The Queen's Whisper

Chapter Two - Oddmund

In a jail cell in southern Creace, just to the north west of Orathia, a young man sat by, watching the sun begin to set in his weathered room. If it can even be called as much. Sitting in the floor, his knees up to his chest with his head hung down. His dirty blonde hair seeming to match the dirt stained to his face. " Boy, Supper" a rough voice called to him simultaneously sliding a wooden bowl in an opening of the bars. The young man didn't even bother to raise his head at the soup sloshing around. He heard the large man, Perry, walk away with a sigh of discontent before joining his colleague at a small table at the end of the hall of cells. Oddmund sighed himself before releasing the rock he was fiddling with. Willing it to become something useful, it didn't work.

"What time does he move tomorrow Arwell?" the voice of his lunch maid rang through the jail. "We leave at dawn." his colleague replied. Oddmund began to formulate a plan. If they successfully move him to Agruela, he's dead. He has to get away before they cross the border.

He stretched out on the dusty cot they had given him, pulling his wool sweater closer to him. He watched the sun set below the concrete wall as he drifted off to sleep. Devising a way out.

It seemed to only be a short time ago that he fell asleep but he awoke to the clanging of the silver bars that held him in. The two large guards stood over him smiling, revealing half rotted teeth. Their stench was unremarkable as they hoisted him off the cot. " Gentleman, must we be so rough? I'm precious cargo, remember?" Oddmand flashed them a crooked grin, sleep still glazing in his eyes. " Get a load of this joker Perry. Precious Cargo ." Arwell scoffed at him.

Perry chuckled before pricking him with a needle, most likely loaded with a concoction to bide his wolf for the trip. Oddmund had hardly gotten his bearings before being drugged and thrust forward out of the cell. His mind became groggy as the two burly men hauled him into a waiting wagon. His limp body landed on the hard wood with a resounding thunk. Barely conscious, he knew he wouldn't have but a day and a half before they arrived at the border to Agruela.

Oddmund came from a poor family in rural Creace where unbeknownst to him his father was part of a rebellion to dethrone the Emporer of Agruela whose armies had been advancing on their neighbor to the East. However, his father took off like the coward he is, leaving only Odd to care for his mother and sister. When the Agroelean army stormed their home looking for his father, they instead found him and charged him for his father's crimes.

Odd laid in the back of the wagon slipping in and out of consciousness as they traveled the rough roads. He knew there were two guards so they wouldn't have to stop and camp but he also knew these two in particular would probably halt at some point and he wanted to keep his strength in hopes of overpowering them. If he stayed still and silent long enough, they might have false hope.

Sure enough, they stopped just after high noon for water. the felt the wagon jolt to a step and the accompanying shuffle of the two guards clambering out of their seats. Odd took a deep breath as he heard them approach. He was roughly grabbed by his ankles and not so gracefully pulled out. The wind was knocked out of him as he landed on the grand.

"Dammit Arwell, be gentle " the lunch maid hissed at his counterpart. " You've taken to the Little brat haven't you Perry?" he cackled. " You know damn well I haven't, I just don't want to lose our bounty. i***t. They want him alive." He heard Arwell snort once more before kicking him. "Boy, get up.". He didn't move. He heard the faint crunching of leaves as the brute bent down to check his pulse. Arwell mumbled something incoherent as he turned to call for Perry who had walked away but before he could make a noise, Odd leapt up, hitting him in the temple with a rock. He let out a short grunt before collapsing to the ground.

Oddmund looked around for the second of the guards. He heard leaves on the front side at the wagon, he was probably caring for the horse. " Ar? Is everything ok? " he heard heavy footsteps to the side. Odd ducked on the opposite end, climbing up a wooden ladder to the wagon cover. As his target came around to the back, he steadied himself. Suddenly, Odd threw himself on Perry's back where they both rolled to the ground. While the older man was much larger than him, Odd was far more agile. He picked himself up as his adversary charged at him, opting to use his brute strength. Odd barely missed his attack still unsteady on his feet, he slipped but caught himself.

Perry was getting himself ready to launch again when Oddmund caught sight of a large branch a few feet away. He waited a moment and just before the guard landed his right hook, he dove to the ground aiming for the branch. It was barely in his grasp before he was pulled back by the guard. With a broad swing of his arm he hit the guard with the wood, a sickening crunch echoed the empty forest. the saw Perry's eyes flutter before he hit the ground, blood pooling on the damp forest floor.

Odd laid back with his chest heaving, eventually evening out before he stood up. The guards were both dead or at least they seemed to be. Unsure of how long he had, he ran back to the wagon. He filled a saddle with a few rations before unlatching the horse and riding east. He was a free man.