Chapter 7 - Time to Disappear, by Jumping out the Window, of Course

Shouting and the smell of burning wood startles Morgan awake. Having fallen into such a deep sleep, it slipped her mind that she was going to make her escape after the wedding.

Quickly jumping up and hastily pulling a traveling cloak around herself, she grabbed the satchel that she packed before the council meeting. Despite her dislike for him, she woke Luciack.

“What's going on?” He asked as they ran through the hall toward the stairs, down to the throne room. His question was answered, but not by her. The castle was on fire, under attack by soldiers from Scholar's Keep. They could see Geoffrey and Isaac as they fought alongside Phillip near the doors.

“Edward...” She gasped and whirled around, taking off toward her brother's room. She would not leave him there to be burned alive, or slaughtered. Throwing open the door to his bedroom, she found it empty. She froze, heart stopping as her eyes took in the empty room. Where was Edward? Luciack grabbed her arm to drag her away to safety, but she resisted.

“Morgan, we have to leave!” Shouting to be heard over the roar of the fight and crackle of flames, he tried again to pull her away. That time, she didn’t stop him, clutching her heart as tears spilled down her cheeks. Leading her quietly, but quickly to the throne room, Luciack squeezed her hand in, what she assumed, was an effort to comfort her.

The scene had transformed in the few moments they had been gone. Geoffrey lay limp on the ground and Isaac bled heavily. They couldn't see Phillip at all. The Scholar's Keep soldiers, seeing them, advanced with wicked smiles.

“Take them as prisoners! Kill the rest of them!” The captain shouted and pointed at Luciack and Morgan with his curved scimitar blade.

“Time to run,” She breathed, her survival instinct overriding her grief as adrenaline surged through her veins. They swung around once again and made for the balcony.

Too late, several of the foreign soldiers guarded the balcony doors. More poured in behind them, they were trapped. Her thoughts grew dark when she imagined what was going to happen to them. Two royal prisoners of war... The flames drew closer to the stairs where they stood, heat and smoke driving the soldiers ever closer.

“Your room, go, get in there. I'll distract them as long as I can. Go out through the window and run. I'll come as soon as I can,” Luciack said in a whisper, his warm breath against her ear. Doubt swirled in her mind as she looked up at him, the determination in his eyes. Something about the way the flames flickered in his eyes unsettled her, gave her pause. Slowly pushing her behind him and putting her closer to the door of her bedchambers, he gives her a subtle nod.

“Be careful,” She whispered, pushed the door open enough to slip through, then hesitated for a moment as she looked at him. Dread filled her heart as it raced. If they moved quickly enough to stop her before she got to the window, Luciack's courage would be for nothing. He'd given her a chance at escaping. She couldn't waste that.

“Nowhere to run now, is there? Don't try to be brave, little Princess. You and your Prince will be dead by morning!” The captain's cold voice and evil sneer were just what she needed to quell any second thoughts she may have had, any thought of fighting.

“You don't know this Kingdom half as well as I do,” She smirked as she slipped through the door, throwing as much in the path as she could on her way to the window. She glanced back, a dull ache in heart when she heard Luciack's voice, before throwing the window open and leaping down onto the cobbles. There was no time for hesitation. One slip would mean her death now. Her training in the Grim Brotherhood would be what saved her there.

Dallek was in flames, civilians ran through the streets screaming as they tried to save themselves, their families. Everywhere she looked, chaos. An army of soldiers invaded their little kingdom. She didn't know what they intended to do. Dallek had no important relations to Shadow Mountain.

We have the closest border to the White City… She remembered, heart skipping a beat. That had to be what their plan was, take over Dallek and storm the White City. It's worse than they thought.

She had to tell the Brotherhood. They could help, or at least she hoped they could. At least they could escape alive.

Trying to navigate the burning streets was nigh impossible and required all of her concentration. Smoldering beams toppled every direction. Soldiers ravaged the city, screams silenced in their wake.

No one had seen it coming. Who would expect to be ambushed in the dead of night by an army? Right after a royal wedding, no less…

Could they have known somehow? No. You don’t have time to think about that right now… She told herself and kept running.

Feet pounded on the road behind her. A spared glance back told her it was Luciack running toward her, trailed by soldiers. They shouted at the archers to stop them, their cries lost among the wails of children without their mothers.

“Follow me,” She shouted at Luciack. Even if she was possibly putting the whole Brotherhood at risk, it had to be done. She had no other choice. It was either abandoning him to his certain death or taking both of them to safety within the sanctuary. Surely they would understand, given the circumstances. She couldn’t have his death on her conscience after he saved her.

Above her head a flaming board creaked and snapped. Her husband dove at her just in time to pull both of them out of the way. They barely made it. The board lay at their heels, its flame spreading rapidly. The soldiers were trapped behind it, giving them time to escape.

“That was a close one,” Luciack pulled her to her feet and they ran through the smokey streets.

Her throat burned, lungs felt full of dust. Staying on the road out of the flames was like walking a tightrope as they coughed, barely able to see through the stinging of their smoke-filled eyes.

Half-way to the sanctuary now, She closed her eyes and grabbed Luciack's hand. She knew this part of Dallek by heart.

“Where are we going?” He called out to her as loud as he dared. She squeezed his hand harshly, a subtle warning.

“Be quiet! I don't want anyone to hear us,” She hissed, throat raw. The air was clearing and the forest lay untouched. That would give them an advantage, but for how long? She doubted the soldiers could follow them through the trees.

Morgan opened her eyes, gasping for breath. She clutched at her throat, coughing hoarsely, pain like daggers clawing at her lungs. Luciack took her hand and gently pulled her to the ground at the base of a tree. She could see the worry in his eyes as they looked at one another, catching their breath. She could hear the river nearby that supplied the Brotherhood with water. They were close, but not there. They weren’t out of danger yet.

She didn't know if she could make it to the water or not. On her hands and knees, she moved toward the water. Head pounding, vision blurred, it hardly felt like she was moving at all. An eternity seemed to stretch on before her, then her fingers felt the cool rocks on the river bank.

The cold water soothed her aching, burned skin. Cupping my hands in the water and letting the water fill them, she drank the cold liquid, savoring its icy touch. Her throat still burned, but not as badly. Beside her Luciack did the same. He was worse off than she was, though he didn't show it. She could see the burns running across his arms and the bloodstains on his tunic.

Footsteps, soft and familiar, sounded near them and she tried to stand up, head reeling. With her head feeling as though it was made of lead, she swayed, knees buckling under her weight, and she started to fall.

Kylon leapt to catch her before she hit the ground. She sighed softly with relief, launching herself into a fit of coughing in his arms. Her ribs ached, her heavy eyelids begging to be closed.

“Are you alright, Morgan?” Kylon asked, worried. All she could manage was a weak nod before the darkness closed in on her. Her mind was foggy and distant as gentle arms wrapped around her, lifting her from the ground.

Tired. She was so very tired…