A/N - Unbetaed. All mistakes are my own, and for which I apologise.

Escape

They walked in silence. Quinn, lost in the depths of her own mind, wondered helplessly if this was the right path. Could she leave her parents, her way of life? Would they be able to survive on their own? Quinn in her 16 years had never been outside of Lima, and she certainly hadn't planned to voyage off accompanied by 2 girls (or 3, if Rachel agreed to come along) and a giant cat. Goddess bless her, because she needed it.

She had no answers, as they approached the edge of town. Santana just looked at her, and after a few moments, gave her a sombre nod. Quinn took a deep breath, nodded back, and began lightly jogging the route to her house. As soon as Santana and Brittany disappeared, Quinn's insecurities rose to a crescendo. She wanted to yell out to them and ask them to stay. She wanted to run back to their clearing in the woods and lose herself in memories of happier days. She wanted to run home and find someone, anyone that cared about her. She didn't know what she wanted.

"The Plan" a voice similar to Santana's echoed in her head. A plan was all she had, and thank the goddess, any plan was better then marrying David Karofsky. So she kept jogging, a battleground of thoughts for a mind.

She found herself at her house before she even realised. She drank in the sight of a manor she until now, had taken for granted. It was all she had known, all she had ever lived. Is this how Santana and Brittany had felt, when they looked upon the places they grew up, realizing that they may never see it again? Would the ghost of their presence still live, long after they had gone? She felt a bereavement, a heaviness of her soul. It was simply brick and stone, wood and clay, but it was both less and more. It was where she had felt safe, and where she knew she would never be safe ever again.

Ignoring the lead in the pit of her stomach, she approached. It seemed quiet, domestic servants and her mother probably busy or away, and that bode well. She opened the door as quietly as possible, and crept through the house with the skittishness of a mouse. Hearing no-one and sensing nothing, she relaxed a little, and opened her room. It looked so different from before. Her small bed, her wooden crate full of clothes, her small wash basin. Her life for 16 years, a footprint of her.

She felt tears in her eyes. Shaking her head to ward them off, she quickly opened her crate and began stuffing everything into the large rucksack. Clothes, sandals. Small prayer beads. A short length of knotted fabric, previously used for festival dances, now simply a fastening that secured her staff on her back. A cloak and hood that had been her sisters.

Her life tied up in her rucksack, her staff securely fastened, she ignored the clutching of her heart, as she looked at her room for one last time, until she couldn't any more.

Her next stop would be the kitchens. She had hoped that the servants had left something out, and she was thankful when a freshly baked loaf of bread stood there, like a prize on the table. Fruits, berries and a wrapped block of goat's cheese were also secured, and another large canteen full of a sweet-smelling liquid. It was all she could carry, her rucksack almost overflowing now and quite heavy, and she left before anyone could spot her. Her last destination was her father's study.

Her heart beat ferociously as she approached the iron-wrought door. She had never entered this room without the presence of her ominous father, and 16 years of rules and discipline clawed at her mind as she went inside. It was dark, musty, and disturbing. A desk with writing quill in the corner, a large bearskin rug on the floor, and a small bookcase with papers and tomes. Swallowing her nervousness, she crept over to the desk, and prayed to the goddess as she pulled on the handle of the single drawer. It opened! The Goddess smiled upon her.

Inside, lay her prize. A small cloth bag that jingled and felt full. Gold! She had only seen her father ever use this bag once before, years ago, but she had never forgotten it. She took the bag and small piece of string that was attached, and tied it securely around her waste.

Her preparations done, she was exiting the dim room, when a gleam in the corner of the room caught her eye. Listening furiously for any noise outside the room, she heard none, before quietly walking over to what had caught her eye.

A sword!

Tentatively reaching out, as if the sword would strike her down with a sudden movement, she touched the small gem in the pommel, before wrapping her hand around it completely, in awe at such a beautiful item. She went to lift it...

