Like A Thief in the Night - Elswyth

Sleep alluded Elswyth that night. She stared blankly at the ceiling, tracing the cracks, as if the answers to her many questions are hidden between them. Her eyes would wander to the window and then the door, checking if Edward or one of the guards would come to Anwar’s home.

Roukan was as awake as she was, sitting on the floor, eyes staring out in the window as his fingers fiddled on the hilt of the dagger strapped on his thigh.

“I told you to rest,” he whispered.

She rolled her eyes. Of course, he can tell she was looking at him. “You should be doing the same thing,” she answered.

Even in the pale light of the half-moon, she can see restlessness in his knotted brows.

“What is it?” she asked.

“There aren’t a lot of guards as I thought it would be,” he said. “Might be a trap.”

“Do you think the kid already told the guards?”

Roukan was quiet. “No,” he said. “He won’t gain anything from that.”

It was true, she realized. The consequences of their presence have already put Anwar’s family in danger. There was nothing more she can do but to make sure that in the morning, the city is liberated.

Roukan then stood up and peeped through the window, checking the streets and the sky.

“If we want the cover of the night to get to the Blacksmith and the Tree, we can leave now,” he said to her. “Are you ready?”

She jumped to her feet, tied her shoes, and fastened her dagger to her belt.

“Let’s go.”

***

The night was quiet. Too quiet perhaps. A lone guard will pass the street with passive faces and glass eyes, mindlessly walking and unaware. They drag their feet on the ground as if they’re on a midnight stroll instead of patrol.

This played out well for them. Not every streetlamp was lit so it was easy to conceal themselves in the shadows. But the security at the tower was a different story. Two guards are stationed at the only entrance. Upon seeing the soldiers, they hid themselves in the pig barn in front of the tower.

They peeked through the holes of the walls to check if they were spotted, but they didn’t seem alerted. Their eyes half-open and yawning. Then one of them leaned against the wall and took a nap.

“Hey,” said his partner. “You get fifteen minutes then it’s my turn.”

The other guard replied with a grunt.

Just when she was about to sigh relief, the back door of the barn flew open. A guard entered holding a lamp in hand. They quietly moved behind one of the wooden walls. Elswyth unsheathed her weapon ready to neutralize him when they heard someone yell from outside.

“Hey!” the call made the guard stop. “Why are you on this route? This is my patrol.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m on this street tonight,” the guard argued.

“Well, if something happened on Ironfleet Street, the captain would be glad to hear why you abandoned your station.”

They heard someone scoff. The light slowly faded as the guard walked away and they heard the door close.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Saved your ass twice today,” said the stranger in the dark.

Roukan quickly and silently tackled him to the ground, covered his mouth, and held his dagger to his throat.

“Don’t move,” he threatened. “If you try anything, the last thing you’ll hear is the gurgling of you choking on your own blood.”

When he did as he was told, Roukan let removed his hand from his lips. His eyes went to Ellie and that’s when she recognized him.

“You’re that boy from the cart earlier!”

“Hush now,” he said. “Or the guards will find us. And I’m a man, not a boy.”

Even in the dark, she could tell that the stranger, short he may be in stature, is indeed a grown man. His blue eyes lit in the dark and his auburn hair messy from Roukan’s attack. His face was printed with freckles and the armor he was wearing was a size too big for him. He didn’t struggle against Roukan’s hold but the fear was clear in his eyes. His eyes remained on the cold dagger pointed at his Adam’s apple.

“Why did you help us?” Roukan kept the dagger on his throat.

“Hey, don’t judge me because I work for the city guard,” he answered.

“I think that’s every reason to judge you,” Roukan spat back.

“I’ve got no choice,” he cried, nose scrunching in fear for his life. “Not all of us are fighters, and those who fought died. Why hurry my way to the grave? We do what we can to survive, we follow, and we keep our heads down to keep it on our neck.”

He looked at them curiously, “most people want to escape our city. It’s first I’ve seen someone desperately trying to get in,” he said. “What are you here for?”

They looked at each other, hesitating.

“That’s none of your business,” Roukan snapped.

Edward glared at him. “There’s only one reason you’d risk your life to come here.” He grinned. “The Blacksmi—”

Roukan twisted his blade slightly, sending a prick of pain and a bead of blood blooming on Edward’s skin.

“Hey I’m just trying to help,” he said wincing. “That’s not going to be easy, the tower is heavily guarded,”

“We don’t need any help from a Shadow’s dog.”

Edward ignored him and looked straight at Elswyth. She then pulled the hood of her cloak lower to hide her face.

“There’s no smoke,” Edward said to her. “They’re probably keeping him in one of the quarters at the top floor.”

She looked at him suspiciously. “Why aren’t you stopping us?”

He looked at them as if the answer was so obvious. He waved his hands up and down his body and said, “Because I can’t.”

“You’re just a coward,” Roukan snorted.

“No, I’m smart,” he argued. “I know when to fight and having a blade to my neck means I shouldn’t.”

“You could’ve reported us,” she said.

“But I didn’t. That means you can trust me.”

“No,” she said. She glared at him, daring him.

He sighed. “There’s not much food left. The rations are getting less and less every week. And there’s nothing to harvest or hunt from the forest.”

“So you want to help us defeat the Shadow because just like the others, you are suffering,” said Roukan.

“Defeat? I am not that optimistic,” he snorted. “You’re here to smuggle the Blacksmith out. I can help you.”

Roukan looked at Elswyth and at her nod, he lowered the dagger and let Edward go.

“The name’s Edward,” The boy rubbed his throat and grimaced at the blood smeared on his hand. “If you’re planning to get the blacksmith out, you have to leave before sunrise. Soldiers will be pouring in by then and escape will be impossible.”

He stood up, looking at them, confused. “Well?” he asked. “I gave you my name.”

Roukan looked at her again with a straight face. When she didn’t move an inch, he did the same.

“Very well,” Edward cleared his throat as he patted off the dirt from his behind. “You don’t trust me yet, I understand. Let me prove my worth. How are you planning to escape?”

Roukan dismissed him. “We’ve got it all figured out. Now act like you haven’t seen us, or—”

“I know a way out,” he cried looking at Elswyth. “There’s a tunnel under the city—”

Roukan pointed a knife to his throat again. “We know the tunnels have been sealed,” Roukan growled. “He’s trying to lead us to a trap,” he said to Ellie.

“No! There’s one with a loose bar, it’s big enough for a grown man to pass through” he said gripping Rahil’s wrist. “Old Anwar doesn’t know it, just the city guards.”

“Why should we believe you?” Ellie intervened.

“Why would I risk helping you?” she saw the fear and desperation in his eyes. “If I get caught, I’ll hang. If I stay here, I’ll die. If I go out there, I’m as good as dead. But with you—”

“We’re not going to help you escape the city,” Roukan said.

“But I gave you information!”

“Information we don’t need,” Roukan argued.

He stood up and helped Edward get on his feet. He turned him towards the door and gave him a light push. “You better get back on your route and pretend we never crossed paths.”

Edward kept his eyes on the ground, looking completely disheartened. He cleared his throat and walked out without another word.

“Do you think he’ll let it go?” Elswyth asked when the door closed.

“No,” he said. “But like Anwar said. He’s a desperate man and we just robbed him of his chance to save himself.”

She felt the urge to run after him and stop him. Whether that’s through her words or blade, she wasn’t sure. All she know was at that moment, she knew she couldn’t fail her chance to cleanse the Heart, or a Edward’s desperation will kill Anwar.