Stalemate | A Rise To Power

𝘈𝘶𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘺

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It took fifteen minutes for Tyrek to meet her in their agreed spot under a staircase. Already, she could hear the confused shouts from the Great Hall as people blacked out or staggered around. She didn't want to think about what would have happened if Theo had worked out what she had done the previous night. It had been easy for her to drag him back out into the corridor and drop a spilled chalice of wine nearby as if he had been drunk on duty. She had heard him grumbling to Chege outside her door about how he couldn't remember anything and had probably bumped his head too hard. Audrey had secretly been more worried about Chege figuring it out, but Chege acted as if nothing had happened. She had seen him exchange quizzical looks with Alika, however, as if they were hiding something.

"It worked. We need to go now," Tyrek said.

Audrey let him lead the way, sneaking through the corridors and out of the open gates. No guards stopped them; their job was to watch the people coming in rather than the people going out. She had her stolen knife in her hand along with a bow and quiver she snatched from an unconscious guard. Although Audrey had wanted to bring Autumn with her, Tyrek had warned her against it, and she had left the fox behind.

I want to do this, she kept reminding herself, even as doubts festered inside of her. I can't go back now. I want to do this; I want to do this.

And yet, the doubt tingled in her body, an instinct telling her to go back.

"Where are we going?" she asked him as they broke into a run, out of sight from the guards on the battlements.

"I have family in the village. From there, we can go on to the South," Tyrek replied.

It was an elaborate trick, most likely. Audrey would have to kill him if he tried to use her, but she didn't mind using him for an opening out.

They had to slow down as they headed down the footpath to ensure they did not slip and fall to their deaths off the cliff, but they hurried down as quickly as they could, constantly checking behind them to see if anyone was following. No one was.

When they reached the bottom, Audrey collapsed to her knees. She had not left her room for months or eaten much, and was not in the same shape that she had once been in.

"You aren't in a good state," Tyrek said, a look of slight bewilderment on his face as he slung her arm around his shoulder and helped her hobble to the village. He paused for a moment. "They will recognise you."

Audrey sighed but nodded reluctantly. Hundreds of villagers had seen her and Landon the other day.

"Hang on." Tyrek pulled his cloak over her shoulder, covering her. "Just keep your head down."

Audrey nodded before freezing as she saw a spot in the distance and saw a figure racing towards her on a horse.

She did not allow herself to think. She nocked an arrow and fired, hitting the horse in the eye. A lucky shot, considering she had little time to aim. The horse whinnied before falling to the ground, its rider hopping off just in time. Jorge, a guard she recognised, held out a poleaxe, not sparing a glance for the dying animal.

"If you surrender now, Landon will forgive you," Jorge called.

He was just a pawn to knock down to clear the way.

You have to aim slightly to the side of where you want it to go. And relax your stance, Will's voice reminded her in her head as she took another arrow.

For a brief moment, she wondered what had happened to him, then the arrow was flying, and the present was all she could think about.

It came too fast for Jorge to process and soon he was dead on the ground, an arrow embedded in his chest and his body crumpled on the floor. She stared at the body for a moment before turning and walking with Tyrek's help, heading to the village with her bow protectively clutched in her hands.