Chapter 9: Escape for the sake of escape…

Authors note: This is going to be a short chapter, but however I a m attempting to get something up. I haven't had a computer or internet really to do it, but I have a brief moment and thought thhhat I would do so. This doesn't have uh spell check so bare with me! I'm sorry!

Midori sat impatiently in her room tapping her foot, as well shaking her leg. She was drawing nothing but blanks, and this was frustrating her. All she knew was she had to get out of there so she could tell someone what was going on, and she had to get to Juro before something bad happened to him.

A sigh escaped her drying parched lips as she grabbed at her glass of water. For two days she had been in there, and two days she worried frantically about whether her friend bellow was still alive. Looking at her glass of water something in her head clicked and a smile played dangerously on her lips.

With haste she stood up and knocked on her door. No one answered, so she called out, but no one replied. A sigh of frustration hit her again quickly before she pounded angrily yelling for someone to pay attention to her. For the past two days someone would bring in a pot of tea, a glass of water, and some food. But it was always the same burly man, and he obviously didn't feel threatened by her.

"What do you want?!" the man yelled in frustration as he finally reached his post.

"I am out of water, and need something to keep me hydrated!" Midori yelled back. He just sighed before she could hear him stomp off down the hall and out of hearing range. A small smirk threatened to give her away before the man showed up with her regular lunch rather early. He didn't want to make a lot of trips, so he just tried to get it all done in one.

"Get out of the way!" he bellowed from behind the closed door. She moved away grabbing a hold of her old tea pot still warm from the morning meal time. She hid it behind her back before calling to him.

"Check!" he knew her location, but it did not matter. He walked in with a knife in one hand, and the other with her tray. He watched her carefully as he set her tray on the floor in front of her mat, but it wasn't until he made his way to the door that she threw what was left of remaining of her morning tea.

"Ah! You bitch!" he squealed holding his face before lunging at her with his knife. But she was too fast as she grabbed the tray that was sitting harmlessly on table beside her and wacked him in the head. He stumbled back his hand to his head before she was behind him her sharp ended quill at his throat.

"You're going to pay for this," he threatened with a dangerous outrage in his tone.

"Drop your knife," she said pushing that sharply pointed tip into his flesh making him squirmed in pain. He slowly, after her pushing it deeper into his flesh, dropped the knife and put his hands up defenselessly. He went to spin around but she then cracked him over his head with the tea pot. He fell to the floor with a thud and Midori then grabbed his knife and the sword in his belt. She then fumbled for the keys that all the guards carried.

Once she had it securely locked in her hands she peaked out the door, and then slowly tiptoed down the hall listening to any and every sign of human movement. Most of the guards in the ridiculous place were humans, so easy to dispose of. Clearly Benjiro knew not what he was doing, or had a bigger better crew saved up for something different… dangerous. She shuttered at the thought as the sound of footsteps and armor clinking together made her freeze in terror.

Quickly with as much haste as she could muster up in her frozen terror Midori grabbed a door and swung it open. She was in luck; it was nothing, but an empty room. She heard as the men walked past the door and down the hall chattering about something they had obviously enjoyed doing.

Quickly Midori took off back on her original route and down the stairs to where the main hall area was. She didn't know too well where she was going, but decided to just follow along with her instincts. She could feel she was going the right way trying to train back through her memory. She could feel nerves boil up inside of her as sounds surrounded her, and at any moment she could be caught. But so far lady luck was on her side, and she wasn't about to take off now not without Juro.

THERE IT WAS! The large iron door she remembered being dragged through by her hostile captors. They painfully dragged her, and this she was certain was the door. How could a memory like that be erased or tainted by time? When the fear and terror was so real, and still so fresh? Like a wound only a few days old, it was not bleeding and nasty, but it burned with the same intensity. Now was not the time to think about such painful thoughts, not with another's life on the line. She had an obligation to him, and the look of terror on his face when she was dragged away was still imprinted in her brain.

