The Escaped Princess

Part 26

Finally, once the General has clearly had enough of taunting me with his future plans, I am returned to my cell. Lying on the wooden pallet which is my bed I try to count back the hours for how long I've been here since the Gallavanties left. It's hard to tell in the cell with no window but it must be at the very least two days. If they left straight away they could even be nearing Leforth right now. They could make it to Carrard by the end of the week if they pushed it. Is that enough time to get there and warn them? How will they even get into the palace to talk to my father? Will he even listen to them if they do make it? Probably not is my honest answer. I doubt very much that he will even see them, but maybe they can at least alert the residents of Leforth so they can prepare and are not taken totally by surprise. 

As I contemplate the future awaiting my country and it's people I hear the sound of a key entering the lock and turning. I can't help but groan. Has the General returned to torment me again? Or worse the giant man who enjoys torture so much. I look towards the door expecting to see Karhan soldiers but instead find myself staring in shock at the sight of Sam. He rushes over to me with a bunch of keys in his hand, "You alright?" he asks, quickly looking me up and down but then not waiting for an answer. "Wait a second" he instructs before returning to the corridor. He re-enters the cell dragging the body of a guard, "Just knocked out" he reassures me. "Come on let's go."

Sam grabs my hand and starts to drag me out of the prison without saying anything else. I'm so shocked I stumble after him for a few steps before being able to find the words. "What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm rescuing you aint I? Now come on we ain't got time to stand 'ere chatting about it."

Sam once again leads me down the corridor stepping over two more guards who are lying on the floor. I stare at them horrified, "What did you do? Are they dead?"

"No they're not dead, I just slipped them a little something in their ale. They'll wake up in a couple of hours with a sore head but that's it. A lot worse'll happen to us if we get caught 'ere though."

Checking around the corner Sam dashes across to the next door and cautiously creaks it open. He glances around before indicating it's safe to follow. We climb some stairs and then slip out into a courtyard and hesitantly make our way around the edge under cover of an overhanging balcony above us. Taking a quick look up at the walls I see at least six guards on duty and nearly trip over a loose stone before Sam catches my hand and stops me. When we reach the castle's west gate it is clearly locked and more soldiers are stationed just outside. 

But Sam wasn't aiming for the west gate itself. He was aiming for the drain next to it. Clearly this is how Sam got into the castle in the first place as the cover is already slightly ajar. Sam swiftly shifts it further out of the way and gestures for me to go first. Trying not to think about it I swing my legs down and lower myself into the darkness. For a moment I just hang there, dangling my legs and not feeling anything below. "Let go" says Sam, so I do and drop only a couple of feet with a small splash into a shallow stream of what I really hope is water but I daren't ask Sam to check. 

Sam nimbly lands beside me and then takes my hand once more to lead me through the pitch black tunnel. How Sam knows where he is going is a mystery to me. I just follow him in silence. After a few minutes my eyes adjust to the gloom slightly and I'm at least able to make out the shape of Sam in front of me. Suddenly he stops as we reach a grill covering the entire tunnel and blocking any possible way forward. But then Sam guides my hand to a metal ladder which runs up the wall next to it. He climbs up ahead of me and pushes the drain cover out of the way. I scramble up behind him and we emerge onto a narrow empty street. 

Sam replaces the drain cover before starting to move off again. I creep after him but as he pauses at a street corner to look around I have to ask, "Sam, Why are you helping me? I thought you hated me."