The Last Chance

7. Now What?

Po winced while the door was shaking. He held his breath. But then, the steps went away. He respired and held his mouth nervously.
What should he do now? Who were they? Whoever they were, they had bad plans against the ex-lord. Maybe an enemy.
Po turned around and looked down at the seriously injured bird. A small blood spot was on the lord's head. The hit from the leopards had been very hard. Only now he realized that the intruders had wrapped a rope around the lord's wings.
Shen was still unconscious, but he moaned from time to time quietly.
Po came closer and bend down. He had to loosen the shackles to relieve the pressure on his broken wing. After he touched the cord, Shen wailed with pain. Po winced, but Shen didn't wake up. He shook again the rope, but it was too tight.
The panda sighed and looked around. No matter how bad Shen was injured or not, but they had to come out of here. But how?
Aimless Po went through the box room which had filled with all sorts of prison stuff, boxes, chains, weapons and...
Po stopped. In a corner there was a trap door.
Maybe a way to the cellar. Or to the freedom?
There was only one way to find it out.
With effort, he opened the hatch. Cold, moist air met his face. He sniffed. Thoughtfully he knitted his brow. It wasn't the smell of a wet cellar. It was the smell of water.
Po got a thought. Maybe this could be their chance.
He turned around and wanted to take Shen in his arms again, but then he hesitated.
Po remembered how big Shen's pride was. It would be a shame, if others saw his body like he was now. Po searched around and found an old brown blanket. Po wrapped it around Shen's almost half featherless body. Shen whimpered loudly when Po was rolling him around. But there was no other way. After that, he picked him up and together they climbed down some stone stairs which ushered them to a stony long jetty.
Po sighed in relief. Several boats had tethered there. He didn't wait long. Who knew when the attackers would find them. The boat swung a little as they embarked. Po laid Shen on the wooden floor and untied the boat. He pushed it off and the boat swam through a tunnel. Po took a paddle and the boat swam faster. If Po's thoughts were right, they would come out to the river or to the sea, which flowed through the city.
It wasn't long until there was a dim light at the end of the tunnel. They passed a little arch and came to a lonely spot in the harbor. Derelicted and ownerless ships lay around in the water. At least nobody had seen them.
Po let swim the boat adrift a few meters and looked back, where he saw the last few houses of the city. Po didn't know what to do. It was a risk for both to go back. But more for Shen. Should he bring him back? It was a delinquency to spare him.
Po sighed and thought again about Shifu's words.
He looked at Shen, who lay flinching and with trembling beak on the boat floor.
Maybe it was the best for him to die. Maybe the best for all. It was his will to die. But for Po it wasn't the right thing. Not yet. Not here.
He wiped over his head and looked at Gongmen City.