The Dark Citadel

Untitled Part 4

Gregory was modestly relieved the next morning when it became clear that his new captors were actually intending for him to be treated as a guest, though one lacking total freedom. They didn't force him to travel with them, but they also didn't offer him a chance to leave.They didn't seem to care much about him at all; they had the Prince of Comer, and that was all that mattered. Gregory was just extra baggage. Not that freedom would have mattered either way to Gregory at this point. Within a day of marching through the forest he was totally lost, unsure even which direction led back to the road where they had been attacked. As far as he could tell, they seemed to meander, with no clear destination, but he knew better. Even the fanfare that they had captured a Prince died almost as soon as it built up. At first, everyone was watching Bryce in mixed awe and disbelief, but when they saw that this mythical enemy was a tired and scared boy who seemed resigned, they paid him no more mind. Even his guards were disinterested, forcing him to walk behind them and dragging him by a rope. The Prince, too, soon became no more than extra baggage for the soldiers.Gregory knew who their captors were; he had been confident in his guess when they were taken, but now that he could see them in full daylight, his guess was confirmed. A rival nation to the East called Otagin. Years earlier, this land had belonged to them, but the Comerians had forced their way into the territory. The Comerians had won a bloody war years earlier and signed a peace accord.It looked like peace had just ended.They camped in a wooded clearing for the night. They light a few fires, but too few for everyone to be warm, so he was left out in the cold. He considered leaving at one point, but the posted guards gave him a few glances and he decided it was a bad idea. It looked like Mahkinson didn't quite trust him yet.They started early the next morning and set a quick pace. Gregory was growing more and more disparaged by the fact that they were heading east, in the opposite direction from where he wanted to go. There was nothing he could do to change course. He thought of searching out Mahkinson to try to converse with him, but the leader disappeared early that morning with no explanation. They offered Gregory food and water, but no one would converse with him in the common language.As the day dragged on, he wondered what would happen if he just turned and walked the other direction. Would they stop him? Would they kill him? He didn't know and wasn't willing to risk it yet. By the third day of hiking, he broke down and decided to try to find someone to talk to. He made his way up the line of marching soldiers and occasionally asked someone if they spoke his language. Few of them made eye contact, and of those none offered any response. The most frequent expression he saw was annoyance, with anger at a close second. He was an outsider, not worth their time.When he reached the front of the line, he saw Bryce. The prince's uniform was bloody and ripped from the hike. Two soldiers flanked him, and he looked miserable and uncomfortable, but more dignified now. Bryce was the only person Gregory might be able to talk to, but he might jeopardize himself if he tried to communicate with a prisoner. After all, he had allied himself, in word alone, to the Otagin.Then again, it was Mahkinson who Gregory had spoken with. Maybe the guards wouldn't care if Gregory spoke to Bryce. At the very least, he had no way of knowing without trying, and trying to communicate with someone seemed less likely to cause problems than trying to escape. Gregory thought about it and decided, for better or worse, to talk to the Prince. He didn't want to wait around for the Otagin to decide his fate, and worst case scenario they would force him away from the prisoner. He closed the last twenty feet between him and the Prince slowly, lest he look suspicious. When he finally fell into step beside Bryce, he stared at the forest in front of him and tried to keep his voice low. "Hello," he said. One of the guards walking in front of him glanced over his shoulder, but only for a second. He didn't seem interested. "I'm not an assassin," he explained, wondering if this was a wasted venture."I know," Bryce replied. "If you were an assassin, Farin wouldn't have risked keeping you alive. You were to be hanged as an example, if Farin had his way.""Farin was your Captain?""He was the leader of the Guardsmen in Comer. One of my father's personal bodyguards.""He wanted to kill me as an example for you.""I know.""You knew?"Bryce spared a glance to the side, a slight smile on the edges of his lips. "Don't worry. Farin wouldn't have had his way. Not once we arrived in Mulrich. I would have persuaded by father to release you, and Farin couldn't object. He is much too protective of me.""With good reason," Gregory said, nodding his head toward the guards in front of them. "He wanted to protect you from this."Bryce didn't immediately respond, and they walked in silence for several minutes."They intend to sacrifice me," Bryce said, with only a trace of