chapter5...The Escape

Sala had no long she was knocked out,but once her eyes cracked open just a bit pain filled her entire body.Gasping sharply she,coughed against the dryness of her throat,Sala had yet to open her eyes fully and she was sensistive to everything around her,Taking some ragged breathes she rolled off the cot she had apparently been laying on,Sala hit the cold stone ground gasping and trying to get air into her system.Sala curled into the fetal posistion hoping to lessen the pain that was all over her body,She grasped her head the pounding in her head was so unbearable.Sala bit back the urge to scream instead she slowly opened her eyes.Sala finally got her eyes opened,but everything around her looked blurred and to vivd,Sala blinked many times soon the blurryness started clearing and she was finally able to make out her surroundings,Sala was facing a dingy stone wall.Taking an ragged breathe Sala uncurled and pushed herself up on one elbow,groaning as pain went through her entire body,breathing hard she turned her head towards a dim light that was coming from behind her.Sala blinked a few times before she could clearly see massive metal bars blocking the entrance to what Sala was deducing was a cell,shuddering at the familiarity of this prickling feeling at the back of her neck.Putting her palms on the hard floor she tried to stand,She stumbled and her back slammed against the stone wall yelping slightly she slid down until she was sitting,Panting heavily she sat there for she didn't know how long.Sometime during that time apparently a guard had brought some food and water for her.The effects had lessened and her vision cleared she looked around she was in some kind of a cell that she figured,pushing down her anxiety Sala closed her eyes and concentrated on contacting Valinor.Her thoughts were cut short when a wave of nausea twisted her stomach,making her lurch forward,but unfortunately she had nothing in her stomach so she had at least two dry heaves before she could breaathe regularly again.Sala coughed and took a shaky breathe, 'What's wrong with me...?',Sala thought hopelessly.Sala looked up and saw that there was a small cup and plate with hard bread on it,Sala stood cautiously and took a few steps,'At least I can walk again...' Sala said inwardly.Sala picked up the cup of what appeared to be water,Sala cautiosly to her lips and took a small sip,she resisted the urge to down the entire glass she tested the water.She spat the water out,the ater had a strange taste to it,she grimaced at the cup and saw it had an unnatural shine to it one word floated in her mind ' Drugged...'. Sala was resisting every urge to eat the and drink the water, the thought of contacting Valinor kept her resistance up.

Her eyes sluggishly darted around the room,They landed on a barred window high up on the opposite wall quickly she crawled over to it,she got on her toes and reached up and grabbed the bars,she saw a busseling city and many people Sala let go of the bars and landed softly on the ground,with dread taking over her senses she grabbed the water and bread and dropped them out the window,She winced when she heard them hit the ground.Sighing she sat back down and stared off into the cell across from hers,the light that was coming in from the window in that cell changed from bright,to a burning orange she was guessing that the sun was setting.The gaurd had brought more food and water and again they were drugged she disposed of it quickly,before she got the urge to drink the water down.Sala coughed dryly,as she slumped agaist the cold stone wall rubbing her temples,her memory was coming back as she remembered what had happened the night of the fire:

'Bright orange flames...A child crying for help...Deep dread spreading through her...Chains'

Sala's eyes snapped opened as a thought came to mind,what she had done when they began to take her away,sheer fear made her blood turn to ice.

'...Valinor did they...did they harm him? What about Hengrayd!!! I hope they didn't hurt him!! and what about Kenneth and his family!?...What about .
Therinsford!...'

Sala pulled her knees to her chest and placed her head on her knees,and clawed at her scalp as more thoughts of people she knew being in peril at the mercy of the king and...and it was all cause of her.Every one she ever knew could be gone in the blink of an eye, but the worst part was the self torture she was putting herself she knew that it was her fault,She was causing so much pain right now.Sala felt the back of her eyes burn,but the question hung in her head was a simple one word question, 'Why?'. What exactly had she done to deserve this Sala was so confused her thought to tangled and sluggish to think .

Sala was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a door open and bang shut ,Soon the narrow walkway had the sound of mailed boots came closer towards her cell.Sala looked up and she saw two guards walking down the narrow walkway.In their hands they were carelessyly dragging a frail woman whos skin had splotches of dark purple and black on the exposed skin of her arms.The woman's copper hair was covering her face ,but her hair looked tussled and dull as tho she had been on an argerous journey.Her feet were scraped and bare and she was in a night gown that was dingy.Sala looked in wide eyed shock as the gaurds carelessly threw the woman into the cell right next to hers,and slammed the barred door shut and stomped away in unison.

Sala waited until she was sure the prison guards were gone,"Are you alright?"Sala croaked,her voice was harsh and dry from her dry throat,Sala jumped at her own unrecognizable voice.There was no reply,"Please give me a sign that your alright."Sala croaked deseperately,Again there was no reply instead there was a strained sound and sharp intakes a breathe.The sound was unfamiliar to her for a moment then she recognized it as crying the poor woman that was just through the wall was crying,Sala could only wish to comfort her,"Please...tell me why your crying."Sala asked softly.The sobbing stopped momentarily,but took up again along with some shuffling sounds."You want to know why I am crying?"Came a raw female voice,"Yes,please..."Sala said softly, "...Have ...Have you ever been seperated from ...someone you love dearly,that you were willing to cut ties with the only family you had left just to be by their side?"The voice asked,the woman's voice was laddened with unshed tears,but she didn't let fall.Sala thought for a moment,she had really never had a family and heart was not out to anyone right now,"I'm sorry to say...I haven't I want to help in any way possible,so please let me help."Sala said softly,There was no answer for a long time,Sala thought the woman had gone to sleep since the sky darkened to a dark azure with dark clouds floating across it. Sighing dejectedly,Sala walked over to her cot and sat down on it,
Finally there was answer from the woman,"What is your name?"The woman asked,Sala's mood lightened and she smiled slightly, "Sala...and yours?"Sala asked hopefully,There was another silence,"...I'm ...Katrina."The woman known as Katrina said.Sala smiled,"Well Katrina ,you should rest,and thank you for talking to me."Sala said happily,There was no agreement just the squeak of a cot and then silence.

