Chapter Twenty Six
“How do you expect to get them off the hanging platform, and the rest of us out of here?” Niall put to Caleb, as they watched the preparation hustling about in the square.
“What about shimmering?” Roderic suggested.
“No, I don’t think that’s a great idea. One - it would let Dreyden know that there were cairbare in Elden, and I think we would like to keep that a secret for a while longer, if we can, and two - with the way that magic works here, gods know what could happen to us if it doesn’t work. No, I think that we are going to have to rely on good old fashioned brute strength for this rescue,” Caleb advised. A sly smile skated across his face, and a look at his friends told him that they were feeling the same way that he was.
“What are you thinking, run in, swords swinging?” Kayne asked. “Not that I don’t love a good sword fight, but that still doesn’t get us the hell out of here with Grey and the others.”
“How about a bit of both,” came from behind them they turned to face Olivia. The dozen horses she had with her surprised them.
Caleb nodded his approval. “Now that is the start of a great rescue,” he told the others. “Olivia, thank you, but you need to get back to the castle before someone spots you.”
“I’m coming with you,” she informed him.
“Absolutely not!” Caleb vowed.
“How long do you think it will take for them to figure out that I was the one responsible for helping Grey escape? I don’t plan on being around when they want to interrogate me, so whether you like it or not, I am going with you. Besides, I know this city better than any of you, and I know how to get us out of the city without getting caught.”
Caleb sighed with resignation; what was it with them and stubborn women lately?
“Fine, you can come, but understand something, you will do exactly what you are told, when you are told, understand?” he instructed her pointedly.
“Understood,” she told him with a smile, and a sharp salute.
“Good, now let’s go spoil a hanging.”
The feel of the rope was rough, with something sour underneath an earthy smell. The hangman settled it around Grey’s neck, trying to ensure that it would do its job. Grey’s eyes never left the crowd of people gathered to watch the hanging of the king’s son for patricide. He tuned out the profanity that the masses were tossing his way, as he focused on the matter at hand.
“Do you think they’re coming?” Oscar asked, as the hangman walked away, leaving them alone while he finished his tasks.
“They’re coming,” Grey expressed with total faith.
“I hope your right. I really don’t want this fight to finish at the end of the hangman’s rope.”
“Oscar, they’ll be here,” Grey advised him. Their conversation cut off when the booming voice of the head guard delivered the verdict of guilty.
“You have been found guilty of the murder of the beloved King Tyrone of Elden.” His voice rang out, capturing the crowd, building the drama. “Greyson, you have been sentenced to hang as punishment for your crimes.” Looking out over the crowd, Grey’s anxiety began to gnaw at him. Maybe they couldn’t get to them; maybe this really was the end of the line. “Do the convicted have any last words?” the guard asked.
Grey looked out at the people gathered, and he wanted to shout at them, tell them that they were making a terrible mistake, but it didn’t matter. Staring straight ahead, he spoke loud and clear, so all gathered could hear him.
“One day you will discover your mistake, and you will regret your actions this day.”
The hangman stepped to the lever that would drop open the trap door under their feet, sending them falling through, hopefully killing them by snapping their necks quickly.
“May the gods have mercy on your souls!” the guard shouted, as he nodded to the hangman. His covered face watched Grey’s and Oscar’s, as he stepped to the lever.
“Who needs the gods’ mercy, when you have us?” the hangman spoke quietly, so only they could hear him. Grey eyeballed the hangman, his face full of confusion. He watched one hand reach for the lever, the other reach for the sword hanging at his side.
It all happened in a blur, the screams of a few growing into a roar, as the hangman faked pulling back on the lever, but instead pulled the blade of his sword free, swinging its razor sharp edge, severing the ropes wrapped around their necks.
The crowd scattered, running in all directions to get away from the building chaos. Battle cries from the king’s guard echoed off the building surrounding the square. The vibration of the galloping of horses could be felt by all, and panic grew in the agitated crowd. The guards surrounding the square lost control, swept up in the mass exodus of people, as they pushed and trampled each other to escape the pandemonium in the square. Civilization is so easily shed off when self-preservation rules.
Grey rose from his knees, watching the hangman race across the platform towards them, sword raised. Grey wasn’t sure why he would release them, only to kill them now. He braced his shoulder to throw the hangman off the platform, only to stop when the removal of the hood revealed a welcoming smile.
“It’s about time,” Grey grunted, as the ropes around his hands fell to the floor.
“Did we have you worried?” Caleb inquired, as he finished freeing Oscar.
“Not a bit!” Grey shouted over the screams of the panicked crowd, looking for a way out of the chaotic square. “So what’s the plan?”
“The plan? We get the fuck out of here, sound good?” Caleb laughed, as he raced towards the edge of the platform.
Grey and Oscar shook their head, but followed him, as they wondered how he planned to accomplish that fact, when riders came into view with horses.
