AN:

Hope you had a good Thanksgiving…And a good December…..

Uh yeah sorry it took so long. Thank you to my reviewers. And I guess to all of you who lurk. I love all of you! I'd kiss you, but the computer screen is really dirty

Scales of Our Time

Chapter 10

Yet Another Escape

Sya's general view

Morning would never be the best time. Her mind was foggy and she couldn't think straight. And it didn't help that a certain someone was a morning person. Unlike she who was still in her blankets covering her head trying to block out Murtagh's singing. Let's just say it should be outlawed for him to sing. Either he really was terrible, or he was just trying to annoy her. Sya bet both.

"WILL YOU SHUT UP ALREADY?" Sya screamed. There were only so many things a person could tolerate in the morning.

"Oh I see that you're up," Murtagh said ignoring her comment. "We should be going then. Eat up."

He held a bowl out to her. It smelled of horse manure and rotten eggs. "Argh! What is this!?!" She said plugging her nose making her voice sound funny. "It smells like shit!"

"Good. Because that's what it is" Murtagh said rolling his eyes.

"Oh you're just hilarious."

"And you're just a pleasure to be around in the morning!" Murtagh fired back.

"Well you have just the MOST beautiful singing voice I ever did hear!" Sya retorted pleased with her comeback. So early in the morning to.

"Why thank you!" He said happily. Sya didn't think he knew it was criticism. Or maybe he was trying to make her mad. She wouldn't put it past him. But then again Murtagh was pretty stupid. Sya wasn't sure he could be that devious.

"Argh! You're making my head hurt!" Sya complained as he smirked at her.

"You make my eyes hurt." He replied slightly irked.

"You make my ears BLEED!" She yelled back.

"WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN THIS AND WHAT YOU USED TO EAT!"

Sya struggled for an answer as she lowed her head. That was low of him. Referring to what I used to be. She picked her head up. I won't let him get to me! It's what he wants. He wants to see me cry. To fall to pieces. I won't let him get to me.

Murtagh's General View

Murtagh immediately felt bad. Especially when she picked up her head. He could see so many things in her eyes; Determination, hurt, sadness, reproach…And a lot of hatred.

He saw her fake a smile and say, "You're right." She took the bowl from him and began to eat. She looked a little sad but above all hurt. Murtagh knew he didn't really know her, but he didn't, nor would have ever, taken her to be the kind of person to get hurt by a person's opinion of her.

She had finished by the time Murtagh had finally pulled out of his thoughts. She looked as if she would throw up after eating the soup…thing, he had made. Murtagh didn't think it had tasted that bad. Sade was glaring at him profusely. Thorn looked deeply disappointed. Though he couldn't bring himself to look at her, he knew her face would be twisted in sadness.

"Right, so should we get started back then?" He said not even pretending to be cheerful. Murtagh saw her look around the space around her looking for anything un-packed or out of place.

"I suppose so." She replied back quietly.

Murtagh mounted Thorn with ease and turned holding out his hand offering help onto the saddle.

Sya's General View

Sya pretended not to notice the hand in front of her face and mounted on her own, wrapping her arms loosely around him. It was that or death when they took off. And right now death didn't look so bad. She felt the shift in motion as Thorn took off into the sky. She was as far away from him as possible without falling off. Right now she really hated this part of the plan.

Sya made casual conversation with Sade going over exactly what would happen when they got there. And the ride was short lived. The were at the palace in a matter of hours. It didn't look as if anyone noticed them yet. Which Sya found a little strange. They WERE riding a humongous dragon way up in the air. She wondered if Murtagh had used magic to conceal them. However then she remembered how she had practically fainted when she attempted to do magic before. This would have probably taken more energy than the fire thing. Sya decided that Murtagh would have been unconscious if he had been using magic. Though he was more experienced….God, why everything to do with him made her head hurt Sya would never know.

However people did notice when two dragons and two people landed in the courtyard. They ran away and most screamed. Children began to cry and wail for their mothers. Sya guessed that most didn't know of dragon or riders. 'Then again neither did I until Sade had come out of the stone'. She wondered what would happen when this spread to the neighboring town and eventually the rest of Alagaësia. Would there be raids on the palace? Would the commoners go on strike until the full truth was let out? How many people knew?

Murtagh had jumped off on Thorn and she supposed that she should go quickly. The less time for Galbatroix the better. As soon as she was down from the saddle Murtagh had taken her wrist and was pulling her threw the many twists and turns of the grounds. Servants scattered and Sya heard Thorn fly off with Sade. They were headed to the front gate to wait for Sya and the horse that she would steal.

They had reached the stables and Sya waited while Murtagh grabbed the things she'd need. In a matter of a few minuets she was being pushed roughly out of the stables and back into the warm air. The sun shone down on her and the horse. She didn't know what kind he was. She wasn't raised to know the types. But she knew he was a brown mare. The only thing she found strange was that its mane and tail were pure white. Though for all she knew that could have been perfectly normal.

