“Bryer’s Keep was destroyed in the Iron Wars,” a fae beside me called out.
“No. It wasn’t. Well, not all of it, anyway. Upon approach, it will look desolate, abandoned. Continue to search and follow our symbol. You will find us. I urge everyone to use caution. I need warriors to volunteer to stay behind with Temir.”
No one stepped forward, no one raised a hand.
“Are we a group of rebellious cowards, then? Is there only one male in this room who would stay to help the ones who would otherwise die?”
“I’ll stay,” a female with a staff said, crossing the room to stand beside me.
“I’ll stay also,” a large male called out, huffing across the room with a limp.
“I will as well,” another called.
In total, I had six wounded who would stay behind with four guards and myself. Eleven of us would either die in this cave once the soldiers arrived, or the gods would show us mercy and we would somehow figure out how to escape them all.
“Rook,” I called as he gave the others directions. “I’ve asked Rhogan to bring supplies here. Is there any way to intercept him before he is caught if they storm the tunnels?”
“Not that I can think of.”
“Which entrance does he normally use?”
“I believe the one that runs under the castle.”
I cursed under my breath. “I don’t know how to navigate that one. Listen, the king’s soldiers are going to tear this place apart looking for evidence and any information they can find. Make sure everything you don’t want them to find is gone. And if you’re smart, leave behind a few things you do want them to find.”
I turned to leave, but he stopped me.
“I’ve not given you enough credit, Temir. I should have taken your counsel more seriously. I won’t make that mistake again.” He pounded his fist to his chest before he called the other leaders forward.
I let him form his escape plan as I began to direct my team.
“This isn’t going to be an easy feat. I can promise you the soldiers are coming. I’m not sure how many, and I’m not sure when. These six have broken limbs and will not be able to move easily on their own. We will stay here, and I’m going to try to rest to restore my magic. After the others have evacuated, I plan to send you each at least partially down an exit tunnel to stand guard. Does anyone know their way through the tunnel that goes beneath the castle and out the other side?”
The fae laying on the only gurney we had grunted and raised his crumpled hand.
“I’d like to try to take that tunnel out of here if we can. A life may depend on it.”
“How long will it take your magic to restore?” a male who joined as a guard asked, pulling an axe from his back.
“I’m not sure. If I could actually fall asleep, it would be faster, but my mind won’t allow for that. For now, I’m going to that corner.” I pointed. “I’m going to sit and try to figure out how the hell we are all going to make it out of here if the soldiers come. I’m open to any and all suggestions.”
They looked between each other, but no one said anything.
“Right then. Guards, decide amongst yourselves who is taking which tunnel. The minute you hear even a peep of someone coming, even if it’s a damn pixie, you get to the opening where all the tunnels meet just outside of this room and sound the alarm. You hear the alarm, you run like hell. Everyone meets back here and we head to the tunnel below the castle. Got it? The minute we hit those tunnels, no one says a word.”
“Understood,” the female said, walking toward the door.
It wasn’t much of a plan, but it was all we had. I knew little about the route below the castle. I’d tried to find information in the library, but the rebels had effectively removed everything. I doubted even the king himself had a map when they were through.
Rook and the others may not have been as cautious as they should have been, but that didn’t make them unintelligent. Every time I came to the rebel meetings and watched how they planned and moved and worked, I felt more confident about the future. It didn’t mean we didn’t have a mountain to climb, but even with this setback, I was sure we would prevail.
I sat heavily with my back against the wall and considered everything I knew about the castle. Obviously, some of the rebels were still inside. Roe and Iva included. If the rebellion was one thousand strong in the north with only two hundred in headquarters tonight, that meant eight hundred were still out there and had no idea we would be moving. I could only hope word traveled fast.
I rested until I couldn’t sit still any longer. I tried to focus on replenishing my magic as I sat, but there wasn’t much there. I was exhausted. The moment my adrenaline crashed, I’d be nearly worthless. I had less than one guard per injured person, even if I included myself. It would take two guards alone to pull the gurney if we planned to move quickly.
“Can you slide so that another may join you?” I asked the male on the gurney. He was my only hope at navigating the tunnels. “I won’t be able to heal you, but I’ve got enough magic to take your pain away for awhile if you can. One of the injured is a smaller female who is unconscious. She won’t be able to travel on her own at all.”
He nodded as sweat poured down his head. I lifted the small female and slipped her in beside him. Two guards carrying the gurney left me, four injured, and two left to assist. Most had exposed bone and broken limbs, though one was a wing. I knelt beside her.