'I'm on my way Juro I promise,' she thought as she grabbed the large iron door handle, but was terrified when the door slowly began to open. She quickly hid in the crack between the wall and the door as two men walked out laughing as if nothing wrong was happening in that large tomb. No one heard her deep breaths of panic, and no one thought to turn and look. She was lucky, once again. Releasing a large, but as soft as possible sigh, she continued to enter the large iron room. The smell of sulfur and the heat was over whelming as Midori grabbed the side of the wall to catch her balance. She grabbed the railing trying to support herself as she looked at the large drop below.

"Whoa, I never noticed that before," she swallowed as she pushed herself across the iron bridge. Hastily she grabbed the other door, and opened it peaking as she made her way in. There were the cells as clear as day. Perhaps it was anxiety, or excitement but she lost focus and ran to the cells not looking for anyone around.

"What are you doing in here?" a man voice boomed from not too far down the row of cells. He had just locked someone up, and Midori could hear them whimpering. Terror made her freeze as she held to one of the iron polls. She swallowed nervously as she could hear the loud thumping of his large boots.

"Nothing," she responded not sure what to say.

"You're not supposed to be here!" he shouted in frustration.

"No?" she asked not sure how to respond. She knew if she turned to face him then he would surely recognize who she is.

"Then what are you doing down here?" he asked getting closer his pace still rapid.

"I got lost," Midori bit her lip realizing that was the most ridiculous excuse.

"Heh," he laughed slowing his pace eerily, "well a girl like you shouldn't be wondering around a place like this alone… especially down here. No one comes down here often, except for me."

"Mid…" a voice crackled from a cell two ways down making the man stop to turn and look. Midori then quickly hit him in the back of the head with the handle of the sword she had carefully hidden at her side. The man grunted before falling to the floor. Midori then grabbed his keys so that she could easily get through the cell doors. Juro laid on the flood in a pool of obviously his own blood.

"Juro," Midori whimpered as she swung the door open and fell by his side. But it wasn't only her whimpers that caught her attention. It sounded like… a child's

"Hold on a minute I will be right beside you before you know it," she quickly peeked before walking out of the cell and down a few cells where I child sat on the floor besides a lifeless woman. By the look of it she was not treated in a manner of discretion, and it was obvious that women were not seen as people. This woman had probably been violated before beaten to death while a little girl maybe two cried for her mother to wake up. A burst of rage filled Midori as she thought about the poor woman probably trying to protect her child, and now the child sitting cold, alone, dying of starvation, and motherless.

Midori then quickly picked up the crying girl bouncing her hoping the crying would stop. She didn't want to have to knock the child out, or leave her there to die. She sighed before walking back to where Juro lay beaten and battered himself. She laid the child down who was still crying and shook Juro.

"Juro? Juro!" she yelled a whisper as she tried to wake her friend. He slowly came back to consciousness.

"Mid… ori?" he asked trying to look through dazed eyes.

"What happened?" she let out a whimper before shaking her head no, "it doesn't matter tell me later. We have to go, come on get up."

"Leave…" he had a hard time saying what he needed to, "me. Midori, go."

"Not without you," she said grabbing his arm hoping it wasn't previously injured and pulled him up. He grimaced in pain as she used all her strength to get him up. He stood up against a wall as she grabbed the child in one arm, "Can you walk?"

"I just need a little guidance," he moaned in pain as she wrapped her arm under him. He stood on his two feet, but he obviously was having vision problems, "there's a hidden door…"

"What?" Midori asked looking to Juro.

"Over there," he pointed to the wall where it seemed like there was nothing but iron and brick, "it leads outside somewhere. The guard uses it to take a break without getting caught."

Midori walked towards the door setting Juro up against the wall before feel around for a whole. Nothing. She sighed hitting it in frustration and the wall seemed to move. Midori then hit it again, and then began pushing. The sound of the iron scratching the floor made her wince, but it didn't matter when there was enough room for her to fit one out at a time. Midori then pushed Juro through helping him down, before going back for the child who now resorted to silent hyperventilating sobs. Fresh air surrounded them as she pushed the door to the holding area shut and then grabbed Juro careful not to stab him with the sword tucked into the belt she had holding the keys and other random things. She hadn't yet checked to see what her good friend the guard had tied to his waste before she had snatched it before leaving her holding cell to find Juro.

