Chapter 33 - The Slave Girl

Legs quickly strode over to the nearest torch that was suspended from the wall. Without uttering a word, he held the map up to the light and stared intently. Gregorex and Andres stood behind him, unable to get a good glimpse of the document that was in Legs’ hands. Andres, who really didn’t enjoy too much silence, quickly grew uncomfortable and spoke up. “What is that map supposed to tell us?” he asked.

Legs slowly turned to him and softly replied, “Hush. I can’t explain everything right now. I’m just trying to memorize this map before we take off. Once we get away from the light, or once other people start to run into us, we really won’t have the luxury of pulling this thing out and looking at it. Just be patient.” Legs then turned back and stared again at his map.

Andres quieted down, but just for a moment. Once again, he grew restless in the silence. He could swear that he hear footsteps, and that soon the hallway would be flooded with guards that were looking for them. After about 30 more seconds of quietness, Andres spoke again. “Uh...don’t you think we ought to be going?” he asked.

Legs turned toward Andres once again. “I said hush!” he said, this time a bit more forcefully. “It won’t do us any good to hurry if we don’t know where we’re going.”

Gregorex then chimed in and said, “Man, Andres, don’t you know when to keep your mouth shut?”

As soon as Gregorex spoke, Legs spun around and stared. “Did you say ‘Andres’?” he asked. “Are you Prince Andres, son of King Maximilian?”

Andres, who was easily embarrassed, shuffled his feet and replied, “Uh...yes, that’s me. Though I don’t feel like much of a prince right now. I swear that my feet keep being run over by mice and rats.”

Legs quickly got down on one knee before Andres. “Please forgive my rudeness, my prince,” he said. Then, rising to his feet again, he declared, “Well, this is fantastic news indeed! If the prince is here, then the king shall not be far behind!”

“I don’t think anyone even knows where I am,” replied Andres, somewhat sullenly.

“If I know the king, he knows exactly where his son is,” said Legs. “And I am sure he is on his way!” Then, in a quieter voice, he added, “Prince Andres, I have been in this prison for two miserable years. They have been the worst years of my life. But they would all be worth it if I got to meet the king, even for just a second. During the darkest nights, I would dream of seeing the face of the king. I am sure he will come. But all the same, we’ve got some work to do. Follow me!” Legs then folded the map, tucked it into a pocket, and move briskly down the hallway. Gregorex and Andres followed close behind.

After just a few yards, Legs turned to the right. The group then entered a hallway that neither Gregorex nor Andres had noticed earlier. This hallway was completely dark. Andres could hear Legs counting to himself as they walked along. Before Andres could ask a question, Gregorex reached out and put his hand over Andres’ mouth. Without breaking stride, Gregorex said, “Don’t say a word, Andres. He’s counting paces. Just follow. Okay?” Andres was somewhat unnerved by the fact that Gregorex appeared to be reading his mind. He closed his mouth and continued to walk.

Soon, Andres heard Legs say, in a somewhat louder voice, “Seventy-three, seventy-four, seventy five. Now, turn right.” Legs stopped, reached behind him, and made sure that Gregorex and Andres were following. He then turned and started to walk again. Andres, unable to see a thing, braced himself to smack into the wall. But to his surprise, they passed through a narrow doorway and started to ascend a staircase. The staircase appeared to be a spiral. Andres figured they were ascending one of the castle towers. He was somewhat relieved to know that they were moving out of the dungeon and back to civilization--if indeed you could call Dor-ko’s castle “civilization”.

The trio didn’t climb for long. Once they came to a landing, Legs directed them to the right. They came to a door, which Legs pushed gently. It opened with a loud creek that startled Andres. Before walking any further, Legs turned and said, “Remember--we have uniforms on. We have no need to be nervous. If anyone sees us, just act like you belong here. We may look kind of nasty, just having come out of our cells. But everyone looks nasty around here, so we should blend in nicely. Just be confident.” Legs spoke slowly, but he had an air of leadership about him. He was softly but gently taking charge of this little adventure. Andres eagerly followed as he continued to walk.

The hallway that they had entered had some windows in it, though at present it was still dark outside. Andres realized that they must now be on the first floor. He instinctively wanted to find a door and take off, but he didn’t dare to lose sight of Legs. As his mind raced with thoughts with thoughts of escape, he saw a figure emerge into the hallway. Andres was shocked to see that it appeared to be a young servant girl. He was sure that this girl was going to scream--either because she was scared, or just because she wanted some guards to come and take them back to prison. Startled and unable to control his mouth, Andres muttered, “We’re doomed.”

