresh your memory?" She drew back her hand again.

"No Mistress. I just came down here to see the court." Isaac ducked and held the back of his head.

"Weren't you assigned to the Captain?"

"He told me to leave."

Kayla's face broke out into a wicked smile that didn't improve her face the way smiles usually did. "Taking possession of his new slave?"

Isaac's face flushed red. "Wouldn't let you watch, eh? No pointers or do you know everything now?" Isaac skipped backwards but Kayla caught his arm and pushed him roughly against the wall. Her hand reached under the short hem of his kilt.

Seven steps brought me right behind her. She heard me, and tried to twist away from Isaac and grab for her sword at the same time. Isaac held onto her arm. I brought the blunt end of the dagger down behind Kayla's ear. She grunted and dropped to her knees. I hit her again and once more because I wanted to, before she fell onto the ground. I was breathing like I had just run the full length of the corridor.

Isaac stared down at Kayla with huge eyes. They turned to me wide and frightened. I snapped at him, "Don't ever interfere again. If I missed she could have seriously hurt you. Do you understand?" My words rasped out of my mouth and Isaac paled. I grabbed at his arms and dragged him close for a strong hug. He was only a bit older than Kyle. "Are you hurt?"

He shook his head and returned a quick comforting hug. I would get him out of this place. "Where to now?"

"This is the main court. There's a door behind the curtains that leads to the outer gate across the yard. All the corridors lead to this court."

"There's no other way?"

Isaac shrugged and looked around nervously. "You have to cross the court. The guards see who come in and who goes out."

I wouldn't get two feet into the room dressed like I was. I looked down at Kayla. She was a bit larger than me but anything would be better than this constricting dress. I knelt down and began to pull the silks off her. Underneath she had on serviceable leather armour. Practical girl. Her long sword slid easily out of the bejewelled sheath. Holding the sword, I peered out from behind the curtained recess. "Isaac, can you get across the room without being noticed?"

"I won't be able to leave."
"Just to the doors."

He nodded.

"Go on then. I'll change and meet you there."

I stripped Kayla down. Her leather breast plate armour was loose and would chaff and cause blisters, but I didn't intend to wear it long enough to get blisters. Her boots were too small but I had to squeeze my feet into them. A guard around here didn't walk barefoot. I stood and readied myself. The muscles in my stomach were clenched tightly in a ball with anticipation and dread. More than my life hung in the balance if Isaac and I were caught. I took another deep calming breath, wiped the curtain back and pretended that the scene before me didn't make me sick.

The scent of the drug bittergrass hit me full in the face. It was such a nasty smell that once you whiffed it, it clung in your nose. I fought down the urge to cough - the sign of the non-addicted. No one even bothered to look up at me. Good. I had to stare straight at Isaac. My peripheral vision was still gathering enough to make my anger grow with every step I took. My Oath of protection battered my senses but this was not the time to even attempt to enforce it.

"Halt!"

The sharp voice stopped me in my tracks. I drew myself to my highest height and sneered down at the green sashed guard. "What is it now?" I reached out and grabbed Isaac by the shoulder. "I want to take my purchase home."

"There was no report of a sale tonight." The guard tossed her hair back, not impressed with my attitude or haughty airs.

"If I knew that there would be this much trouble buying a brothelman, I would never have come here."

The guard looked down on her manifest, "I have no record of any transactions happening tonight."

I rolled my eyes into the back of my head and sighed dramatic¬ally, "I gave the coin to
Kayla."

"I have no orders."

Narrowing my eyes, I met her gaze evenly - superiorly. I wanted her to think I was someone rich and powerful enough to avoid offending. So I added, "If you would rather, I can go back and get Kayla herself to come and..."

The woman shook her head, turned around, opened a small face level panel, gestured to the gatekeeper, then stepped back. Seconds dragged into hours as the slowly door swung open to reveal a narrow, well lit walkway leading to the outer wall. At the very end was another gilt door with two guards facing out towards the city. Isaac sucked in his breath. His only hope for getting out of here was now. This chance must have been beyond his wildest belief. I had to pinch his shoulder tight to keep him from bolting into the freedom beyond the door.

The inner guard demanded, "Where's his chain?"

"I don't need one. I won't get any trouble from you, will I, Isaac?" I flicked the tip of his ear lightly, as my stomach twisted at this atrocity. Exploitation of the weak, of the children. Goddess, this place should have been burnt to the ground during the Fires.
Isaac meekly returned, "No, mistress."

The guard shook her head, "No man leaves the area without a collar and lead. Wait here."

The woman walked off. I turned around and watched her disappear behind a curtain off to our left. No one was watching us from the main floor. I urged Isaac into the corridor and followed him closely. The guards attention were focused on the night outside the Palace. No attack should be coming from behind them. Just a few seconds more.
I heard the jangles as the curtain on the far side of the room wrenched back to reveal Kayla, naked and enraged. Blood streamed down the side of her neck from where I hit her.

"YOU!" She pointed a red finger at me.

