Alone in the tiny corridor they paused for a moment. Waiting. Listening. Afraid that they might hear the sound of footsteps approaching the wall. The barrier between them and the main room blocked out the noises from the courtyard. If the soldiers chose to ignore Mhina and continue their chase, it would be next to impossible for Kaori to hear them coming. And the last thing she wanted was to stand there and allow herself to be caught.
Using the wall as a support she turned away from the door, eyes set on the path in front of her, staring in awe of what she saw. It was like a maze. Corridors intersected, creating a complex method of travel from one room in the palace to another, the more traversed paths granting a larger area of movement while others were barely wide enough for Kaori to maneuver through. She could hear the man behind her, keeping close, his voice soft to avoid being overheard while he gave directions on which path to take.
Her head was swimming by the time they reached the end of a long corridor, a soft glint of metal reflecting the light from a nearby sconce. A handle. Had they reached the exit? She didn’t know what to expect. It seemed almost too perfect for them to have escaped without a single confrontation. And while she prayed their luck would continue, she couldn’t accept that it was possible. They were inside the Imperial Palace. Soldiers were more plentiful on the grounds here than anywhere else in Carpaen. There was still plenty of distance to cover between them and the gates and unless Mhina had more than a few of these men in her pocket, escape without notice was out of the question.
With bated breath she watched the man turn the lock, the click it emitted echoing loudly down the empty hall. Kaori strained her ears to listen for anything within the passages which might alert them to the soldiers’ presence. It was unlikely the guards would bypass the servants’ passages. It was the most likely method of escape and by now they would have come to the conclusion that Kaori received aid from someone within their ranks. They would begin checking the most obvious places for her to go.
When the door opened Kaori had to shield her eyes from the light after being in the darkened hallways for so long. Just outside she could see an alley of sorts. Another high wall rose up not far from where she stepped through into the cool early evening air, granting cover from the rest of the palace grounds. The man wasted little time in closing the door behind them, pausing briefly to straighten the fabric of his uniform, collecting himself to present an air of confidence to disguise the strain which had been visible in his eyes since joining Kaori and Mhina in the courtyard.
“Brayan.”
The man’s head snapped to the side at the sound of the name being spoken, the voice quiet yet familiar, sparking memories in the back of Kaori’s mind, difficult to decipher through the rapid beat of her heart. She’d heard it before. Deep. Masculine. Friendly. She didn’t have to see the tanned skin of his face to recognize the man who greeted them now in the alley. “Osrik,” she breathed, somewhat relieved to see him there. They had only met once but in that time she’d come to respect this man. Osrik Buldan. He was a man of honor. Friend to the Vor’shai, much the same as Lady Ingyll had shown herself to be during Kaori’s first visit to court. A smile crossed her otherwise tensed features, stepping forward excitedly, head bobbing in acknowledgement of her friend’s presence.
Osrik’s smile in return was more forced, offering his hand to Kaori, urging her to move more quickly. His gaze shifted to the soldier who followed a few steps behind, raising his index finger toward the door where Kaori exited. “Find a way to secure this area until the Lady and I have departed,” he instructed. Stern, yet respectful. Aware of the man’s military status which placed him outside of Osrik’s command. If he was offended by the directive, the man gave no indication, nodding in agreement before hurrying back toward the door.
“Let me worry about the soldiers,” he stated, his words hastened by adrenaline. Kaori knew exactly how he felt. A similar rush of anxiety coursed through every inch of her body, leaving her breathless and energized at the same time. His hand rested on the wall, casual in his demeanor while applying weight to the exterior of the exit to the servants’ passage. “Do not move too quickly through the crowd to the gates. You must not do anything which makes you stand out or create suspicion.”
