16 - Action
"I'll hate you for as long as I live, Niera. Remember that." The words echoed hauntingly in Niera's mind. They were every bit as clear and as vivid as they day they had been said. Niera leaned forward, hugging her body to herself. Her nightmares were getting worse. Shivering, Niera closed her eyes. A few rays of noon sun broke through the entry-way of the tent, lending a small amount of light. Niera welcomed the warmth as slight as it was. Tonight was the night. The night when she would escape. Where after that? She hadn't the faintest clue, all that mattered at the present was quitting herself of her current situation. Her hand sliding down her pant leg to pat the concealed knife there, Niera smiled slowly, her grey eyes lighting up as her mouth curled in anticipation. The hours till darkness crept with agonizing slowness, seemingly taunting Niera at their pace. Niera, after memorizing Achilles habits as best she could, figured that she had at least thirty minutes in which she would be free to escape.
Free except for the guards and the soldiers camps beyond them. Niera brushed discouraging thoughts away, her mind prickling with more than just adrenaline. They would see what a stupid mistake it had been not to tie her. Once again Niera's mouth twisted into a feral smile. A small sliver of moon made it's way into the night sky. Niera's smile widened. Just enough moon to give her light to see by but not enough to betray her. With a deep breath Niera stood. It was time. Moving silently she withdrew the concealed knife from it's hiding place, two painstaking cuts in the thick material of the tent and Niera slipped out into the cool air, her eyes fairly glowing as silver glints of the moon caught them. Fighting the urge to laugh Niera, at the sound of a footstep nearby, flung herself to the ground. One of Achilles men. Bellying her way, inch by inch, Niera moved away from the sentinel.
After several moments of such movement Niera frowned. She would never escape at this pace. Rising slowly, her eyes everywhere at once, Niera ran, her small body throwing a slight shadow to the right of her. So far so good. She had cleared Achilles camp, there weren't as many guards as she had guessed. A sudden shadow, emerging from nowhere to the left stopped her dead. "You there." Came the gruff voice, "We need another at this dice game, were at odd numbers." With silent prayer of thanks Niera realized that guard didn't see her face, not yet anyway. With a friendly chuckle, making it sound as deep as she could, Niera approached the soldier, making sure to keep her face out of the moon's light. "I'm in then." She said reaching a hand out. As she stepped up to the man Niera's other hand came around from behind her back, the knife in it. "And so is this." She said quietly as she plunged the knife upwards, with a jolting vibration Niera felt her knife enter the man's throat, cutting off any capacity on his part to speak and in a few moments silencing him forever.
Niera watched gravely as the man sank to the ground, his eyes wide and staring, his mouth moving, gurgling noises issuing forth. With a small shake of her head Niera realized that this was the first man she'd ever killed. With a grimace she jerked her weapon out. "Your only crime was that you saw me." She said quietly, almost sadly. With a brisk shake of her head Niera cleared her thoughts. Time later to think of dead men. Time now to move. Picking up her pace and dodging the lights and sounds of camp-fires, Niera ran. It was almost an half an hour later when she broke free from the sight of Greek fires. Tilting her head upwards, still running, the cool night air whispering laughingly about her, Niera laughed with it. It had been much easier than she would have thought. Glancing smugly backwards, back towards the Greeks. Niera, with a sudden childish impulse, stuck out her tongue. Then, again laughing, she continued to run.
It was an hour later when Achilles threw back the flap to his tent, ducking his head to enter. Glancing around he paused. The tent was empty. Glancing at the slashed side of his tent Achilles shook his head slowly. He hadn't given her enough credit. He had never really thought she would attempt to escape. Now she had not only attempted but succeeded. Obviously. There were no reports of her capture. Achilles jaw hardened resolutely. Where had she gone though? He hadn't found out what he had wanted and that angered him. A shout outside his tent brought the first evidence of Niera's escape. Listening to the murmuring talk Achilles, his pace quickened, moved determinedly. It wasn't long before his strides brought him to the stiffening body of the soldier Niera had killed. Examining the body carefully, Achilles once again shook his head. He hadn't given her near enough credit. He had underestimated her badly.