The Lion's Gambit (Book One) Fully Released

Chapter II - A Different Approach

Pushing open a stone that protected a secret passage into Asana Prison, a woman with a cloth covering the bottom half of her face emerged from the passageway. She glanced around the corridor and experienced the dark and damp atmosphere that people used to describe the prison. As she moved a light-red strand of hair back into place on top of her head, she saw the leather of her black gloves, which extended to right below her elbows.

She fixed her red ponytail by tightening her hair in the fabric tie on her head. Then she settled her black garb after the long trek into the prison through the secret entrance. She kept a low profile, matching the darkness of the low-lit areas within the corridors.

Looking left and right, she was a little unsure of where to go, but after a second, she headed down the right hallway. She reached down to her side and pulled out a small cuplike object made of metal. Heading down the path to her right, she maneuvered herself along the wall of the corridor. As she moved her hand along the dry and cracked cobblestone walls, she stopped at each torch, putting the metal cup over the flames to extinguish the torches on her way, until she reached the edge of the path and peered around the corner. She saw an open area with a wooden pillar in the middle. Bridge-like structures stemmed from both sides of the pillar to create paths about fifteen feet above her.

She moved further into the area and glanced around to see stacks of hay and a wooden cart with some supplies inside. Seeing that nobody was around, she took out a worn letter and examined it. She read the letter again, as it specified the location from where she could release her target from this hell. She wrapped the parchment up and strapped it back to her waist.

She looked up from the pillar to find a man who was wearing simple farming clothes staring right at her. The farmer was ready to scream when she pulled out a dagger she had on her waist, and she aimed it at the man, about a foot away from his throat.

"I am just a farmer. I supply food for the prisoners. Don't kill me!" the man yelled, dropping a crate with a loud crash and spilling his apples across the cobblestone floor as he raised his hands in reaction to seeing her weapon.

She rapidly pulled down the black fabric around her face and revealed herself to be Lucinda. She sheathed her weapon, then walked over to the farmer and apologized. "I am sorry. I did not mean to scare you, but please try to be more careful. The last thing I want is to hurt you, but I need to ask you to stay quiet. I am here to break someone out, and they cannot see me, but that does not mean I won't hurt you if necessary."

He nodded in compliance. "Why would you risk breaking someone out of this hellhole? They have guards posted everywhere. They search my cart every time I enter this prison. Is it for love? Love is not worth this much trouble."

"You talk a lot, and no, not for love, but for someone I owe enough to help. Don't worry about me or my reasons." She paused as she reached down to grab one apple that had fallen onto the floor. She took a bite before adding, "I am tougher than I—"

She stopped her sentence short when she heard someone move into one of the many openings in the area. "What is the matter in there? You are not wasting the warden's order by dropping supplies, are you? That will cost you more than a few coins."

Lucinda looked around at several cobblestone archways that led into the area, but then she heard the big wooden door where the tracks of the horse and cart led from opening. She hurried to the central pillar to hide from sight. After running behind the pillar, she listened in silence as the guard walked into the big open room.

The farmer put his hands down and frantically went to pick his apples off the floor. The guard moved into the center of the room. They dressed him in a small amount of light-brown leather armor, covering parts of his torso and legs, but a piece of brown cloth hid his face from his nose down. "You dropped his order," the guard said, moving closer to investigate more. "That will cost you dearly. You know he doesn't like it when you cannot fully provide what he orders."