The Way We Fall

Chapter 46 (Roche)

TW: Assault, S@, racism, homophobia

The days passed in a slow crawl. The royals lounged about the house, growing more and more antsy. Roche heard them floating the idea of sneaking out, but Roche always shut them down, the crushing vise of fear choking her instantly.

"It would just be for a second," Tigris whined, hanging upside down over the edge of the cot. Her emerald eyes were wide and pleading, "We're going crazy in here, Roche. Your mom won't notice-"

"My mother is currently bartering for supplies. To save us. And you want to disobey her kindness for a little fresh air." Roche pointed out simply. At night, she'd been testing another healing incantation from Verita's book that she remembered. It seemed to speed up the healing process, so she'd been permitted to walk around a bit more. Currently, she was sweeping the floor, trying to keep her broom from snagging on a rather lifted floorboard.

Tigris sighed, "Yes, but-"

"Princess, please." Roche cut in sternly, "We shouldn't even be here. We can't risk being seen." Her cheek prickled as if in memory of her mother's slap.

Tigris' eyes shuttered, like the words triggered a thought of some kind. "So... is this how you lived before coming to the city?"

"Yeah," Roche grumbled, "Isn't it just the best?"

Roche focused her attention on the withered broom between her palms. Her eyes darted to Aodh and Finn, who were playing with her mother's cooking knives. She gritted her teeth. Okay, yeah. Maybe they'd been holed up in here for a little too long.

"Okay, fine. Let's head out to the creek to get some water for ten minutes." Roche sighed. Tigris leapt to her feet with a very unregal whoop. Aodh and Finn cheered as they jumped up too.

A headache pulsed behind Roche's eyes.

There was no way they weren't going to be caught, but she couldn't deny them much longer. Plus, Roche would be lying if she said she wasn't going stir crazy.

Roche grabbed her makeshift crutch, shoving it under her healing arm. She peered out the window. It didn't seem like anyone was out on the dirt road right now. She quickly shoved open the wooden door.

"Quick, run straight for those trees." she hissed to the royals. The nobles seemed too elated to care about the fact that she was giving orders. They raced out of the house and straight for the forest. Roche quickly hobbled after them.

After a moment, the sounds of the farming village began to fade and a tension that Roche hadn't known had tightened her shoulders was loosening. She flexed the fingers of her good hand, sighing as the crisp forest air stung her nostrils. They walked for a few moments until they reached the creek, at which point Roche sagged against a tree.

"We should be safe here. Not many people come by the creek midday." she explained. Aodh and Finn seemed intent on continuing their earlier games, except this time they'd replaced the kitchen knives with sticks, and the target was some rock in the river.

Roche watched them for a moment before wandering towards a familiar tree. She gazed fondly at the worn branches she couldn't climb with her healing limbs. Thankfully, the most important part of the tree was safe. Roche managed to awkwardly lower herself to the mulchy ground and brush away a thick layer of dirt.

"What's that?"

Roche yelped, handfuls of dirt thrown in the air. It rained back down on her as Tigris watched her with a bemused smile. Roche's cheeks heated.

"This is where I used to sneak out and read." she explained sheepishly, brushing away dirt to reveal a stack of books tucked in a dry knoll of wood. The sounds of the rushing river soothed her anxiety. "This is where I spent the times when I wasn't holed up in the house."