“Thank you both... for everything,” I said sincerely. “I’ll be back to thank you properly some day, I promise.”
Elias took a small step forward, but stopped. “Just stay safe, okay?” His face was barely visible in the dark, but his concern was clear.
“I will. I promise.” I put on my bravest smile. “As long as you keep that hunter busy for me, I’m certain I’ll have nothing to worry about.” I winked at him, and he let out a light laugh.
“You can count on me.” His smile subsided, and I noticed the distant lantern glow had grown closer. “Go now,” he whispered, and I turned toward the gate without hesitation.
It took some awkward squirming to fit through the snug opening, but I made it through relatively quickly. I dashed as silently as I could behind the nearest tree, then paused to halt my noisy feet.
“Good evening, sir!” Elias called to the man across the grounds. “Lovely night, isn’t it? Pardon my manners, I don’t believe I caught your name?”
A heavy footstep settled in the brush. “Colburn,” the man replied flatly, not at all interested in Elias’s friendly conversation. “Might I ask what brings you out here this time of night?” He sounded scarier up close than he did through the ventilation. I remained frozen, hoping Elias could handle his intimidation.
“Evening, Mr. Colburn. I’m only taking my dog out for a stroll,” Elias said cheerfully, followed by a deep growl from Bear. “Whoa there, boy. We don’t growl at guests.” That was the first time I had ever heard Bear growl at anyone—perhaps the man scared him, too.
“I would advise you to restrain your beast,” Mr. Colburn replied stiffly. “You never know who might take offense to his snarls.” A low growl resonated from Bear before Elias hushed him.
“You’re quite right. My apologies, sir,” Elias returned apologetically. “We better head inside before it grows much darker. It was a pleasure chatting with you, have a good night!” I listened as Elias and Bear retreated toward the house, and I remained as still as death itself as no further footsteps followed.
The hunter was waiting, completely still as I was. I pressed my back tightly against the tree that shielded me. Shadows from his lantern flickered in front of the path I needed to take. If I stepped forward, he might notice me through the fence. My muscles tensed as a calculated footstep crunched lightly on the leaves behind me. It was faint, but clearly not a step toward the house.
No, he was inspecting the fence.
My heart rate sped up as I realized what he must have seen. By leading me to an escape, Elias had also directed Mr. Colburn to the only discreet exit. The gap in the fence wasn’t hard to miss if you were looking for it, and now I feared it had been found.
A second footstep drew nearer, along with the soft pang of his lantern knocking against the iron fence.
He must have found it.
I wanted to tuck my legs in close, as far from the intruding light as possible, but fear gripped me too tightly to move. If I just waited for him to walk away, then I could make a dash for the woods. I could barely fit through the fence bars, so there was no chance he could follow me via that route. He would have to go around, and that would buy me some precious time. I let out a silent breath of relief when simultaneously, a loud yell jolted me.
“What is it, Bear? Did you see something?” Elias shouted frantically across the gardens, instantly drawing the hunter’s attention. “Did something just move? What in the realms was that?” The man turned away from the fence and strode over toward Elias. Pure relief sunk into me as I watched the lantern’s light dance farther into the distance.
“Thank you, Elias,” I whispered to myself as I rose to my feet.
Once I was certain they were on the other side of the property, I bolted. The woods were fully submerged in darkness, but the sky was clear. I gazed up at the moon and stars, using their glow to direct my footsteps. The cool night air whispered smoothly through my hair as I ran freely through the forest.
Oh, how amazing it felt to run! A tear of joy slid down my cheek as I felt the weight of the last few days lift off my shoulders. I was finally free. There was nothing trapping me now. If I could find a town, then I could purchase passage out of the kingdom. My parents would have no control over me after that, and I could safely start over. The renewed excitement of a new life sprouted fresh joy inside of me. My heart fluttered alongside my feet as I made my way into deeper brush and the trees began to thicken overhead.
I soon realized that the deeper I moved into the woods, the denser the trees became. I slowed my steps as I quickly lost sight of the night sky. The ground became darker until I could no longer see my feet. My pace slowed as the overgrowth began to block my path. A few stray thorns pricked my arms as I pushed through a particularly nasty bush. A warm drop of blood trickled down my arm, distracting me from what I should have seen. Or... what I shouldn’t have seen.
There was no ground beneath my next step.
My foot fell forward as nothing came in contact with my weighted step. I tumbled forward into a dark abyss. For a terrifying moment, I felt no signs of ground underneath me, until an abrupt force impacted my foot.
I screamed in pain as my right foot connected with solid stone. My hands braced the rest of my body against the abrasive boulder, scratching the palms of my hands. Pain shot through my ankle, forcing me to seat myself against the stone. I must have fallen into a ditch of some sort. I tried to gain some level of bearings by taking in my surroundings, but the forest was entirely shrouded in darkness.
I wrapped Elias’s cloak around me tightly as I bit back a cry. I cautiously placed my right foot onto the ground to test how much damage had been done. At the slightest pressure, fire seared through the joint, instantly causing me to recoil. I rocked back and forth against the stone as I fought the urge to scream again.
There was no way I could walk now, and I was all alone in the middle of the forest. Not to mention, the longer I remained stationary, the bigger risk I ran of being caught. The scream I let out earlier may have been loud enough for the hunter to hear. I had mere hours at most. I lay back on the rocky surface and stared at the shadowed treetops.
This couldn’t be real. This had to be a bad dream... it just had to be. I shut my eyes, hot tears leaking out under my lashes. How did I always fail so gloriously at maintaining my freedom? I had hardly made it away from the estate-... Surely, I must be dreaming. Any moment now, I’ll awake in my bed at home, where I was still fifteen, unengaged, and safe.
I gave into the tears and cried softly into the wool cloak. The fabric smelled like cedar and musk from being in the old trunk, and I coughed lightly at the lingering dust. A small broken smile crept across my face as I recalled Elias’s elated smile pulling the garment across my shoulders. I pulled the cloak tighter over my shoulders, wishing I wasn’t as alone as I felt. If only Bear was here to nuzzle his sweet face into mine, or Elias was here to make me smile.
Now I would never see that smile again. I knew that when I left, but the realization stung even harder now. He had been so kind when I deserved none of it. Had he been caught harboring me, he might have even been returned to the streets. The risks he took to help a brainless girl were nothing short of heroic in my eyes. Besides, he might as well be glad that he got rid of me. He would probably be ashamed of the help he gave me if he discovers how poorly my escape went. It only took me one night to trap myself in a hole.
Despite my distracting thoughts, my ankle throbbed relentlessly. I rolled onto my left side, hoping to elevate the limb even slightly. The pain only subsided minimally, but it was enough to settle my cries. Without shifting my injury, I raised back into a seated position. I cautiously touched the walls of the ditch I lay in, attempting to gauge the distance of my fall.