despair."You are worth more to them than as a sacrificial lamb," Gregory offered. Even to him, the levity seemed misplaced. "I'm sure they will end up killing me, too.""Then leave. They won't stop you, and I can create a distraction if you think it's necessary."Gregory thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I couldn't make you risk yourself and then leave you here to die. Besides, I could never find my way out of this forest, anyway. I'm a terrible navigator."A slight smile curled at the edges of Bryce's lips. "I hoped you wouldn't take me up on that offer.""So, we both die here, anyway?" Gregory asked."I myself am an excellent navigator."It took Gregory a minute to catch on, and another minute to realize that his mind was already working on a plan to escape. Or maybe he had one all along, and it was only now coming from his subconscious to conscious mind. They walked in silence. Gregory noticed the guards were paying more attention to them now, and he knew that he wouldn't have much more time to speak to the prince before they forced him away. "One guard stays awake to watch you at all times. When I motion to you tonight, lead him into the forest as far as possible to relieve yourself.""And then what?""By then I'll have a plan," Gregory replied, and slipped away from Bryce, falling in line with another pair of guards. They ignored him and now that the foreigners weren't communicating, everyone relaxed again. His mind was jumbled with information, and he tried to figure out what to do. If he disappeared in the night, alone, they probably wouldn't follow him. Or they might decide to kill him just to make sure he didn't warn anyone about the captured Prince. If he tried to get Bryce free and escape with him, he would have a better chance of making it to civilization; but they would definitely chase him, and then summarily kill him if he was caught. And what if Bryce was lying, and was only using the navigation excuse as reasoning for Gregory to risk his life? His third option was to do nothing, but then he would be entirely at the mercy of the Otagin with no idea of what lay in store. Once he made the decision to help Bryce, he realized that his mind had already pieced together some details of a plan. He needed something that was quick and efficient, with only minimal supplies, if he was to break Bryce free. If only he had taken the dagger...but no, he had no intention of killing anyone either way. After all, Bryce was the only other person who spoke his language, and Gregory wasn't willing to brave the wilderness alone.Sentries were posted in the woodland around the outside of the camp that night, but they were only interested in guarding the exterior. They were more worried about being attacked than a prisoner trying to escape, and the only people that had Bryce's attention were his immediate guards. Everyone else went about their duties in a methodical and practiced manner. This lax attitude would play into Gregory's favor.The first guard lay down to sleep as the other kept watch on Bryce. On the first night with the Otagin, Gregory learned the watch rotation in the woods, and it was exactly the same as the Comerians: they traded every four hours, and the guards watching Bryce traded after six. Exhausted with hiking all day, everyone trusted completely in the sentries keeping lookout. After only an hour, the only people still awake were Gregory, the guard watching Bryce, and the three patrolmen walking the exterior of the camp. Even the pattern of their walk was predictable, and Gregory knew that he would have no trouble slipping into the woods without them noticing. Gregory waited until around three hours had passed before he stopped pretending to sleep. He yawned, stretched, and slipped to the outside of camp to urinate, then investigated the surrounding forest. On schedule, one sentry cast him a glance—the man looked exhausted, Gregory saw—then continued walking. Gregory might as well have been alone.He searched the sleeping guards around his feet. Most of them were carrying rope, so he just needed to find one that didn't store his rope too close at hand. It didn't take long, and after a moment of finagling, he managed to procure a twenty-foot length of rope out of a sleeper's haversack. This rope was thick and strong, but pliable. It would do what he needed with perfect precision.Easy enough, he thought, but knew that was a lie. He was terrified, worried that at any second, he would be caught and killed. His legs felt like lead, and he couldn't hold a coherent thought in his mind for longer than a few seconds. Everything felt and sounded surreal.No turning back now. He held the rope tight to his side and made his way to Bryce's position. He started manipulating the rope into a lasso, making sure to form the knot exactly as his father had taught him. It took another ten minutes to catch the prince's eye. Bryce nodded, then stretched and motioned to the guard with his manacled hands. The man seemed annoyed but didn't object when Bryce stood and started walking into the forest. They disappeared into the foliage, and Gregory thought again of how arrogant these men