The child in one arm, and Juro on the other, Midori quickly pushed on towards the stable not too far away. She set them down next to each other before running in to grab a horse. But she got greedy, after knocking out the stable hand, and grabbed three horses. One was rather large, an obvious war horse and pack horse. The other two were very nice. She packed them with saddles, and horse feed as well as carrots and apples to keep them tied over until they reached land. The horse carried the supplies willingly as Midori rode on top of the big aw horse with Juro and the baby in the front.

They took it slow being careful not to trip or fall, and the horses were cooperating, but she still feared a bad reaction from all of the horses. The forest was thick and dense as they traveled slowly, no faster than a brisk trot. Midori hadn't realized how late in the day it had been, but there was no way she was stopping. So they rode through the evening and through nightfall, while Midori walked on the ground leading. It was a long and exhausting trip with the baby crying, and Juro moaning in pain asking to stop. But no break until the sun had started popping up over the mountain tops shinning dimly through the tall fanning tree tops.

"Midori?" asked Juro as he slumped side to side under the horse who was surprisingly, unlike the other horses, still energetic.

"What Juro?" Midori asked aching painfully.

"Do you hear that?" he asked blinking as he sheltered his eyes from the sun the little girl tucked in-between him and the shoulder blades of the horse.

"Hear what?" she said in agitation.

"A river Midori," he said as he heard the water rushing, "can we take a break yet?"

"Yes," she smiled turning the horses in the direction of the river. There it was in all its glory, a tiny river smoothly ran through the forest. They could probably cross it, but they were in need of a trail. They quickly unpacked the horses, watering them before letting them stop to graze. Midori then quickly made up some grain for the horses especially the one who had been carrying two people a child. The little girl was fast asleep, but awoke when she was handed down to Midori. She sat up in the rocky bank of the river as Midori helped take off some of Juro's top clothing until he was in nothing except his pants.

"You're blushing," he smirked as she looked away with pink cheeks. She scratched her nose before shaking her head.

"I am doing no such thing," she said before taking off her top layer of clothing so she was in her under-dress. He smiled as she walked into the water taking a handful of it and placed it in her mouth. He followed pursuit realizing how thirsty he really was.

"Who's the brat?" he asked throwing his thump over his shoulder at the girl trying to chew on a pebble.

"Oh don't do that!" Midori said pretty sure that even though she didn't know a thing about taking care of children, they probably weren't suppose to eat rocks. Juro laughed as Midori tried to catch her balance as the weight of her soaking wet dress dragged her down. She grabbed the child's hand pulling the rock from it. The little girl squealed and whined throwing her head into the air as her little brown curls soaked up her tears.

"She's got lungs on her! Shut her up before she gets us caught!" he yelled trying painfully to get back onto shore.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked putting her hands on her hips, "throw her in the river?"

"If you won't do that then give her back the rock," he laughed as she glared at him.

"I'm not giving her a rock. Why would I give her something that's going to break her teeth? Or swallow and choke?" Midori said annoyed with Juro, slightly relieved to have him back to himself.

"She is probably teething, and I'm more then sure she like the rest of us are hungry," he said walking painfully to the bag of oats carrots and apples. He grabbed a carrot snapping it in half, and then bit off a piece of the apple and sat down by the girl who was biting on her fingers teary eyed. He then chewed up the carrots until they were in little itty bitty chunks and spat it into his hand. Midori watched folding her arms curiously before he took a pinch and placed it in her mouth. The little girl chewed on it slowly and unsure as she watched him with dazzling blue teary eyes. Her nose was pink and water logged like her cheeks and puffy eyes. He smiled at her as he gave her another pinch and she took it a little more willingly. Before they knew it she was taking it from him bite after bite until it was gone. Juro then gave her the bitten apple piece for her to chew on.

"How did you do that? All of that?" Midori asked as she looked at Juro who stood up leaving the little girl to gnaw on it instead of a rock. The little girl looked dirty, but content.

"Well," he said walking towards her standing directly above her, so close she thought she could feel the heat radiating off of his skin, "I have younger siblings remember?"

