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He and Baxter were sprinting down corridors and looping around corners in search of the others. He knew this was a bad idea. A suicide mission if you will, but none of that mattered. All that was important to Kit in this very moment was getting himself and the others out of the King’s god-forsaken Houses. A few corridors later they finally found the others.
‘Mariel!’ shouted Baxter when the girl came in sight along with the others. A look of relief flashed over her face before steeling back to the same stoic expression as always. Baxter slammed into poor Clem at the same time and he couldn’t help but wince. He knows how heavy that body is, he’s woken up stuck beneath it before. The other man was quick to apologise and move a massive decorated cabinet in front of their pursuers like it weighed nothing.
Everyone was quick to take advantage of this and gain distance between the guards and their exit when suddenly a guard stepped out of a side room and tried going for Captain Hassan. The captain was quick to dodge and send his own sword through the guards gut,
knocking the man down instantly.
Kit’s breathing was fast and crazed by the time they made it to the door Captain Hassan was leading them too, him and Commander Hartley forced it open and revealed a massive drop from a window. The entire group crowded into the room as Captain Hassan tied rope to a wooden beam in the room. The door was closed shut and a massive wardrobe was heaved in front of it by Baxter. The volume of people and the intensity of the situation was starting to make Kit feel a little queasy.
Commander Hartley was the first one down the rope in case of assassins and was quickly followed by Josey and Morgan. Kit was quick to follow and slid down the rope. Once at the bottom, Kit watched as Clem slid down the rope and was followed by Mariel. Only Baxter and Captain Hassan were left to get out.
He watched as Baxter began sliding down the rope but there was no sign of Captain Hassan. Suddenly said man appeared and slashed away at the rope whilst simultaneously being impaled by several arrows, causing Baxter to go flying down a few several feet to the ground. The archers must have spotted them. Kit freezes for a moment before rushing to Baxter and helping him up. There's nothing they can do for the captain now.
Soon rope from the other Merry Men was thrown down into the ditches and they all climbed out before rushing to the trees they called their home. Once they reached the forest, everyone was pulled onto horses randomly and they raced off to safety.
Kit could feel the adrenaline slowly leave his body as the wind swept through his hair. The ride to camp was thankfully uneventful and most injuries were minor things he or Clem could easily treat. Mariel was swept off for debriefing so it was just him and the others which he was kinda grateful for when the captain was clearly in a mood. They all sat around a campfire with Kit leaning contently against Baxter, Josey supporting Clem who looked like she was seconds away from falling asleep and Morgan who was yawning and clearly tired themselves. Baxter was lucky he didn’t break or sprain anything from the fall and only gained bruises as proof of it happening.
Mariel quietly approached and whisked Clem away, clearly intending to talk to the other girl but not realising how tired Clem obviously was. The two whispered to each other away from the campfire. They were clearly having some kind of argument when Clem suddenly kissed Mariel and they seemed to relax after that. Both of them came to sit in front of the campfire.
‘What did Commander Hartley tell you?’ Josey asks Mariel hesitantly, scared the girl might explode or completely shut down. Surprisingly, that didn’t happen but Kit suspects it was because her and Clem were holding hands.
‘He’s considering my position as captain. Seeing as I unknowingly interrupted a mission leading to a fellow captain getting killed.’
Kit’s brows furrowed at this response, ‘But he never told you about the men he had there?’
‘Yeah. Honestly he should have told you about it.’ came Josey’s add on.
‘We were only doing the right thing like we Merry Men are meant to.’ Baxter states, ‘Plus, no matter what he says you’re still our captain. You’re our leader.’
‘They’re right, ya’know.’ Morgan’s voice was surprisingly soft.
Everyone mutually agreed none of this was Mariel’s fault as she simply didn’t know which was only her father’s fault. She obviously didn’t completely believe them but seemed sated for now.
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Later that night, Kit was comfortably curled around Baxter, soaking in the other man’s warmth he loved so much. The day's events were chaotic and brutal. Kit’s just grateful noone he truly cared for got severely hurt or worse. But here, in Baxter’s arms. None of those worries of tomorrow and what ifs existed. All he could think of was the strong embrace he was wrapped in and the comforting familiar scent of Baxter.
‘I love you.’ he whispered softly into the night.
‘I love you too.’ came the ever fast reply.