Daughter of Redmoon

Ch9: DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS

"I still say my idea would have worked," I mutter as Jude, Xia and I drag a pair of city guards into a back ally.

"Dressing up as food vendors and bringing fresh baked goods to the prison?" he says with a half-smile. "Maybe, but the guards would have seen our faces. It's better to not call attention to ourselves at all. Trust me. This isn't my first prison break."

"How long will they be out?" I Xia asks we begin stripping the female guard of her armor.

"The spores I blew in their faces should keep them knocked out at least until morning."

I help Xia strap on the guard armor. The female guard's chest plate is too small and it doesn't really fit my companion. Our eyes meet and we grin at each other for a moment – which is quickly chased away by the awkward reveals that happened earlier in the day.

"Hurry up," Jude says as he finishes strapping the other guard's armor on. "The sun's about to set and shift change is happening shortly. Now is our window."

Xia quickly ties my hands behind my back with a loose knot, then she and Jude each grab one of my arms and walk me out into the town square toward the city dungeon. She carries the sack taken from Fuzzy's back room.

"Aren't they going to ask why I'm still wearing my dragon armor?" I whisper.

"Oh, probably," Jude whispers back. "Don't worry, I'll think of something."

The three of us approach the city dungeon entrance. Another pair of city guards stand at the ready.

"Oy, what's this then?" one calls out. "And where's Gerald and Earnest?"

"Shift change," Jude responds. "They dumped this woman on us and said they were headed to the brew house."

The guard rolls his eyes and shakes his head at his companion.

"I have half'a mind to report them to da captain. They didn't even sign out this time."

The other guard shrugs his shoulders.

"Four more hours and we'll join them. Tell'm they need to buy us a drink or we be dropping hints about their lack of proffes... porfeshal... um... how they don't work that good."

"Ugh, tell me about it!" Jude says and rolls his eyes. "They didn't even tell us what this woman did – just said to lock her up with the other scum."

"What sort of armor is she wearing?" the first guard asks. "I've not seen anything like it."

"Family heirloom," I offer.

Xia punches me in the stomach. I barely feel the impact through my dragon armor, but I double-over anyway just for effect.

"Quiet, you!" she yells. "You'll not speak unless spoken to!"

The second guard nods in approval.

"Alright, well, take her down and strip her. It would be a shame if her family heirloom found its way to Fuzzy's auction."

The first guard grins. "Yeah. A real shame. Even more so if drinks were on the poor soul that helped that armor find its way to Fuzzy's. A real shame. What's in the bag?"

Xia holds up the sack she took from Fuzzy's last night.

"More things that would be a real shame if they found their way to Fuzzy's," she says with a grin. "We might just have a couple of rounds tonight, boys!"

The guards laugh and high five each other.

"Take 'er down, then," the second guard says and jerks his thumb down the steps to the dungeon entrance. "And what are your names, by-the-by?"