*The Chronicles of F.R.E.E. Earth's Knight - Ruth Watson* Part 2 - NARTHWICH

Chapter Thirteen - A Fatal Mistake

*Watson POV*

After I left the apothecary, I headed back to the Hall to tell Needham about what happened with Alpin.
I was feeling victorious after my hunch about Sugo... Sorry. Asuna turned out to be who I thought she had been all along. I was one step closer to finding out the truth, and that had me elated that this could all be over soon. At least, I was pretty sure this would lead to getting everyone home, but realistically, it is likely to become something far from that. But I was trying to be optimistic.
All that I had to do now was wait and see if Su-Asuna actually kept her promise. I was already preparing myself, expecting to be marching to her house later that evening, threatening her until she told me the truth.
I reached the entrance to the hall and let myself in. The hall was completely empty apart from myself, when I suddenly realised. I had no idea where Needham's office was located. I walked to the podium on the far end and looked at the door to the infirmary. Wouldn't be there. I then looked to the door on the right, which led to the barracks. That was my best option, so I went through there.
It led to a long corridor that strongly reminded me of the boy's corridor back in Ozryn. Numerous doors led off the narrow corridor, leading to the bedrooms. I followed it to the end, where there was a flight of stairs leading down to a basement.
'Would Needham have his office located beneath the barracks?' I thought to myself. There was no other obvious route to take, so down I went.
As I decended, the air started to feel cooler, and the smell started to get damper. I began to feel uncomfortable and tense, doubting this was the correct way to go at all. I was about to turn around, when someone yelled out at me, making me jump violently.
"YOU! What are you doing in here?!" A Narthwich guard was marching towards me.
I raised both my hands to him, a sheepish smile on my face, trying to calm him down.
"I-I'm sorry," I stuttered. "I-I'm looking for N-N-Needham's office..."
"And why did you think that would be in the dungeons?!" He snapped. He stopped right in front of me and towered over me, I hardly reached his chest. He was covered head to foot in full Narthwich armour, and was very intimidating. I knew if he decided to try anything, I wouldn't last a minute from how well built he was.
"I-I didn't know this was the d-d-dungeons..." I looked around at the dark grey walls.
"You went down a set of stairs." The guard spat, stubbornly. "Where else would it lead to?!"
Now that he mentioned it, I felt very stupid thinking that Needham would be down here.
"I'll be heading back up, then." I assured him, and made for the stairs but he grabbed my shoulder.
"You're not going anywhere!" He whispered.
"N-No, please, Needham is expecting me!" I cried out, trying to sound as genuine as I could through my fear.
"Oh is he now? Well, we better go and pay him a little visit, shouldn't we?!" He hissed and gripped my arm, painfully tight, before marching me back up the stairs.
He pushed me back through the corridor back into the Hall. Turning right, he then forced me towards a door I didn't notice when I had been in there earlier. This led to some stairs the ascended very steeply and with very narrow steps. I staggered up them with the guard a little too close for comfort behind me.
At the top there was a heavy door that he thumped his fist on three times.
"Enter," we heard Needham's voice quietly carry through the door.
The guard opened the door and pushed me inside, so harshly, I fell to my knees. Looking up, I saw Needham and Sawyer gaze down at me, both of them astonished that I had been brought in like this.
I smiled timidly at them, before getting to my feet. However, the guard stopped me and forced me back onto my knees.
"What is the meaning of this, Murrihy?!" Needham demanded, fuming.
"She came into the dungeons. Bullshitting about trying to find your office." The guard said obediently.
"She wasn't bullshitting! She was telling the truth!" Sawyer bellowed at him.
"Murrihy, apologise to her now!" Needham ordered.
The guard looked taken aback, before looking down at me, helping me to my feet and bowing his head. "I am truly sorry for not believing you, miss." He mumbled.
I took a quick breath to calm my nerves. "You were only doing your duty." I muttered back.
"Leave!" Needham demanded and the guard left, closing the door behind him.
"Well, that was awkward." I said, making a small nervous chuckle.
"Are you ok? Did he hurt you at all?" Sawyer asked me.
"What were you doing in the dungeons?" Needham asked, curiously.
"I got lost. Badly. I took the wrong door and went through the barracks." I explained.
"Ahh, I forgot you had never been up here before." Needham nodded wisely.
