Red Waters: The Unseen Alliance

Chapter Sixteen

Kael's heart pounded in his chest as he burst from the castle's shadowy confines into the open air. His escape had been a frantic scramble, the guards' shouts and the clatter of armour echoing behind him. With only moments to spare, he sprinted across the cobblestone streets, the weight of impending danger pressing heavily upon him.

His eyes darted around, searching for anything that could aid his flight. Ahead, a street vendor's cart, abandoned in the chaos, stood by the roadside. The cart's single horse, tethered and whinnying nervously, was an unexpected lifeline. Without hesitation, Kael dashed towards the horse, cutting the reins with a quick, practiced swipe of his dagger.

The horse, sensing Kael's urgency, reared slightly but quickly settled as he mounted it with swift efficiency. The animal's muscles tensed beneath him as he spurred it into motion, the cart rattling away in a clamour of clinking metal and rolling wheels.

Kael urged the horse forward, its hooves pounding against the cobblestones. The streets blurred by as he navigated through narrow alleys and across bustling market squares, his focus solely on the path ahead. The urgency of his escape drove him, every moment a race against time as the castle's guards combed the city.

As he reached the city limits, the horse's speed only increased, the ground beneath them shifting from paved streets to uneven rural paths. Kael's breath came in ragged gasps, his eyes scanning the horizon for the familiar silhouette of his cliffside cottage.

Kael approached his cottage, he leapt off the horse with practiced agility, his boots hitting the ground with a muted thud. He quickly tied the horse to the gate, securing it with a few swift knots to ensure it wouldn't wander off. Every movement was driven by a sense of urgency, a need to get inside and assess the situation before anyone else could catch up.

With the horse safely tethered, Kael turned and cast a wary glance over his shoulder. The road behind him was dimly lit, shrouded in shadows cast by the moon and the surrounding trees. He couldn't discern any immediate pursuers, but the lingering tension in his shoulders told him to remain cautious.

His eyes then shifted to the cliffside, where his gaze fell upon an unexpected sight: his father's ship, usually anchored in the sheltered cove below, was now precariously wedged against a couple of rocks a short distance away from its usual spot. The ship's sails were furled, and the dim lanterns aboard swayed gently in the cool night breeze.

Kael's heart skipped a beat. His father was home, and judging by the ship's current position, it appeared to be a recent arrival. There was a mix of relief and dread in his chest; his father's presence meant that help and counsel might be at hand, but it also suggested that his father was close to the very danger Kael had been trying to escape.

He turned back towards the cottage, the silhouette of the small, stone-built home looming against the night sky. The familiar, comforting outline of the building brought a fleeting sense of normalcy to his otherwise chaotic evening.

Kael approached the front door with a determined stride, unlocking it with a swift motion. The door creaked open, and he stepped inside, the cool, dim interior offering a stark contrast to the cold night outside.

"Father?" Kael called out, his voice echoing slightly in the stillness. He scanned the interior, searching for any sign of his father. The hearth was cold, the fire long extinguished, and the only sound was the faint creak of the wooden floorboards beneath his boots.

As he moved deeper into the cottage, the unmistakable scent of his father's familiar tobacco reached him. It was then that he noticed a light coming from the small study off to the side. Kael approached cautiously, his pulse quickening with every step.