Alwyn

Alwyn heard the click of the second tumbler right as she heard the warning bells ring out across the city. She grinned. Simon had done it, he'd made it to the bell tower. She pulled the cell door open, same as she'd accomplished her task.

She'd planned to find one of her former crew members since she knew how to get under their skin. Finding Tor along with two others hadn't been the exact plan. She needed to be thrown in a cell, not dead. Luckily, in their inebriated state, they'd been easy to handle and with the soldiers nearby it had worked out perfectly.

Stowing her picks into her belt, Alwyn eased the door closed behind her. She crept down the long corridor, passing cells packed with West Isles soldiers. Most of them laid passed out and others stared up at the single window, listening to the bells, hearing the warning to get inside hidden in the pattern. Only one man eyed Alwyn as she slipped by.

At the corner, Alwyn paused and peered around the edge. A desk sat at the center of the small room with an empty chair behind it. The guard who once occupied the chair now stood at the window, looking out to the city, listening.

Alwyn crept up to him. Seizing his knife from his belt, she hit him over the head with the hilt. The man collapsed and she caught him before he could crash to the floor. Grunting under his weight, she eased him down.

She snatched his keys and hurried to the door on the far side of the room, the one leading outside, and locked it. She returned to the corridor between the cells, this time her presence garnering more attention.

"Captain Hollis?" Alwyn said, searching the cells. "Captain Hollis."

Men roused themselves and some stood as Alwyn walked by them, trying to find the man the name was attached to.

"Captain Hollis," she said, louder this time.

"Here," came a deep, rough voice.

Alwyn spotted a pair of strong, dark arms extended from between bars. When she faced him, she found the rest of him matched, a tall man, well built - despite his current location - in his mid-forties.

"Captain Hollis," Alwyn said, receiving a nod from the captain. "Princess Lydia needs your help."

Murmurs rustled through the men and Hollis frowned.

"We were led to believe that Princess Lydia perished along with her family. Only Crown Prince Corwin has survived. Though we don't know if he has recovered yet."

More men stood and gathered the bars, some further down pressing their faces to the metal in an attempt to see Alwyn.

"That is all false," Alwyn said. "The Princess survived and she needs your help. Right now she is in the palace acting as a distraction to the King so that your men might secure the city and its boundaries. At the ports, Lorian soldiers are arriving to help."

Hollis crossed his arms, eying Alwyn skeptically.

"Why am I to believe this?" he asked.

Alwyn pulled out a sealed envelope from her pocket and handed it over to the captain. He broke the seal and it felt as every man held their breath. Alwyn watched as the captain read through the letter from Lydia once then twice. He stopped frowning as a flicker of hope lightened his face. He raised his head.

"We must do as her Majesty asks," he said.

Alwyn slid the key into the lock and turned. The heavy thunk brought all remaining men to their feet. Hollis exited first and instantly took control of the situation.

"Fox, Aspen," Hollis said, talking to two men in another cell. "You will take your men and secure the border.

As he continued to give orders, Alwyn moved down the line unlocking the cells. A stream of men rushed past her and disappeared around a corner. A moment later they returned, armed with weapons and carrying more which they began to hand out. Only Hollis spoke, his soldiers focused on following orders, their faces tense with determination even as their eyes glowed with fight.

With all the cell doors open and the men free, Alwyn slipped into the armory. The walls had mostly been picked clean but she managed to find a sword and buckled it around her waist. She'd done what she'd been sent to do, now she was going to follow through on her promise.

When she exited the prison, she found the courtyard in chaos, West Isles soldiers battling King Titus' soldiers. The clash of sword against sword rang in the air occupied by grunts of pain.

Alwyn dashed towards the stables where she came face to came with a North Isles soldier. He lunged towards her and she spun out the path of his sword. With the attack leaving him off balance, Alwyn used it, kicking at the soldier's foot. He tripped and she slammed the hilt of her knife into his head. He hit the floor and didn't rise.

Stealing supplies from the tack room, Alwyn readied a horse. She led the stallion to the courtyard and swung into the saddle.

The fight had diminished, the sheer number of the West Isles soldiers quickly overpowering the prison guards. As Alwyn nudged the horse forward, a familiar figure raced into the courtyard, standing out since he moved against the tide flowing into the city.

"Cyrus," Alwyn shouted.

Her twin broke from the stream.

"What are you doing here?" Alwyn said, thinking he would have been at the docks.

Cyrus grinned up at her. "I'm always the one to bail you out of jail. I didn't think you'd be able to do it without me."

She shook her head and stretched out a hand to him. He grasped it and she helped him onto the back of the horse. Once they managed to navigate through the soldiers, Alwyn nudged the horse and they tore off into the city.

The streets that had been crowded with citizens on Alwyn's arrival were now empty, except for the faces peeking out of windows and confused-looking North Isles soldiers.

"Where are we going?" Cyrus asked.

"The palace, I made a promise to a friend."

Stay alive, Wilder. Stay alive.

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Boiling buckets! *eats pop corn* This is getting good!

Let's see your raised hands, who thought Alwyn completely bungled her mission? You thought our fiery girl failed? 🧜🏽‍♀️⚔️🛡

Tell me, did any of you guess that's what was going on? I'm really curious if you did.

There's this phrase in writing called the gun the drawer. That means if something comes into play later in the book it needs to be set up at the beginning. And how did Alwyn's first chapter start?

*cups ear to hear the united shout* SHE WAS PICKING THE PRISON CELL LOCK!

😁 Yup, nailed it.

Before you race off to the next chapter I want to know your feels? Anyone worried??

Vote, comment, follow before you go! See you in the palace!