Twelve Realms

Chapter 12

Aerid

For the second time in a week, I find myself jumping out of a window, pursued by soldiers. It really feels like this isn't something that should happen this often. 

This time is infinitely worse, though. Before, I was running on solid ground in a familiar area with good visibility. This time, it's dark, rainy, I have absolutely no idea where I am, the ground is slippery and muddy and I keep stumbling, and my ribs are still sore from my fall. To make it worse, the back window let out right at the bottom of a hill, so I'm scrambling upwards through mud that seems uncommonly thick.

The only advantages I have are about a two-second head start, and the fact that the soldiers chasing me have to deal with all the same problems I do. 

It takes me about half a second to dirty the clean clothes Prodita gave me, but considering the fact she just ratted me out, I'm not too worried about what happens to her clothes. 

I reach the top of the hill, which begins to fall downward again. I can barely see anything-- the clouds block the moon and the stars. I flail my hands in front of me to avoid taking a branch to the face, a situation which works only in part. But I keep running, knowing I'm only a few seconds away from capture. 

I put my foot down to take another step, and it falls farther than I expect it to, landing in ankle-deep water. I don't have the time to react, and I tip and fall into what I now realize is the river which, filled to the brim with the fresh rainwater, is roaring much faster than its normal lazy current. 

I can't really see any way to stop myself, and the river is carrying me away from the soldiers, so I decide to let it and pray to the gods that I don't end up with my head smashed on a rapid.

I can't tell if the soldiers have realized what happens to me, but in any case, the river is gushing much faster than even the fastest of people could run. 

Which is a blessing and a curse, as I now realize I have absolutely no idea how I'm going to get out of this river. I think I'll just have to wait for it to come to a point that's naturally slower. I have very little control over where the water takes me. The only thing I can do is maneuver myself so I don't end up splattered on a rock. 

I have no idea how long I'm actually in the river for, but the sun is rising, the river is slowing, and the mud has long since been washed from my clothes. The rain has stopped and now that the adrenaline of the chase has worn off, I realize how cold I am. 

At long last, I spot a log that's fallen across the river, almost like a bridge. I manage, somehow, the grab one of the branches still attached to it with my numb fingers, and slowly haul myself up on top of the log. It teeters, precarious, and I gingerly make my way back onto solid land. I roll off the log onto the ground and just lie there, panting, for a minute or two, grateful to be out of the river and to be safe, at least for now, from the soldiers.

After the chill has started to evaporate from my bones, I stand up, not quite sure where I am. I'd like to get away from the river, but I shouldn't just walk into strange parts of the wood I don't know now that I'm a fugitive. 

Gods, I really am a fugitive now. And I must be quite the criminal if the crown has put a price on my head so large that some random woman is willing to trap me for it. 

I try to think. The river usually flows south, and it curves around the Realm in a very roundabout way. I think I'm still relatively on track considering where I want to end up. I decide it's worth the risk to walk into the forest and see what I can find around here. Even still, I continue to travel in the treetops. 

I'm lower in the trees than I have been this whole time, because I need to still see the ground. It makes me nervous. If someone comes by all I can do is hope that they don't look up. If I'm assuming my location correctly, people don't usually hang around here-- the soil isn't very good for growing crops and the game is unusually jittery. If my memory suits me right, there should be a belt of abandoned houses around here somewhere...

I notice something as I'm scanning the ground below me: a piece of paper tacked to a tree. I slide down from the tree, a pit of dread in my stomach. Even before I read it, I know what it says. 

Wanted: Aerid of the Thief's Village. For the brutal assault of a soldier and the stealing of a segment. Reward: 5,000 Gold.

There's even an illustration of me. A poor one, but recognizable enough. I feel my blood run cold. Five thousand gold? That's a lot of money. Did I stab someone more important that I realized? Or is the king just cracking down?

Either way, it doesn't matter now. I rip the poster up into tiny pieces, grind a hole in the dirt with the toe of my boot, pour the pieces inside, and cover it up. No one's arresting me off of this poster. I move forward on the ground with the intention of looking for an easily climbable tree so I can get back into the treetops. Instead, I find what I was looking for- a tall, clearly abandoned house, covered in moss, tucked between a handful of trees. 

From the looks of it, this house belonged to someone wealthy- the corners of the house are made of smooth stones held together by concrete. Some of the wood of the house has rotted away, but it seems to be mostly structurally sound. 

I explore the first floor. The floor is all but gone, leaving a few chunks of stone poking up from the dirt. Ants crawl over everything, and there are definitely more than a few animal nests by the smell and the amount of feces. 

The staircase up to the second floor is long gone, but I manage to climb up the outside of the house, using the stone pillars and the vines that cling to the exterior. 

The second floor is much more habitable. It's free from ants and animal nests, the exception being one bird's nest tucked in the corner of the house. The roof is also still mostly intact, as is the floor, with only one major hole in each, perfectly aligned, which makes me think that something tore through both at the same time. 

It's secluded, not accessible but not inaccessible, and the perfect place for me to hide. Gods know I needed a place like this.