Part LXV

"How touching."

The commander was standing in the door filling the space completely. He had a cold gaze that landed on the two of them.

"The child is hungry and thirsty." Joel bravely looked the men into his eyes.

"Well the kid stays here and you Missy will be taken to another room." The sides of his mouth curled up a bit totally ignoring what Joel had said before.

"Please sir, do not separate me from this child." Joel grabbed the kid and held him tight.

"Remove the lady." The commander stepped to the side letting two men in. Joel was grabbed under his arms and forced to let the little duke go.

"It's fine Nathaniel. We will see each other in the morning." Joel tried to look calm and even smiled trying to shake those two men off.

"I will walk on my own." He said to the commander.

"What a brave lady." The commander was looking at Joel in a way that made him shiver inside. Joel could only imagine what would happen to him if they knew he was a man.

They took him to a separate room with a little window high up.There were bars in that window. That was bad. Joel was pushed inside again, the maid's cap he was wearing crooked so he took it off. His long curly blonde hair spread around his shoulders. Joel looked at the guard who suddenly stopped and was watching him intently. Joel quickly decided to make the most seductive look and smiled a bit.

"Dan, come here." Somebody called the guard and Joel was left all alone.

After checking every nook and cranny of this small room Joel was sure the only way out was through the door. He came closer, there was a crevice between the door and the floor. Joel lying flat on the floor was able to hear some parts of their conversation. It seemed the commander was leaving and will be back at dawn. The prisoners were supposed to stay locked. That was Joel's chance. He waited till all the noises stopped and the commander seemed to be gone then he knocked on the door. He had to repeat the action three times till the door opened.

"Sir, could you please give me a glass of water." Joel made puppy eyes. Luckily it was the same man as before.

The guard closed the door without uttering a single word.

Fuck. This won't do, maybe he will be able to open the door with one of his knives. Joel was studying the hinges when he heard the steps. He managed to step back when the guard came in. The man, called Dan, was in his forties with a beard and bald shaved head. Right now he was holding a glass of water in his hands.

"Thank you sir." Joel reached for the water but the man stepped back.

"Not so hasty, Missy. You have to pay for the water and my service." There was a smirk on his face.

"I don't have any money." Joel admitted honestly.

"No need for money when you have such a pretty face. I'm sure you know how to pay a man like me." He directly grabbed his crotch and Joel knew he had him. Joel bit his lower lip and looked at the man crotch and later his face as if he was begging for a fuck.

"But sir, there are others here and I don't want them to hear anything .."

The man smiled brightly.

"No worries my pretty one, we are all alone for the next hour."

That was all Joel needed to know.

"May I have my glass of water please?" Joel came closer while lifting his dress up.

"Sure." He handed Joel the glass watching Joel's legs.

Well Joel was thirsty, even very much but he knew he had to do this little sacrifice. He splashed the water on the man's face and in the same moment he pulled out his dagger hidden on his tight. Dan was taken by surprise and was too slow to avoid the blade. Joel didn't hold back, it was either kill or die. The blood dripped on his hand and clothes, Joel wiped the dagger and went out of the room looking around carefully. Dan didn't lie, there was nobody here so Joel quickly went to open the door of Nat's prison.

"Nat, I'm here." He called the little boy who immediately run to him holding Joel tightly.

"It's fine Nat, we need to run away to find your dad. You have to be brave." Joel was trying to pour some courage into the boy's heart.

"Is this your blood?" The child asked, looking at Joel's hands.

"No." Joel wasn't sure how the boy might react after hearing what he has done a few minute's before.

"Did you kill those bad men?" The boy's eyes w looked darker.

"Yes, I did."

"Good, take me to my dad."

Joel smiled, the kid was a really surprising and tough guy.

"We need to be quiet and you have to do what I say."

Nathaniel nodded in agreement.

Joel looked through the window, there were a few men around the house. Joel checked the back of the house as well. There were two guards as well. They were talking and weren't paying much attention. Joel took the blanket and while explaining his plan to the little duke, cut it into long strips. After that he went back to the main room, took the table cloth and set it on fire then placed it on the chair with which he blocked the door. Soon the smoke started to fill the room as Joel used a rope made out of a blanket and helped Nat out. All the guards ran to the main entrance. Joel used the rope to get out too and they headed for the forest behind the house.

Joel was running again, but this time he had a little child to look after. It was dark and hardly anything could be seen. Joel knew they had not much chance to make their escape that way. So he decided to do what he has done before and make a small circle and turn back to the house. There was a small chance that in all this commotion they will manage to slip past those men and go back to the manor. There was an option that nobody would think about such a possibility.