CLANG!

Goddess! Why had no-one told her swords were heavy! Quickly dragging it off the floor with both hands, she grasped it firmly, the smooth leather of the scabbard giving way to the wrought steel and polished jewel of the hilt and pommel. She hesitated for a moment, then carefully lifting the sword, she cradled it under her arms, and fled the room.

Quinn hid in the shadow of her front door, watching and waiting carefully for Santana's signal. The evening had given way to night, the streets dimly lit by lantern's, swinging freely on their posts. Golden plumages of light reflected on the dusty roads, and Quinn traced their arches with her eyes, watching and waiting.

Quinn sat their, in the shadows, back leaning against the sandstone for what could have been one minute or 1 hour, she did not know. It wasn't until she was almost in slumber before the whistle came -

Quinn started in fright, her heart feeling like it burst through her chest. In the corner of the road she could barely make out three sets of eyes, and the shadow of faces. The whistle sounded once more, impatiently, and Quinn gathered herself.

She ran over to the group. In the darkness, she could barely see the grim countenance of Santana coupled with the relax, whimsical face of Brittany stare at her. She swallowed nervously -

"I'm ready."

A hand grasped hers, and she was led off, sticking to the darkness of the streets.

For a fair while, the three girls and feline crept through the shadows of Lima, skittering across circles of light when necessary, stopping and waiting at any unexpected sounds. Some young men dashed past at one point, decked out in guardsman leathers, and Santana's hand gripped her tightly, wordlessly warning her. Quinn dared not breathe until they passed in the night, their footsteps echoing off in the distance.

Eventually they stopped at a small ramshackle hut, barely larger then Quinn's room. Quinn and Brittany stayed in the shadows as Santana cautiously approached the door, knocked 3 times, then ducked into the darkness. Moments later, the door creaked open, a young girl of no more then eight or nine years old standing in the archway, her shadow reflected by the yellow light of the latern in her hand.

"H-Hello?"

"Stacey." Santana hissed, before stepping up to make her presence known. The young girl squealed, then threw herself into a hug at the older girl's waist. Santana, not stopping for anything, picked her up and continued onward, and Quinn found herself dragged through the doorway.

The door slamming shut behind her, and the three girls stood inside the minute hut. It was really tiny. Three small cots lined the walls, and a small table with two chairs leant against one of them. In a small cleared space in the middle sat another boy similar age to the young girl. Lanterns and candles flicked momentarily from the draught, causing shadows to dance upon the walls. In the light, Quinn could properly see Santana, dressed in Guardsman leathers herself, a round shield at her back, and Brittany, in green tunic and pants, travelling cloak and bow and quiver over her shoulder. Both carried enormous rucksacks.

The young girl continued to clutch to Santana in glee, smile adorning her face as she started babbling with excited energy.

"San! San. I missed you! Sam never tells us - "

"Shush little birdie" Santana interrupted softly, patting the young girl's blond hair "we can't stay long, I just wanted to say goodbye to you before we left."

Stacey's face immediately became distraught, and the young boy also stood quickly, looking at Santana in fear."

"Wait San you can-"

"No no no! Why do-"

"Hey!" Santana semi-yelled, silencing the two children. "Hey, I don't want to go, but my friends and I have to go far away. But we couldn't leave before we say goodbye to our favourite people, now could we?

Santana crouched down and flung her arms open, and the boy and girl both enveloped her, their faces screwed shut as they hugged Santana fiercely.

Quinn felt uncomfortable, as if intruding upon a family scene she had no business in. She watched as the young children's eyes opened and apparently noticed her for the first time, both of them staring as they let Santana go.

Santana, bemused, turned around and stared as well. Quinn blushed, unused to such intense attention, until she noticed Santana wasn't looking at her, but at the sword she had been cradling in her arm.