were. If he oversaw this camp, he wouldn't allow a prisoner to step to the edge of the camp, manacles or no. No sense cursing good luck. Gregory waited, and then silently followed them.He ducked behind a tree and waited as a sentry passed. The sentry glanced at the escorting guard, yawned, and was on his way again. Gregory moved closer to the pair, his newly fashioned lasso at the ready. He would have to be quick, getting the lasso tight before the guard could shout. He had very little slack in the line and was afraid the circle wouldn't even fit over the man's head. So many things that could go wrong, and yet now he was too deep in to change his mind. He dispelled his doubts and worries. They were far enough that a struggle might not reach the camp, for which Gregory would have to thank Bryce, but a scream for help would be more than enough to ruin any escape.Gregory heard his breathing, seeming loud enough to wake the entire forest. He was less than a dozen feet away. The guard sat facing away from Bryce and seemed on the verge of dozing off. The rope connected to Bryce was tied around his wrist, keeping Bryce nearby and unable to slip away. Gregory took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his palms: now or never. He rushed forward and slid the lasso tightly over the surprised guard's head, down to his neck, and yanked it tight. He put his knee into the man's back and pulled as hard as he could. The guard reached for his neck, gagging and sputtering, and tried to hook his fingers under the rope. Bryce was there in an instant, using the manacles to hook the man's arms and force his hands down.The struggle seemed to last an eternity, but doubtless it was less than thirty seconds before the man stopped sputtering and twitching and fell limp. Gregory laid him down gently on the ground and slid the lasso off. His arms were shaking as he untied the rope from the guard's wrists, and he handed the now free end to the prince. The only sounds of breathing came from him and Bryce. They exchanged a glance, and then started moving silently into the woods away from the camp. Gregory felt lightheaded and dizzy. The guard wasn't breathing. Sure, they were free, but he hadn't intended to kill anyone. He shuddered and forced himself to keep walking. Just walk. Stop torturing yourself, just walk. There was no sense worrying about what was past, and now he worried the sentries would discover something amiss and catch up to them.Bryce seemed to have the same fear and maintained a rapid pace. Once they were a few hundred feet away, they started jogging, avoiding trees in the night. Gregory's eyes adjusted, but he still stumbled as he tried to keep pace. "What now?" he asked once they were about a half mile away. He was still only willing to whisper."I thought this was your plan.""Mine ended at killing the guard.""He isn't dead. You didn't hold the rope long enough. He might even have woken up by now to warn someone.""Then we better hurry."Bryce nodded and kept moving. They came to a shallow river and looked both up and downstream. After contemplation, Bryce jumped into the water and started wading to the middle. Gregory climbed in after him, and to his surprise, watched as Gregory started trekking upstream. "We aren't crossing?" he asked. Bryce didn't answer, and Gregory reluctantly followed him. They waded in the river for miles, and by the time Bryce exited on the far bank, it was near morning. Gregory was exhausted and collapsed to the ground."We need to keep moving," Bryce said."I need a minute, at least," Gregory said, panting. Adrenaline had long since worn off, and now he wanted nothing more than to sleep. Bryce hesitated and then sat next to Gregory on the ground. "I appreciate what you did for me, risking yourself."Gregory hesitated. "I almost killed him."Bryce shook his head. "If anything, we almost killed him. But he isn't dead.""How can you be sure?""Because neither of us wanted him dead. It takes a different kind of person to actually finish the job."Gregory winced, but didn't speak. His memory raced, and he felt his heart thudding into his chest. He had killed someone before, accident or not. That was the reason he was in Comer to begin with. Gregory was a murderer.He forced the thought away. Maybe he was a murderer, and maybe not. He honestly didn't know. But he knew that this was neither the time nor the place to have an internal debate. This moment was about survival. Neither spoke for a few minutes, and both felt the oppression of silence. They didn't enjoy being alone with their thoughts."We hear stories, you know," Bryce said, forcibly breaking the silence, "about brave heroes that fight for justice, slaughtering almost everyone they meet. But think about it: imagine if every time you found a criminal, you killed him. And every time you met someone not your same race, you assume he's a criminal and kill him. You have to be a psychopath to do that."Gregory chuckled. "What about during war?""War is a special case," Bryce replied, "where everyone gets to pretend to be a psychopath."After the words were spoken, he fell silent, brooding. Something Bryce said ended the