Council of the Heir

Chapter Eweven - jukes

Lydia sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the bunkhouse window, her boots on and laced and her gaze focused firmly on the distant sky. The longer she sat here, the brighter the east became, the higher chance that those guards would come looking for her here. Even so, she refused to run off in a panic until she had some sort of plan. Worst case scenario, the morning played out the same way and she died again, and she'd have another chance. Even though that... really sucked.

She was trying and failing not to think about the sound of a blade smashing through her ribs.

Clenching her teeth, she rocked forward, forcing her thoughts away from her last death. Ordinarily, she would go to Valor - he was supposed to protect her, but he was injured, and currently sleeping in his bunkhouse with a dozen other men. There was little chance she could get to him even if he could be of help.

Notch seemed to have felt pity for her after Null had pushed her around a bit. Could she petition him for help? Though, if she revealed she knew what was coming, she would lose his defense, which was that she actually didn't know the future, and she might end up imprisoned and tortured instead of dead. So that was a dead end too. Not literally.

It seemed her only chance was to get out of the mining town. Would all the guards be watching out for her, or just those two? The gate was guarded, so if that was the case then she was definitely screwed. Could she possibly hide out until nighttime, and... no, if they couldn't find her this morning then they would definitely be on the alert for her.

If she did nothing, though, the day would progress as normal, she would get caught, interrogated, and killed again, and end up here, again, and again, forever. So she had to try something, even if that something had a slim chance of working. Steeling herself, Lydia lurched upright, bracing a hand on the wall to balance herself before heading for the door.

She pushed the door open, and immediately came face to face with a pair of soldiers.

Lydia jerked back. Frick. So they obviously knew where she slept. How long had she been sitting there??

"Uh, hi?" She managed. One of the guards stepped forward.

"Miss Daewolf?" His hand rested on the hilt of his sword. Lydia tightened her jaw, recalling how that sword had been the one to end her last life.

"Uh, yes?"

"Our employer would like to speak with you. Come with us, please."

"Um..." Can she stall?? "...why?"

"We were just sent to collect you." The other guard said. "Come with us."

"Can't it wait until after the morning meal?"

"No."

"What does Notch want that's important that he had to grab me at the crack of dawn?" Lydia folded her arms. The guards exchanged a glance - obviously they weren't bringing her to Notch, not directly, but apparently they weren't supposed to tell her that.

"As we said," the first man turned back to her. "we were not told. You will find out when you arrive."

"Have I done something wrong?" She tried. In response, the first man drew his sword, making her flinch.

"Come with us, now." He ordered. "This is the last time I'll ask." Lydia lifted her hands, stepping out of the doorway and nudging the door shut behind her.

"Understood."

She tried to lag behind them as she was led towards the mining building, but they remained behind her, blocking her escape path. Her gaze flitted around her surroundings, looking for anything she could use as a distraction, but nothing presented itself. She was forced to walk with them as they entered the mining building.