As if remembering the sword had brought reality back to Quinn, she immediately felt the cramp of her muscles from her burden, and lowered it softly to the floor. Santana, reverently, extended out and touched the pommel with her fingertips, and and her fingers started an intricate dance, weaving around the pommel and hilt of the sword, flittering upon it's length, her eyes shining in wonder the entire time.

"I found it at my home." Quinn croaked, unused to the attention of the hut and the expression upon Santana's face. It was if Santana had seen for the first time, and it was a sight to behold on the usually fiery girl's face. "It's for you."

Santana said nothing, continuing to stare in awe as she lifted the sword effortlessly. She extended her arm fully, then drew back it in a swift movement, the sword line now level with her eye. Santana looked whole, as if a forgotten limb had been rediscovered. Eyes dancing, sword quivering at eye level, she looked like nothing Quinn had ever seen.

The door swung open, breaking the moment. Everyone moved. Santana lowered the sword to a fighting stance, Quinn spun and tensed up, Brittany crouched down. The two young children, however, seemingly oblivious to the reaction of the three, simply ran forward past them, and threw another enveloping hug at the figure in the doorway.

Sam.

Sam was staring hard at the three girls, all the while crouching down and hugging the two young children, who Quinn surmised must be his siblings.

"What are you doing here?" Sam spoke baldly, his tone low and flat.

Quinn bit her bottom lip in worry, uneasy about the situation. Santana, though, seemed to be expecting such a welcome.

"I wanted to see Stace and Stevie."

Sam stood, his eyes flashing, as he clutched the hands of his brother and sister, who looked uncertainly between Santana and Sam.

"Dammit, Santana, do you know what the hell is going on out there? The whole goddess-damned town is looking for Quinn, ever since she didn't show up to prayers this morning."

Quinn felt sick.

"Then you think the brightest idea is to bring her here?" Sam continued, fuming. "Do you know what would happen to me, the kids, if they found her here? You're insane. What are you going to do anyway. You can't stay here."

Santana looked a little apologetic, but spoke up with her trademark brash tone - "I know that Sam, we're not going to stay here for long. I felt like I owed it to you and them not to just disappear without a warning."

"Disappear? What do you mean?"

"What do you think, Sam! We can't just stay in Lima any more."

"We?"

"We."

Sam's anger looked spent now, giving way to confusion. "I just don't understand Santana, this morning I find you girls apparently at ease in the woods, I go back to find the town looking for Quinn, you're carrying a proper sword, and you're leaving. Just like that?"

"Look, Sam, I'm sorry, but we have to go. I wish I could explain more, truly, but I can't right now. It's for our safety...yours too."

"My safety? What on earth does that mean Santana?"

"We're leaving Sam, with Quinn. When it's found out were not here, they're going to ask people. It's no big secret you and I are friends."

Sam sighed, rubbing his forehead in anxiety. "I guess. I just wish I knew. You've always kept your secrets close Santana." He laughed humourlessly. "This will be just one more to add."

Quinn had never seen Santana quite so frazzled, and Brittany, who had been still as a statue the entire conversation, walked over and gave Sam a giant hug,

"Thank you , Sammy" Brittany whispered softly. Sam returned the hug, resigned.

Santana then hugged Sam next, while Brittany crouched and hugged the two children, all of them murmuring their goodbyes to each other. Quinn stood awkwardly, feeling terribly out of place.

The three girls and Lord Tubbington (who had apparently been guarding outside, Quinn surmised) had left Sam's, and were again painstakingly making their way through the shadows of Lima, heading further south. Quinn felt uneasy, remembering her previous trip to the southern area of Lima.

The streets were busier in south Lima at night, it seems, making their passage much more treacherous. Drunks, wild groups of men, and some small groups of guardsman all passed them by, not noticing the small group in the corners of streets, or leaning against shanties and huts. Quinn felt her heart would beat out of her chest in fear and anticipation.

