A Court of Watchful Shadows

Oh Suriel, Suriel! Where are you?

I stare, wide eyed, at the small army I could see gathered at the main exit...

Ziven standing tall in the midst of it.

"SEARCH THE ENTIRE PLACE, I KNOW SHE'S HERE" he bellowed at the small army in front of him.

How had he found me? And how had he gathered an army? A small one, yes but still numerous men.

I didn't want to risk being captured by staying to find out so I turned around and headed back quietly into the chambers, back to the entrances of the underground tunnels.

I look at the entrance to this long corridor, stone walled and old chains hanging from either side for whatever purpose and began to wander into the tunnel, wasting no time.

The chartreuse tunnel was faintly lit by daylight, but the floor was complete sludge as I waded through it, careful not to make too much noise in fear of alerting the army above me.

I continue on, wading and wading until I hear a loud crunch beneath me. I prayed it wasn't what I thought it was. I look down to see my foot now wedged in a skull of someone- no, something...

It was the skull of an Attor...ew

My foot was stuck in the hollow part of the skull and I had trouble getting it off. I struggle for a while until finally managing to fling it off my foot in a temper.

BANG

A loud crash sounded out after the skull was flung off and hit the side of the tunnel wall, causing me to curse myself for being so careless.

"Did you hear that?" A soldier shouted from about 100 yards behind me.

"Yes soldier, this way!" Another replied and I heard them begin making their way down the tunnel.

I had no choice but to run now, they'd already heard me what more did it matter how much noise I'd make, leading them to me. It was better to run and have my freedom than risk being caught by Ziven. I shudder at the thought.

I run and run, splashing through the sludge as I'm panting for breath. I've never had to run so much in my life than this past few months...it was hell.

As I begin to see light at the end of the tunnel my hopes light up simultaneously. Daylight! Freedom!

I hear them gaining on me as I'm reaching the end of the tunnel.

Oh no.

"There she is! Seize her!!" They bellow after me, making bets with one and other about who will be the one to catch me.

I can feel them at the ends of my ankles, shrugging out of their grasping hands, my heart thundering wildly in my chest.

I knew what I needed to do to escape.

I burst into shadow as I had done when leaving the spring court after the Ianthe encounter. Flowing through the woods leaving a smoky, shadow trail behind me that would likely lead them right to me. I had to hide. Fast.

They'd be able to scent me if I hid in a tree so that wasn't an option. Neither was a village as the nearest one was too far. Water. That was my best option!

I storm in shadow wildly through the woods, my eyes scanning for the sign of a river, or lake of some sort.

A small pond comes into my eye-line. It looked deep enough, cauldron pray it is.

I take on a solid form so as to disperse the shadows quicker and step into the pond, immersing myself in it, waiting until I hear the guards nearby to completely go under.

I wait below the surface of the water, listening closely so as to hear them over the pond now muffling all my hearing.

I hear the muffled sounds get quieter and quieter but still I wait, cautious that they might be tricking me. Fifty years below the mountain will drive that cautiousness into you, and you never learn to shake it off.

After I'm certain they're gone I peek my head out slowly from the water and listen again for awhile, to be completely sure.

My shadows crept around me, the water making them appear more of a milky gray colour, drifting around me as though in protection as I made sure I was safe.

As soon as I was certain it was I made my way up and out of the pond and immediately went to climb a tree so as to get to a vantage point and dry off quicker from more access to wind up there.

As I climb the tree i think about how on earth I'm going to get out of this situation, there's only so many places in Prythian I can go until Ziven finds me. Ziven has a hunter-like mindset and would stop at nothing until he had me. This was why he'd never given up proposing to me every time I visited my father before Amarantha. I could run but I couldn't hide...

I get to the top of the thick branched tree and perch at the top. Nothing around me but endless thick wood, I couldn't see the army through the trees. It was hopeless, just a thick green carpet stretched ahead of me.

I make my way down the tree, heading for where my pack was at the bottom to check if I had any supplies that would last me more than a few days. When I came across a nice cloak I'd brought from under the mountain, and an idea struck me...