Her mind was racing as they cut her loose of the ropes, a man on each arm as she was lead from the room. She glanced sadly at her cloak as it was left behind on the table, before she hung her head and just walked where she was forced. She kept track of where she was going using her peripheral vision to take in as much information of those occupying the castle as possible. 

Foxes only saw the coat of arms of Shiar, his eagle on the breast plates of his soldiers and the flags draping lances that were leaning against walls. There was at least two score of his men that she walked by though she knew there were more beyond what she saw as she was lead up into the higher portions of the castle, towards the seaward tower and its outer ramparts.

 Foxes tried to think, try to weigh where the conversation left them and if she could trust the read she got from the High Lord, his anger and all. Truthfully, she did not have much more she could learn without throwing away any chance of escaping. He had told her why Sellexu had attacked, based on false reports fed by the same unseen powers that tried to influence Aupana into war as well.

 If it hadn't been the fact that Foxes herself had stumbled across the plot of planted falsehoods, they would be just as hell bent on war as their adversaries. Knowing all that and the hope it fostered, she then balanced it against the damage her being held hostage could do.

 For one, her brother did not know she had been sent here, and he would never forgive Rael for it, which was not something their country needed at this moment. Her brother being the Commander of the forces and courting Rael. 

 Aupana could not afford to come to the bargaining table at the disadvantage either, for as much as she loved her friends, she didn't think they would be able to hide who she was for very long. Sellexu had to meet an equal when they met, anything else would create an impurity in any truce that may happen. 

Broken from her reverie for a moment, she listened to the guards give her commands in their language, guiding her with gentle but firm pressure on her arms. They did not expect her to understand what they were saying, so they were smart, reasonable people. Feeling began to come back to her hands and arms as they walked up the last set of stairs in the castle. The wind tugged and pushed at her, leaping up to greet her from the dizzying height of the ramparts and asking her to play. Far below the sea called to her with its roar, seeming to form her name as it rushed against the cliffs and rocks below.

Foxes sighed softly, knowing what she needed to do, as insane as it seemed. She needed Aupana to hold firm but she did not trust that their emotions would hold out if she was a bargaining chip they had to make concessions for.  They all needed clear heads to prevail and she was a distraction, always had been one of the wild cards that would inspire aggravation as easily as she could peace.

Still, she ruminated in doubt over not going with the Rangers, though that ship had long since sailed, her inner critic telling her she did not gain anything from staying behind. Had her discussion with the High Lord done more than merely aggravate the two of them?

All too soon, she was at the highest point of the castle, seeing only clouds around her and hearing mostly the ocean over the din of an armed camp surrounding her. Her heart soared, tugging her onwards and telling there that  she had only a few steps further to make a decision. She saw the low rampart wall that seemed to stretch into the sky as if pointing her onwards and smiled softly to herself.

*** 

"M'lord, we found the escape route in the dungeons."

The words didn't surprise him, as his guard lead him down through the castle into the very depths of darkness. The made their way through storerooms and down steep, damp steps that almost seemed to crumble under his feet.

 It was his imagination, Shiar knew he was conjuring the feeling of decay as he felt his anger turn to self-doubt, knowing he needed to approach the real task at hand, which was talking further with their guest. The descent seemed endless, the weight of the earth crushing down on him with every step he took, giving him an odd sense of foreboding he couldn't seem to shake.

 Shiar found himself standing at the top of the stairs that lead into the sea, smelling the salt air rise to meet him in the dark opening. He heard the tide washing up far below, and frowned softly. "Is there a path?"

The guard shook his head, "no, it is a lagoon, they probably took boats out. I wouldn't swim, it looks like shoals, with a strong tide and there seems to be sharks out there..."

"Alright, well, that mystery is solved then."

He shrugged and turned back into the castle, setting his mind to find his translator once more, telling himself he could salvage whatever disaster he felt he had caused by winning his initial objective. Perhaps he could sit down for a meal with the woman, maybe get her more at ease.

As he rose through the castle, he looked up towards the tower where she would be, frowning at the deathly silence that had everyone looking up in the same direction. Amongst his men, no one seemed to understand what was going on, then it all became clear. There was a fight of some sort, far above them and he suddenly felt that darkness sink further into his soul as he understood the ramifications of what was about to happen.

 Someone was yelling up there almost beyond sight and hearing as the group struggled so close to the low walls and long drop. With a curse, he leapt up the stairs, taking them three at a time as he drew his short sword, knowing his longer blade would be no use in such confines.

***

Foxes took a deep breath as she gauged her guard's attentiveness, then slowly let it out. She leaned back into their hands, tensing her arms as if she wanted to push backwards past them, and grinned more as they yelled and threw her forward. She used that force and pushed off it, breaking their hold and leaping into a diving roll away from them. She paused as she came to her feet, glancing over her shoulder as they drew their swords and continued yelling at her to halt.

The men were frustrated, believing her unable to understand them but yelling anyways, trying to understand what she was trying at. To them, she had no escape and they knew they really shouldn't attack her with swords, though they had no other options. She watched as they braced, expecting her to turn and try to go back through them, clearly believing that behind them was the only way she could possibly want to go.

 It was the only direction any sane person would try to go and their hesitation gave her the window of opportunity she needed. She looked down for the briefest of moments, seeing the Lord jumping into action as he ran up the stairs towards them, his short sword drawn; the rest of the crowd seemed frozen, watching the commotion above them as if not understanding what she could hope to accomplish. Foxes laughed and shook her head, turning her back on the guards and sprinting for the edge of the ramparts.

The guards yelled again, commanding, then imploring, her to stop. She heard foot falls behind her as she approached the open air in front of her, listening to the sound of the surf drown out everything else. Her heart froze for a moment but she could not allow herself to hesitate, knowing that she would never continue if she did.

 One last step up onto the low wall and she launched herself off, knowing she had to clear the rocks below the cliffs, closing her eyes as she sailed into open air, then arced down into a dive. 

This had to work. 

Something in her told her it was going to work, but she never knew for sure.