After skulking in the shadows for what seemed to be hours, they stopped at another hut, but unlike Sam's tiny place, this one was a bit bigger, and far less inviting. Vines crept up the sides of the dwelling, while only a very faint light emanated from within.

Santana whistled sharply, then waited.

Nothing happened.

Santana whistled sharply once more.

Still nothing.

Santana inhaled to whistle a third time, when the door finally open, and Rachel Berry, covered in a travelling cloak and shawl unlike anything Quinn had ever seen.

"Sorry, sorry. I was just doing some last minute things and I got caught up."

"Bloody Berry" Santana grumbled to herself, before whispering loudly back - "Skip the story Rachel, let's get a move on."

When the young sorceress came close, Quinn could see that she was also wearing a wide, pointy hat, some strangely textured robe, and had a small stick tucked into a waistband. Quinn thought it looked ridiculous.

Santana evidently agreed. "Goddess Berry, what are you wearing. How are we meant to travel incognito when you're wearing a hat that's taller then you are, with an outfit so bright the sun gets jealous?"

"This is a proper attire for a magic user, thank you Santana." Rachel shot back. "Just because I don't desire to show off half my body by wearing men's armour doesn-"

Quinn's nervousness and impatience overtook her "Shut up, both of you."

Rachel look offended, and opened her mouth to say something when Santana forcibly put her hand over the sorceress's mouth, causing her to mumble.

"Quinn's right." Santana hissed. "Let's go. South road Rachel, you know the way."

Rachel, smiled, and nodded. "Follow me ladies. Oh this so exciting, the four of us-

"Five" Brittany interjected, nodding at Lord Tubbingon.

"Sorry, five of us" Rachel chirped, "all going on a big adventure together. This will be a great experience that I'll one day be able to tell my apprentice's of, the first day of a new chapter in Rachel Berry's life."

Quinn was apoplectic. She was having to leave home, running away from being married to a brute, deathly afraid of what would happen, and Rachel was treating it as fun? The expression of her face must have been evident through the shadows though, as Rachel's smile wobbled when she looked at Quinn. Santana, perhaps realizing that murder was moments away, kicked things along.

"Berry, go. Before I let Quinn loose."

Rachel, finally taking the hint, led them off further south.

They were near the edge of town. The four girls and cat were watching the south guard tower from about 30 metres away, hidden a decrepit cart alongside the main street. It seemed so different from her past visit down here. Then, they had been drunken, loud and had been circling a solitary Rachel. Now, there were about 6 of them, agitated, standing outside and talking quietly, with constant gazes sweeping up and down the road. The had erected crude barriers, which were no real impediment, but which were covered in lanterns, which would make anyone leaving or arriving from town visible.

Quinn watched absent mindedly, as the guards milled about, while beside her, Rachel and Santana were engaged in a discussion about how to get past without being noticed. Brittany just lightly petted Lord Tubbington.

Rachel and Santana were getting louder, discussion growing more heated. Quinn sighed, wondering at the wisdom of leaving Lima with Rachel and Santana in the same group.

"If we did that though, Berry, it wouldn't matter if we had the Goddess herself, they're going to send out a party to hunt us down. Magic use is frowned upon by these people. You know this!" Santana said, pointing at Rachel.

"Well you know what Guardsman are like. They would probably put it down to having too much ale, joke about it and clap each other on their backs like the trolls they are" Rachel shot back.

"Look at them Berry. They aren't exactly having a drunken soiree tonight, and nothing I've ever drunk caused mass delusions. Face it, you can't just warble a note, do some hocus pocus and expect them not to care about it."

"Fine, Santana, fine!" Rachel spat, crossing her arms in temper. "What will you do then, go out and take you tunic off, give them a show while we run through? At least I'm coming up with something."

"You know what Berry, you have to be - "

Quinn sighed, tuning the two girls out as they continued to bicker amongst themselves. At this rate they'd be here to daybreak, and then they'd have no chance.

