Nomad turned to his shackles. One after another, the clinking metal-on-metal noises ceased before finally giving way to silence. He was free. He stood up, working his hands and rolling his feet.
Nomad felt the nighttime air seep through the window frame. He'd ended up accepting the little thing's offer for what—to escape this rotten jail. He wasn't planning on taking her with him, she'd been stupid enough to free him so it was best to get out and lose her.
"So, where to!" Emma asked, a bag bigger than her head held tight to her chest. The girl was shivering, her brown cloak draped over her. She had already locked the jail back and was standing there, staring at Nomad's back.
Nomad looked back at her, "I'm not taking you along," he told her, watching as her smile faded slowly, "you'll attract trouble, I'm leaving, and it is better if you follow someone else." The excuse leaving his mouth sounded lame, he knew. But the fact still remained that he was unwilling to risk anything or anybody by going with him.
"But! But! You agreed!" Emma exclaimed.
Nomad shook his head.
"Well, take it as a lesson. The world's not nice. Not everyone keeps words."
Nomad began marching forward and quickening his pace, with a slight glance left and right for the patrol. That was, however, unnecessary, as he dipped into shadows. Nomad made his way behind a tent.
"Hey! Just wait a minute! That's it? What about me?" Emma said as she followed behind him, sounding quite hurt.
He sighed, crouching to his knees to ensure the tent blocked them. He waited for the little brat to catch up. Once she had, Emma promptly found herself pushed back.
"Go," he said.
"But," she said.
"Didn't you hear?"
"I--" Emma stuttered. "I'll scream! Yes! I'll scream if you don't take me with you! Just wait. Wait--What are you doing?"
"Silence." He gritted his teeth, drawing her near to him. The whole camp would be upon him.
"Yeah," she whispered.
"Right," he told the brat, clasping her mouth shut. "What can you even do for me in return? Why should I go out of my way to teach you?"
She looked down. "Um, I can fight?"
"Really. You."
"Make you food?" she asked in a small voice. "Yeah, the food is good, right? I could make you delicious food!"
The chatter from the patrolling guards echoed through the quiet night, interrupting them. Nomad grabbed the little thing and dove to the ground, pressing hard against it behind the shadow of the tent, and held his breath. His muscles tensed and ready to spring at the sight of any blunder.
"Hmm. Didn't notice anything," the younger of the two patrolling guards said, and his colleague shook his head. He had no lantern on hand and was too far to see in the dark. "I told you, there's nothing."
"I swear I heard a noise," the young one answered and rubbed his head.
"Even then, I don't sense anything, there's nothing. I thought something happened when you called me." The old guard sighed. "At least should've let me get my torch, dumbass." the older man smacked the younger’s head.
Nomad listened in while taking careful and slow breaths to maintain calm. Eventually, the two guards dispersed with little commotion after their patrol, and Nomad allowed himself to stand back up, albeit crouched, but not before making sure nobody was around. He didn't want to attract any more attention.
"I'm sorry," Emma whispered, trembling.
Nomad let her go and stared at her. He didn't remember the last time cared for anyone other than himself. His experience with people in this world hadn't always been rosy either.
"Sorry," Emma squeaked again.
"That," Nomad took a sharp breath, "Is exactly why you'll be an annoyance and a liability. My life's always full of running. From place to place. Never staying in one place for too long. I don't want to carry you while sneaking around. You've just damned yourself too. I'm going to leave and they'll discover who let me go. You will be a prime suspect given your shenanigans with the guards in charge of me. What will you do if they trace you back?"
Emma looked down for a solid five seconds before looking up with a frown. "So? What if they find out? Not like I have anyone here. Or anywhere, for that matter. It wouldn't matter if they found out. I'll just find a way around even if you leave, it can't be that hard, can it? Plus you still owe me, right? Help. Teaching!" she exclaimed.
"I don't owe you anything." He rubbed his temples. This would cause more headaches than the shard.
"But you don't mind, do you? Please... I'll be off your scales once I'm done learning a thing or two! I don't want to be useless anymore..."
Nomad sighed. Damn kids. He'd throw her off at the next town he found. Besides, she'd be of some use while they made their way out. Food, he'd like some food. He stood up, brushing the dirt off him.
"Give me those," he snatched the bag from her hand, checking her belongings. Three dresses, and a stuffed animal, he raised a brow. Other necessities that did not catch his interest. "What is this stuffed-"
"Give it back!" Emma scowled, yanking the thing out of his grasp, her face reddening.
"Quiet," he hissed.
"Sorry," she whispered, chuckling.
After ensuring no prying eyes were watching him, Nomad dragged the little girl over to a hidden bush, pushing his way in through the thorns and leaves, ignoring her curses about her clothes getting ripped.
"Careful." He said. "You won't learn a damn thing if they see us."
"Maybe don't force your way through bushes then," she grumbled.
"Walk. Like this," he used a foot to gesture, digging up the soil as a marker to get her through. The darkness was thick; luckily, there was faint, yellow light that escaped through the tents. Some were even lit and open, letting out the sound of music or occasional chatter.
