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His runted softly I opened uish as it toppled to the ground

"What the hell?" the others, pulling rabbed his ankles He tripped and fell back

The sickening crunch of bone striking stone wasn’t what I expected His body went lile of keys, I turned back in tiuard was propped against the bars, his head cocked at an unnatural angle

In the weak glow, I gazed at the prone fore of the bottoan to pool around an to tre of my soul reduced uilt when he took a life? I watched hih a veil of blood

Efficient as always, Valek stripped the dead guards of their weapons

"Wait here," he instructed Unlocking the h the entrance to the guardroo flesh reached uilt, Valek did what he had to for his side to win

When Valek motioned me to join him, I saw that blood had splattered on his face, chest and aruards, either unconscious or dead, were strewn about the room

My backpack sat on a table, its contents scattered about I stuffed everything back in while Valek tried to open the reer, I wantedmy butterfly and amulet, back Once I wrapped the chain around ely optimistic

"Damn," Valek said

"What?"

"The Captain has the only key to this door He will open it when it’s tiuards"

"Try these" I handed Valek rinned

While he worked on the lock, I found a pitcher of water and a wash barrel The fear of being caught couldn’t override the desire to rinse off h The need to rid myself of the stench of vo buckets of water over h I drained half the water pitcher before I thought to offer some to Valek He stopped to drink, then continued to pick the lock

Finally, it popped open Valek peered out into the hallway "Perfect No guards" He pulled the door wide "Let’s go"

Taking my hand and a lantern, Valek turned away from our only escape, and ledto leave the door to the cells wide open as well

"Are you insane?" I whispered as he dragged me toward the last cell "Freedom’s that way" I pointed