Flames [Slow Updates]

Chapter Eleven

Dedicated to my newest fan.

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It was getting late by the time we finally made camp. Again, we'd walked until nightfall, and made camp at the same place as the night before. This time, I went straight back to my tent, co-operated with everything they wanted. I had to ward off all extra attention, so there wouldn't any complications with escape. I could imagine what they could do. There were heading back to friendly territory. They could post extra guards, or simply make me march through the night to foil any escape plans. I needed all the energy I could muster.

I couldn't sleep. I was planning to leave in an hour or so. If I fell asleep, I would miss my window of opportunity. And I couldn't allow that. So I sat up, listening to the soldiers through the thin tent walls. The soldier who'd gone with me was narrating everything that had happened in the grove, which just a bit of exageration. They'd appeared to had some alchohol too.

"And THEN!" The shadows thrown at the cloth in front of me told me he'd spread his arms wide. "And THEN, she swooped out of no where! I told myself, Bryson, you better be ready to get the hell out of there! And the prisoner just stared at her! Just stared at her, like she wasn't afraid of her! Then they started to talk. It was terrifying! They were all hissing at each other and stuff. Then she went away! And the prisoner came back, all scared looking. So I asked her if it was okay, and you know what she said? She said she wasn't dead! Any idiot could see that. But th-"

His voice cut off in the middle of his sentence. In fact, every voice outside quit. A second later, one single thump sounded. I couldn't fathom the slightest idea of what was going on. Peeking out, I saw nothing but total darkness. The fires were snuffed out.

I stepped out tentatively, letting little fires spark on my fingertips. They revealed the dark shadowy shapes of soldiers lying on the ground. There was a soft snuffling noise. It took me a moment to realize what it was. It was snoring. They were asleep. My opportunity to escape! I patted the still intact pocket of my dress, checking for the lump of the key. It was there. I'd woven it into the cloth with strands of grass I had picked while we were walking. I wanted to make sure I wouldn't lose it. If I did, I had a feeling that the Dragon Mother would make a special exception to her rules, come out, and blast me to pieces. But I wondered how I would manage to carry it as a Dragon.

But then again, I hadn't gotten many instructions. The Dragon Mother seemed to think this would work. For better or worse, I'd have to trust that it would.

A guard a few feet away stirred and grumbled. I could have kicked myself. I was being so stupid! The soldiers weren't going to stay asleep forever. I had to run, to get away as fast as I could. And maybe when I got a safe distance away, I could try to transfrom into a Dragon and escape.

"Now, which way is west?" I asked. I tried to remember where the sun had set, just a few hours before. Despite the fact that it seemed to be eternal winter here, the sun set fairly late. It wasn't too cold either. "West, west, west..." I turned in a circle, trying to figure it out. But try as I might, I couldn't remember. I looked up, searching for the Pole Star. It wasn't there.

Panic began to close in. What could I do? I was in a completely new world, one where I was hopelessly lost. Theoretically, I could run in any direction and fly up, then wait for the the sun to rise. But it was a long time away. I'd be captured by then. No, I needed a plan.

The guard shifted slightly again. Did that mean he was beginning to wake up, or simply that he was a light sleeper? Either way, it wouldn't be good for me. I began to pace around the half-burnt logs, trying to think, trying to keep from giving in to the mind-numbing fear. I glanced at the guard again, and my attension was drawn by a glint under his arm. I bent down and studied the round metal object. A name dragged itself out of my foggy brain.