conversation. Bryce stood and started walking away from the river, and Gregory wordlessly followed him. They walked in silence, listening to nature until they were certain there was no pursuit."When we reach Mulrich, I will remain outside while you procure food and supplies. We can't risk anyone recognizing me," Bryce said. Gregory didn't reply. "Once we arrive at the Capital City, I will slip in unnoticed and clean up before speaking to my father. I know a blacksmith who will remove these manacles, and he will be discreet.""Why? What's the point of remaining hidden?""This will end in bloodshed. If anyone finds out I was captured by the Otagin. My grandfather told me about the wars when he was a child. He was never scared of the enemy; he feared his own people. They slaughtered the Otagin without mercy. I won't let that happen again.""Someone will find the caravan," Gregory noted."By that time, I can have any story ready that I want."Gregory was surprised by Bryce's attitude. He had heard great things about the young and intuitive prince, but to actually see him ready to defend the people who planned to kill him was altogether different. "You want to protect the tribes from being slaughtered by your people.""Partly," Bryce replied. "More importantly, this isn't a war I believe we can win."They spoke only sparingly for the next few days as they traveled. Bryce knew a lot about the forest, and he foraged for enough food that they could stay healthy on the road. If there was pursuit, it never came close enough to cause them worry. They slept little, determined to make it to Mulrich as fast as possible. In two days, they merged with the major roadway heading west, and without a caravan to slow them, they made the five-day trip to Mulrich in three days.They arrived just in time to watch the city burn. ---As soon as they saw the smoke, Gregory felt the prince tense up next to him. Bryce was on edge, clearly affected, though his face was calm and devoid of all emotions. They stopped walking and stood in a clearing, watching the smoke filter into the clouds."How long?" Bryce asked."What?""How long do you think it's been burning," Bryce said. "A few hours?""I don't know," Gregory said. "I've never seen a city burn before.""I have," Bryce said, then began walking again. He said the words casually. Gregory rushed to catch up."What do you mean?""I saw a village burn when I was younger," Bryce said over his shoulder. "I think I was six.""What city?"Bryce was silent for a long minute. "We didn't have a name for it, but the locals called it Mistan. Only a few hundred people lived there.""I haven't heard of it.""Few people have," Bryce replied. "It was built in Comer's territory, inside the set boundaries we allocated for the natives. My father threatened them if they didn't remove the village, and they were steadfast.""So, he burned it down."Bryce nodded. "He brought his army in, forced the citizens out, and then set the village on fire. It burned for days. I was there with my mother. He insisted I be with him, so I could learn how to be an outstanding leader.""You were six?""If even that. The only thing I learned was how scared and sad people could be when they were forced out of their homes.""The natives must have been pretty upset."Bryce laughed sardonically. "They thanked him."Gregory scrunched his face in confusion. "Your father?"Bryce nodded. "They thanked him and gave him gifts, saying he was an honorable man for protecting his border.""Wow.""I know," Bryce said. "That's how powerful Comer is: my father kills the natives, and they thank him for it."The smoke plumes were getting larger as they got closer. "How big is Mulrich?""Big?" Bryce said. "It's about forty miles from the border?" Gregory asked. He had seen the city on his map, the closest to the territory of the natives."Closer to thirty. The maps exaggerate the border to make our territory look bigger.""Do you think...?""That the natives did this?" Bryce finished. "We have a lot of enemies, but none that would have gone out of their way to attack Mulrich except the Otagin.""But why would they attack at all?""To start a war.""But don't they remember how the last one went?""We destroyed them without mercy, killing hundreds of thousands and taking their territory," Bryce replied. "But there were considerably more of them we didn't kill, and if they have united against us, they can deal considerable damage to us.""So, you think that they have united?" Gregory said.Bryce shrugged. "I think it is the most likely scenario."Gregory grabbed him by the shoulder, stopping him. "Then where are we going?""To the city to help.""Help with what?""Survivors.""You said yourself that it is probably an army that burned the city down. An army of enemies who already captured you once and intended to execute you."Bryce opened his mouth to respond, then changed his mind. "If that really is an army of the Otagin, then we shouldn't go anywhere near it. Even if it isn't, it isn't worth us risking our lives to get close enough to find out.""We can't just leave the people, if they need help," Bryce said. "They are my people.""And right now, there is nothing you can do