The Sanctuary

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

A dagger whistled past me and hit the trunk right above the prisoner’s head, nearly inches from his forehead. It dug itself deep into the bark, with a sickening thud.

In an instant, I was on my feet, pulling my sword out from my waist in a quick, fluid draw.

Cries filled the air, and men began to rush into the clearing, the sun reflecting off their silver armour. The sound of unsheathed swords surrounded me.

Fear trickled down my spine. I could barely breathe. I turned my head, quickly back and forth, trying to take stock of all the men, trying to quickly count, figure it out, measure it out.

How many could I take before I died?

“Oh, take a look at this one!” A man came towards me, an expression in his light blue eyes that made me freeze up. He was wearing a helmet that showed his youngish face, chain mail covering his ears. “A wee girly all on her own?” He laughed. “Shall we have some fun, men?”

A cheer went through the soldiers, and my heart dropped into my stomach.

This was an ambush.

I kept my sword steady, directing it to the man who had spoke, my hands gripping the hilt tightly.

“Farsay filth!” I jeered, scathingly. “Not sure how much fun you will be having while your head is rolling on the ground.”

“She has a sword?” The man’s eyes widened, mockingly. “Oh, this is rich!”

I counted twenty men. There was more lying in wait, I could see the glint of their armour. I tried my hardest to glean where they were hiding, but I had to keep my eyes trained on my attacker as well incase he decided to charge.

There was a sinking feeling inside of me, a feeling that told me there was no way I was getting out of this alive.

I narrowed me eyes, and gripped the sword even more tightly. I would go down fighting.

I’m sorry, father.

“Marek!”

I didn’t turn around to look, but I knew where the yell came from. The prisoner.

 “Marek, you fool of a cousin!” The Farsarian was saying, his voice disgusted and pompous. It was a voice I hadn’t heard in a while, a voice I had heard the first day the prisoner had exploded at me. A voice fit for a Crown Prince. “There are more Forbiddens, just around the corner. Do you really want to risk this attack? Just untie me, you idiot and we’ll head back. Where are the children?”

The man who was seemingly named Marek, gazed down at the prisoner with a look of surprise. “Oh dear Crown Prince,” he crowed. I had a distinct feeling there was more animosity than familial love between the two. “You look down right pitiful. It’s quite shameful that the hooligans in the forest captured the legendary Crown Prince. It’s the talk of the town! You’ve really upset your father this time.”

The prisoner scoffed in anger. “We do not have time for this. Untie me now. “

The man named Marek motioned to another soldier to untie the prisoner. I watched with narrowed eyes as they untied him, keeping one eye on Marek the entire time. Where were the children?

If I leapt forward to try to attack Marek, the other soldiers surrounding my left and right would attack me before I had time to lift my sword again. But if I went for the closest two men on my right, Marek might not be able to get to me in time.

I would be able to get some blows in.

“Where are the children, Marek?” The Farsay was rubbing the angry red welts on his wrists as he stood up awkwardly. Marek was looking him up and down with clear disdain.