Bryce nodded, then stretched and motioned to the guard with his manacled hands. The man seemed annoyed but didn’t object when Bryce stood and started walking into the forest. They disappeared into the foliage, and Gregory thought again of how arrogant these men were.
If he oversaw this camp, he wouldn’t allow a prisoner to step to the edge of the camp, manacles or no. No sense cursing good luck. Gregory waited, and then silently followed them.
He ducked behind a tree and waited as a sentry passed. The sentry glanced at the escorting guard, yawned, and was on his way again. Gregory moved closer to the pair, his newly fashioned lasso at the ready. He would have to be quick, getting the lasso tight before the guard could shout.
He had very little slack in the line and was afraid the circle wouldn’t even fit over the man’s head. So many things that could go wrong, and yet now he was too deep in to change his mind. He dispelled his doubts and worries. They were far enough that a struggle might not reach the camp, for which Gregory would have to thank Bryce, but a scream for help would be more than enough to ruin any escape.
Gregory heard his breathing, seeming loud enough to wake the entire forest. He was less than a dozen feet away. The guard sat facing away from Bryce and seemed on the verge of dozing off. The rope connected to Bryce was tied around his wrist, keeping Bryce nearby and unable to slip away.
Gregory took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his palms: now or never.
He rushed forward and slid the lasso tightly over the surprised guard’s head, down to his neck, and yanked it tight. He put his knee into the man’s back and pulled as hard as he could. The guard reached for his neck, gagging and sputtering, and tried to hook his fingers under the rope. Bryce was there in an instant, using the manacles to hook the man’s arms and force his hands down.
The struggle seemed to last an eternity, but doubtless it was less than thirty seconds before the man stopped sputtering and twitching and fell limp.
Gregory laid him down gently on the ground and slid the lasso off. His arms were shaking as he untied the rope from the guard’s wrists, and he handed the now free end to the prince. The only sounds of breathing came from him and Bryce. They exchanged a glance, and then started moving silently into the woods away from the camp.
Gregory felt lightheaded and dizzy. The guard wasn’t breathing.
Sure, they were free, but he hadn’t intended to kill anyone. He shuddered and forced himself to keep walking. Just walk. Stop torturing yourself, just walk. There was no sense worrying about what was past, and now he worried the sentries would discover something amiss and catch up to them.
Bryce seemed to have the same fear and maintained a rapid pace. Once they were a few hundred feet away, they started jogging, avoiding trees in the night. Gregory’s eyes adjusted, but he still stumbled as he tried to keep pace.
“What now?” he asked once they were about a half mile away. He was still only willing to whisper.
“I thought this was your plan.”
“Mine ended at killing the guard.”
“He isn’t dead. You didn’t hold the rope long enough. He might even have woken up by now to warn someone.”
“Then we better hurry.”
Bryce nodded and kept moving. They came to a shallow river and looked both up and downstream. After contemplation, Bryce jumped into the water and started wading to the middle. Gregory climbed in after him, and to his surprise, watched as Gregory started trekking upstream.
“We aren’t crossing?” he asked.
Bryce didn’t answer, and Gregory reluctantly followed him. They waded in the river for miles, and by the time Bryce exited on the far bank, it was near morning. Gregory was exhausted and collapsed to the ground.