I shoved Isaac between the gate guardians as I twisted and rammed my knee into the stomach of the woman on the left. She grunted then collapsed as I followed through with a punched to her throat. She fell back from the gate. Her partner twisted around readying her pike. I grabbed for the jewelled sword and brought it up under her guard, propelling it forward at the same time. She dropped her staff and held onto the blade as fell backwards. The stones in it made it hard to hold, so it was wrenched out of my grip. I let it go to keep moving.

The air whooshed beside me as another guard, from goddess knows where, brought her staff butt around in a whirling blow. I had to step back several paces to get out of her reach. My legs tensed. If I ran, I would be run through the back before I could take three steps. This woman knew her weapon well. I had to use a forearm to deflect a sharp thrust but she kept it in check without overextending herself so I couldn't get a hold on it and pull her off balance. She wrenched it free easily. My fingers were numb from the blow. She brought the metal head of the pike back in a swift sweep. I ducked under it, fell to my knees and rolled toward her grabbing for the dagger tucked in my belt. My hands came up empty. I lost it somewhere. I rolled into her legs and kicked up at her elbows. She grunted with pain as she dropped the staff. I could hear the frantic pounding at the gilded doors behind us. My opponent dropped down, landing knee first into my side. Agony shot up into my chest...

I kicked at her head, missed but caught her shoulder. She tottered off me backwards. She had her dagger in her hands when I rolled on top of her. The sharp edge glinted in the pale firelig¬ht. I caught her wrist and threw all my weight on it forcing it high over her head. She didn't expect it...no doubt she thought that we were going to be engaged in a test of strength. I brought my knee up under her chin. There was a loud snap. Then her arms dropped back-lifeless. I pried the dagger from her hands and climbed to my feet. Isaac was no where to be seen. The night had swallowed him whole.

Goddess... My side was on fire. I took a few experimental breaths. There wasn't anything broken.

"Hold!"

Another guard was running toward me from the corridor. I ripped the heavy bright silk cloak from my shoulder and ran forward into the darkness hoping that it would conceal me as well as it did Isaac.

I had no doubt that Misha would try to recover us alive and unhurt. Sanderson had paid gold for me and I didn't doubt that he wanted his monies worth. The thought of it made me sick.

As I ran down into a narrow alley way, my soft soled boots pinched with every step. I stepped into something squishy and slid out of control into a pile of garbage. The pain in my side combined with the new aches in my knees and scraped palms made me lie still for a moment. A brace of guards with blazing torches ran past the mouth of the alley way. I just lay in the filth trying to catch my breath and recall the lay out of the main streets in Coveport.

The city was divided into two by a tributary called the Perfumed River that opened up into the ocean at the harbour. If I could get to the river, I could use it to make it to the harbour. Only the Goddess knew if the Red Raven was still in port. I didn't know how long I was captive. But it couldn't have been more than three days. Surely Delmarta would have been suspicious if neither Karl or myself went and picked up our cargo from the hold.

I climbed to my feet, secure now that I had some sort of workable plan. I didn't know these upper streets so well, but as long as I could get to the river.... I scraped the clinging filth of bottom of my boots and started down the passage way again, dagger in hand and ready for any sudden attacks. Glancing around the side of the building I could see the bright fires of the searchers beginning to comb the street. Pivoting away from them I took the first street that sloped down toward the harbour.

I was exhausted. Everything ached. My stomach growled loudly in the night. I pressed my hand to it and stepped back into the deeper shadows as an armed patrol raced by me. I had to get off the street quickly. I could only pray that Isaac was well on his way to whatever safety he had.

Suddenly there was a baying of a trail dog echoing through the night. My heart shrivelled in my chest. I had to find the river now. Once the trail dogs were on your scent there was no where you could hide.

I pushed out of my shadowy hiding place and raced down another sloping street.
"There! Over here!" A cry started up behind me.

I twisted myself headlong into another narrowed way and picked up my pace. I hit a rotten railing of a wooden walkway at the edge of the riverbank and cartwheeled off. The dark sky spun crazily around me. Then I hit the water.

It was icy. It forced its way into my mouth, up my nose and into my eyes. I coughed and gasped when I thrashed my way to the surface. The Perfumed River was a name that didn't suit it any more, if it ever did. Rotten food floated away from me and a rat with gleaming red eyes chattered at me from atop her wooden log raft. If I escaped I would be sick for days from just touching this filthy water. I reached forward stroking with the weak current.

"The river! She's in the river." The baying of the dogs sounded behind me where I had made my ungraceful entrance to the river. I was already three streets down from them but it wasn't enough. The river began to gleam with the combined light of torches as the searchers came down to the banks. No one splashed in after me.

I only let my feet kick me forward trying to keep the sound of the river as silent as possible. I could hear the creak of bowstrings being arched back. My outstretched hands ran into something... a cold hand... Another rat hissed at me then dived off the side of the body to swim towards shore. I wanted to wretch... The current of the river was picking up as we sloped toward the ocean even more. The bloated body bumped me again. Looking along the river bank I saw more and more torches gathering up ahead on a low bridge that spanned and joined the two cities together.

