Felix made his way to his mother’s chamber, she was the only friend he truly had in the whole city of Greyhaven and the only person he could trust with his thoughts.
“Hello mother” he said as he entered her chamber. Felix approached his mother and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead, she smiled warmly at her son’s embrace. Felix’s mother was a very slender woman – but as strong as any soldier in the king’s guard – her frame was deceiving. Heather was the name given to her after she was captured by King Darius during a siege on her tribe. Her people were slain by the soldiers of the city and she was taken by Darius as a threat to the leader of the tribe, as Heather was his daughter.
“How are you today?” he asked.
“I’m tired son, they have me working long hours on the training arena, for very little reward”, she replied.
“Have you at least had your meals today?” he asked.
“We were only given our midday meal, one of the workers disobeyed a direct order and the punishment of no meal was applied to us all” she said with an expressionless face.
“Well, lucky for you I swung past the kitchens and lifted a loaf of bread”, he removed the loaf of bread from his satchel and handed it to his mother, “enjoy”, he said with a loving smile towards his mother. His mother took the loaf from his hand and embraced her son warmly.
“Thank you, son, I don’t know what I would do without you in this prison”. As his mother picked chunks from the fresh loaf and placed them in her mouth, Felix watched as his mother’s colour was beginning to return to her tired face. When his mother had finished the loaf, she washed it down with the fresh running water supply in her bed chamber.
“Felix there is something we need to discuss but this must be kept within these walls”, she whispered.
“Of course, mother, I wouldn’t dream of talking to anyone else in this city”, replied Felix.
“I think your father is plotting something big”, she started. “this training facility that he is having us build, is almost identical to the forests across the gap, it is almost as if he is planning to invade my homeland, to show the people of Greyhaven that he does not respect our kind”, she continued, “I don’t think I can sit here quietly and allow this to happen, Felix, we need to escape this place and find my tribe”, she advised.
Felix looked at his mother with wide eyes, the theory was not outrageous by any means, Felix had noticed that his father has been acting more coldly towards him and his mother.
“What do you need me to do?”, Felix asked his mother.
“The only chance we have of escape is at night when most of the guards are resting, the guards on the wall will be easily disposed of”, she explained and to his surprise she added,
“We leave tonight at midnight, I will need you to unbar my door, I will expect you when the moon has reached his peak”, she instructed.
Felix looked at her stunned, but understood that this was necessary to save his mother’s family and homeland. Felix leaned over and put his arms around his mother.
“Okay mother, I will see you again at midnight”, and Felix stood up and left his mother’s chamber.
Allan's Short Stories 