His words were cut short by the sound of shouting in the air, coming from outside the palace. People were screaming, footsteps pounding along the cobblestone which surrounded the outer grounds between the palace entrance and the Imperial gates. Reflexively, Kaori’s hand moved to grasp at her chest, desperate to ease the painful thud of her heart against her breast. They are going to find us. She hated to think so negatively but she couldn’t deny the inconvenience of their current position. There was nothing to hide them from view if the soldiers found their way into the alley. Her only source of protection was the cloak which draped over her face, though their very presence in that particular location was unusual enough to merit investigation. If they were going to make it anywhere without being caught, they needed to move fast and they needed to go soon.
A soft whinny from somewhere behind Osrik caught Kaori’s attention. Panic washed over her, a soft cry bypassing her lips against her better judgment. Both men were swift to hush her, searching frantically up and down the alley to make sure no one had heard. “Calm yourself, Milady,” Osrik exhaled a long breath to try and ease the tremble in his voice.
Over Osrik’s shoulder Kaori could see the shape of a large horse, saddled and ready. Relief flooded her at the realization that there was no soldier upon its back. Their cover remained intact. In her distraction of seeing Osrik, she’d been oblivious to the animal he now motioned her toward. Seeing it there, a new uncertainty rose in her mind. The idea of riding a horse made her body ache worse than it already did. She was in no condition to sit atop the animal without falling off. Her disorientation and weakness would make her stand out to the guards at the gate. If they were going to make it out of there unnoticed, it would be entirely up to Osrik. He was a respectable man at court. And human. His heritage worked to Kaori’s advantage in the fact that the soldiers would be less inclined to believe him an accomplice to the escape of a Vor’shai. Her largest concern at this point was what they would do to him if they found him with her. Enough of her friends had been placed in danger because of her. If Osrik was punished for aiding her, she would never forgive herself. “You do not have to do this,” she said quietly as she followed him toward the horse. Hesitant. Aware that this was her only chance at freedom, but unwilling to place Osrik’s life at unnecessary risk. He was a good man. One who didn’t deserve to be tortured the way the soldiers would if he was caught.
He tightened his grip around Kaori’s hand. A reassuring gesture, the smile on his face widening briefly despite the strain in his eyes. “I would not be here with you if it was not my honest desire to help. Now, we need to get you in the saddle and find a way to hide those shackles or we’ll never make it past the guards.”
At mention of the restraints Kaori’s eyes opened wide, glancing down at her wrists in dismay. Through the excitement of her rescue from the prison, she had forgotten the chains were there. “The guards will see them. Sweet Sarid…” she let her gaze trail up to the sky in a look of desperation. Pleading silently with the Vor’shai gods to help her through this. In a daze she placed her left foot in the stirrup, hoisted onto the horse’s back by Osrik’s strong arms. For a human of his age, he was in remarkable shape. The grey in his hair was the only thing which gave away the truth of the years he’d walked Myatheira. Physically, he was just as capable as the young soldier who stood guard outside the well-concealed door to the servants’ passage.
Distracted by the thought of the man, she turned her eyes to cast a final glance in his direction as Osrik lifted himself into the saddle behind Kaori. He looked less sure of himself than he had only a few short moments ago, his dark brown eyes open wide with obvious concern. “Soldiers are coming,” he hissed, placing the flat of his palm against the door as if that would someh
ow prevent the soldiers from breaking through into the alley. Genuine fear could be seen in his desperate gaze, requiring no words in his urging for Kaori and Osrik to leave.
Kaori didn’t have to hear him say anything. The look in his eyes was enough to ignite fear in her heart once again, her legs squeezing instinctively against the horse’s sides to try and signal it into motion. Not that it did her any good. She was still too weak. Unable to press firmly enough to garner a response from the animal. Embarrassment left her grateful that Osrik didn’t appear to notice her failure before he made a clicking noise with his tongue against the roof of his mouth, digging his heels into the horse with greater strength than Kaori could conjure.
