How Life Defines You - Part 7 - Escape

Here's where we left things in the previous post:

As the door swung shut Mila rose and crept back into the corner of the bed against the wall, looking at the strange room she couldn't rest - she was too scared of being kept in a strange dark place, she didn't even know how to find her way out again.

Mila sat huddled in the corner of her bed her arms wrapped around her body, hugging it tightly while one hand firmly held onto the pendant that hung from her neck - her eyes locked on the back of the door, waiting for it to burst open.

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Mila's eyes burned with every blink, hours had passed with her staring at the back of the door of the room she had been left in - certain at any moment someone or something would burst in and take her.

The flames in the small fireplace had burned down to a low flicker, but the failing light of the flames were soon replaced by the first rays of the sun bursting over the horizon and filtering through the small window - positioned at the top of the wall opposite the door.

Mila only became aware of the windows existence thanks to the suns rays piercing through the dark, her focus shifted for the first time up to the newly revealed exit.

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She moved quickly, anxious panic fueled her speed - in one movement she stood on the timber frame of the cot and stretched to peer out and see what if anything await outside.

Her small fingers firmly gripped the ledge of the stone windowsill, forcing herself higher by stretching onto her pointed toes.

She peaked over the ledge and surveyed what lay outside, from her view she could only see a building and no people- she thought for a moment, looking toward the sun for confirmation they must still be sleeping.

The realisation sparked an intense need to escape, she moved immediately shoving the window swinging it out and open - with great ease she hoisted her tiny frame up and onto the sill, then with silent grace dropping to the waiting stones below.

She landed in a crouch silently and held her body close to the stone wall behind her, while she again scanned her surroundings for any possible threat - seeing no movement she inhaled deeply then forced herself to move.

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Buildings surrounded her obscuring her view and ability to be sure where she was located, keeping in a low hunched position she scurried along the length of the path out of the compound. She weaved her way a through a maze of buildings with connected pathways, constantly turning her around in a new direction and leading her on further.

When she reached the end of the path she rested back on her heals and again took in the scene around her, peering around the corner she was startled at seeing two armed guards in whispered conversation - warming themselves by a small fire, then atop the wall she saw more soldiers pacing the perimeter of the giant structure looking out across the fields.

She inhaled sharply with shock, her heart pounded in her chest and she flattened her back against the cold rough rock wall. There was so much distance to cover to reach the wall and only a few small bushes and trees for cover, with the light of day growing she knew her only time was now.

Staring ahead she could now see large open fields, covered with thick low lying waves of fog - rolling across the fields of tall thick swaying grass. If she could reach the fog it would provide her with the cover needed to escape the view of the tower wall guards, but first she had to reach the wall.

Her heart skipped a beat as she dared to again sneak peek at the soldiers on duty, one had his back to her but the other stood side on to the small fire and Mila's position.

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She lent back took a slow and steady breath then moved with amazing speed, she moved in almost complete silence the grass aiding in the care she took with every footfall - all the while crouching in an attempt to make her body appear as small as possible, she scurried to the first bush then quickly to the next.

She reached the safety of the building set into the wall masking her from the view of the soldiers on the ground, here she quickly surveyed for any new threats. Stepping into the shadow created by the wall, she stared straight up to where the soldiers marched the top of the wall.

Once she saw the men's shadows moving away from the gate, she checked on the soldiers by the fire - then she was off, silently scurrying through the gate and then sprinting into the fog as fast as her legs would carry her.

Sticking low to the ground she raced as fast as she could, her bare feet used to the harsh treatment of being subjected to the stinging cold wet grass and the rocks hidden within - that now whipped and scraped her feet as she fled.

The dew soaked lengths of grass wet the knee length cloth dress she had been given to wear making it stick awkwardly to her legs as she fled - unwilling to allow even the greatest discomfort or pain reduce her efforts of escape, she ran on.

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Sticks and rocks littered the fields obscured from view, by the combination of long grass and thick fog - she was grateful for the cover it provided her, ignoring the growing cuts and scrapes that tore her skin leaving it weeping and bloodied.

She risked a glance over her shoulder back to where she had come from, but now she was too deep within the field of thick early morning fog to see the estate - her breath remained steady and calm, despite her extended full speed run.

Unable to see what lay directly in front of her she used the only land mark visible to guide her travel, the pointed white tips of a towering mountain range - unsure of what may be there but unwilling to risk losing her way in the dense fog, she moved towards it with determined focus.

