Silver and Evergreen

Chapter 4

More sounds of steel clunking on the stone floor. "Your Highness." Someone says behind the young man. Highness? That does make sense with what he is wearing. Only a Royal can afford attire like that. "I would put that out if I were you." The soldier warns.

The royal turns to the voice and nods his head, the light disappears on a silent command. "Ah, Captain Hellman." The metal clanks when they shake hands. "Anything to report?"

"No your Majesty." The captain shakes his head and looks out to the mountains. "And to be frank you needn't come out here. It is not safe for a Prince, you are the future of our holy city."

"We have many enemies out there trying to find a way into our city and exploit our resources. I want to make sure my people are safe. This part of the northern wall is our most vulnerable and they know it too. A single assassin or spy could slip past our guard through here."

Or a simple slave girl.

"Even if I'm here on patrol for a couple of hours it eases my mind, I don't like waiting around."

The captain looks back at the Prince and after a moment the man bows his head. "As you wish your Highness." The captain says under his breath.

"Good. You can go back to your patrol now Captain." The Prince says turning away and rests his hands on the stone wall looking out to the north.

With that the Captain bows again and walks away back to his post. When the Prince thinks he's alone he lets out a sigh and sets the helmet on the ledge.

We sit like this for about 20 minutes. It takes all my strength to stay awake, to stop my head from dropping. Sitting in this position is starting to hurt my legs and something is digging into my back. I should try sneaking away but I don't dare move, he's only a couple steps to my right and could hear me. What am I going to do if he doesn't move soon?

One hour has passed now. I try to move so I can sit cross legged or into a better position to get a little more comfortable. But the object that is still digging into my ribs catches on the strap of the satchel. It falls causing the rest to go with it. I realize now they are swords that were sitting on a weapon rack. I wince at the noise and immediately the man turns his head. He walks over with that little ball of light hovering behind him again.

Oh no, oh no. I still look like a child, no older than 14. He won't strike me down on sight will he? The man unsheathes his sword that was hanging at his waist. Oh Great Gods help me. When he rounds the wall his eyes widen as he stares at me. In a panic I curl up with my back to the wall, my eyes wide as he stares back in shock.

"How?" He leans in closer as if I'm not real. "How did you get up here child? You're not supposed to be here. What is your name?"

I stare back at him too terrified to speak, what do I do. Staying here to rest was a terrible idea, I should have pushed on until I got to the city. Now I'm going to be taken away somewhere... I was so close to freedom too.

"Prince Sebastian! Are you all right?"

The Captain he was talking to earlier. The young man in front of me stands up straight to reply to the running soldier coming toward us. That's my distraction. I can't get captured if they suspect me to be an assassin and there is no excuse of being up here without lying. I must go now.

"Everything is fine Hellman some swords fell over. You can stop running."

Before he looks back I reach for the ledge behind me and pull my body over the cold stone. My stomach scrapes on the hard surface. Into the darkness. The wind blows as I free fall and with the last of my energy, I turn into a small black bird. With the ground coming fast I spread my wings out and the wind catches allowing me to soar towards the city. The faint lights and the moon guide me in the night. I can't believe I did that. Elyse would be proud of me, at how far I've come and that I made it into Adelaide.