When Emma wouldn't stop wincing, he chided, "Stop at the sounds. You wanna learn? Learn to be quiet." He walked right ahead, looking down occasionally to mark the route.
She frowned. "How is one supposed to not make sounds when they step on grasses or twigs?"
"Don't break them. Watch where you're stepping."
Nomad looked to see the flicker of a guard's torch at the edge of the camp and moved a hand to stop the little thing. His right hand fell and stopped her, pulling her down, making sure she didn't make sounds and make it worse.
The little thing squeaked before shutting her lips closed and went silent.
The torch slowly disappeared as the man marched, looking in every tent he passed, peeping his head through to scan. Eventually, the guard was done and left.
He turned and stared at the girl. "Don't get noticed, don't get caught. Learn to be silent. First lesson."
She gulped. "Yessir."
He eyed her again for a solid five seconds before moving again. The girl got on his nerves, and perhaps he was at fault. Or maybe it was the fact he hadn't been able to have a decent interaction for some while. Even if he told her to, she would not leave him alone and just get off his tail anyway. The girl was persistent, and annoying, but she was a means to an end, food for a few nights, an end goal in sight, and nothing else.
The clearing the camp had settled in was bordered on all four sides by thick, old trees. Only one way out. That way led further into the woods and possibly far, far away.
"Why are there so many people after you?" she asked.
"Never liked questions," he replied without looking at her.
"They look pretty hell-bent on getting you."
Nomad sighed, turning back. "Listen, whatever they've told you in school, believe it. I'm not nice. Don't expect me to be. And, don't ask questions again."
"Yes sir!" she saluted. Nomad rolled his eyes.
His footsteps were silent. Step by step. It helped that the moon wasn't bright, the clouds obscuring the stars and moonlight as a fine mist blanketed the area, adding a layer of obscurity.
"So, Nomad."
Nomad sighed in exasperation at her. Couldn't the little thing stay silent for over a few minutes?
"I thought I told you not to ask questions."
She did, for about two seconds, and Nomad continued scanning his surroundings.
"Are we allowed to talk when I'm not asking questions?"
Nomad closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, shutting the windows of his mind, willing everything to disappear, his surroundings and the chatter.
Emma shifted as he paused his movement. "Well? Can I?"
He gave the girl a withering glare that would've made most men shrink but Emma smiled at it nervously. "Haha, right. Silence." She pouted as she stared ahead, eyes following the same pattern as his.
As they reached the borders of the camp, Nomad came face to face with two guards blocking their only exit. The forest grew close together with smaller leaves, but enough room for small passage between the roots of the larger, looming trees. He needed to make his move quickly if he did not want to risk the chance of having to slip in between them, even with the darkness shielding him.
A few meters more and he'd feel the crisp breeze of freedom and would escape.
The question now was how. Two guards. Heavy and bulky ones, blocking the only exit and path in this direction, holding their weapons, eyes scanning, standing, and guarding. There was no place to hide if he stepped forward.
"Plan B?" Emma said in a low tone.
"...What plan B?" He blinked.
"Huh. I talked about it to you. The escape plans I devised. Cmon, teacherman. Don't tell me you weren't listening!"
"...Right," Nomad said slowly. "And if, let's say, I shut myself off at you blabbering and missed 'plan B', mind spilling it?"
"Hmm. A secret between us! Maybe another time!" she said, walking forward. "But let us commence plan B!"
She ran ahead of him, throwing him back a wave and saluting. The guards became alert, suddenly pointing the end of their weapons at her. Her face crumpled as she turned back to them, yelling, "H-he escaped! Help, that way! A prisoner! Big and bad. Mean scary man!"
Nomad restrained from going ahead and knocking the brat back into the camp again. But he stayed in the shadows.
"Emma?" The two guards shifted, looking and scanning, but they did not lower the tip of their spear. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I was, um, just passing by when I heard grunts, the other side of camp! Please check on that! Come on, let's look together!" She yelled, grabbing the arms of one guard, and shaking them.
The guards glanced at her before glancing back at each other. "What do we do?"
"Look, she might just be pranking us," the other guard, who seemed older than the first, sighed. "She's done a couple of this before, you know."
"No!" Emma shook her head furiously. "I promise this time it's real!"
"How would you know? We should really check it out, just in case! Sir Leonel might just reward us," the guard that appeared younger replied.
The elder man frowned. "Won't leave the post for nothing, though, will you, lad? Come now. Be professional."
“I’ll go check, then!” the younger one ran off, leaving the old man alone.
Nomad watched with interest. With the remaining guard preoccupied with Emma, the shadows gave cover as he weaved into the dark. It was difficult to maintain his footing within the loose ground and slippery moss.
Still, Nomad moved, quietly, to the back of the man. Just as he was about to knock him unconscious and end this, the guard turned back and stared at him lazily.
"You're back, saw now? Didn't I say this kid does this often--"
The guard's eyes shot wide open and his mouth followed when he saw Nomad.
Nomad cursed.
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