The great escape

Rinomve bent over, panting. He had been running for over an hour trying to escape the guards that had been on his trail, no doubt sent by his aunt. Puffing and panting, he made it inside of the city of Oakenspell and dashed up to the door of the first tavern he saw.

"Excuse me," he breathed, approaching the counter inside the empty bar. "Is anyone home?" Esolru Imegee, the bartender and owner, stepped out from the backroom.

"Can I help you?" he asked, leaning against the bar.

"Yes, were there two people who came through here recently?"

"What do you mean? What people?"

"A man and woman. The man has dark black hair, pale eyes and a pale face. I don't know what the woman looks like. Have you seen anyone like this recently?"

"Ah yes. They came through yesterday."

"And where are they now?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I miss my friend," Please believe me, please! Rinomve thought, trying to look less anxious than he felt. Esolru's eyes scanned Rinomve, as if trying to decipher whether or not Rinomve was a danger to his buisness or not.

"They went to visit the man in the house accross the street," the bartender said, apparently making up his mind on how he felt about Rinomve.

"Thank you," Rinomve responded, sprinting out of the door and accross the street. He crashed into the canary yellow door which left him breathless, but the door didn't budge. He knocked on the door, hoping that someone open.

"Let me go!" Grace screetched as guards pinned her arms behind her back. Falael tried to move, but the mass of a man holding him back was far too stuborn and unrelenting. He tricked us he thought. I bet he wants to deliver me to her. You know what, it would be real nice if Rinomve was around right about now! He tried to move again, only to be rewarded with more pain.

"as pretty as you are my orders are to deliver you to Her Majesty Queen Envano, snowflake," Uzhor stroked grace's face, dragging his thumb accross her lower lip.

Just as I thought, he's going to turn us over to her. Falael realised. Hold up, snowflake?! Since when was he allowed to call Grace snowflake? Wait, why do I care so much? Urgh! Get a grip Falael, or it might just be the death of both you and Grace! He bit his lip, hard enough to taste the blood in his mouth.

Grace panicked. She hated being touched at any time, and loathed being handled by the slick bastard that had just two-timed herself and Falael. Squirming to get away from him, she felt a subtle yet sharp jab in her back. They're willing to use any means necesarry aren't they? No matter, just need to figure out how to weasel my way out of this. She felt herself being pulled up.

"It's a shame, really," Uzhor said cooly, as if taking prisoners was something that he did for amusement. "Such a fine lady as yourself would fetch a high price on the black market. Too bad the queen took such an interest in your family to have you brought to her."

"What do you mean?" it took all of the self control she had not to cuss out the asshole that had just entraped them into what could be a life of indentured servitude.

"You havent figured it out yet? Well then, if such a smart girl hasn't already figured it out then it's not worthwhile me saying anything." At this, Grace frowned. What haven't I figured out? Why would this Queen Envano be interested in my family? Its not as if we were wealthy, and no-one I know has ever been a courtier, so why does she have so much hate for us? How do we fit into the grand scheme of things? She started to slow her breathing, feeling the panic rising in her chest higher and higher. Dad does have something to do with this, dosen't he?

She felt herself being pulled away from where she had been standing, but she didn't resist. What's the point in fighting? It's not as if resisting is going to bring Mum or Riker or Addalyn back. No, if I can get closer to the truth by obedience then not resisting then I can make my move, with or without Falael. I hope they will let him go without issue. I'm sorry Falael, I dragged you into a conflict that wasn't yours to be involved in and I hope that you get to live well. The bars of the dim cell clanged shut, startling Grace out of her thoughts.

Rinomve doubled over, his body burning as if had been set on fire from the inside as he gasped for air. The man who had greeted him at the door had, without using words, told him that if he wanted to live, he needed to run as far as he could as fast as he could. So run he did. Around the far end of the building, trying to find any kind of opening, a window, a hole in the wall, whatever he could use to get into the building. His brotherhood instincts that connected him and Falael and made them more than just friends were going absolutely insane, telling him that Falael was both near and in a situation that was likely to end in his death. No doubt that Falael's insticts were doing similar summersaults sensing Rinomve's presence.

After feeling he had completely distroyed what was left of his batterred and travel-beaten feet he found exactly what he had been searching for. A single window in an otherwise glassless fortress, and vines of ivy to use as a ladder. After recoverng his breath he started to climb, every muscle screaming in pain as he moved. Inch by inch he moved closer to the window, occasiaionally slipping. After what felt like hours to his muscles but was really only a few minutes he reached the window.

The screetching of metal and glass was loud enugh to give Grace a headache painful enough to break her out of the trance-like state that she had somehow gotten herself into. The dimly lit room she had been placed in was different somehow, but how she couldn't figure out. It took her a moment to notice the blonde haired man that had snuck his way into the room without her notice.

"Are you Grace?" The man asked. "Grace Melarin? Daughter of Juniper and William Melarin?"

"What's it to you?" Grace snapped back, crossing her arms.

"I know what happened to her family, and what is going to happen to her and her travelling companion if I dont get them out of here," Grace froze. He says he knows what happened to my family. Does that mean that I should trust him? Is he really trying to help or is this another plot?

"How do you know about what happened to my family?"