To Be Honest (MxM) (18+)

Chapter 2: Stowaway

CW: Referenced/Implied non-consensual behaviors. Mentions of hanging.

My heartbeat pounds in my ears, barely able to catch my breath as I continue ducking and darting amongst the trees. Heavy footsteps reach my ears from somewhere behind me, driving me to move quicker.

But I have to keep my panic at bay and stay as quiet as possible. I can only hope that my knowledge of this forest supersedes the pure strength and weaponry of the guards pursuing me.

I press myself flat against one of the larger trees to catch my breath, forcing my breathing to slow down so I'm properly taking in oxygen. I can hear the guards complaining about the thick underbrush, snapping twigs and swatting thick plants out of their way. Good. They're slow here.

Now a plan. I could keep going through the woods to the next town, but I would still run into guards there and they might turn me in. The docks, then? It's not something I'm looking forward to, as me and water don't mix well.

But if I can get onto a ship, hopefully I'll be able to get far enough away to be safe. Unless I get caught and thrown in the water to drown and have a slow and painful death.

I force that thought out of my mind as quickly and quietly clamber up a tree with a rather thick canopy. I settle in amongst the leaves, knowing that I'm hidden from sight. The guards pass beneath me and pause, grumbling to one another.

"Do you think we could get some stress relief out of this bitch before we send him to the gallows?"

I shudder at the thought, but one of the other guards laughs. "I have little doubt that Lord Marano would let us do that after all the trouble the fucking bitch caused him. Can you believe he made moves on his son?!"

I did not! Lukoa came onto me. Even if I had tried to defend myself before fleeing, or if I were to try right now, it wouldn't matter. Everything I say holds less weight in comparison to Lukoa. Who would believe a stableboy over the son of a lord?

"It's a shame he's to be hung. He's quite good-looking for what he is."

Stop talking about me like some commodity. I'm a person.

Still chatting amongst themselves, the guards begin to move on, trampling more bushes and twigs as they go. I wait until I can no longer hear their footfalls and breathe a small sigh of relief, but remain in the tree. It's safer for me in the trees. Even if they do come back to this area, I stand a better chance at evading them off the ground. I hadn't noticed if any of them had guns, but I had been a bit preoccupied trying to dodge Marano's numerous guards as I fled the stables.

My heart aches a bit at the thought of the stables. I wonder how quickly he'll replace me; how quickly someone else will be caring for the horses I had spent years with. I know the horses tend to be hostile to new people. What if they hurt someone because they don't trust them? I settle myself into a more comfortable position, thoughts of the horses still running through my mind.

It's safer to wait until nightfall to head to the docks, so I may as well take at least a short nap. I wedge my satchel under my neck. There isn't much in it, but my extra set of clothes does provide some padding and comfort. I'm going to need all the sleep I can get after my sleepless night.

Why did you do this to me Lukoa?

Once the Sun has begun to set, I slip out of the tree, landing softly on my feet. I give my eyes a moment to adjust to the low-light, not wanting to risk using a lantern. I make my way back towards the edge of the forest, hiding in the shadows of the trees as I try to plan out my path to get around the heart of Dressdan to reach the docks.