[fieldbox="The Streets of Westhollow, green, solid"]
Their stay in the stranger's home wasn't a long one. As soon as they had cleaned up what they could, cloaks donned, they left for the streets of Westhollow once more. The air felt pregnant with a tension as every face they passed seemed to look their way, each figure that approached sending Catriona reaching for her bow.
She had nearly died once that night and was in no mood to try for a second time. They needed to get out, and fast…
In his heart, Darin wanted to wait still unbelieving of what had happened in that little shack of a home. How Catriona had gone from bleeding to death to mending in seconds was beyond his understanding. He was worried that it was an elaborate trick of some kind and the threat of her still dying lingered. She insisted on leaving, however, and Darin decided against arguing because she had valid points. They were made even more concrete by the amount of Untamed patrolled the streets armed to the teeth and on the hunt.
It was only a matter of time before they get caught.
"They're everywhere…" Catriona whispered, as they peered out from the shadows of the alley to another patrol sweeping the streets. She was noone… and yet they were hunting her and Darin down as if they were the most wanted beings in Agganoth. And if the Untamed were as widely dispersed and as large as she guessed, perhaps that wasn't so inaccurate.
"We need another plan. We'll never get out this way."
Darin glanced down to his garment and then to Catriona. With a shrug he spoke, "I'm still wearing the Untamed clothes. We could always get you a pair?"
Brow raised, she looked over at him, smiling gingerly, "You… run into very many members my size?"
"Afraid not," he frowned before pursing his lips in thought, "There's got to be some way we can get out without worrying about getting discovered."
Just then, the sounds of hooves caught his attention. A lone merchant rode through the streets with a cart carrying covered goods, "We could take that," he suggested, "I've had to haggle and trade some of the pelts and meats I've hunted. Shouldn't be hard for me to be the merchant. You can be my merchandise."
"Your merch--" But the question died as she trailed off. There was no point in wondering the depths of depravity to which people would go. Frowning, she glanced from the cart, over to Darin again, "Alright. Let's do it."
With a nod, he stalked the cart until it pulled into a storehouse. Thankfully, Darin didn't see any other people in the storehouse, "Stay close," he said as he moved shadow to shadow until he stood behind the man. He looked much older, and frailer, too. Darin could feel the pang of guilt already forming from what he was about to do, "Sorry," he muttered as he struck the back of the man's head, catching him as he fell. Shaking his head, he dragged him into the warehouse and leaned him against the wall.
Following along, keeping back only far enough to allow Darin the space he needed, she fought a grimace as the man went down and her breath caught in her throat. Whatever they did to get out of the city, she wasn't convinced this would be the worst of it… but it certainly felt like it, in that moment.
"W...will he be alright?" She asked, anxiously.
Nodding, Darin turned to the cart, "He'll have a nasty headache, but he'll be fine," tossing back the cover, he revealed several barrels and a large crate in the middle. There was just enough space between them to squeeze Catriona in, howbeit uncomfortably, "Alright, jump in and don't move," he jerked his head toward the back of the cart.
Blinking, looking to the barrels, Catriona seemed momentarily confused before after a moment, a small laugh escape, "When you said merchandise, I thought… This is definitely a much better idea." Climbing up, she glanced back at him, "Be careful, Darin. If anything goes wrong, I might not be able to get out fast enough to help. And I'm fairly certain we've run out of miracles for the evening."
A smirk slid across his lips before fading, "For our sake, I hope you're wrong," he drew the dagger and extended it to her, hilt first, "Just in case. It'll be easier to stab with a dagger than draw an arrow."
Taking it, she nodded, carefully inching into the space between barrel and crate, "For our sake, I hope I'm wrong, too. See you soon, Darin."
With a steadying breath, she tugged up the hood of her cloak and crouched down into the cramped space.
With a nod, and a lingered look, Darin began to draw out the hide that covered the wagon. After smoothing it out, he took one last look at the cart and let out a sigh. He had almost lost the woman inside that cart just moments ago and here they were trying to sneak through danger all over again. He shook his head and then took the reins of the horse to direct it out.
The roads were relatively clear, whether that was a result of the late hour or the crowd gathering at the main gate. A faint glow of what he assumed was torchlight rose above the buildings. Whatever was going on had attracted the bulk of Westhollow to attend. Darin found himself tugging nervously on the corners of his cloak as the horse trotted through the streets. The Untamed were out in force and he watched as they kicked in doors like armed soldiers searching house to house for the people that had maimed Cadan and killed three of their own. Occasionally his mind would race with the possible torture they would endure if they were ever discovered. It was enough to send shivers down the man's spine.
Eventually, the reached the east gate. A line had formed, causing Darin to pull on the reins, "Woe," he called out before he craned his neck to try and see what was going on. To his horror, he saw Untamed searching the carts at the gate. His heart raced as he leaned back against the bench, "It's the Untamed," he muttered, "They're searching carts."
