Prison Break

Six days had passed since Tavian was condemned to hanging for attempting murder against the duke. Four more days remained until he died. That night, Alfgir Axeweave was unquiet, for it was time to escape.

“Pst. Lad. Yer awake?” whispered the dwarf into the cell in front of him. From there, a whisper came in response.

“Yes Alfgir, I’m awake” Tavian replied.

“The moon is high lad. It’s time” Alfgir said “Ye finished yer tools yet?” he asked.

“I hope they work” Tavian answered. He had been working day and night sharpening bones, trying to recreate his trusted lock picking tools. All his belongings had been confiscated when he got arrested – his dagger, a gift from his father, his tools, that had never failed him once. This night he would put his new tools to the test. The night was quiet, and the moon cast strange shadows all over the place. Perfect, the rogue thought. He would be using his stealth skills once more. The halfling slid the bones into the lock of his cell door and started probing. Sweat ran freely thru his forehead. He was almost giving up, almost accepting his death by hanging, when the magical and harmonious ‘click’ came from the lock. Carefully, he opened the door and scanned the hall. No guards. The other cells seemed empty as well.

“Great job, lad!” Alfgir greeted “Now, get me out of here.”

Tavian hurried to open the dwarf’s cell door. Click. The dwarf exited his cell and looked to both sides of the hallway. To his left, only a wall stood. To his right was the exit door. All the other cells were empty. All, except one.

In a cell in the back of the hallway, a girl was chained to the wall. She had her arms up high and apart and her legs closed and chained together. She was literally hanging from her hands, her feet half a foot from the ground. Her head was down, her face covered by a long red mane. She had her eyes closed and Alfgir wasn’t sure if she was dead or asleep.

“Hey lad, come look a’ this” Alfgir called for Tavian “There’s a girl chained in this one.”

Tavian approached the cell, looked at the girl in that miserable state and, with a dismissing snort, turned his back on the cell, moving for the exit.

“Ain’t ye gonna unlock her?” Alfgir asked.

“Nah, why bother?” Tavian replied, carefully studying the lock on the only door out of the cellblock. Suddenly, he felt as if he had just take flight. He was quickly in front of the girl’s cell, hanging by the back of his shirt on the end of Alfgir’s strong arm.

“Now, ye gonna let her outta there” the dwarf said in a tone that told Tavian that that was his only option. Alfgir put him down and he started to work on the locks. He managed to open the door to the cell and unlock the chains in her legs. He motioned for Alfgir to lift him up and he unlocked the chains form her hands. The girl fell limp on top of them. She awoke and, seeing herself in that awkward position, she scrambled to the corner of the cell, where she huddled and trembled.

“Come, I won’t hurt ye lass” Alfgir said to her, while holding out his hand to her. She stopped trembling and, recognizing the duo not as guards but as other prisoners, she took Alfgir’s hand and, with his help, stood up. She would’ve fallen again, wasn’t it for Alfgir grabbing her and helping her stand.

“Listen,” Tavian started “We’re gonna make a run for it from the prison. You’re with us?”

She nodded.

“Ok. Alfgir, you carry her. I’ll scout ahead and try to cut some guards throats. With luck we’ll find the keys and...”

“No need” the girl interrupted “Just let me drop to the floor.”

“Nay girl!” the dwarf replied “I’m not fer leavin…”

“Now!” she screamed, while looking the dwarf with the fieriest look he ever saw. Without a thought, Alfgir dropped her to the dirt floor. Quickly, she grabbed a stone and started chipping away at the wall.

“Err, girl, I don’t think ye’ll e’er break that wall with that little stone there…” Alfgir said, moving in close to her.

“Stand back” she said. She stood back a bit to let the duo see a round symbol shaped on the stone.

“What’s…” Tavian started to ask, but was interrupted, as the girl put her hands against the symbol and, without any apparent effort, blew the wall away. After the dust settled, Alfgir’s and Tavian’s jaws were dropped and the starry sky was visible on the other side of the wall.

“What the hell are ye lass?” Alfgir asked. He never heard her answer, for behind them the sound of guards cut the girl's answer short. He quickly grabbed her, hoisting her over his shoulder and ran away into the night, followed close by Tavian.