Summary of previous events:
In the previous episode Chapter 1: Episode X | Majority voted: Stab guard, help man and flee
Episode Content:
Silvae hearing the commotion behind him turned and saw the burly man and the guard entangled on the ground. The guard had regained his composure and was tugging at the man’s leg with the full weight of his body and would not let go…
The man, fearful of the two shouting guards who were quickly making their way down the hill looked over to Silvae with terror in his eyes.
“Help me” he cried out, as he kicked frantically at the guard holding his leg trying to break his grip. Silvae, torn between wanting to flee and helping the man, had to decide. He could not in good conscience leave this man who had been vital to his escape efforts to the whims of the approaching guards. He would surely be put to death and that was not something Silvae could live with.
Silvae, knowing what he had to do, swiftly ran over to the two entangled men and kicked hard at the guards arm. The guard winced and released the man who fell hard against the muddy ground before rolling on his back and breathing heavily. Silvae, taking advantage of the guard who had shifted to holding his arm in pain, withdrew the dagger from his tunic and thrust it squarely into the man’s chest.
The man, looking back at Silvae gave no reaction and Silvae thrust again. “Clank, clank, clank, clank” he tried several more times but to no avail, the dagger would not pierce the guards armor. The guard, smiling subtly, made a grab for Silvae’s arm, but Silvae began frantically slashing and managed to land a clean cut in the guard's right arm. The guard, recoiling at the slash, withered back into a ball and curled up unable to continue his assault. Silvae, turned and ran back to Burly man who was still lying on his back breathing heavily.
“We’ve got to go” he yelled, “the guards will be here any minute now”. The burly man, rolling over onto his side, forced himself up on all fours and struggled to his feet “Ok… ok…, let’s go”, and with that the pair flung themselves into a steady sprint down the side of the hill and away from the injured guard.
The two guards who were quickly making their way down the hillside towards the commotion saw the men fleeing. The taller of the two drew his bow and loosed a few arrows in their general direction hoping to land a lucky shot. Silvae and the Burly man at this point were far enough down the mountain side that the arrows flew clean over them so much so that they did not even notice that they had been fired upon.
After what seemed like a good 20 minutes of running down the mountain Silvae and the Burly man came to a partially dried up river bed. “Please, stop for a moment. I need to catch my breath” said the man, who plonked himself on a log on the edge of the muddy riverbed. Silvae, grabbing the man by his tunic, turned and faced him. “Not now, we’ve got to clear this side of the mountain. They’ll be sending more men this way, of that I am certain”.
Grabbing the man and pulling him forward, Silvae pulled him through the muddy riverbed and over the other side towards another steep decline. From this vantage point he could make out a village in the distance at the base of the mountain on the crest of a quickly moving stream. “There” said Silvae. “We’ll make for the village and find shelter in the woods beyond. We can blend in with the crowds in the morning and try to find passage on one of those cargo ships heading down stream.”
“Ok” gruffed the man, “but please let us find some food and drink, I ain’t used to this much running and I have had a terrible fright”. Silvae looked back at the man, he had yet to really look at his companion in all the commotion. He was a simple farmer, with deep lines in his weathered face from a lifetime of work outdoors. He felt pity for the man who had likely not ever left his village before his capture and was now a fugitive on the run from soldiers who would surely execute him if captured. “Ok” replied SIlvae, “we’ll see what we can trade for this dagger in the village. It’s hardly much use against those armored guards, running is our best bet should we chance upon more”. The man gruffed in agreement and the two began to make their way down the mountain towards the village.
By the time the two reached the bottom of the hill it was getting dark. Silvae looked out across the river towards the village through the reeds in which he and the man had taken shelter. It was at this point that he noticed that the bridge into the village was under guard. These men looked professional, clad in steel armor and colorful tunics with they bore a crest that Silvae had not seen before. It was unlikely that they belonged to the village but they seemed to have permission of a local authority as they were conducting interrogations of those passing into the village. Silvae groaned with disappointment. “Those guards” he said, “that’s a problem I had not seen coming. I’ve no indication of where their loyalties lie. They may be an asset to us at this time or a hindrance.” The man looking back at Silvae took a quick look at the guards. “They seem respectable enough to me. Like someone from one of them royal houses. Not at all like the whoresons up on that mountain. Royal almost”.
Silvae, pondered their current dilemma. They had three options;
1.) Try and swim across the river to the port
2.) Cross the bridge and chance that the guards will be friendly
3.)Find another way in to the village through the mountains
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