for them," Gregory replied. "If you want to help your people, then right now we need to warn Comer that there is an army marching toward the Capital.""The army isn't a threat to the Capital," Bryce said, looking west toward Comer."It isn't?""No," Bryce said. "But it could destroy over a hundred towns and cities before we could stop it." ---Bryce moved quickly through the brush, heading directly west, and he set a pace fast enough that Gregory was struggling to catch up. He was panting from the exertion and wanted to ask for a break to catch his breath.But he knew that would not happen just now. Bryce wasn't going to slow down for anything, not until he'd made it to the Capital and spoken with his father.They traveled until dusk, before Bryce finally stopped walking. They were in a small clearing deep in the forest. "We can stop here," Bryce said."Okay," Gregory said. "I'll start building a fire.""No fire," Bryce said. "We're only going to be here a few hours.""A few hours?" Gregory said. "It'll be the middle of the night!"Bryce nodded. "And then we can start trekking again.""We'll be lost as soon as we start.""We can use the stars to guide us.""I hope by 'we' you mean that you can, because I sure as hell don't know how to navigate by starlight.""Then I'll show you. Take a rest, if you like. I'll handle the first watch and wake you up in two hours."Gregory felt like arguing further, but he knew it wouldn't do any good, and he didn't have the energy to spare in either case."Fine," he said, settling down in the dirt for a rest.It felt like as soon as he closed his eyes, he was being shaken by his shoulders. "What...?" he started to mumble, and felt fingers covering his lips.Bryce knelt next to him. The prince leaned over and whispered. "Someone is coming."Gregory felt his body tense, all the weariness washed away by a flood of adrenaline. Bryce slowly removed the finger and pointed to the east. Gregory looked that direction, straining, and then heard a snapping sound.It couldn't have been more than twenty feet away.Bryce slipped back away from Gregory, ducking behind a tree and out of sight, and Gregory began climbing to his feet. He winced as every movement created a noise.He was up to one knee, moving gingerly, when the person came into the clearing. It was sudden and loud, two men shouting and waving spears at him.Gregory stumbled back, throwing up his hands."I'm unarmed! I'm unarmed!" he said, cowering.The men continued coming closer, shouting in a language he didn't understand and jabbing spears at him. These were probably more of the natives, though it was difficult to tell without decent light."I'm unarmed!" he said again. The men gradually quieted down, and one walked closer to him, placing the spear against his stomach. He felt the tip slice through his clothes and draw a cut on his skin.The man leaned in, close enough to be seen. Gregory saw it was one native, and the look on his face was one of utter contempt.He spoke slowly in his language. Even though Gregory couldn't understand the words, he knew that the man was telling him he was about to die.Gregory closed his eyes, stifling and sob, and then he heard a loud thwacking sound several feet away. It was followed by a thud.Just like that, the spear was gone. He heard more shouting and opened his eyes to see his attacker charging at Bryce. Bryce stood over the body of the other native, holding the man's spear. The man was unconscious on the ground, and broken log lying next to him.The standing native stabbed and slashed, and Bryce dodged away and used the spear defensively. After only a few seconds, Gregory could see that Bryce was severally outmatched by the native.Gregory climbed to his feet and started looking around for anything he could use as a weapon. There were short sticks, grasses, and a few rocks he could find. He picked up the rocks, figuring they would serve him best.The fight wasn't going well, and he could tell Bryce was losing confidence. The native moved methodically, practically dancing, and he'd already cut Bryce several times with the spear. Blood ran down the prince's arm from an open wound and one of his legs was wobbly.Gregory found an excellent position, readied one of the rocks, and waited for his opening.The first throw missed completely, and Gregory cursed. He steadied his aim, took a deep breath, and threw his second rock.It hit the native in the neck, sending him off balance. Bryce took the opportunity and ran forward, jabbing the spear into the man's stomach."Yes!" Gregory said, laughing.Not even a split second later, the native twirled his spear, whacking Bryce in the head. The prince staggered down, collapsing to one knee and groaning.He held up his hand toward the native, pleading and begging. The native ignored him, smacking the handout of his way with the tip of his spear, and then plunged it directly into the prince's chest. Bryce made an awkward noise, clenching and unclenching his fist, and then collapsed.Gregory stared in mute fascination, watching the life flow out of the prince's eyes.And then the native looked up, directly at Gregory's hiding place, and grunted.Gregory turned and ran.