The guard took out a huge iron key and shoved it into the rusted lock. It turned with a creak of protest and he pushed open the thick, oak door. "Anyone down there?" he shouted. When nothing came but a whimper, he laughed nastily at me.

"That's what you've got to look forward to, you little witch!" he snarled, shoving me forward.

"A witch?!" I screeched, not intending my voice to sound so high. I pulled back in vain as he pulled me down the stone steps after him, one meaty hand around my arm. "I'm not a witch! Who said I was a witch? No, please!"

"No one's said you was a witch," he chuckled, "the gov'ner's daughter done caught you enchanting a toad."

I gaped, too suprised to protest. Evidently I hadn't been as careful as I'd thought. But oh, that simpering, spoiled brat was going to get it when I got out of here. If I got out of here, that was. I hoped it wasn't true what they said about the dungeon being enchanted to resist magic. If so, this was not going to end well for me.

"It's the Sorcerer's Cell for you, little wench, and then the chopping block!" His pock-marked face broke out into a wide grin when he saw me swallow hard. He stopped before a thick door with a tiny barred window and stuck the iron key in the lock. Shoving me inside so hard that I sprawled face-first into a wilted pile of hay, I heard him laugh. "Little wench should get some sleep before her big day tomorrow!"

I whirled around angrily as he slammed the door hard enough that I felt it in the stones beneath my feet. "I'm NOT a wench!" I screamed at him. "My name is Temperance Wickler and I am a Captain's daughter!"

The guard's mocking laughter echoed even after he'd slammed the dungeon door, sending me into an icy gloom. I gave the door a good slam to vent some steam then turned around to inspect this Sorcerer's Cell. The rumor's did indeed seem to be true--I couldn't conjure up so much as a spark down here. I sighed and shook my head.

This was not good. My father was indeed a Captain in the Queen's Guard, but unfortunately for me, he was also dead. I was an orphan and a ward of the governor's, whose revolting daughter would never let me escape the block now. And all because I spilled some embers on her by accident. Hmm. Well, perhaps the spill wasn't an accident, but I hadn't intended for them to get in her mouth.

A shuffle in the corner made me freeze. Slowly, I turned around to find that I wasn't alone. "Who's there?" I demanded, trying to keep the fear out of my voice.

A girl stepped hesitantly out of the shadows. "I'm Rhi."

I thought about that. "No, I take that back. They will almost certainaly get rid of you too. It's like two birds with one stone, really. A street rat and a witch? "They'll love it." Rhi's face paled and I realized she probably could have gone without hearing that.

"Sorry," I said quickly. I wasn't feeling any better about the situation than she was, but I forced myself to put on a determined face. "Let's see what we can do about getting out of here then, eh?"

Rhi shook her head. "I've already checked. The door won't move and these walls must be four feet thick. Unless you can do any magic..."

I shook my head and raised an empty hand. "There should be a blossom of green flame there right now. Hmph. Not so much as a spark. This is ridiculous! They say they'll kill everybody who can do magic but there's SOME witch or warlock out there casting spells on THIS place!" I waved my arm around wildly, motioning to the Sorcerer's Cell. "Probably sitting fat and happy on a velvet cushion somewhere, having a servant pop grapes into his mouth."

Rhi gave me a half-hearted smile.

"It just makes me so mad I could--" I broke off, having just been struck with a thought.

"You could what?" Rhi wondered.

I looked at her. "You said you could conjure fire and move small objects?"

She nodded. "And create buttons."

"Hmm. I might have an idea..." I took a deep breath and looked at her. "Since it doesn't appear that we're going to be able to magic our way out of here and I don't much feel like getting my head chopped off, what if we were to offer our abilities to the state? You know, perform magic in return for our lives?"

She thought about this. "But I can't really do much. I can't create green fire..."

"Lymefyre," I corrected. "And that won't matter. My mother was one of the best witches of the age." Until they burnt her in the Queen's garden. I could still hear the screams. "I learned a lot from her before she died. Maybe I could teach you. But for the time being, I could cover for you... do all the magic and you just mime it. They won't know anyway."

"I don't know..."

"Well," I said with a hopeless shrug, "I'm willing to hear any suggestions."