Goddess forgive me for disgracing the dead. I pushed the body ahead of me toward the waiting archers as I paddled toward the shore. I couldn't make it to the harbour like this now. The current was stronger toward the banks. It was hard to swim silently. I grabbed onto a protruding root and pulled myself toward the slimy sides. I scrambled up feeling the uncleanliness of the water clinging to me everywhere. My boots made loud sloshing sound as I hurried to the side of another building. I was tempted to take them off but the filth in the streets made it dangerous.

I peered out from my hiding place to look at the bridge. Kayla marched with seven well armoured soldiers. She had hastily armoured in what I expected was her best and showiest as she gleamed in the torch light. "Check the surface. Fire your arrows when you see her. I don't want her taken alive."

I backed away and started to stroll leisurely down the closest downward sloping street. It wouldn't do me any good to draw attention to myself by running needlessly. I felt for my dagger and was thankful that it hadn't fallen out when I dived into the river. The dogs would be useless now, I couldn't smell anything but the river stench. It hung on me like a cloying repulsive scent.

Every street end I reached I headed for one with the most descent. I could hear cries echoing up in the still night air, carried by the height and closeness of the buildings four, five, six and seven streets away. If Coveport were to utilize a gong system much like the one in Sandshore, every citizen would be up and searching as well. I could only thank the Goddess for their shortsightedness.

I walked into a wide circle where eight streets emptied into it. In the middle was a fountain that had seen better years. I had to figure out which one would lead me the quickest route to the harbour. Suddenly a figure stepped out from behind the fountain and hurried toward me. I reached for my dagger hilt, drew it but held it concealed.

The woman stopped three paces from me then wrinkled her nose. "Longsword?"

I brought my dagger up as I stepped in close. She stiffened as she felt the sharp point dig into her soft skin under her throat. "Who are you?"

"Isaac sent me to find you."

I pulled my point back but didn't re-sheath it. "Where is he?"

"In a safe place..."

"Over here! I see someone at the fountain!"

The woman pushed my hand away, turned and began to run for a side street. I grabbed her arm. "Where is he?"

"You haven't got much of a choice. Come with me or try to make it to the harbour. You won't get more than three streets. The protectors are sweeping up from below."

"HOLD!" The clink of a metal arrow head hit the stone of the fountain.

I let her go and ran after her as my pursuers reached the fountain court. My saviour ran up a side street, then vanished into a crevice in the wall. I squeezed in after her. The sides of the building pushed on my front and back reminding me of that horrid dress Sanderson had forced me into. Suddenly we popped out into a walled terrace. My breathing was loud and laboured. My companion grabbed onto the ledge and pulled herself up. I jumped and clumsily crawled up after her. We ran along the wall sending the guard dogs inside into a frenzy. The woman was leading me back up the hill.

"Come on." She jumped off the wall into the small yard. I leapt after her. We were at a smithy. She ran to the back door and hammered on it three times, paused, then hit it twice. The door swung open and light blinded me. Hands grabbed my forearms and pulled me into the warmth.

I grabbed for my dagger but someone hit me in the stomach then wrapped their arms around my waist. His voice was full of relief, "I turned around and you were gone. You were supposed to follow me."

Isaac. I held him tightly against me.

"To the basement." The woman who lead me here, gestured to another sturdy woman and they groaned in effort as they slid a huge black anvil back to reveal a hidden staircase. "In now."

Isaac grabbed my hand and pulled me into the darkness. They shoved the anvil back over the entrance and hid us in darkness.

Isaac hugged me tightly then began to pull me down the darkened stairwell. "I thought you were right behind me. I wouldn't have run off and left you."

We stumbled down the stairs. Then it opened up into a wide lantern lit room. It was cluttered with baskets overladen with vegetables, wine bottles and several locked wooden chests. In the middle of the room was a scarred table with matching chairs, and pushed against the furthest wall from the stairs was a single cot. Isaac hugged me, then jumped back as the decaying scent of the Perfumed River began to fill the small quarters. "I fell into the river." I explained lifting my wet hair off the back of my neck.

His voice held a note of disbelief as he dropped down onto the cot. "I can't believe I'm home..."

"Who were the women upstairs?"

"Edna, my aunt lead you here. The other is cousin Eddai. They own the smithy...Phara, you smell.

"Not much I can do about it." I looked back up at the darkened stairway. "We're lucky your aunt has a hidden cellar."

"The taxes on the house and smithy were too much. Aunt Edna built this cellar before I was even born to hide the good stuff from the collectors." Isaac paused and took a deep breath, "I'm free." He caught my eye. "We're free."

I was hiding in a cellar as all of Coveport searched the streets above. Karl was still trapped with Misha. I forced a smile on my face to keep Isaac's spirits up. There had been little enough joy in his young life.

After a few moments, we sat in silence. I strained to hear what was going on above me but the sounds were muffled. The sharp barking of the dogs died down. Misha and Kayla wanted me badly. They would stop at nothing. I hoped that this cellar was as well hidden as Isaac assumed it was.