"Yeah, well. I'm here now." I shrugged.
"Yes. If you're ok to do so, I would like to hear your account of what happened between you, the red haired girl and Alpin."
Needham gestured to a vacant seat in front of his deask and I sat down, Sawyer standing behind me and Needham taking his seat behind his desk.
"So what have you told him so far?" I asked, looking up at Sawyer.
"I've told him we followed him to the house behind the grocers, told him you went in alone, then you called me in, told Ashdown to take the red hair girl to your house while I went in and gave him what he deserved." Sawyer grunted simply.
"Right. So I went in the house, and Alpin had his shirt off, facing a wall. The red haired girl poked her head round him thanking me for saving her. Of course, I didn't fully understand what was going on then, so I asked him what he was doing. He walked to the door, locked it and said, 'nothing was happening, it's just getting started" and he hit me hard, making me fall to the floor. I felt so dizzy I couldn't stand! Stainton went to the girl and pinned her on a dresser trying to hold up her legs. She was screaming at him 'not again' and I knew then he had tried it before. I managed to get up and push him away from the girl, and Stainton tried to take my sword from me. I let it drop, and of course he couldn't lift it, so I kicked him in his shoulder and picked up my sword. I scared him and cornered him against the door, then unlocked it and let Sawyer in to deal with him." I finished and took a deep breath. I had rattled it all out very quickly because I was trying not to dwell on it.
"Uh huh..." Needham said slowly, looking at me weirdly.
I furrowed my brow together, confused. "What?" I asked.
"Who is Stainton?"
I froze.
'Oh, fucking shit!' I thought.
I started to sweat and shake vigorously. I have fucked up massively. This was it. I was going to end up back in the dungeons now. This time as a prisoner.
"I-I... I..." I couldn't make any words come out, I was too scared to even move let alone talk.
Sawyer put his hand on my shoulder while Needham slowly got to his feet, leaning on his desk, studying me closely.
"Watson, are you ok?" Needham asked, looking increasingly suspicious.
I started to hyperventilate. I was going to be executed. The others will pay for my wrong doing too. It's all my fault they're going to die!
"It was all me!" I blurted out.
"What?" Needham blanched.
"The others had nothing to do with it, ok? It was all me. I killed him!" I confessed, looking down as tears coursed down my cheeks.
"Watson-" Sawyer started to say but I cut across him.
"That was why we fled Ozryn and came here. I'm running away from my execution. I killed Stainton." I clenched my eyes shut, waiting for Needham to announce my punishment.
"Execution?!" Needham cried out.
I nodded slowly, and a small sob escaped my lips.
"Who the fuck dishes out executions as punishments?!" Needham shouted.
I glanced up and him, confused. He looked absolutely livid.
"The... The Ozryn leader, Atkinson..." I replied.
"ATKINSON?!" Needham bashed his hands on the desk, making Sawyer and I jump, and stomped over to the window.
"Well... I didn't stay around long enough for him to accuse me, but I know that's what he would have sentenced for me. And the others, but they had nothing to do with it!" I was terrified but, at the same time, I was getting more and more distracted by Needham's reaction to hearing Atkinson's name.
"Watson," Needham said finally, after a long pause. "I need you to tell me the whole story of what happened with this Stainton. I assure you nothing, and I mean NOTHING, is going to happen to you, Goodwin, Dean or Green!" He turned and gave me a very sincere look and I slightly relaxed but still felt on edge.
I nodded and took a deep breath.

"That's horrible, Watson." Needham breathed after I finished telling him the full story. "But, I can tell you now, you will not be punished in any way! Even if Atkinson turns up here, demanding your head, I'll take his before he says a word."
I gradually felt myself relax, but I had a haunting heavy weight on my shoulders after having to tell the truth twice in two days. I hated having to recounter every detail of what happened that night. I always felt dirty and needing to hide myself away afterwards.
Sawyer had held my hand throughout the entire time, giving me the strength I needed. I was grateful for him staying by my side.
"Thank you for being honest and letting me know what happened, on both accounts." Needham continued, giving me an encouraging smile. "You are certainly a brave woman and a hero at that. Now, if you'll excuse me. I need to think of what to do about Alpin."
Sawyer and I nodded and left his office. When we reached the high street, we realised we had been in there most of the day and it was now very early evening. My stomach rumbled because we hadn't had breakfast or lunch and Sawyer laughed.
