Orders

Charyic cursed under her breath as they started to hunt for her. If she had left his new wife alive they wouldn’t have realized she was here. She made her way carefully to the cells, they seemed sure she would be somewhere above, they probably thought she would try to escape immediately.

She wasn’t sure how exactly she was going to get to Esus. She didn’t have her tools, she was alone and armed only with a staff. She took a breath. Keep moving and hope you don’t run out of luck.

At the junction the opened to the cells there was a guard room. Open and with only one guard. Charyic moved as silently as she could, the man was preoccupied with a leather satchel in front of him. A swift blow and he was down. She hit him three more times to make sure he wouldn’t get back up. The staff warmed again. She glanced at the bag and recognized it as Esus’.

It had his tunic half pulled out and her tools and knife. She grinned. She pushed the tunic back into the bag and put the knife and tools into her boots. Things had gotten a little better. She heard the sound of voices, two men arguing over whether or not they should be letting the Light Bringer heal himself, and risked a glance.

There was no cover once she turned down that corridor. Breathe. Keep moving. Hope. She straightened up and stepped into the corridor walking with purpose and a smile on her face. The two guards blinked at her.

“Is that-?”

She had closed the distance. She caught one under the chin with the staff. His head snapped back and he slumped.

The other man drew his sword and Esus shouted hoarsely, “She is not to be harmed!”

The guard hesitated and Charyic attacked, ramming the end of the staff into his nose making a sickening shattering sound and following it with a sharp blow to the temple as he dropped his sword and raised his hands to his face. She checked them for keys and finding none she pulled the tools from her boot.

It was the work of a few moments to have the lock open and she dragged the men in, blocking the door with their bodies so it couldn’t be pulled closed quickly on her before she handed Esus his bag and began to work wordlessly on the fetters.

Esus was smiling his crooked smile at her every time she glanced up at him.

Once she had gotten him free she took up the staff again and moved to the door cautiously taking a quick glance out. “It still looks clear, but I don’t think we can get out the way I came in.” She murmured.

“You can speak.” Esus sounded surprised.

“Touching Malav or his staff the curse is lifted.” She couldn’t keep the bitter edge from her voice. “Shh. Keep moving. Hope we don’t run out of luck.”

Esus followed closely, picking up the dead guard’s sword as he passed it.

They had gotten up to the ground floor again and had managed to slip into a dark study unnoticed when the bodies below were found. Charyic heard the commotion and closed her eyes leaning on the staff. The nervous fluttering in her belly wasn’t only nerves and she was suddenly feeling very tired. She took a moment to breathe and looked up at Esus who was eyeing her with concern. She shook her head silently and gestured for silence with her finger to her lips.

She moved to the servant’s entrance and listened, gesturing for Esus to come. Slipping through the narrow enclosed spaces meant for the soundless servants, they made their way to the servants quarters and the kitchens. Charyic nodded toward the quarters and quickly began looking for clothes. She gestured for Esus to do the same. Passing for servants could get them outside of the castle, at least to the stable. She dressed very similarly to Esus, men’s clothes with her hair pulled up under a hood as it had been the first time they’d met.

They took the back staircase toward the stables, walking as if they belonged there, heads up and calm. Except for the staff, there wasn’t anything out of place.

Cerik caught them nonetheless. “Lady Charyic.” He spoke quietly. She turned her head and saw him standing in the shadows as if he had known exactly where she would go.

She nodded to Essus and approached the man joining him in the shadows, “Cerik. I thought you said you weren’t a thief.” She gave him a faint smile.

The older man returned the faint smile regretfully. “I knew one once. She left this way as well. If she’d taken the low passage she might have gotten away.”

“I’d love to see the low passage if you’re willing to help me escape.” Charyic’s smile grew more hopeful. “Either way, we have to keep moving.”

Cerik laughed softly, “So that you don’t run out of luck?” He smiled as she nodded. “This way.”

He took them back into the castle through another servant's entrance and down into the cellars. At the far end was a grate in the floor covering old crumbled stairs. “There was once a passage from here to a cavern that opened near the fortress you were kept in. Whether it’s still in good repair or even passable I don’t know, but you’re less likely to get caught this way if it is.”

Charyic grinned at him. “If I live long enough to have a son I’m naming him after you.”

“Why? Why would you help us?” Esus asked quietly as he helped the man move the grate.

“His order was to make certain she was safe. I disapprove of his choices regarding the lady.” He looked at her regretfully, “Lady Charyic is safer away from him.”

“You knew he meant to kill me as soon as I bore his child?” She asked quietly. He looked surprised. “I heard him discussing it with his new wife. The one who would have made a much better queen.”

Cerik closed his eyes and said quietly, “I suspected.”

“He owes Malies the first child his wife gives him. I’m no longer his wife. Planning to kill me is the same as agreeing to dissolve the union as far as I’m concerned. And I’ve already left my message.”

Cerik frowned. “Why did you kill her? You could have left her to him so that she could pay the debt.”

“I loved him. I came to warn him that he was being seduced with information pried from me by her servant. Because I sat for hours talking about him. Aching for him.” She was furious. “And I find him in bed telling a woman she would have been a better choice and planning to kill me. I almost tried to kill him, Cerik.” She shook her head, hot angry tears were trying to fall.

Cerik sighed and wiped a tear away. “Go, Lady Charyic.” He looked at Esus carefully, “Keep her safe.”

Esus inclined his head, “I will.”