Chapter 4: Escape
Robin stirred, the voices of two guards talking quietly outside the cell, came to him. He moved silently and pressed his ear against the wooden door.
"...not long now...times have changed."
"...but the girl?"
"Kathryn...killed..."
Robin frowned. "Kill Kathryn? Not while I'm here...not yet." Thought he. He rummaged in two small bags at his waist. Suddenly he smiled and pulled his hand out, "This could be interesting." He set to work quickly, rubbing a strange powder over the lock.
Close to an hour later Kathryn felt someone shaking her.
"Robin? What is it?"
"Rise and shine Miss Kathryn, or you'll be late for our escape."
Robin scurried over to the door and pushed with all his might.
"Lend a hand lass!"
Kathryn quickly came to his side pushed against the door. The lock sizzled from the strange powder and broke. Suddenly the door swung open, and they both tumbled in a heap out into the passage. Robin laughed as though it were all a great game.
Kathryn clapped a hand across Robin's mouth. "Ssshhh! You'll have the guards coming down to check on the din."
Robin grinned and shut the door, cramming odds and ends of things in the keyhole. He stepped back, viewed his work, nodded and darted down the hallway.
They reached the end of the passage and mounted the stairs. Robin was panting slightly, but refused to pause and catch his breath. The stairs were built in a spiral. At the top was a wooden door. Robin silently pushed open the door. The coast was clear. They stepped out into a broad hallway which stretched away to the left and right of them.
Kathryn looked down the one leading left then the one leading right.
"Anything look familiar?" asked he out of breath.
"Y-yes...the left passage, that's the way they took me...come on!"
Continuing down the hallway, the steps took a turn and they found themselves in a smaller hall with a door at either end. The sound of two guards talking could be heard. They froze. "I don't see what the big deal is? I mean why did we have to move that other girl all the way to Mystringel?"
The escapers backed down onto the stairway they had just ascended, the echoes of the guards all around them as they ran round the turn of the steps.
Kathryn and Robin crashed straight into Officer Steven, the Captain and two others, who had unknowingly been walking up the stairs behind them!
It would have been hard to tell who was more surprised, the escaping prisoners or the Officer and Captain and the two guards.
Immediately they collided, the Captain cried out in surprise and more by luck than judgment seized Robin's arm. This was followed by another cry as Robin grabbed his dagger with his other hand and stabbed the Captain sharply in the hand, forcing him to release his grip.
"Follow me!" cried Robin and, tripping the Officer, ran back up the stairs. The Officer and Captain collided with the other to and they fell to the floor in a jumble. The Captain struggled to extricate himself, screaming curses.
"Blockheads, idiots, out of my way!"
Kathryn and Robin dashed headlong down the hall. Taking the door to the right, they dived inside, slamming it shut behind them.
It was a guest room of some sort and very beautiful. Robin jumped on to the windowsill and gave a high whistle. From the forest to the north two brown horses came. Robin glanced back at Kathryn, "I hope you're good at aiming, lass or else this is really going to hurt! Ready...JUMP!"
Robin stirred, the voices of two guards talking quietly outside the cell, came to him. He moved silently and pressed his ear against the wooden door.
"...not long now...times have changed."
"...but the girl?"
"Kathryn...killed..."
Robin frowned. "Kill Kathryn? Not while I'm here...not yet." Thought he. He rummaged in two small bags at his waist. Suddenly he smiled and pulled his hand out, "This could be interesting." He set to work quickly, rubbing a strange powder over the lock.
Close to an hour later Kathryn felt someone shaking her.
"Robin? What is it?"
"Rise and shine Miss Kathryn, or you'll be late for our escape."
Robin scurried over to the door and pushed with all his might.
"Lend a hand lass!"
Kathryn quickly came to his side pushed against the door. The lock sizzled from the strange powder and broke. Suddenly the door swung open, and they both tumbled in a heap out into the passage. Robin laughed as though it were all a great game.
Kathryn clapped a hand across Robin's mouth. "Ssshhh! You'll have the guards coming down to check on the din."
Robin grinned and shut the door, cramming odds and ends of things in the keyhole. He stepped back, viewed his work, nodded and darted down the hallway.
They reached the end of the passage and mounted the stairs. Robin was panting slightly, but refused to pause and catch his breath. The stairs were built in a spiral. At the top was a wooden door. Robin silently pushed open the door. The coast was clear. They stepped out into a broad hallway which stretched away to the left and right of them.
Kathryn looked down the one leading left then the one leading right.
"Anything look familiar?" asked he out of breath.
"Y-yes...the left passage, that's the way they took me...come on!"
Continuing down the hallway, the steps took a turn and they found themselves in a smaller hall with a door at either end. The sound of two guards talking could be heard. They froze. "I don't see what the big deal is? I mean why did we have to move that other girl all the way to Mystringel?"
The escapers backed down onto the stairway they had just ascended, the echoes of the guards all around them as they ran round the turn of the steps.
Kathryn and Robin crashed straight into Officer Steven, the Captain and two others, who had unknowingly been walking up the stairs behind them!
It would have been hard to tell who was more surprised, the escaping prisoners or the Officer and Captain and the two guards.
Immediately they collided, the Captain cried out in surprise and more by luck than judgment seized Robin's arm. This was followed by another cry as Robin grabbed his dagger with his other hand and stabbed the Captain sharply in the hand, forcing him to release his grip.
"Follow me!" cried Robin and, tripping the Officer, ran back up the stairs. The Officer and Captain collided with the other to and they fell to the floor in a jumble. The Captain struggled to extricate himself, screaming curses.
"Blockheads, idiots, out of my way!"
Kathryn and Robin dashed headlong down the hall. Taking the door to the right, they dived inside, slamming it shut behind them.
It was a guest room of some sort and very beautiful. Robin jumped on to the windowsill and gave a high whistle. From the forest to the north two brown horses came. Robin glanced back at Kathryn, "I hope you're good at aiming, lass or else this is really going to hurt! Ready...JUMP!"