Swan Song ❂ Killian Jones [1]

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By now, it was not only Odette's head that was aching but also her wrists. Yet she endured it. After all, there was no other way to free them that didn't involve suffering from rope burn. And she continued to move around, doing whatever she could to loosen the ropes. Because she could feel it happening with each tug.

She had no way of telling how much time had passed. Sitting in the darkness, only capable of doing one single thing and constantly repeating it, it felt like both minutes and hours at the same time. And, fearful it might be the latter, the moment Odette felt the ropes binding her hands shift and loosen, she started tugging on them tighter.

She pulled and wiggled until she felt the light brush against her wrists as they slipped away. Her hands were finally free, shoulders cracking as she rolled them and brought her arms forward. Odette didn't waste much time on soothing her wrists, but instead, quickly rose to her feet, ready to tackle the next problem.

Getting out of the mines would be tricky in the dark, but as George had left behind no source of light, she was left on her own. Odette walked in the direction she'd seen him disappear when he left, hands outstretched and in front of her, each step slow and steady as she tried to reach for a wall she could use as a guide.

It wasn't long before she felt the cold stone surface brush against her palm, and taking a step forward, her hands fully pressed against the wall. She started to search around it, in both directions, looking for the exit to the small cave-like space and a way back into the mines. She stepped through it.

Left, Odette remembered. George's light had disappeared towards the left when he walked out into the tunnels. So, she went left. Each step painfully slow and careful in the darkness. Truthfully, a part of Odette hoped she'd come upon the marked town line. She knew the dwarves had left lights there so no one could ever cross by accident. And along with the lights, directions back to the exit.

Instead, the hand which she used to continue feeling the wall beside her suddenly fell through a gap and with some waving Odette realized she was standing by a corner. Walking across the hall she was in, she reached for its other end, hands patting against the wall until she found another gap. It was a crossroads that branched off in two directions at least. And she had no way of knowing which direction was the right one.

At least not until something caught her eye. A light bounced off of the walls from beyond the corner. She couldn't yet see the person carrying it but could hear their footsteps as they seemingly tripped over some rocks and stomped around in an attempt to regain their balance.

Quickly, Odette took a step backwards, letting the wall obscure her as she knelt down. Her hands, now leaving the walls, she started patting around the ground, feeling through the stones until she found one she deemed big enough. Its sharp edges nestled into her hand as she rose back up, positioning her arm in the air, ready to strike.

Knock George out. Take his flashlight. Make her way out of here. That was Odette's plan. And she knew it'd be a good one as she remained in her spot, entirely silent. She could see the light bouncing against the walls growing brighter the closer it got. By the time she was visible, it would be too late. And once she'd deemed it close enough, she stepped out of her hiding spot, her arm already swinging. And then coming to a sudden stop.