"Better get back so we can eat." He chuckled.
I shot him an embarrassed smirk, before setting off down the road. The shops had all closed for the evening apart from the entertainment ones like the function rooms, bars and the restaurant. There weren't many people about, but enough to fill the air with their carefree laughter and chitter chatter.
Sawyer and I walked quickly, hoping to soon fill our bellies with Dean's delicious food. Sawyer's presence today had been very much appreciated. I was actually becoming jealous that Ashdown had bagged herself such a good man, while mine turned out to be a sadistical, raping wanker.
We finally reached home and walked in the door. The scent of Dean's food cooking on the fireplace filled our nostrils and sent the both of us into a hypnotic trance as we waited impatiently to eat. I was so busy daydreaming about what Dean was cooking, I hadn't noticed that the table had been pulled out, several more chairs added around it and that there a very amused looking Sugo sitting opposite me.
I jolted when I finally noticed her. I had completely forgotten she had promised to tell me the truth this evening.
She laughed when I realised she was there. "Evening, Watson."
"Yeah... Hi." I said coldly, scowling at her.
"Watson." Dean warned. "Be nice!"
I stuck my tongue out at Dean. "Just feed me and I won't be so grouchy, woman." I mocked, making her laugh.
Hewitt laid out the table and sat in one of the vacant seats. I was sitting in my usual seat with my back to the front door, Goodwin on my left, Green next to her, then Ashdown, Sugo (I mean, Asuna), Sawyer, Hewitt and Dean would sit next to me on my right.
Dean had cooked an amazing selection of finger foods for everyone. There was her garlic bread sticks, cheesy onion rings, spicy chips, plus loads more. Every single bite was heavenly, and it quickly all disappeared as we ate our fill.
I ate unnecessarily quickly because I wanted to have my talk with Asuna, so I was the first to finish.
"That was absolutely mind blowing, Dean." I complimented her. "How comes you went for a buffet?"
"She's trying to convince me that it'll be easier for the wedding. I'm nearly convinced, but still prefer the formal sit down dinner." Ashdown smirked. She looked at Sawyer. "What do you think, baby?"
"I don't care as long as there's food." He grunted, winking at her.
"What happened to you anyway?" Goodwin asked. "Ashdown came home with some poor girl earlier. Poor thing was crying her eyes out."
"You didn't tell them?" I asked Ashdown.
"I didn't actually know what happened." Ashdown replied slowly. "All I knew was you followed Alpin into the house and there was some shouting, then you called Sawyer in and told me to bring Ryder here."
"Oh, her name was Ryder, was it?" I asked, then sighed. "Alpin... took advantage." I said, being very careful of what I was saying this time.
"WHAT?!" Ashdown, Goodwin, Green, Dean and Hewitt all said in unison.
"Yes, it seems I have good timing with those things." I shrugged. "Anyway, we took him to Needham for him to deal with him. After Sawyer had done what he wanted, of course."
"Why are all the boys that have come here such dickheads?!" Goodwin groaned.
"Excuse me??" Sawyer spat. "I am not one of them, ok?! I am anything but like them!"
"They know you are, baby." Ashdown said calmly. "She just meant in general."
Sawyer huffed at her, relaxing a bit as he leant across Asuna to take Ashdown's hand.
That reminded me.
"Asuna, with me, please." I said, causing everyone to gasp.
"Who?" Dean squealed.
"Watson, who are you speaking to?" Goodwin looked worried.
Asuna stood up. "You know better than to call someone by their first name, Watson."
The others gaped at her, then all snapped their heads back to me. I chuckled humourlessly, smirking knowingly at her.
"You realise everything you tell me can, and will, be shared with them, right?" I warned her.
"No way!" Green whispered, putting two and two together. "She is that lady?" She jumped to her feet, staring, amazed, at Asuna. The others gave her an even more confused look.
"I kind of expected that." Asuna replied to me.
"So how do you want to do this, then? In private, or in front of them?" I asked her, picking up and putting on Dragonwrath.
"Let's do it in private first, then I'll let you decide what you want to share with them." Asuna sighed, and walked round the table to where I stood.
I opened the front door. "After you," I said.
Asuna stepped out and I followed close behind. "I won't be long." I called over my shoulder to the others, and shut the door on their shocked silence.