Chapter 5: Blood is a Bad Sign

As the night fell, I dressed and packed a change of my husband’s clothes in a basket, and grabbed a sack of wine as if I’d intended to spend another night with Erich. I took my carriage this time, leaving it just one street over and out of sight so I could seem to walk to the prison as I always did. I approached the guards that usually let me but they halted me.

“The deal is done,” one of them said.

“I just wanted to bring him some food, I won’t stay long.” I insisted, eyeing the key to Erich’s chains hanging on his belt. I stepped closer to him. “I have a drought of wine and another bag of coins with your name on it for just one more night,” I promised as I held it up with one hand and swiped the keys with the other.

He took them, pocketing the coins and swigging the wine right away.

“Share,” the other demanded and the guard handed wine over for him to enjoy.

“Just really quickly,” I said, wondering how long they had before the sedative I put in the wine took effect. “Then I won’t ever come back.”

The first guard escorted me to the prisoner’s cell,yawning as he opened the door. I looked in to find the prisoner just as sedated as the first time I laid eyes on him.

He lifted his head to me and smiled. I smiled back wondering if we would make it out of the prison alive or if both of us would be executed at dawn.

“I don’t feel so good,” the guard exclaimed as he stumbled into the cell and fell on the ground.

That seemed to perk Erich up a bit. I quickly went to unlock his chains. I tried the key I lifted in the locks at his wrist.

It didn’t fit.

I tried the locks at his feet and felt panic rise at the same result.

I looked at the key and then the bigger locks that held the chains to the wall. Holding my breath, I tried those and the locks came undone one by one.

I breathed a slight sigh of relief and helped him to his feet.

“This is more complicated than I thought,” I mumbled, closing the door behind us and hanging up my cloak before pulling my husband’s clothes from the basket. “We don’t have much time.”

I struggled to help Erich dress around the chains weighing him down. When he was together, cradling the loose chains in his arms, I collected everything I’d brought with me and draped my arm around his waist. As we left the cell, I prayed the other guard would be just as passed out.

He was.

We made it slow and steady to the carriage. I drove it to my house and helped Erich into the barn. I knew the guards would wake from the sedative shortly and would head directly to me in order to recover the prisoner.

There was a storage and storm shelter beneath the barn. I helped Erich get inside and sat with him expecting to hear a barrage of feet overhead or some commotion signalling they were looking for their prisoner, but there was nothing throughout the night until dawn.

Erich broke through the sedative and was completely alert by the time I opened the door to the storm shelter and peeked out.

I signaled for him to wait for me. I closed the door, covering it with a burlap sheet and straw before going into my house. My stomach began to ache along the way and I knew exactly what it signaled. By the time I got home, I could feel the bleeding. I undressed and saw the blood.

“Blood is a bad sign,” I muttered as tears stung my eyes and began to fall.

I failed.

I couldn’t control the tears and sobs that came out as I thought about everything I’d lose if I couldn’t prove my pregnancy to Caystance in the next few weeks. I hurried to make a meal and prepare a canteen of water for Erich.

Taking it to him, I tried to explain that I was going to be gone until noon. He nodded his understanding as he broke into the food and drank some water.

I took a thorough bath and dressed, still waiting to hear an alarm or someone beating down my door for Erich. But neither came. Taking a deep breath, I readied myself to discover what had happened in the aftermath of Erich’s escape. I cloaked myself and pulled the fastest horse from the barn.

As I rode through the village, all was calm and quiet. I heard gunshots in the distance and realized the public executions were still going on at Taukin Square. I pointed the horse in that direction, taking note of a smoke pile that was rising in the air.

I arrived to see executed prisoners carted towards a burning pile as another group of prisoners were blindfolded in front of the firing squad. I turned away from the sight and my eyes fell to a group of official looking men standing over a body separated from the rest. The body was of a man the same size and coloring as Erich wearing a ratty shirt and pants wrapped in silver chains.

I swallowed wondering if indeed two prisoners had been bound in silver chains when I was startled by a gruff voice.

“If I ever get a chance to ring your neck,” he hissed from behind me. “I won’t hesitate.”

The guard I’d drugged and left in Erich’s cell walked around to face me and look me in the eye. I could see the blinding hot rage in his eyes and felt my blood run cold at the look of murder he poured into me.

“Who is that man in chains?” I asked.

“Who the f*ck do you think?” he spat out quietly as not to draw attention. “The magistrate came shortly after we woke to do a headcount. We had to poison and pose an imposter. Lucky for us the magistrate over estimated the amount of chain that would be needed to keep your friend secure.”

Shaking his head he said;

“He was the one prisoner the magistrate was never going to miss.”