Beneath the hide and tucked into the narrow gap, she could hear only muffled sounds, but Darin's frantic muttering reached her loud and clear. Chest cinching, she swore softly. If they were caught, she knew what would befall her and maybe to a degree it was what she had earned, for trying to do things on her own… but whatever happened to Darin, that was on her.
Her grip tightened on the dagger and she breathed out, "Get ready to make a break for it… we may need that second miracle."
One by one, the carts were cleared until Darin's pulled up to the gate. He stopped when ordered and pulled back the hood of his cloak, "What seems to be the problem?"
"We're just doin' routine searches," the man replied.
"Looking for anything in particular?" Darin asked in return.
"Ain't none of your business," the man replied as he nodded to two of his companions, "Check the wagon."
Darin swallowed hard, his hand slowly moving to his bow beside him as he watched the two men circle the cart. One man reached out and grabbed the corner just as Darin's fingers wrapped around the wood of his bow.
A horn blew in three short bursts suddenly, causing the three men to straighten up and look toward the gate, "Did'ja hear that?" one thug said to the other.
"Aye," he replied, "Sounds like she's here."
And we're blockin' th' gate with carts," the other looked fearful.
Darin's eyes turned to the gate and then back to the men. Whoever this 'she' was, was enough to scare the Untamed men. Darin certainly didn't want to wait here to find out.
"Right," the first man spoke. Adjusting his clothes, and jerking his head toward the gate, he continued, "Get on then, and I'd hurry if I were you."
"R-right," Darin nodded before ushering the horses on and through the gate.
The farther they got away from Westhollow, the closer they drew near to another cart. Pulled by two horses, it moved at a steady pace even as it passed Darin. His eyes scanned the occupants. Two women sat upon the bench, one as beautiful a woman as he had ever seen with blonde curls peeking out from the corners of her hood. The other was a young girl who couldn't be more than sixteen years of age. She looked exhausted, donned rags similar to the dress Darin had found for Catriona, and sat with a posture Darin had never seen outside of nobility. His brow narrowed briefly, but the other woman flashed a lovely smile that made Darin return one and distracted him from his thoughts. His eyes lingered on the cart as it passed under the gate and disappeared.
A moment later and they were far enough away to avoid eyes. Tossing the corner of the cover back, Darin offered Catriona a hand, "Come on up here. We should be safe now."
As the cover pulled back, she rose and reached for his hand, rising upright. Apart from a slight crick in her neck and a scrap of her elbow from one of the crate edges, they had, it seemed, come up against a second miracle after all… and Catriona had never been so glad for whatever kind fate watched over them.
Climbing over to the bench, she sank down, letting her hood fall back to run her fingers through wild red waves, "We did it… we actually did it."
"Yes," Darin replied, a wave of relief washing over him, "Yes, we did," he couldn't help but smile a little, even a chuckle escaped his lips, "What a night," he continued as they crossed a small bridge and took the road south. He could see the stone ridge that Wymond had mentioned before, "I think I can get us there in fifteen minutes," glancing toward the night sky, he continued, "Enjoy the stars until then."
"When they stopped us… I was so sure that was it. Who do you suppose... Hmm. No. Doesn't matter." Blinking, leaning back to glance upwards, a small smile formed, "I can't remember the last time I stopped to look at the stars. I… I've been so focused. It's amazing the things you take for granted… but they really are so beautiful."
Turning his eyes to her, he listened to her speak. She was right. There were a lot of things that he had taken for granted...a lot of beautiful things. He'd never hear Sarah's laugh again, or see her smile. She was always smiling. He took in Catriona's features and recalled the smile that formed on her lips and the laugh that accompanied it and how it had warmed his heart. A part of him wondered if she had done that as much as Sarah did around her own siblings, "Never again," he returned, "Embrace them all, Catriona. There are still beautiful things out there, and we can't let them pass us by."
Her gaze shifted back to Darin and studying him, she nodded, "I've missed too much over the years. First with my father's business and now this. When you face it… your end… it's like everything comes to the surface. What sort of life is that?"
After shaking his head, he turned his eyes toward the road, "I don't know. I never thought of life beyond what I knew and now I have to," he sighed and sagged his shoulder, "I thought I was going to hunt for the villages for the rest of my life. Sarah would get married, have children and I would be the uncle they all wanted to follow after," he smiled lightly, "but that's not going to happen now, and frankly, I don't know what's next."
