Lavender & Fire

36. Trading One Prison for Another

"I know you're tired, but we're almost there." Rahn stated as she urged Halan and Biechta to keep running.

"I think... we'll all... have to join... Ashima." Halan said through breaths. "In her regimen to get in better shape."

Biechta just nodded as she sucked in deep breaths.

"You are barely...out of breath... Lana." Halan commented. "We have to join... your self... defense classes... too."

"Guards!" Rahn called out as they turned a street corner and the grand hall came into view.

The guards standing at the east entrance turned at the sound of her call.

"You two." Rahn pointed at a male and female guard. "Take the Ladies into safety and alert the king and queen." Rahn commanded the surprised guards, then pointed to the remaining four guards. "You two, stay here and man the post. The other two, you follow me."

"Where are you going?!" Halan and Biechta questioned Rahn as she turned to leave.

"We have to get Ashima." Rahn said as she ran off into the night, two guards in tow.

They made their way back to the building where the females had exited earlier. "This is where we escaped from." She told the guards. "The facility is underground and is quite extensive. There are likely many entrances and exits. I don't know if they've yet to discover our escape but it's likely they have." She pointed to a younger, less experienced looking guard. "You. Go back and tell the commander where this is located. I wedged the door open so it wouldn't lock them out, but that could be discovered and closed. And they may try to pack up and leave at the moment they realize we've escaped so make sure they hurry."

The male's eyes rounded at her command and he looked to the other for confirmation. The older female guard shrugged. "You heard the lady, get on it."

The male nodded and sprinted off in the direction from where they had just come.

"Now, follow me."

"Where are we going now?" The female guard asked.

"The human, Ashima. She was climbing through a skylight to find a way out before we'd found the elevator. It was southwest of where the elevator was, roughly..." she imagined the layout in her mind, the steps they had run as she led the guard down the dark streets. "It should come out somewhere around here."

They looked around for any signs of the top of a skylight. After a few minutes, the female guard yelled. "I hear something! Over here!"

As Rahn ran closer she heard a banging noise coming from an old shed.

The guard pulled on the door. "It's locked."

Rahn grabbed a nearby rock and quickly broke the lock, causing the door to swing open. The shed was completely empty, the roof a clear glass and the floor clear as well. Rahn looked down to see Ashima sitting on a ledge below the glass, relief flooding her features at the sight of Rahn above her.

Rahn and the guard managed to pry open the skylight and pull Ashima out.

Ashima exhaled. "Thank goodness there was a bend in the skylight that caused that ledge, I would've never been able to hang on that long." She let out a deep breath and looked around. "The others?"

"Halan and Biechta are at the grand hall, safe."

Ashima nodded. "Thanks for coming back for me."

"Of course." Rahn turned to the guard. "Get her back to the grand hall."

"And what do you plan to do?" The guard asked.

"Just go before they find you out here alone. I have to find the others before the group realizes the location is compromised and they move them."