Beyond the Skyline

THE ORPHAN AND THE CHIEF'S SON

Supplies. Check.

Bribed roommates. Check.

File book. Check.

Paper and pencil. Check.

Dull dagger (minor inconvenience). Check.

All done.

Astrid peeked down the hall. Looking left and right, she continued on, taking care of every step on the creaky old boards of the old house. Her hands and her white knuckles gripped her worn and gnawed purse that she hung from her shoulder so it wouldn't slip.

She sharpened her gaze when she reached the end of the hall focusing on her ear. She felt like she was on a mission on enemy terrain.

She restrained herself from doing a cartwheel remembering her clumsy attempts from the past, so she simply walked nimbly to the other corner of the hall. Astrid heard the voices of the other children in the background from where she came, probably gathered for breakfast in the main dining room. She turned her head back making sure no one was there for the fourth time.

A knot in her stomach made difficult to take the next step.

She was nervous. She had never been nervous before.

She had escaped multiple times at any time of the day. It was a custom, as were the punishments that followed.

The thing was, she had never dated for so long. She had never gone this far.

That was why she planned this so meticulously.

A few bribes to her roommates bought her a stable quarter that she went to accompany the older girls to the market. Easy.

A quick getaway to the archives and the worn dragon sketchbook was tucked away in her bag, an old dagger that she "borrowed" from the kitchen on her belt tucked between the folds of her dress.

Everything was in order.

Astrid stepped onto the gray, stained kitchen tiles and looked low and hunched around her before entering. The door leading to the back garden illuminated the small, warm room apart from the barely lit fire. She smiled leaning against the frame as she entered. She could almost taste the victory of a perfect getaway.

Almost.

"Where do you think you are going, miss?"

Astrid bit back a high-pitched screech jumping in the site. A loud, light laugh filled the kitchen. Engla looked at her with an amused smile, her arms crossed over her flour-stained apron and a wooden rolling pin in one hand. The woman's eyebrows rose, hiding under her messy bangs damp from the constant heat of the kitchen.

Astrid gave herself a mental slap as she whirled around, squeaking her boots specifically chosen for her little trip on the kitchen floor.

The girl smiled awkwardly, hiding the bag and her arms behind her back.

"Engla!" she greeted her with a nervous laugh in between.

Silence filled the air until the woman gave a nasal laugh that caused Astrid to raise an eyebrow.

"Oh kid... This is becoming a habit" she said with a strong and accented voice punctuated with a smile.

Astrid smiled back at her this time genuinely relaxing her posture.

The woman uncrossed her arms and returned to a table where a flour-covered bread dough waited. Without looking at her she smiled again.

"And where are you going today, huh?" she asked with a carefree tone beginning to knead the dough with skill and experience.