Their hastened pace along the alley caused Kaori’s injured back to bump against Osrik’s chest with every step they took, tears filling her eyes from the pain. If they got out of this mess alive, she would have to request that they arrange themselves differently upon the horse. For now, she didn’t want to risk losing the time it would take to adjust for the sake of comfort. Luckily, the animal’s quick strides didn’t last long, slowing to a casual walk once they reached the end of the alley and entered the main courtyard of the palace grounds. No one appeared to notice their presence beyond an occasional courtier nodding in polite greeting to Osrik, their gaze lingering on his companion out of curiosity but nothing more. The people here hadn’t heard of the escape yet. They had no reason to suspect anything was amiss, especially not with a man of standing such as Osrik. Word would travel fast, however, and once it did, everyone would become suspect. She just had to hope they were outside the palace gates before that occurred.
Anxious to be out of view from the palace, Kaori prayed that Osrik would increase their speed. She wasn’t comfortable with the pace they traversed the grounds, leaving them open and vulnerable for the soldiers to stop and question their plans for travel. All around she could see the soldiers spilling forth from the main entry doors of the palace, their eyes darting in every direction before separating to begin their frantic search. Afraid of discovering one to be more observant than the others, she kept her head down, staring at the ground as it passed under the horse’s feet, careful not to let anyone see her eyes. With Sulel’s decision to strip the most prominent Vor’shai of their titles, the number of her people at court would be drastically reduced, making her presence stand out amidst the humans.
She hated the suspense. The feeling of helplessness. There was nothing she could do to help their situation. Osrik was in full control of the horse they depended on to get them to safety and nothing she said or did would hasten their exit. They had to move slow. If they took to running, it would draw unwanted attention to their speedy departure. It was a wonder they made it this far without anyone getting in their way.
As the gate gradually came into view, Kaori felt her pulse begin to race faster than she thought possible. It hadn’t slowed since she heard Mhina slip the key into the lock of her cell, only seeming to increase its speed with every passing second. She was beginning to feel ill. Dizzy. Lightheaded. If not for Osrik’s strong arms holding her upright between the reins, she was certain she would have lost consciousness and fallen from the horse. Lucky for her, that wasn’t the case. Osrik seemed to sense her disorientation, the pressure of his arms against her sides increasing to provide greater support. “They will stop us at the gate,” he whispered. Even without being able to hear the tone of his voice, Kaori could tell he was nervous. A single pause would grant the soldiers a chance to see her face. She would be discovered and they would both be taken into custody.
Head tilted forward, she peered through her long lashes to try and make out the men who stepped into their path from the guard post. There were three soldiers. Fully armed. Hands lightly resting atop the hilt of their swords. “Good evening, Lord Buldan,” one of the men greeted them personally, eyeing Kaori’s cloaked figure with a suspicious gaze. “I must ask that your riding companion remove her hood so we can see her face.”
“I would love to comply, gentlemen, but she is not keen on anyone seeing the two of us together. You men are not usually so concerned with those who choose to leave the palace rather than those who enter. Is there something wrong of which we should be aware?”
“Nothing about which you should worry. Please, if you would – we must identify your companion.”
Drawing in a deep breath, Osrik gave a hesitant look around, cautious of who might be close enough to hear what was being spoken between him and the guard. “You do not understand,” he lowered his voice, holding the soldier’s gaze steady. “The lady is less than half my age and her parents are unaware she is in my company. You would do the lady a disservice by forcing her to reveal that she is not within her chambers as her parents believe.”
The soldier passed a soft chuckle between himself and the other men, amused by Osrik’s supposed plight. They were no stranger to scandals. Given their line of work, Kaori could only assume they’d heard far worse tales than that which Osrik currently spun. “While I sympathize with your predicament, Sir, I have orders not to let anyone leave the palace grounds without identification.”