Sighing again Sala pulled her knees to her chest and braced her back against the wall and tried to sleep,but something at the back of her mind was nagging her to stay awake.Just for a try Sala reached for Valinor,but again was stopped by the wave of nausea.The nausea wasn't as bad as last time.Sala just sat for uncountable hours,until She heard some shuffling noises coming from the narrow walkway, 'It's probably a rat...' Sala shivered thinking of a rat in her cell.The shuffling sounds continued until the stopped outside her cell,there was a tapping sound like a metal on metal sound.Alarmed Sala looked up,and saw a dark figure at her cell door,"Who's there!?" Sala said in an extremely cold voice,The figure shivered then gathered it's courage,"S-S-Sala is that y-you?" The figure stuttered out nervously,Sala's eyes brightened when she heard that nervous voice She jumped off the bed and stumbled ,but made it to the cell door,"Hengrayd! are you alright! what about Val-"Sala was cut off,"SHHHH!!!!" Hengrayd said nervously.Sala nodded,it seems He was messing with the lock.A door somewhere close by opened and a lantern shone on Hengrayd,Whose face contorted into unadulterated fear,Hengrayd sent a glance a Sala "RUN!!!! hurry get away!!!"Sala shouted at him,He torn between staying and running.Finally with a regrettful look he ran the opposite way,"Halt!!! by order of the king Halt!!"The guard yelled as he chased Hengrayd down. Sala was hyperventilating when the guard and Hengrayd vanish from sight.Sala paced impatiently,She felt lightheaded with worry and her knees were shaking,there was a rut in the floor her foot caught and she fell forward there was a bright light in her eyes then darkness.

Sala's head was throbbing horribly,with an audible groan she pushed herself up and rubbed her head gingerly,"Sala! are you alright!" a familiar male voice said.Sala jerked her neck in that direction,making it crack with another groan she winced and looked at the cell across from her and saw Hengrayd sitting on the cell flooer his eyes were red rimmed and his left cheek was swelling.Sala gasped,"Hengrayd are you alright?"Sala asked nervously,"Yes I'm fine and Val-"He paused and looked at her,She was shaking her head furiously.He silenced himself and looked around,and then back at her he groaned and started banging his head lightly against the bars of his cell. "Hengrayd! what are you doing stop!"Sala said in a confused voice,"No...I could've gotten you out if I was faster,but no I ended getting caught myself."Hengrayd said sadly,he looked at her again and started banging his head against the bars again. Sala sighed and then looked up and down the narrow walkway,their were guards at either end she narrowed her eyes, 'We need to get out of here tonight...If not who knows what'll happen...' Sala thought darkly,"Katrina...Katrina..."Sala called out,she got no answer she turned to face Hengrayd with a grave expression.He didn't notice as he was still moping her spent the entire day staring at the wall.Finally the guards brought Katrina back to her cell.Finally the sunset and the entire prison became shadowed,Sala formulated a plan quickly,she grabbed the rough peice of fabric off her bed and balled it under her shirt,luckily for her there was only one guard on duty and he was swaying slightly at the end of the hall,taking a deep breathe she called down the hall to guard,"Guard..."Sala called down the walkway with a sultry voice,Hengrayd looked over at her with a confused look,With a grunt the guard hobbled down walkway and shone a latern in her face,"What is it."The guard slurred,Sala resisted the urge to wrinkle her nose at his breathe that smelled of heavy ale,"I...Don't remember much about how I came here,but,"She paused to look up from under her bangs making her eyes smolder,the guard raised a brow at her,"But I think there was something...I used to do"Sala said with a seductive,sultry whisper.Hengrayd's mouth hung open slightly,while the guard smirked lustfully,"Then maybe you are of some use."The guard said smugly,He reached for the ring of keys strapped at his waist,Sala moved away from the door of the cell as the guard opened it and walked in closing the door behind him,he walked in a slow circle around her,Hengrayd was still shocked at what Sala was doing,he was sputtering incoherently.The guard stopped circling her and stood behind her,"Take it off."The guard said lustfully,Sala closed her eyes and grabbed the edges of her shirt but instead of pulling it off she slipped the rough blanket from under her shirt,"Hurry up girl.."The guard said,"Alright..."Sala said in the same sultry whisper.

Sala whipped around hitting the guard with her elbow in his throat he gave a grunt as he stumbled back,Sala wasted no time she wrapped the fabric around his throatgetting behind him with it still wrapped around his throathis hands tearing at the fabric,Sala kicked out at his knees from the back,making him fall to the ground,he was now fully choking his breathe coming more frantically,finally he stopped flailing about and fell unconcious.Sala panted as she pulled away from the unconcious man,She felt weak and tired but she grabbed the keys from his beltlocking the door to her cell with him inside,she quickly unlocked Hengrayd's cell he stumbled out in complete awe of her.Sala paid him no mind and went to Katrina's cell she was laying on the floor scared to death of her,Sala smiled and held out a hand,Katrina sat up and took Sala's hand hesistantly,"Hengrayd follow me,we must escape help Katrina."Sala ordered sternly,Hengrayd nodded and slung Katrina's arm over his shoulders,and briskly they followed Sala who was walking firmly in front of them.Sala's eyes were cold and indifferent as she was strangely guided in the right direction.