The Boy from the Bunker

Episode Six, Part 5:

Episode Six, Part 5:
S t o i c

Wynnlow could hear sounds close by, but distinguishing where they were coming from was near to impossible. He knew he had to be quiet; one wrong move and he could give himself away - then, he'd stand no chance of making it to Blood Riders. But the fear wasn't enough to stop him.

The hardest part had been making his way inside the Sovereign's Quarters; an off chance when the watchman had turned away was like an act of fate, a message to Wynnlow that he could do this, that he had to do this.

The dim lighting disorientated Wynnlow for a moment, and the rush of adrenaline mixed made it hard for him to focus on where he was. But he figured it out after catching a glimpse of a boy he recognised.

Kodiak left from a room, almost directly across from where Wynn was hiding, and he left the door slightly ajar. With a quick look in both directions, Wynnlow hurried over to the room, praying that there wasn't anyone inside. When he saw that it was empty, a sigh of relief escaped him, and he carried on to work before wasting another moment trying to collect his thoughts.

He pulled out the first two bags he could reach, chucking them onto the table and ripping them open. Surrounding him, there were shelves and countless draws all containing valuable supplies that the Sovereign's could use on their mission trips. Things Wynnlow didn't even know the use for, but grabbed just in case. Within a minute, he had already filled up one of the bags - an array of torches, and batteries, and rations, and some sort of tarp that he figured he could use for shelter. In the second, some sort of ammunition. Unaware of how to load it, of if it was even the requirement of the guns he collected, he stashed as many bullets into as many pockets as he could find, continuing until he was interrupted.

Wynnlow froze momentarily, certain that if it was one of the watchmen, he would be banished before he even had a chance to defend himself. But it was Kodiak who stood in the doorway, unable to comprehend to boy's intentions.

"Wynn? What are you doing?"

When he realised that he wasn't rushing over to stop him, Wynnlow continued to fill the bag, grabbing anything his hands could now find, not even paying attention to what he possessed.

"You know you're not allowed in here..." Kodiak spoke, still trying to understand what was happening. "The only reason you were in here earlier was because Riverly invited you in."

In realisation that Wynnlow wasn't acknowledging him, Kodiak stepped forward. "She doesn't know you're here..." Kodiak's eyes drifted to the bag, and everything finally clicked.

"You're-" leaving, he was about to say, but Wynnlow cut him off.

"I'm sorry. But I have to do this. Just let me get out of here tonight and I'll take whatever punishment your people settle on."

Kodiak reached for his radio, hesitating to make a call. "Wynn, you can't do this. I can't stop you from going."

"That's fine. You don't need to do anything. I've got this-"

"No!" Kodiak interrupted him. "I mean, I can't do anything to interfere."

As he slung the bags over his shoulder, Wynnlow halted. The curiosity inside him kept him staying for just a little while longer. Until he heard what the boy had to say.

"If I try to stop you, you'll fight back, won't you? You'll try to get away?"

Wynnlow shifted uncomfortably, unsure what Kodiak was trying to achieve by him confirming. "Yeah..." he agreed, cautiously studying his response.

"But the minute someone else sees that, Eryx will be notified. And the blame will go to Riverly. They'll see it that she isn't responsible over you, or that it's interfering with her duties as a Sovereign. She'll get punished, and you won't be allowed back. And God knows what she'd do anyway to try and find you, even if you do leave."

Wynnlow bit down on his lip, shifting his weight to his other leg. The small part of him that managed to tolerated Sol, disliked the idea that him leaving would get her in trouble. And in spite of how rude she could be, she had already risked a lot for him - a lot more than Wynnlow wanted to recognise. Opening up Basilisk's gates, training him, protecting him outside, helping him find Lyra... At least now when he left, and without the possibility of returning, he knew that she wouldn't have to make any more sacrifices in order to benefit him.

Wynnlow shook his head, as if to break himself free from doubt. "She won't come after me."

"I have to tell her. Sooner or later, people are going to realise that your people aren't around. Eryx will question Riverly. She'll have to tell him that you got away. That she couldn't secure the people inside of her own camp."

Wynn refused to pay attention. He walked over towards the door, brushing straight past Kodiak whose loyalty to Sol defeated him from stopping Wynnlow. But as he reached the doorway, Kodiak's message, once again, caused him to hesitate on his decision.

"Riverly? It's Koda. I need you to meet me at the Quarters immediately. This can't wait."

As Wynnlow stepped forward into his departure from Basilisk, he heard Sol's voice call through in response to Kodiak. "I'm on my way."

As his feet carried him all the way to Sol's escape tunnel, her voice rung about in his head; he thought about was how that would be the last time he would ever hear her voice. For some reason that he couldn't explain, that mattered to Wynnlow.

s i x // p a r t f i v e
24/11/18