Hopping into the saddle that was thankfully on the horses back when they had gotten there Murtagh began to lead the horse away from the stable. Though they both were frozen with shock as they heard the sound of armor clanging towards them. Galbatroix knew Murtagh might have tried something like this. For a second Sya wondered if the joke wasn't on her, that Murtagh had only planned to get her back here and into Galbatroix's waiting hands. But suspicion quickly faded as she heard him swear and guided her and the horse at a run for the front gates and away from the oncoming soldiers.

They rounded a corner only to find that it had been blocked by soldiers. "Damn!" Murtagh cursed, "We're surrounded…I'm sorry." Those words shocked her. She was surprised her brain was able to come up with a solution. Setting his apology aside for the moment she said, "Don't be yet. Turn that corner over there-"

Murtagh interrupted her. "But that's a dead end."

"Actually it's not. There is a secret servant's passageway. We use them to get to places quickly." As soon as she said those words Murtagh took off in the direction of the ally. "Where is it?" He asked in a voice just above a normal speaking tone. "The third brick from the left. Push it in and step back." Sya replied hastily. Murtagh ran forward by himself and followed her orders. A ridiculously long trap door covered by packed dirt swung down into the ground. It was just tall enough to fit them without discomfort if Sya laid down in the saddle.

They entered as the sound of footsteps got louder. Sya reached up and pulled the strip of leather that hung from the 'ceiling'. The entrance closed with a snap. The last they saw of the outside scene was the beginnings of a boot. They could now hear the soldiers arguing in the ally.

"I could have sworn I saw them come down this way!" One voice shouted. It was soon joined by many others agreeing. "They vanished!" A different voice louder than the rest called out. "Scour the city! We mustn't loose them!" The soldiers around that voice agreed again and the sound of footsteps was gone shortly after.

"Let's go. The more time the better." Sya said, "Besides it's uncomfortable in here."

Murtagh's General View

Murtagh began leading the horse through the tunnel like structure. The conversation was limited to asking for directions, which he hated. (Lol) "Right up there to the left. Push the brick in that has the paint and move out of the way." Sya told him as they neared the middle of a long hall. One again Murtagh complied and in doing so lowered a trap door like the one they'd used before. He led the horse up through it and was surprised that it was relatively the same time as they went in judging by the sun. Though what surprised him even more was that they were virtually in front of the edge of town.

Looking up he saw Thorn and Sade well above the town virtually out of sight of the town's people; who were still in a panic. "Remember." Murtagh said as they walked calmly out into the open, "Don't stop for anything. I can try to stall but I can't put him off for long. I can't lie to him. So ride fast and hard. I put a few provisions in the saddle bags but it won't last for long. So you have a couple pence to buy from the next town. But by then Galbatroix will be after you and will know your face."

He saw the girl nod in comprehension. "Oh and um…." This was where not knowing a name got hard. "Sya." She said. So she had figured it out. That was good. "Sya, I'm sorry I didn't mean what I said. Be careful. Just keep heading south."

He heard the shout of soldiers from behind him and slapped the horse as a response. Sya had to get out of here. He heard a breezy 'I accept.' as he watched her go off. Though Murtagh wouldn't have been surprised if he'd just imagined it.

Sya's General View

She wasn't sure if he had heard her. But it was too late for that now with her getting farther away, though she could hear soldiers coming toward her; most likely to come after Murtagh.

Sya only hoped that even if the King knew they might try this and sent the soldiers that he wouldn't come after her himself. From how Murtagh described him and how he looked to her; he was powerful. And Sya wasn't. It was the way of the world. The slaves were weak and those fortunate enough to be born royalty were strong. Those were the breaks; the way of the world.

Hours seemed to pass as Sya rode through the extremely sparse trees and over the dry, cracked ground. She wondered how much longer it would take for her to get where she was going. Sya knew not the bearings of Alagaësia, nor how big it was. Murtagh said the provisions she had wouldn't last long. She wondered how long that would be. The thing that kept her going was that she knew Galbatroix or someone else was coming. Coming for her.

A steady flow of conversation flew between Sya and Sade. If she looked up Sya could just see a purple speck flying over her in circles. The sun bore down on her and she could practically see the heat that was in the air. Hours had gone by and Sya had had nothing to eat or drink since morning. The sun was already setting on the horizon.

She would have to stop soon, the horse, Sade, and even herself were tiring fast. Much more of this and they would all surely pass out. At least the sky was turning from blue to many hues of pink and yellow. It was getting cooler, and quieter. And Sya thought she could hear a stream close by. Better yet, Sade could SEE it.

AN: Yeah I know. Shorter than some others, but I was trying to make the paragraphs longer. I've just realized how annoying my short ones can be. Lol. Please review!

The # of reviews I get IS THE # OF PAGES I TYPE!!!!

Sorry. The computer wouldn't let me upload the document. I had to wait for days!