The group of thieves had created a makeshift community of sorts with various tents. There were women and children, too, implicating that they kept their families here safe from authorities who were looking for them. Watching how different groups had specific chores and worked as a team was incredible. Some women watched over the small children while older children were helping in preparing the food.
The lively atmosphere, with the sound of laughter and chatter filling the air, made Amelia realize something. These criminals were human too, and tried to survive and protect their families. It was fascinating to see that they had created a unique subculture with their customs, traditions, and ways of life, and it reminded her a little of the market in Lavia's Capital.
Observing for hours had made Amelia tired, and she fell asleep for a short while. When she woke up, it had gotten dark already, and she got up to open the door and enter the den of thieves. As she predicted, it was easy for her to roam around, mainly since the families had gathered around the fires and were occupied with eating.
It didn't take her long to find a cage filled with men who were none other than Nathaniel and his knights. How did they get caught? That must have been quite a defeat for Nathaniel to be put in a cage by petty thieves. She had to giggle a little at the view in front of her, although her amusement didn't last long because she heard footsteps getting closer to her, and she had to hide behind one of the tents. Her sight followed the man who was approaching the cage.
"How is it going, prince? Are you comfortable? Would you like some pillows to soften the floor for your royal butt?" Laughing at his joke, the man showed his yellow teeth.
"I know you think you are high and mighty, but as you can see, your power does not exceed ours. You are no one here." His evil smile indicated that he was planning on doing something cruel. Nathaniel, on the other hand, ignored him and looked away.
"If you do not tell us where you hid it soon, we will start killing off your men one by one." Nathaniel looked at him in rage at that remark but didn't respond.
What was he talking about? Did they hide something from the thieves? But what could that be? This was not the time to lose focus on her questions. She had planned how she would rescue the prince and his men.
The most plausible option was to wait until most people went to sleep, then open the cage and help them get to the tunnel through which they would escape – and that is what she did. She waited another three hours behind the tent until most lights were off and people were asleep.
Once she made sure there were no people around the cage, she made her way to where the guy with the keys lay close to the cell. A metal lock was easy for her to handle with her magic, but she didn't want to show Nathaniel her powers even if she was disguised with the scarf covering half her face.
Taking the problematic route, she patted the man softly to find the whereabouts of the keys. Feeling them underneath her palm in his right chest pocket, she slowly moved her fingers inside and dragged the keys out while holding his hand. She knew her touch could calm down people, so she thought the calm would help make him fall asleep deeper.
With the keys in her grasp, she arrived before the cage and whispered to Nathaniel, who had attentively been watching her. He had seen a shadow move around the cage and was worried that this was one of the thieves' schemes to get him to spill the beans. But a familiar feeling or pull convinced him otherwise.
"Prince, I am here to help you escape. You all must be extremely quiet and follow me to the tunnel." She looked into his eyes and waited for him to confirm that he would do as she said.
This voice, her emerald eyes, this feeling, it all confused him utterly. Did he know this person? Her petite figure and voice meant she was a woman but other than that. It was challenging to pinpoint who it could be. Although he had a hunch, he highly doubted it was her. Lost in his thoughts, one of his men brought him back to reality.
"Your Highness, should we trust this stranger?"
"I don't think we have an alternative." He looked back at the masked person kneeling before the lock and accepted her offer with a nod.
She went ahead with unlocking the cage and waited for all of them to come out of it, after which she signaled them to follow her, crouched down and quietly.
They were halfway when unluckily, one of the guards saw the empty cage and rang the alarm waking up most of the people. One of the men screamed to lock the path to the tunnel, which was where Amelia had planned to go.
She stopped abruptly, making Nathaniel walk into her from behind, allowing him to smell her light brown hair. He closed his eyes, and Aurora came to his mind. Was it her? He frowned. Opening his eyes, he realized he had lost his focus.
"The tunnel would have been our escape route; we need to change directions and go to the water to find a way out there," Amelia whispered while turning around.
"There is a path around the water, but more creatures are waiting there," Nathaniel replied.
"I am sure the five of us will be able to handle a couple of creatures, your highness."
Nathaniel was flabbergasted. Did this tiny woman honestly think she could fight alongside him and his men?
He didn't say anything more and pointed with his head toward the direction of the water. Chaos had broken loose in the community, and the men searched for the escaped prisoners everywhere. The escapees moved quickly, and although they came across a couple of thieves, Nathaniel's knights knocked them out skillfully.
They all jumped in to swim to the other side when they finally reached the water.