Kaori’s hands tightened around the horn of the saddle, prepared to leap from the animal if it became necessary. Not that she would make it far. Her legs were too weak and the soldiers were armed. They had her at a severe disadvantage and she couldn’t count on Osrik being able to defeat three men at once. It was nothing against his ability with the sword. These men were simply younger and far better trained than any nobleman could boast – other than Therek. Do not be foolish. She felt guilty for giving a human man so little credit in comparison to one of Vor’shai heritage. If one man of noble birth was capable of learning to wield a sword with such precision, it made perfect sense that another could do the same. The only difference was the number of years with which a Vor’shai had to perfect their techniques while the humans grew old around them. Osrik couldn’t possibly share the same skill as Therek. They couldn’t fight their way out of this.
She felt Osrik’s head lower. Defeated. Making a show of his exaggerated despair. “Very well,” he sighed. “If you must observe the lady, I understand. However, if you would grant us a bit more privacy before she removes her hood? A few more steps outside the gate, perhaps?”
The soldiers laughed at Osrik’s request. She couldn’t blame them. It might have been humorous to her as well if she wasn’t the one whose life was riding on these men overlooking her. Through the corner of her eye she saw one of the guards wave them forward. Motioning her and Osrik to step further outside the palace gates. This was their chance. Osrik had arranged for a perfect escape. She could only hope he’d done so intentionally. It was too much of a coincidence for it to have been pure chance. Maybe Osrik is more capable of this rescue than you give him credit for.
In an instant Kaori felt the horse shudder into motion, jarring her painfully as it gathered significant speed in a remarkably short distance. It took only seconds for them to move forward, the sound of the guards shouting after them ringing in Kaori’s ears, feeling the pressure of their hands grasping at her ankles as Osrik pushed past them along the road. Her head shot upward in fear and excitement. Exhilarated by the rush that came over her. She wanted to cry out. Laugh. Weep. Vomit. So many emotions washed over her, quickly passing on to the next until she couldn’t be sure exactly what she was feeling in that moment. It was an odd experience. One she’d never felt before. Not even when she fired the first arrow at the executioner in Whitelyn had she experienced this much confusion. It was fun, in a strange sort of way. Enjoyable. Frightening.
Behind them she could hear the soldiers calling out orders. Yelling for others to join them in the chase. Over the din of her own thoughts she could hear the footsteps of horses pounding along the gravel. Unable to keep herself from looking back, she cast a glance over her shoulder to see how many men were after them. The number was growing. Six. Seven. Another wave poured forth from the palace gates. Fourteen. Fifteen. They w
ere never going to make it out of this. There were too many soldiers. Too many people against them. It would take impressive skill at riding to outmaneuver a group of trained military men.
As if reading her mind, Osrik directed the horse sharply to the right, never sacrificing speed, the animal racing onward, leaving the road behind. An overgrown field lay between them and a densely wooded area further to the north. Kaori’s heart pounded at the thought of getting anywhere near the trees. The woods hadn’t proven the best of ideas when hiding from the soldiers in Siundel. With so many more men after them now than there had been that day, it seemed like suicide to take the risk. They would have to slow their pace to avoid injury to themselves or the horse. The path would be obstructed. Harder to traverse. She couldn’t bring herself to take comfort in the benefits of cover they acquired in reaching the forest. The soldiers were too close for hiding to be of any use.
“We cannot go to the woods,” she gasped, finding her voice difficult to utilize while overcome with the emotions which plagued her. She didn’t want to think about tactics right now. Her stomach rumbled from hunger while the lacerations on her back caused her to wince in excruciating pain. Focus was impossible. For once in her life she was going to have to entrust someone else to help her without argument. Osrik wouldn’t be able to hear her anyway. His eyes were directed straight ahead, knuckles white where they gripped the reins. Kaori’s protests didn’t appear to reach his ears, their course remaining set for the line of trees which came closer and closer until Kaori felt their low-hanging branches tearing at her hair as they entered the woods. The discomfort was nothing compared to the pressure of Osrik’s body slamming against the injuries on her back. If the pain didn’t stop soon, she doubted consciousness would remain with her long enough to worry about getting caught by the soldiers.
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Four: In the Beginning Page 62