novelxo Chapter East Prison
“I hate tunnels,” said Ronthiel, as they crept through the secret underground passage under the city.
"You don’t like dressing like a drow either," Marroh answered, lighting a torch. “But someone had to do it. Besides! If Leradien can fit in here, so can you.”
After Leradien had found the secret entrance below the wall, Graybeard had dazzled the guards above it long enough for Marroh to reach it and open it while Ronthiel and Leradien cleared the wall above of guards. Now they were all following along the secret passage below the city wall to wherever it might lead.
“If they have harmed Amien,” said the elf, “I shall never forgive myself for turning him in.”
“We all agreed to turn him in,” reminded Graybeard to them. “It was part of the boy's plan. He knew the risks when he volunteered. It’s no one’s fault but mine if things go wrong.”
“A little help here!” said Leradien from behind.
She had gotten stuck in the passageway.
“One moment,” said Marroh, freeing her with his pickaxe.
“This tunnel isn’t big enough for driders,” Leradien complained.
“Especially driders that need to go on a diet,” Ronthiel said softly to Marroh.
“I heard that!” said Leradien. “I didn’t hear you complaining about me needing to go on a diet when you had to ride me today!”
“That is true,” the elf agreed most readily, flashing a pleasant grin. “Your size was most welcome! And, no doubt, when we face the drow at the end of this tunnel, I shall wish you are twice as big as you are now.”
“You should be so lucky,” she told him and then added. “This tunnel will lead us to the ruling house of the city. They built it for themselves to use, not us.”
“She’s right,” said Marroh. “This tunnel will not lead to any prison. No one builds escape tunnels for prisoners.”
“Then we don’t want to follow this,” replied Graybeard. “If we want to reach East Prison, which way?”
“We shall have to tunnel our own way there,” said Marroh, estimating where they should begin to dig off to the side. “Here,” he pointed, studying the walls, then changed his mind. “No! Here!”
Leradien agreed and, together, she and Marroh tore into the wall, his pickaxe striking the stone with determination, chipping away at the rock like a persistent echo. They ripped a new tunnel out with amazing progress as Leradien’s many legs scooped and pulled out the rocks while the dwarf dug their course and the others carried the dirt and rock removed out of the tunnel to dump it.
“What's the prisoner doin'?” rasped Captain Ulrich of his orc-guard at East Prison.
They had been fortunate not to be blinded by the light burst, being inside the guardhouse when it happened.
The guard, Krull, peered out into the courtyard from the inner chamber.
“That human plays his flute and then stops every so often and listens ta the floor of his cell.”
“Why would he do tha'? What does he listen for?”
“Maybe the earth is giving him da words to his song?”
“Then the earth plays bad music! He’s the worst I’ve ever heard,” replied Ulrich. “Well! Who cares the reason?” he said with a disinterested shrug. “Here! 'ave a drink with me, Krull! I have just cause to celebrate. Today is me lucky day!”
“You’re lucky all right! You’re lucky Lolth didn’t kill ya for losing that prisoner.”
Ulrich had always been lucky. He was one of the few orcs to ever receive an officer’s rank by the drow, who did not trust an orc officer not to plot against them. Thus, in the field, all the orc officers were drow. Yet Ulrich had been promoted what with East Prison’s record of no escapes, a record achieved mostly by the orc guards eventually eating their prisoners.
“I may have lost Lolth one prisoner, but I have gained her another! Fortunately for me, that stupid drow turned him over ta us at the East Gate and not the West.”
“I wonder why tha' drow turned him over ta us instead of his own thieving drow?”
“Who knows? And who gives a care? It is my good fortune the drow did. Now! Instead of being punished by Lolth, perhaps she'll reward me?”
“If we aren’t all killed first, by whoever is outside the city attacking us. Even then, I think just being allowed to live for your last mistake is reward enough for ya!”
“Perhaps,” said Ulrich and looked towards Amien for himself, “but he might be valuable. Did ya ever think of tha'? Commander Elisha seems to think so. She ordered us not ta eat him. “So?” He peered. “What’s tha' he’s doing now?”
“The same queer thing. Listening to the ground.”
“Well! Forget him then! Sit down and have a drink. He’s not going anywhere! And if the city is under attack, the last place they’ll get in ta is here!”
Amien listened closely to the stone floor of his cell, then played his flute and even sang quite loudly before listening to the floor again.
Leradien stopped digging suddenly and tilted her head.
“I hear singing,” she said.
They all fell silent inside the tunnel.
“I hear it too.” Ronthiel lifted his head.
“It is Amien,” said the drider. “I recognize his voice.”
“Which way?” asked Marroh.
“More to the left,” answered Leradien.
Amien played his flute and sang some more before, once again, placing his ear to the floor. This time, he was rewarded by the sound of digging.
“One more drink,” said Ulrich to his guard, ready to pour from his bottle. “Share my good fortune!”
But Krull was looking towards the double outer gates of the prison. Someone was coming. It was Commander Elisha. Ulrich had a look for himself and set aside his bottle.
“Unlock the gates,” Ulrich immediately ordered the other two outer sentries, who stumbled, still barely able to see to obey when exposed to earlier light blast.
They let Elisha in as Ulrich motioned Krull opposite him to set aside his own goblet.
“What’s the prisoner doing now?” he asked.
The guard turned and looked. “I dunno know. I don’t see him.”
“You don’t?” said Ulrich and got up to look out the back gate as well. “That’s odd! I don’t see him either. Let’s go check.”
The two opened the back gate and began to walk across the prison yard.
Ulrich stopped halfway across the prison yard. The human’s cell was empty and there was a dark hole dug in the middle of its floor. His eyes widened in shock as he saw a tunnel below, his maw gaping.
“I have come to question that new prisoner again,” Commander Elisha’s sharp voice demanded from behind them. “I shall put his handsome head on a pike and keep it as a trophy! Where is he?!”