Orrian is already on his feet, of course he is, we all should be. He roughly pulls each of us up in turn. Above, bodiless heads continue to shout from the top of the walls in our direction. They will have their reinforcements before long, we need to get moving whilst they still have the bridge up.
Orrian picks a side street, a little way off from the main one which we came down and takes off running. The rest of us chase after him, desperate not to fall behind. This new street is less well-lit, with only nine of us weaving our way through the shadows the guards atop the wall should lose our position in no time. There are no hearty taverns casting their light and their life down here, just rows upon rows of houses.
We turn left, right, continue forwards, down a side alley, right, left again. We have no way to know which way we’re going other than to aim forwards, occasionally getting a glimpse of the monstrous outer wall between the rooftops. Even with having to drag the wounded man behind us we are still passing rows upon rows of houses at an impressive pace. With so few of us and no carts or supplies, the tribespeople are finally having the opportunity to put their athleticism to good use. I silently thank Randall and our training, had we not spent so much time running in Avlym I doubt I would have had much chance at keeping up.
So long as we don’t encounter guards, we may have a better chance at getting out of here. As much as I regret having to leave everyone, I feel a twinge in my heart as I remember my mother, there is no denying that we are faster with fewer of us. Those who have made it so far did so because they managed to get through the fighting, meaning that all of us are, or at least were, capable. I would of course always have preferred to have brought as many of them with us as possible, but we would be much slower and considerably easier to find. Our improved chance has come at the expense of so many others, it’s up to us to seize the opportunity and not let it go to waste.
Occasionally a side street appears on our left as we continue down a stretch parallel to the main street. I look for landmarks, anything I might have noticed from that first night, but come up empty handed. Each opening also grants passage for the chilled evening wind, biting at our wet and exposed skin as we pass.
Even through the numbness my feet eventually begin to burn, imprinted repeatedly by the many slabs below. We can’t be far now, I try to remember how long our journey took in the cart, but I can’t put it into perspective with how long we’ve been running so far.
Surely the guards will be out in the main city and after us by now. I have no idea how difficult it is to raise and lower the bridge but if they do it every night then it surely can’t take too long, besides, I would have thought that lowering it is considerably quicker and easier than raising it. They will have lost where we are specifically, but they will sure know where we are heading. With their numbers and their armour, I would have hoped that we may be faster than them, but with the wounded man stumbling often and Orrian having to restrict his speed for the rest of us, I would guess that we run at a similar pace. I hope that’s enough, it should be if we had enough of a head start.
Only one final part of the plan is left I realise as a dark barrier begins covering the stars above. This entire plan, all the fighting in the dungeon and our efforts so far, rely on us being able to get out of the main gate before anyone else can get it our way. I know there must be some guards atop the walls, but I wouldn’t expect the gates themselves to be shut. After all, they surely can't enclose the entire city within these walls every night, there must be travellers and traders, correspondents like Becker and others alike. Then again, I remember the gates having to be opened upon the army’s arrival. I sure hope that was for show, they had certainly seemed to put on one at least.
Finally, we break out onto a wider street. There is no missing the wall now, it rises from only a few houses back so that we must crane our necks to find the top of it. We cross the road and into the shadows of the buildings on the other side, from here we should remain hidden from anyone above for at least a little longer until we are upon the gates.
Orrian slows marginally in front of us, we need to quieten now. There are surely going to be guards that patrol this area. Surprisingly, with each corner we check, there are no patrols in sight. In front, the sounds of cascading water flow through the night.
Orrian stops completely, the silvery reflections of the water almost close enough for its sprays to catch us in the wind. He turns and checks on all of us, now is the time. We need to sprint and get out before the soldiers know what’s happening. With nervous, shivering nods, we indicate our readiness to the king.
The forest king sprints forwards, the back of my throat burns as I chase after him with everything I have left. One final push and we’ll be free. Our bare feet smack against stone as we come charging
