The Iron Grip

Chapter 3

"A boy, roughly two and ten summers old. Well fed and muscular", called the man.

Behind him were three cartfulls of people, locked inside iron cages.

"Where are we?", Lillie asked the people, desperate for an answer.

"Slave auction", replied the person in the cage next to her.
"The worst experience of your life."

The village center was bustling with people trying to get the best deals of the auction. The crowded square was the perfect place for a getaway, but how does one get out of a cage?

Lillie tried squeezing through the bars but it didn't work. Running in the little room she had and slamming herself against the bars wasn't working either

There was only one thing to do. Annoy the Mudslale that pulled the cart. With one arm between the iron bars, Lillie poked the Mudslale's back leg.

Boy was that Mudslale angry. It bucked and tensed it's hind legs, releasing a kick so powerful that it sent the cages flying off of the cart and onto the cobbles.

The lock broke and Lillie made a run for it. Again, she was running away. Again, she would find herself in trouble.

Lillie ran over the fields of wheat and barley before comming to a stop at the edge of a forest.

"Wait!", said a small voice.

Lillie turned around. The voice came from a small, rotund ginger figure.

"Let me come with you", the boy said.

"Why?", Lillie asked suspiciously.

"I have no bloody place else to go", the boy explained. "The name's Sophocles.

"Nice to meet you Soph. I am Lillier", Lillie said, quickly making up an excuse. "Lets get going."

The two children walked into the forest and looked for a safe place to spend the night.

"Thank you for helping us escape", Sophocles said. "You really helped a lot of people."

"Do not worry about it", Lillie said.

"Did you hear? The Princess went missing three days ago."

"Oh?! Has she been found yet?", Lillie said, trying to play the fool.

"Not that I know of. She could be anywhere by now. Dead or beyond return is the most probable answer", Sophocles said. "Poor girl. All she did was try and be free from the evil Queen and now she is as good as dead."

"Mo-The Queen is evil?", Lillie asked. This was interesting.

"Yeah. Punishments are too cruel. You can be executed for stealing anything more than a loaf of bread", Sophocles explained.

"Well, we should get some rest. Tomorrow is another day on the run."

"Why are we running? We already escaped."

Lillie got flustered. "Because... because what if they find us again? We have to get to the free lands."

"The free lands? That is hundreds of miles away. We are in the east currently. To get to the freelands you must cross the entire Queendom."

"I am prepared to do anything to get to the free lands."

"You sure are determined", Sophocles chuckled. "But aren't you worried about bypassing the capital?"

"What do you mean?"

"You being the Princess and all."