The War (All Chapters + Synopsis)

Chapter 5.2 - Katlyn

The medic is checking Ilena's pulse when I enter the cell. Her slim and muscled torso is uncovered, all the scars of battles, old and new, are alarmingly visible against her pale skin. She gestures with a quick movement of her head for me to come over to the bed.

"You're pulse is steady and your fever is starting to break. I suggest not getting out of this bed for at least another day," the medic explains, Ilena nods in dismissal and the medic hurries from the room with his equipment.

I cringe involuntarily at the sight of the bandages wrapped around her upper body. Ilena picks up a black tank top from the bed and pulls it on over her head slowly as to avoid reopening the wounds. I watch as the fabric covers the arrow wound on her shoulder, the one that she came home with after a year of being missing in action. It slips over the wounds on her stomach from past battles, and the small scars from the recent ones.

"What's happened?" My best friend and commander inquires.

"Carber forced Lauria to make him Lues's heir. Carber is reigning as king regent at the moment," I explain to her, averting my eyes. "He's ordered all noble loyalists to be executed at first light. He gave the Fera couple permission to leave, but I think they'll be hanging from the gallows tomorrow morning with everyone else."

"My brother and Amalia Crestman, are they gone?"

"They're nowhere to be found. Ilena, what are you doing!" I exclaim as Ilena slips from the bed onto her feet.

"We have to save all those people Katlyn, I'm not going to let them be hanged in my name," She says in a strained voice. She stumbles and I catch her. "Sorry," she whispers, I don't know why she thinks she has anything to apologize for.

"How, Carber has an army if you didn't notice?" I ask my friend, pretending I didn't notice her stumble.

"How many guards in the dungeons, and how many prisoners?" Ilena inquires, I can see that the cogs in her head are already starting to form the basis of an escape strategy.

"Two guards at your door, four guarding the entrance to the honored prisoner area, and about a dozen guarding the rest of the prisoners. There are about five honored prisoners, and about a hundred others," I answer her as we hobble towards the door. "Only half are soldiers or royal guard."

"Alright, we'll take out the guards in this area first and get all the nobles out. Then we take out the guards closest and help the other prisoners escape. You said Lauria is a loyalist, we'll tell them to head for Xiros or my aunt Thea in Chlorida," Ilena explains.

"I know this is a stupid question, but are you sure you aren't going to pass out on me during the fighting?" I ask her hesitantly.

"Not really, but I'll try not to," Ilena laughs dryly, then her face grows serious. "Katlyn, this is an order, don't get caught aiding the escape. Even if you have to hit me or something to keep them from suspecting you. I don't want to be responsible for your little brother losing another sibling."

"Understood," I respond, praying to the gods to make this plan succeed. "On three?"

"One... two... now!" She whispers to me and the shadows slam into the door. The guards are down before they even understand what's happening.

Ilena grabs a spear off of one of the guards and slams it into the oncoming guards. I take the keys and open all the occupied cells. Anxious lords and ladies rush out to join Ilena. Charissa Mellon and Exypnos Evgenis are two of the escapees. They help us herd the other three into a bubble behind myself and Ilena. We count to three again then burst into the general cell area.