Since the last chapter was so long perhaps this one can make up for it.
Cheers to anyone who made it this far.
I pretended that guilt did not hasten my return to the prison of Hellena. The girl's condition needed to be inspected, I told myself, and Fruegal had to be reminded of Doel's plans. It was not that I wanted to see if any member of the First Knighthood lived. I convinced myself that I did not wish to make amends to King Albert by offering the comfort of good news.
Some of the First Knights still lingered though most had succumbed to battle wounds. As I strolled past their cell-block, a man fell to his knees and then to the stone floor. The nearest wall-torch illuminated the stripes on his back where whip lashes had exposed glistening muscle tissue and rib bones. I paused to see if he would move his head so that I might identify his face; maybe I had met this knight before. But the man did not move again. The two remaining survivors were the unfortunate ones. Their supervision had been given to the ex-mates - prisoners who had turned to their jailers' cause. They were known for matchless cruelty.
I had once thought that these types of individuals became what they were after they had been reshaped and twisted by external forces. As I pondered my behavior the previous night, I considered that maybe madness was not driven into a person by the cruelties of torturers, but teased out by the availability of a victim.
My thoughts were soon distracted by a prison break. From my perch within the shadows of a third floor overlook, I observed as a flash of scarlet darted from a recently arrived supply wagon. It moved in spurts and stops, hiding from guards and dashing into corners as the opportunities arose. The figure shortly met with another rogue character who proved to be the captain of the First Knighthood. The two clashed weapons at first. The stowaway's steel blade slashed against the knight's attack, but Lavitz, who had probably stolen a weapon from a guard, wielded his spear with unshakeable confidence. Somehow, they seemed to reach an agreement to work together.
Even my ears could not pick up every word, but I gathered that the invader sought to free only one of the inmates. I had half-hoped that he would lead a prisoner revolt. Seeing Doel's most valuable prison brought down by a single infiltrator would have been quite amusing, even if Sir Lavitz would have been glorified by the deed. Unfortunately, an inmate rebellion would have endangered my own captive so I was glad to learn that they did not plan to remain.
The knight and the red-clad warrior shamed Frugal's men as they carved their way through the jail. After they left my view, no excuses remained to prevent me from experiencing the unsavory head warden's presence. I planned to ridicule him for his men's incompetence, but it was Frugal who delivered more fateful news.
After a peculiarly long wait in the designated hallway, the head warden finally arrived… or at least most of him. He looked to have left a great deal of blood at the site of some skirmish or other. Even in the dim, flickering torchlight I saw that his body was riddled with wounds that would have laid down a weaker man.
He seemed not to notice me as he thundered, "Bring that girl back here!"
Several staff members scuttled off either to put the Warden's order into practice or to appear to do so.
Initially, I wanted to plunge my fist into his gelatinous abdomen, but I resisted. This development could be prove to be a boon. The red warrior was obviously not Doel's. He had a prison full of hirelings and wouldn't need that type of subterfuge.
"If she isn't back in that cell by nightfall it'll be on your heads!"
"When did you sneak in here?" Despite the bravado in his voice, Fruegal stepped backward as I approached.
"Should we report this to His Majesty Doel?" I asked.
"They won't get far." Reddish spittle punctuated his words. "I'll make sure she's brought back alive."
I reflected on the red fighter who had befriended the knight Lavitz. He had toted a large blade that looked almost heavy enough to be a broadsword, yet the hilt was short enough that its owner could choose to wield it one-handed. A Bastard Sword for a noble's illegitimate get, perhaps? One who became infatuated with a commoner's daughter? The thought was more sickeningly romantic than I could stand. But if this young man was so determined to rescue the girl, he would not harm her.
Keeping the Moon Child away from the king's uncle could only work in my favor, and I knew that there was but one place the knight would take them.
I decided not to worry for her. Sir Lavitz was among Serdio's most battle-proven warriors, and his newfound companion looked more than capable of traversing the wilds of Serdio. They could deliver her safely to me when the time came.
Please let me know what you think of this chapter or any of the others.