Brittany tapped her shoulder. "Quinn, remember those pretty lights you can make?"

Quinn nodded, unsure of why the huntress was asking.

"Can you attach it to something?"

Quinn had never tried. "I'm not sure Brittany, what were you thinking?"

"Can you make one of the really bright lights stay on one of my arrows?"

So while Rachel and Santana continued to argue, Quinn and Brittany shifted around a corner, and Quinn began her prayers. Soon, she had in the palm of her hand a white, bright light. While Brittany held out an arrow, Quinn moved her hand over the tip, murmuring a prayer to the Goddess, and the light seemed to stay, clinging to the arrowhead. Faster then she could even see, Brittany swung her massive bow and fired the arrow across the street, further away from their position, causing a very noticeable light near an intersection.

"How long will the light last, Quinn?"

"Until I tell it to stop, I guess." Quinn was unsure, she usually had the light in the palm of her hand when she turned it off, but hoping and praying that it worked the same way while 100 yards from her.

Brittany nodded, satisfied, then began slinking up to where Rachel and Santana were crouched, still gesturing and arguing in hissed tones at each other. Quinn errantly wondered if they could keep that up forever, before she too followed Brittany back.

From her position, Quinn could clearly see the light they had shot very visible, and it would be visible to the guard as well. It looked like they hadn't even noticed, however, and Quinn was hoping there was more to Brittany's idea then that. She was answered a moment later when Brittany stood swiftly, launching an arrow at the guardsman. Quinn covered her mouth in horror.

However, the arrow didn't hit any of the men, but rather the lantern hanging directly above them, shrouding them in darkness. A moment later, Brittany whispered in her ear

"Quinn, now!"

Without thinking, Quinn mentally told the light to stop, and it did. Apparently the light going out was Brittany's plan, and moments later five guardsman ran past down the road. Quinn had to give credit, it was pretty smart.

Rachel and Santana, who had been shocked into silence by Brittany's shot, scrambled a moment later and the small group ran towards the barriers at the exit.

"Cover your faces" Santana hissed, as they neared the post. Quinn pulled up the cowl of her robe over her head, and looked down, as seconds later they reached the illuminated barriers, and the last remaining guardsman.

"Halt!" the guardsman said, as the group of girls came into the lit area of the road. Quinn automatically complied, skidding to a stop, but Santana just kept moving, barrelling into the guardsman and tackling him to the ground. Brittany pulled urgently on Quinn's robe as she watched, transfixed, as Santana wrestled the man on the ground. Moments later Rachel started pulling Quinn's hand as well, and she tore her gaze away, and helped Brittany and Rachel push one of the barriers out of the way.

Quinn had her back to the fight, pushing with all her might to move the crudely stacked crates out of the way, when the sudden clanging of steel caught her attention, and she whirled to see Santana and the man with swords drawn, with man pressed against the crates.

"Lopez. Who gave a little girl such a pretty sword. Pity you wouldn't know how to use it."

"You're talking out of your ass again Nelson, last I recall, you swung a sword once and almost lost your foot."

While she spoke, Santana lunged, steel flashing and Nelson parried, furiously. He began to edge, leftward, still holding the sword out.

"Careful Lopez, those things are sharp."

"Cram it Nelson. My pet lizard knows more swordplay then you do."

Santana feinted to her left, attempting to get the man to circle left. It worked. Nelson continued circling, causing him to face away from the girls, and moments later Lord Tubbington came soaring out of the darkness and landed on Nelson's back, causing him to stumble to the ground. Before Quinn could blink, Santana had grabbed and twisted Nelson's sword hand, causing him to release his weapon, and struck swiftly with the pommel of her own sword, knocking him out. She patted the giant cat quickly.

"That's the stuff, Tubbs." She said, before running over to help move the last of the crates.

Their path cleared, the four girls and giant cat ran onward, south out of Lima, leaving a knocked out guardsman and the town in their wake. They had escaped.