The crowd’s noise dulled behind me as I slipped through the side of the field, each step a reminder of every hit I’d taken. My ribs throbbed with each breath, my face burned, and my hair clung to my damp skin like silk ropes. I didn’t wait to see if anyone called after me. I didn’t care.
All I wanted was to disappear.
The corridors inside the packhouse were blessedly quiet. Morning light streamed through the tall windows, painting soft gold across the stone floors. My reflection in one of the glass panes stopped me cold, dirt smudged across my cheeks, a split lip, and blood crusting on my collar.
I looked like I had crawled out of a war.
With this my shitty fighting skills, I’d die before the arrows are even shot into the air.
My hands trembled as I opened the nearest door I could fin