"Oh that's right," Midori said blushing again before turning away. He just smiled bigger, but did not move, "how are you feeling?"

"I am feeling tired and sore," he said his body still strained with dry blood. Midori turned around to examine the wounds.

"We should take care of that," Midori said biting her lip as she looked at the bruises and spots where he had been so badly beaten it had broke his skin open. She tried to hold back the tears as she led him to a giant rock that sat in the water. He sat dangling his legs in the water as she cleaned off the blood from where open wounds were left untreated. He watched her intensely as she gently cleared away the dried blood. She bit her lip trying to not get dizzy from how obviously infected it was, "I'm going to go get some herbs really fast. I will be back in a second."

"You shouldn't go alone," he instantly ordered.

"I am hardly leaving," she laughed before walking slowly back to shore and disappearing from the clearing of the bank into the thick forest. It took about nearly ten minutes before she returned with an armful of plants. She then quickly went to work mixing the ingredients together before returning to his aid. She gently applied it onto parts that seemed infected, and cleaned the others. She then helped him down and wade into the water more to clear his achy body, "you should rest for a little while."

"So should you," he said looking at her as she helped him out of the water feeling much better.

"I will after you," a smile danced on her face as she assured him she would get some sleep, "someone has to keep watch, as well an eye on the baby."

"I don't think she will be a problem," he smirked making Midori look where the little girl laid passed out on the hard rock bank.

"You have a way with children," Midori smiled before looking back to him. He shrugged his shoulders and made a face.

"I've had experience," he said smiling at her making Midori blush again. His stare was so intense that she didn't know what to do, let alone why. His face went serious as her gaze wondered off uncomfortably, "Thank you Midori."

"For what?" she said looking back to him before sitting on the ground in the sun to dry off.

"For rescuing me," he said sitting down beside her.

"It's nothing, really," she said watching the baby snooze on the ground.

"It's something Midori. You came back for me when you didn't have to," he sighed staring off at the distance, "I'm not sure I know of anyone who would have."

"I'm sure you would have done the same," Midori said as he dropped his head in thought, "right?"

"Of course Midori," he said before looking over at her with dark angry eyes.

"I tried to, that's how I ended up this way," he said before looking back at the ground.

"Juro… I'm, I'm sorry," she said looking away in horror, "I never meant to cause you any pain."

"I would have done it again, especially after what you've done for me. Not only did you save me, but you nursed me when you didn't have to. I never asked you or gave you any hint I wanted any help," he said still looking at the ground, "I'm just sorry we had to end up here. This is never what I planned."

"I don't think anyone had this planned," she said before an image popped up in her head, "well, except Benjiro."

"What? Benjiro?" he asked in awe as he looked over at her.

"He is the one who had us kidnapped. He has this giant plan, but now is not the best time to talk of it. Let us get our rest so we can get to safer ground," she said standing up and going to collect the girl.

"Who's the child?" he asked this time not so sarcastic.

"She was in a cell not too far from you. Her mother had obviously been raped and tortured to death; of who she was I do not know. But she was not alive when I went to check. The mangled brown hair, and silenced blue eyes tell me she is the mother. So she has no family, and I couldn't leave her there Juro. I will find her a family," Midori said as she picked the little girl up and walked back up the tiny hill. She grabbed her dress and laid it down scrunching it into a bed for her.

"Perhaps she has found one," he said watching her as she gently placed the child down. Midori smiled before turning to look at him.

"I don't think I could be her family Benjiro. She is human, and I am not. Not to mention there are royal families back home who cannot have children, and if I she can find a place with them then I would be happy to help them," she said before sitting down trying to relax her muscles a moment. She pondered on what the next moves would be, and what they were going to do. Juro fell fast asleep, and then woke up to take watch so Midori could rest.

Authors note: Hey! I hope you all enjoyed this! I'm right a short chapter for next chapter, this one went on for a little while. I was proud of the time I had with it. Now I have about an hour or so to write the next chapter lol! Comments and reviews SOOO appreciated! Makes it more worth writing! Or hustling to at least lol!