While Gregorex turned and glared at Andres, Legs spoke gently and said, “Excuse me, m’lady. I hope we haven’t interrupted you.”

“Not at all, sir,” replied the girl in a soft voice. Andres was amazed that a girl could be this calm and poised in a miserable place like this. Then the girl continued and asked, “I have a question for you, gentlemen. What is greater than max?”

Andres shook his head. It was the dumbest question he’d ever heard in his life. He almost piped up and said so, but once again Gregorex’ swift hand clamped his mouth shut. While Andres fumed to himself, Legs replied, “A million, m’lady.”

“Then follow me, please,” said the girl. Andres, who simply couldn’t understand what had just happened, kept his mouth closed and followed. This hallway, like most of the hallways, was dimly lit with torches spaced at about ten-foot intervals. Andres wished there were more, but at least the dim light kept him from seeing the rodents that scurried around the floor. He really did hate mice.

As they walked, Andres saw the young girl pull something from her robe. Oddly enough, it appeared to be a whip. Handing it to Legs, she said simply, “You may use this if you need to.” Legs nodded as he took it, and the group continued to walk.

Andres could hear activity in the distance, and that activity appeared to draw closer the further they walked. At length, they turned left into a broader hallway with higher arches and with more torches. For the first time, Andres saw others bustling about. They appeared to be black knights, donning their armor and hustling away. It seemed as though the knights were preparing for battle. None of the knights seemed particularly interested in them, much to Andres’ relief.

As their journey down the corridor continued, Legs spoke up and said, in a loud voice, “Slave girl, have you prepared our garments for combat?”

“Yes, m’lord,” replied the girl.

Legs then cracked his whip. Andres was startled by the piercing sound, and he involuntarily jumped. The girl shrieked, making Andres’ nerves recoil. Legs spoke up again and bellowed, “You move too slowly, slave girl! Pray pick up your slothful pace and get moving! Have you been eating too much?”

“No, m’lord!” said the girl, who started walking more swiftly.

Legs then cracked the whip again, eliciting another cry from the girl. “I don’t believe you!” he bellowed. “I shall tell your master to reduce your rations! You are clearly too fat and too slow! I will not tolerate this!”

The group was now nearly running down the hallway. Andres felt terrible for the girl. What had she done to deserve getting whipped? And why had Legs suddenly become so cruel? Andres couldn’t understand. But as he mulled over these questions, they abruptly came to a halt. The girl declared, “The garments are in here, m’lord. Please follow me.” She then pushed against the wall, and a heavy door slowly swung open. Andres followed the other three as they entered the room. Once they had all crossed the threshold, Legs shut the door tight behind them. He then grabbed a torch that was hanging from the wall and motioned for everyone to gather around him.

As Andres moved toward Legs, he cast a glance around him. They appeared to be in a large closet of some sort, tucked into an obscure corner of the castle. The room was fairly small--maybe fifteen feet by fifteen feet, he guessed. Looking behind him, Andres saw some suits of armor and some weapons laying on the floor. Andres’ mind started to race as he thought of how he could use the weapons to aid his escape. He wanted to just grab a spear, slip out into the hallway, find a door, stab a guard, and make his way toward the woods while it was still dark. However, he was quickly jerked back to reality when Gregorex grabbed him by the shoulder and said, “Pay attention, buddy.” Andres turned around and listened as the girl spoke up.

“During my time here as a slave girl, I have found three black knights that are loyal to the king. Today, they are risking their lives to serve you. While the rest of the army is preparing to march off to battle, they have placed their armor here. It is ready for you to wear and complete your escape. You are to put it on here, then head out to the stable. The loyal knights that I found have offered their horses as well. You are to mount them as though heading to battle. And then, when you have the opportunity, you are to ride them to freedom.”

“These brave souls are putting their own lives at risk,” Legs replied.

“Even know, Thudrucker is rounding them up and preparing to flog them,” the slave girl said. “They have given everything to you. But they do it gladly. They have only one request.”

“What is it?” asked Legs.

The girl replied, “They ask that, if they are still alive when the king returns, they be able to shake his hand. They each said that it would all be worthwhile if they could just see and touch the king. Is that possible?”

Legs put his arm around the slave girl’s shoulder. “Look,” he said, “the king’s youngest son, Prince Andres, is with us right now. I’m sure that he will gladly pass on their humble request.” Then, turning to face Gregorex and Andres, Legs said, “Now let’s get armed and ready, gentlemen. The horses await!”