Inheritance: Threads of Fate

Chapter Twenty - Escape

The fireworks ended right as Raxe fitted the bars back into place. You, Caspian and Zumi snuck around the curve of the wall just as the guards came back to their positions. You led the way toward the direction Raxe had said the slave's quarters were, staying as much to the shadows of the trees as possible. There were five barracks lined up next to each other. You motioned that you would take the first one, and for Zumi and Caspian to each take the next two.
You cracked the door open to the first building and slipped inside, shutting it behind you quietly. The room was full of bunks, there had to be at least forty men stuffed inside this barrack alone. It was difficult with the minimal moonlight you had to see with, but you made your way around the room, looking at each man, trying to find your father. A little voice whispered from behind you.
"What are you doing?" A child sat up from one of the top bunks.
You hesitated, but then decided to approach him. "Sorry to wake you sweetie, I'm looking for someone?" You whispered.
"Who?"
"His name is Doleraz. You wouldn't happen to know him?"
"Oh yea. Everyone knows 'Papa Z'." The little boy yawned.
"Where is he?" You asked hopefully.
"All the old timers sleep in the last bunkhouse."
"How old are you?"
"Seven."
Your heart broke. "Have you been here a long time?"
"Oh yea. My whole life. My dad's teaching me everything he knows so I can work up to being a master picker one day." He said proudly.
"I'm sure you're well on your way." You smiled at him, wishing more than anything you could take him with you. "Go back to sleep now, and thank you for your help."
He nodded and lay back down, and you snuck back out of the room.

You poked your head into the next barrack to find Caspian still searching, he jumped when you opened the door. You nodded your head for him to follow you out.
"My father is in the last house." You pointed to the end of the row once you were back outside.
"How do you know?" Caspain asked.
"There was a little boy...Caspian he was only seven..."
"Poor thing..." He shared your sentiment.
"Will you wait and let Zumi know when he comes out?"
Caspian nodded and you made your way down to the end of the row, sneaking into the last bunkhouse.

There were less men in this one, it seemed like the longer you worked for Ishta the bigger the space you were permitted for your sleeping quarters. The beds were more spread out so it was easier for you to sneak about. The men were definitely older, some you weren't sure should even still be working... Then in the last bed in the corner of the room, your father lay on his back, snoring silently. You knelt down, and put your hand gently over his mouth.
He gasped awake frightfully.
"Shhh. Dad. It's me." You whispered calmly and moved your hand away from him.
"Ladybug?" He whispered in a shaky voice.
"Hi Dad." You began to tear up at hearing his voice for the first time in seven years.
"Wha...what are you doing here?" He sat up and hugged you, squeezing you as if you were going to turn into smoke and disappear.
"I'm here to bring you home." Your voice trembled, squeezing him just as tightly. But you were afraid to hurt him. The strong shoulders that used to carry you around the village were skin and bone.
"You shouldn't be here. Please say you didn't get..." He began frantically and a few of the other men grunted in their sleep.
"Shh." You whispered with tears in your eyes. "I'll explain everything, but we have to get you out of here. Come on." You stood up and asked him to follow, but he didn't move. Looking around suspiciously.
"If the Master finds out..."
"He won't. We will be long gone before anyone knows we were here. Please...." You tried to rush him.
He hesitantly got up and out of bed, and followed you outside.
"Ladybug...if we get caught..." He kept trying to stop you.
"Dad please, just trust me." You insisted, pulling him by the hand towards the first bunkhouse where the silhouettes of Caspian and Zumi stood waiting for you.
"You found him." Zumi whispered surprised.
"Good, let's go." Caspian urged you.
"Bug, who are these men?" Your dad asked, still hesitant to follow.
"My friends Dad, come on." You pulled him along, but you all came to a dead stop in the trees before the gate. The guards were posted in their rightful places again.
"Shit. We didn't think of this." Zumi panicked.
You looked around frantically in the dark, hoping for a distraction to come out of nowhere.
"You're not planning on walking out the gates?" Your dad asked. "They're locked..."
"There's an opening in the bars that we can get through, if we can just draw the guards away..." You explained.
"The picking poles make an awful racket when they fall." Your dad pointed to a bundle of poles balancing against a table. "The Master hates when we drop them."
"Throw some rocks at them." Zumi picked up some stones off the floor. "Even if we hit one, they should all start to come down."
You only had to throw a few before one of the poles fell, followed by another. The guards looked up and hurried over, one of them saying. "Quick, catch them before they wake the Master!"
You didn't waste a second, as soon as their attention was drawn you made your way to the gates, and pulled the bars off the opening.
"GO." You urged your dad forcefully, and Caspian helped him through the gap.
Zumi took the bars from you, "You go next. No time to argue."
You hesitated but then followed your dad out, then Zumi forced Caspian through, before himself. He had just situated the cut bars back into place when the guards started back towards you. Raxe was waiting in the alleyway.
"Nice to see you again Sir." He greeted your dad.
"Raxe??" You dad said in shock. "This isn't the same scrawny kid that used to follow you around?" He looked to you.
You laughed. "Yes dad. Come on, up you go."
Raxe helped him mount one of the camels, then you and Caspian on another, followed by Raxe, and Zumi took Abra.
"Let's act as casual as possible until we get out of this city..." Zumi cautioned "Remember I'm just a nobleman traveling with my slaves and wife..."

You made it all the way to the front gates of the city, you were waiting in line to exit when the alarm bells tolled from the top of the hill.
"Don't panic." Caspian whispered to you all. "They don't know they're looking for us."
You got to the front of the line.
"Are you taking anything you didn't bring with you?" The guard asked routinely.
"No Masters." Caspian answered for you.
"A slave has been stolen from Master Ishta's estate!" A guard came up running.
Your face drained of color, and you saw your dad tense.
"Close the gates!" The guard commanded.
"Sorry Master. No one else is leaving tonight." The gate guard looked up at Zumi.
"This is unacceptable." Zumi feigned calm anger. "You cannot hold a noble here against his will."
"Apologies Sir, Emperor's orders." The gate guard explained as the big wooden gates began to shut in front of you.
"GO!" you yelled and you all kicked your mounts into full gallop and bolted through the gates.
"STOP THEM!" The guards shouted behind you, but you were already halfway down the bridge. People were diving out of the way as you drove your animals full speed through the crowd.
"Don't look back! Don't stop!" You shouted back. Galloping on camelback was not graceful, and Caspian had to hang on to your waist so you both didn't slide off but you were grateful that they were fast. You could hear the guards mounting their horses and chasing you as their hooves thundered across the bridge behind you ominously.  You made it to the end of the bridge and onto the path that followed the river.
"We can't stay on the path." Raxe called out from beside you. "We'll be too easy to spot."
"Head toward the desert then!" You called as you veered your camel west towards the dark dunes.
"We'll never get out of there!" Your dad called from behind you.
"Your daughter has become an expert of surviving in the desert." Caspian turned to assure him. "Zumi's falling behind." He mentioned to you as he noticed Abra couldn't keep up with the camels.
"Come on Abra!" You turned and shouted. "You can do it boy!"
Abra found a second wind when he heard your voice and sped up. You didn't stop running until you were well out of sight of the city.