“Guards!” Grey shouted, as he looked around for a weapon.
“Relax my friend,” Caleb told him, slapping him on the shoulder, then handed him a sword. “Those are the good guys.”
“You shall die!” They all turned to face the head of the king’s guard.
“Not today, sir,” Caleb told him as he held up his sword.
“You dare to free this murderer?” The man spat at Caleb.
“No, I chose to free innocent men,” Caleb told him, watching his opponent’s moves. Caleb smiled, as he absentmindedly swung and flipped his sword around, intimidating the guards with the speed that the blade flashed. Grey watched for a minute before he checked over his shoulder for their rescuers. The far side of the square showed other guards struggling to make their way through the panicked crowd, but they thought the people on horses were members of the king’s guard.
“Don’t fool around with this idiot!” Grey told Caleb.
“You take the fun out of everything,” Caleb complained.
“We don’t have much time,” Grey stated.
“Fine,” Caleb agreed, and he raced towards the head guard, who raised his sword and tried to slash Caleb, but instead, lost his footing on cut rope, and fell into Caleb, who grabbed, swung, and then punched the guard, sending the man flying off the platform.
“Let’s get the hell out of here!” Roderic shouted with humor, as he raced along the platform with a couple of horses for them. Running on the edge, and a short jump had them grabbing reins. The horses plowed through the remaining crowd, then raced down a narrow street, people jumping out of the way, lots of yelling and chaos - pure bliss for warriors. Caleb checked over his shoulder to ensure they didn’t have the guards right on their tail; they only needed a few more moments to guarantee that they’d make good their escape.
He hadn’t been involved in the plan past getting Grey and Oscar out from under the hangman’s noose; now they were relying on Olivia to get them out of the city. The planning time had been short, and when Olivia told them that she had a way, but less said the better, they had accepted her word. Still, they couldn’t help worry, just a bit.
Olivia pul
led the reins of her horse to the right, as she made yet another turn. She hoped that by leading them all over the city, it would confuse the guards, giving those few precious moments they needed to reach safety. She knew Caleb didn’t have confidence that she could do this, but there was no other choice. If saving Grey meant sacrificing herself for him, she would. The people of Elden needed him on the throne.
The last turn emptied into a small courtyard against the outer wall, where Olivia had Eve waiting. Olivia jumped down, running to a section of the wall, searching the blocks with her fingers.
“Oh shit, you’ve led us into a dead end!” Niall exclaimed, as he leapt from his horse, pulling his sword to push back the guards that were sure to box them into the courtyard.
“I just need to find the right one!” she shouted, and Grey suddenly knew where they were. He watched her push and pick at different stones, while preparing for what was about to rain down on them.
“Olivia, hurry!” Grey urged. They could hear the guards; they would find them any moment.
“I’m trying! I haven’t been in here since we were kids!” she yelled back at him.
“Olivia, they will be here on us any minute and we really need to be out of here by then,” Grey told her.
“I’m trying!” she yelled. “So be quiet, and let me figure this out.”
“Here they come!” Caleb yelled as he raced back down the street into the yard.
“Got it!” she screamed at them, as the wall belched dust and stale air, but slid open.
“What the ...” Caleb muttered in amazement, as he stared at the doorway.
“Later,” Olivia yelled, as she jumped back onto her horse and urged it through the door, disappearing from sight.
“Move it!” Caleb yelled, as they all mounted their horses, getting swallowed by the wall. Olivia waited for them to scramble through; she pushed on the stone, sending the door sliding closed.
“We need torches, it’s going to get darker before it gets lighter,” she warned before taking the lead again, glad the old torches were intact. The tunnel was wide and high, formed for people on horses to get through without a problem.
“Where are we?” Caleb questioned, as he took one of the torches, and used the lighter from his pocket to light it.
“It is a gate that is only known by a few people,” Grey explained and he grabbed one of the torches holding it out to Caleb. The lit thrown from the torch cut the dimness showing the glistening spider webs and the mottles of dust floating through the air. “I hadn’t thought about it in a long time, not since childhood. It was used to smuggle things in and out of the city when under siege, so its existence was always kept to a need to know basis. It’s been a long time since it’s been used.”
“It’ll take us out of the city,” Olivia told them.
“How far out of the city?” Caleb wanted to know.
“About twenty miles,” Olivia smiled.
“Which direction?” Caleb wanted to know as they started to make their way through the narrow passage.
“Towards the old watch tower,” Olivia admitted.
“How long will it take us to get through the tunnel?” Caleb needed to know.
“Several hours,” Olivia threw over her shoulder as she led the way.
“We escaped the city and the guards; what does it matter how long it takes us to get through the tunnel?” Grey declared as hope filled him, and for the first time in a he looked forward to the future and what was to come.