Goodbye to the Knight✔️

47. We are strong

Footsteps thud past our hiding spot and I hold my breath, both of us are as still as statues. Seconds go by and we bide our time, waiting for them to be out of the corridor.

"There is a good chance we may have to fight again to get out." Killian says.

"I know." I reply, having already accepted that fate, "We are almost at the end, this tunnel splits and we need to go right. The ladder out will be at the end of that,"

"Are you ready? We are going to need to run this last bit."

I nod, "Ready when you are."

Killian opens the door a crack, "Currently clear. Let us go now."

And that is when we run, adrenaline rushing through my body, straight towards the exit, towards our escape.

As expected two men stand guard by the ladder, both holding club like weapons and murderous looks in their eyes, causing Killian and I to slow to a halt.

"Ell, pass me your dagger."

I wordlessly pass him my dagger, my trust in him strong.

"You might not want to look," he says, voice emotionless, before raising his hands, both holding a dagger.

I barely have time to look away before the daggers leave Killian's hands and fly through the air before hitting their targets with a small thud.

"I wish I didn't have to do that," he says gruffly.

"But we would not have made it otherwise." I finish. And we would not have, these two were ready for us and armed with longer ranged weapons than our knives unlike the last two who were taken by surprise.

I try not to look at the men as we pass them, Killian pulls the daggers out and wipes off the blood on their chests.

"Ladies first," Killian says, gesturing upwards at the ladder, the wooden covering already off.

I climb up, inwardly thanking Alice for the design of her clothing, both practical and warm. At the top I am hit with cool air, and thankfully no sign of the morning sun, meaning we still have time.

I stand out the way for Killian as he too clambers out into freedom, his dark attire blending into the landscape.

We quickly make our way down the mountain side avoiding the dark shapes of rocks and bushes, the stars and moon still bright enough for us to see the small track. Within a short amount of time we reach the village, the urgency of the situation causing us to move with great speed.

Thankfully based outside the village hall is a large bell that used to alert everybody of an emergency. Time blurs from the moment the first clangs of the bell echo out across the valley and within moments chaos erupts. Villagers rushing out from their homes left right and centre, confusion and fear written on their faces.

Once most people are outside, Killian starts explaining the situation to them, ripples of discussion flowing backwards in the crowd. To my relief everybody then starts moving into groups and organising themselves, Killian leading the fighting group and myself trying to keep track of all the kids running around frightened.

All too soon the sky begins turning the faintest shades of pink, nature announcing to us that we need to move out now. The split occurs and people start the trek up the mountainside. Frantically I look around for Sage, unsure of what he is doing. Finally I spot his sandy coloured head bobbing through the crowd towards me, followed by Killian.

"Ell! Thank goodness you're okay! Killian told me what happened."

"Yes, I got lucky, will you be fighting or going up the mountain?" I ask.

"I am going to stay and fight, the village needs as much protection as it can get."

I nod, "I understand, fight well and stay safe okay!"

If I had not been tasked with helping the less physically strong, I too would want to be on defending Kirkwall.

"I will, Ell if anything happens to me tell Isabel I love her and —"

Before he can finish his sentence I stop him, "Sage, I will not be telling Isabel anything. You will make it back and be able to tell her yourself."

"I shall make sure of that." Killian adds in.

"Ok," he sighs with a smile, "I need to go find armour now, don't die on me Ell!" Sage says pulling me into an embrace, "All right, I shall see you on the other side."

He rushes off into the crowd leaving me with Killian.

"You know where you are going?" he asks.

"Yes, I will make sure no one is left behind."

For a moment Killian hesitates, a strange look in his eyes.

"Be safe." He says in a softer voice before abruptly turning and following Sage off into the fray.

"I will." I whisper at his receding back.

What was that?

Before I can think too long on that I suddenly spot Gisela holding two large baskets of what I assume is food and so I rush over to help her.

"Ah Ell, will you give an old lady a hand?"

"Of course, here give me the baskets." She passes me them, "Now go, find safety!"

She cocks one eyebrow, "Are you not coming?"

"I am coming, I am just going to make sure no one is left behind here."

"I shall wait with you, two eyes are better than one."

I smile, "Thank you, now let us go find the stragglers."

Together we check over the village green and in the hall for any lost children or people struggling to carry needed possessions and thankfully find no one. As we are beginning to make our own way up the mountainside, following a small almost hidden track, a trumpeting rings out from the other side of the valley.

A sound that sends fear into to my heart. It is a battle cry.

"Lass, you need not worry," Gisela says, catching my expression, "our village fighters are strong and with Killian even stronger. There was a reason as to why it was him that they took, they wanted the strongest to be out of the picture and thanks to you, he still is. Everyone had time to prepare thanks to you."

"Does anybody have any idea who these people from the mountain are?"

"Well," Gisela pause, "You remember the story of Tirunthius that I told you,"

"Yes... I thought that was just a legend."

"It is a legend, a legend that included elements of the truth."

Realisation dawns on me, "Are you saying that those people are Tirunthius' people?"

"I am guessing so, his descendants and followers." she says, a grim expression on her face, "I never thought that they would have stayed in the mountains for none of us were ever given any sign of their existence."

"They hid there for so long, planning their revenge..." I trail off as we reach the top of the track that leads out onto a plateau that is filled with people beginning to make a base for the day.

"Have faith in the warriors," Gisela speaks softly, "we haven't survived in these treacherous mountains thanks to our kind words, no, we our strong and we are survivors." 

A/N:

Extra update! Whoop whoop!

Thank you so much everyone for all of your support - I appreciate up all so much!

And good news, we now have chapters stored up so they should be posted more frequently again (hopefully)! 

SouthernAlps over and out...