Dorothy

Chapter 15

     Silence surrounded the group that night. Rosie had shut herself down early, Thayer had been pacing for the last hour, Ronan's face was buried in his hands, and Auden stared aimlessly toward the trees. They had returned to the clump of trees and hadn't spoke since. Auden sighed.   His stomach twisted every time that he thought about Dorothy, where she was, what was happening to her, but he couldn't seem to stop thinking about her either. He glanced at the others- they seemed to find themselves in the same predicament.

     Auden sighed again."Would you stop that!" Ronan snapped.

     "Don't tell me what I can and can't do!"

     "You two sound like children," Thayer said. "This arguing doesn't help Dorothy, nor does it help us kill the queen."

     "Fine then. Lets make a plan," Ronan said.

     "Plan? Haven't we just seen how well our plans work? Here's a plan. Let's go in guns blazing. Come on. Ronan, you can control some of the guards. Thayer, you'll take out the rest. I'll find Dorothy. We'll get the queen and maybe Atticus to boot, and then we get out as fast as we can," Auden interjected.

     The other two looked at him like he was insane. "You're mad. Aren't you? No sane person could actually think that would work," Ronan said.

     "Maybe I am. Look, our friend is in there. My friend is in there and is in danger. We have to go get her. It's what she'd do for any of us.If you aren't with me, I'll go alone!"

     "You still have no originality."

     "What?" Auden looked around.

     "I said," Rosie repeated, "that you still have literally no originality. But hey. Maybe I'm feeling a little insane too. I'm with Auden. We'll probably all get killed, but we would have anyway trying to poison a queen. Not like we have much time to plan. It's sort of a now or never kind of thing."

      Ronan took a huge breath and let it out slowly. "I can't believe this," he spoke to himself. Then louder, "Ok, ok. This is impossible. But ok. Just one condition. Let's try to go in as quietly as we can. You know, so we live a little longer."

     Auden smiled. "Sounds good to me. Thayer?"

     Thayer was still pacing. "It won't work. I refuse to go on a doomed mission. You are rushing into something controlled by your emotions. I would count Dorothy a friend. I came with you promising to be an asset, but I will not go in without a better plan."

     "Then don't come," Rosie said spitefully. 

     "I don't think that I will."

     Auden's heart sank. Thayer really would have been an asset. "Well, think it over until morning, but we'll leave at dawn," Ronan said. He seemed to anticipate Auden's protest as Auden opened his mouth. "We can't go now. Not in the dark when none of us knows our way around the palace or how to get in."

     Auden knew that he was right. Knew that to leave now was stupid. As they all laid down on the hard dirt, Auden tossed and turned, wondering what Dorothy might be sleeping on now.

     Dorothy awoke with a gasp as freezing water was splashed over her. It did soothe her leg though, which was on fire. She knew she couldn't stand. She fell forward, but didn't hit the ground. She felt it in her wrists and a glance up confirmed her fears. Her hands were tied above her head, forcing her to stand. The rope seemed attached to some sort of pulley that could lower or raise its victims. Looking around, she saw who had woken her. It was a guard, and he was locking the door to her cell.