I lurched back and pressed against the wall. Four seconds, that’s all it would take. In four seconds the guard would pass. In four seconds I would be free.
The night was blanketed by a thick, ominous layer of clouds that blocked out the light shining down from the moon and stars. The places where the clouds were thinner, allowed a pale glow to penetrate the top layers. If the clouds had not rolled in that afternoon, the full moon would have basked the castle and surrounding grounds in a milky glow and my escape would have been futile.
The air was cold and wet, filled with tension created by the approaching storm. I knew the clouds above me were just the outriders foreshadowing the fury to come.
Stones dug into my back even through the brown rough-spun cloak. The chill of the freezing stones leeched through my body, and with every rapid breath, I could feel my ribs grating the wall. I hugged it, my head turned to the side, listening for the footstep.
And there it was, just beginning to pass the side gate. The heel of the guard’s boot clacked against the ground and with that one step I heard the rustle of metal.
One step meant one second. Three more to go and I could leave.
Time seemed to slow to an almost imperceptible pace. My breath condensed before me. Nervous the guard would see the mist; I took in a gulp of air and waited. I could hear armor rattling. Far off in the direction of the stables, a horse whinnied. Much nearer at hand the second clack upon the cobblestone that paved the courtyards, streets and the path that ran along the exterior of the wall. My wait, where every muscle was tensed, was halfway through.
Moisture between the cobblestones glistened in the dim light filtering through the clouds. In larger pockets, little parts of the surroundings were reflected. The effect looked like a mirror shattered into a million pieces. However, since it was dark only the brightest portions of light were reflected off the water’s surfaces.
Another booted foot hit the ground. The guard was almost past. The dark night posed many dangers. I had been lucky to get this far. I hoped against hope that the guard wouldn’t turn around when I darted out. My feet were bare and ice cold, my hands faired the same. My clothes were rags after sitting in the dank, dark for so long. The stolen cloak helped keep me concealed against the wall and from prying eyes.
One more step and it would be safe to go. I would have to be quiet. My bare feet could not be allowed to smack the cobblestone in the way only flesh could. I would have to be quick. I would have to go and not look back. I could not second guess now. The time for planning had long since come and gone. One more step, one more second, one last chance. That’s all I had left, a single moment.
And then it came.
That clack upon the ground, the slight rustle of mail, the slow passage of a moment. I could imagine what it looked like, the guard swinging his leg forward to set heel upon the ground, rocking forward onto his toe before bringing the other forward. To anyone else it would seem to else it would seem to be nothing. It would appear to simply be another guard on patrol. But to me, to me it was everything. It was the future. It was leaving the past behind me. I let out the lung full of air. Turning, I looked to see if the guard really had passed. Seeing nothing, I ran quiet as an owl.
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