"There's something happening here, Darin. Something bigger than what happened to my family. Your sister… And now here, in Westhollow. That woman that Ardryan and Wydmond are helping…" Shaking her head, she curled her cloak tighter around her, shivering, "I had… the night Norcrest happened, I had a nightmare, Darin. Not just a bad dream, but a real, genuine nightmare. I still can't quite shake the way it made me feel." A hand rested against her shoulder, where she could almost feel the dull ache of the wound, "And then… our miracle? I should be dead, but I'm not. I don't think we can pretend that the world as we've known it is the same after all we've seen."
"It's not the same," he returned, "Everything's different now. We're different," he paused and looked down at the horse for a moment, "I had a nightmare last night, too, and I can't explain what happened to Sarah and I was right there! I was right beside her! I could feel the heat rise off her body," Grief hung on every word he spoke.
Darin fell silent for a moment as the scene played out in his head once again, "Then your shoulder," he perked up a bit, "I-I don't know what happened or even how it happened, but I thought you were going to die, too. I couldn't live with that. I had to help you."
"In Norcrest… the man I was tracking attacked me. He would have killed me, if Ardryan had not intervened. Something happened… something unexplainable. There was fire… From nowhere. No… not no where. From
him. It was impossible. Or at least, I had thought so then. But if you're saying what I think you are… then I'm beginning to think your sister was only the beginning." Reaching out, she covered a hand with her own, "I can't begin to guess what's going on, but what I do know is you… you saved my life, Darin. I don't know how, but I know it's true. And I am forever in your debt for that."
He could feel the warmth of her hand as it rested on his. A small smile accompanied by a sudden rush of heat to his cheeks came next. He was thankful for the night sky hoping that the darkness covered his embarrassment, "I wasn't going to let you die," he echoed the sentiment, his eyes lingering for just a moment before he quickly turned them away.
The ridge drew closer now and the maw of a cave began to appear, "Look," he spoke, "You think that's the one that Wymond spoke off?"
Her own cheeks tinged slightly pink, she turned as he gestured and nodded, her hand falling back to her side, "Looks like it. I don't see any signs they've come this way… Likely they're still back in the city. We should check it out, first. Make sure it's safe."
"Agreed," Darin steered the horse and cart off the road and into the uneven ground. It was rough for the animal but Darin was glad that it pressed on. When they finally drew near to the cave, he slowed the horse to a stop and jumped off the bench with bow in hand, "Come on. Let's take a look."
Following Darin, the dagger at her side, Catriona glanced behind them, before plunging into the near pitch blackness ahead. Blessed, the same gracious fortune that had met them at the gates followed them along the road. The cave was clear, and breathing out relief, she tucked the dagger into her belt, "We should get a fire going. Maybe see what's in those barrels and crates we came with. With any luck, it's food."
"Food would be nice," he nodded as he headed back out the cave and to the cart. After pulling the cover back, Darin jumped up on the cart and popped the first lid, "Looks like pelts," he moved to the next crate, "Pelts," he said with annoyance. The third crate was the same. When he popped the lid off the barrel, he let out a breath of relief, "Bread," he pulled out a loaf, showed it to Catriona and then tossed it her way, "Plenty more, too," he said with a smile as he pulled out another. He tore off a piece and ate it, chewing slowly on the piece, "No one makes bread like Drakans."
Catching the loaf, Catriona pulled off a chunk and took a bite, smiling faintly, "I'd beg to differ… but this is the best thing I've eaten in a long while, so you're safe. We should bring the pelts… It won't likely be completely comfortable in there."
"Not a bad idea," Darin affirmed with a nod, "Wouldn't hurt to get some rest, too. I could take first watch, and I'll not hear any objections. Besides, I'm not the one who was stabbed."
Smiling, Catriona shrugged, "I wasn't going to argue. I'm exhausted…" Taking a few pelts, herself, she turned back to the caves, "We could break up the crate for firewood…"
"Sounds good," snatching up the remaining pelts, Darin followed her into the cave and placed them on the ground, "I'll be back with the wood from the crates."
Stepping back outside, he pulled the first crate off and began to kick at it until the crate fractured. He then took the pieces and arranged them just outside the cave so that the smoke would not fill it up. After finding some tinder, he was almost ready to light the fire. It took a trip back to the cart before he found a flint, and with his dagger, he struck a spark that caught fire to the tinder, "Ah, warmth," he groaned as he fanned it a little to catch the wood on fire, "Rest up, Catriona. Hopefully when you awaken Wymond and Ardryan will have joined us."
While he worked, Catriona arranged the pelts on the cave floor, finishing as the flames rose to life. The warmth filled the chamber, and exhaustion crept over her, as she curled up, arms pillowed beneath her cheek, "An hour. All I need is an hour… Goodnight, Darin."
"Good night, Catriona," he spoke as he turned toward the mouth of the cave, his bow on his shoulder and his eyes on the city alive with torchlight.[/fieldbox]
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@Elle Joyner