She knew with every passing moment the sun's intense heat would start to destroy her vapour filled cover, unsure how long she had been running instead of slowing to rest - she instead managed to increase her speed again with renewed vigour.

Her tiny frame appears weightless as every step seemed more like a leap, the length of her gait was unnaturally long and her footfalls left almost no impact on the surface of the soft grass - before rising back into the air as if nothing had passed.

Her hair flowed out behind her gathering into long wet tangled strings, her dress now clung firmly to her body - "ahh" she let out a muffled cry out under her breath as her toes struck a larger rock at speed.

She hopped along for a moment frustrated by the interruption, she forced her weight back onto the pain infused limb - then began to move slowly at first, then faster as she adjusted to compensate for her new injury.

She felt the ground beneath her feet begin to slope down so she slowed slightly to ease her way down, the ground turned to gravel and stones and tore at the softened skin of her feet.

At the bottom she forced herself upright and hobbled forward, her feet stinging violently as they landed in icy cold water - she looked down to see, the clear fluid mixing with the blood that flowed freely from her wounds.

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She bit back the pain and edged further into the freezing water, she was still unable to see the other side of the river but knew it was her only path for escape.

As she moved further into the flowing body of water she slipped into deeper and deeper levels, moving up to her knees, then thighs and waist.

Finally it rose to her neck she still couldn't see the other side of the river, she swallowed her fear and kicked off from the balance of her pointed toes - into the depths and unknown.

Unable to swim she kicked and clawed at the icy water, it felt as if she were being stabbed all over her body - but she kept moving her head, bobbing slowly along the frigid surface.

Her fingers and toes felt numb as she pushed further along her path, the current now freely pushing her further and further to the north east - in front of the base of the mountain range she used as a guide.

It grew harder to fight the cold as she spluttered as water tried to flood into her mouth, she gasped for breath and urged her body to fight the growing cold - when finally her feet brushed the pebbles on the once again.

Almost relieved by the shooting pain from having to support her weight again signalling her return to dry land, she had made it to the other side - adrenaline surged through her small body and she lunged forward, with every step she freed more of her body from the freezing flow of water.

She stumbled onto the bank, her legs numb from the icy cold water were unwilling to cooperate - she shivered nervously as she looked around to asses her new surrounds.

She saw no trace of pursuit and the fog was now thinning, she could now feel the forgiving heat of the sun beat down onto her - relieving the bitter cold that cramped, her aching muscles and knowing that her cover wouldn't last long.

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She hobbled up the stony shore as fresh blood began to streak down her pale damaged skin, she moved further up the bank to reach the grass - she could now see further into the distance, revealing a landscape littered with trees and shrubs.

She limped as fast as her injured body would allow, reaching a small plant with broad leaves and not wasting any time- she removed several leaves and then carefully wrapped her feet within multiple layers, of the cool plants soothing leaves.

With one foot wrapped she applied light weight to hold the leaves in place, while she searched for rope or vines to secure it.

Unable to find anything suitable, she resorted to using her teeth to cut through small bundles of her long wet hair - to use as a makeshift rope.

Done with the first foot, she moved onto the second moving swiftly and constantly scanning the horizon in every direction - still in constant fear of being caught.

With her feet somewhat protected after a few painful slow steps, she swallowed and forced herself to keep moving - knowing she lost valuable time with the river and to care for her tender feet.

Slowly picking up speed, as she continued blocking out the searing pain coursing through her body - her dress now completely soaked, chilling her body as she tried to move.

Her journey through the river had seen her travel a large distance downstream, the foot of the mountain now only a short distance ahead where the tree cover grew more dense - upon seeing this she was egged on, with new energy and resolve.

She now threw her body forward with all of her might, looking behind she could see the fog had now almost completely vanished - now able to make out the shapes of the estate she had just fled from.

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The trees began to rise around her soon she was surrounded by dense cover, she paused to discern if any were in pursuit of her - whilst none obviously close she saw groups of dark figures spreading out in different directions, leaving from the central point of the compound.

They moved fast and with clear purpose, she hesitated for a moment in shock as she saw a large group of riders clad in green - rising over the bank of the river further upstream, where she had begun her crossing.

They were closer than she'd realised and she knew they would search the bank, find her tracks and the traces of blood - fear sparked her sense of urgency, now she must run!

To be continued...

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