My footsteps make a rather untalkative companion as I trudge down to the dungeon. Stupid guards. Just because they're afraid of the little witch doesn't mean they can send me down here without a moment of thought. I stand corrected, they probably gave it very much thought, Oh we'll just send Seryn down there turned into a toad. It's not as if anyone will miss her. I blow a chunk of hair out of my eyes and straighten the meager supply of bread and water that balance precariously on my tray.

Only a few cells are being used, and their occupants leer out at me with rotting teeth and a perfume of rancid meat. I keep my eyes locked on the far wall, where somewhere in the shadows, the Sorcerer's Cell hides, masked by darkness. It's deceptively close, so I cover the distance with a handful of steps and rap harshly on the door before carefully taking the rusting old key off the tray and inserting it into the lock.

"Time for supper!" I announce, doing my best to fill up the whole doorway, and blotting out air that is permeable to magic. The Cell is supposed to keep witches and wizards from working magic, but I'm a skeptic by nature. I drop the tray with a clatter on the floor and squint my eyes against the darkness.

"Hello? Anyone in here?" A figure steps out of the shadows. "Rhi?" I ask incrediously, "But...but you're dead!" And then I faint dead away, still intent on covering the doorway.

I purse my lips.  Fine.  We're taking the serving girl?  Fine.  Whatever it takes to get out of the dungeon.  I loop my arm through hers and try to make it seem like she's walking out beside me.  No need to get caught doing magic before we're actually free.  Rhi took her other arm but I shook my head. 

"Grab the tray, make it look like we're all servants." 

She gathered the tarnished tray and iron pitcher (now empty) and we headed up the stairs, the unconscious serving girl and myself in front, Rhi and Ven trailing behind. 

Ven made me nervous.  I certainly wasn't fooled by her "old lady" bit.  She was much stronger than she looked, but my mother was one of the best witches of the age.  If Ven tried to kidnap me, I could put up a good fight with what my mother had taught me.  It would probably make a lot of noise and destroy a few buildings, but at least I wouldn't give in easy.  I hoped she wasn't expecting me to join her and the Rhombus.  That wasn't my fight. 

I merely intended to get Rhi and myself out of the dungeon and past the guards.  Whatever she did after that was up to her.  She wanted to keep the girl with her, it wasn't any skin off my back.   Ven could take them back to the Rhombus for all I cared. Rhi was clearly more complicated than I had imagined, and the only things on my agenda were "Escape" and "Ruin Governor Tipton's daughter's life." 

The first step outside the dungeon was excruciating.  Had the sun been so bright when I'd first gone down?  It seemed ten times more blinding now and I raised a hand to shield my eyes.  Squinting around, I spotted a trio of guards a ways to our left, but they seemed more interested in their game of dice. 

Keeping the pace slow, we headed off to the right. I glanced around and was surprised to see that the serving girl's eyes were open.  She was wide awake.  The fact that she was floating seemed to unnerve her slightly, but she was doing a good job of keeping it to herself. 

I led the group down a back alley and breathed a sigh of relief as we entered a busy market street.  Vendors yelling, children playing, and carts rumbling past provided a chaotic cover for four fugitives. 

"Excellent," I said, turning to Ven.  It was almost too easy.  "You can put her down now, she's awake." 

Ven snapped her fingers and the girl landed on her feet.  Rhi carefully hid the pitcher and tray behind a pile of crates against a building and brushed off her hands.  She glanced warily at the girl and Ven, then at me. 

"So what now?" she asked. 

Ven smoothed her skirts and answered before I could open my mouth.  "You follow me, of course.  I will take you to see..."  She glanced around at all the passerby.  "... my friend." 

Before I could voice my refusal, someone bumped into Rhi, sending her crashing into me.  I managed to stay on my feet, though Rhi's elbow caught me right in the hip as she hit the ground on her knees. 

"Oh, sorry!  Pardon me, ladies, I tripped on a cobblestone and--"  The speaker looked up and froze as his eyes fell on me.  "Temp?" 

Festering sores, I cursed inwardly.  Of all the people I could possibly bump into while escaping recapture, it had to be Aalton Pryor.  The Queen's favorite nephew and probably the reason for my imprisonment in the first place. 

"Hello, Aalton," I muttered, helping Rhi to her feet.  She rubbed her knees gingerly.  I could feel the bruise forming on my hip already. 

"Temp!"  Aalton's blue eyes lit up and I wondered if he knew it was exactly that reaction that had made her so jealous. 

The Queen had sent her nephew (possibly her future heir) to our province. He was staying at the governor's mansion and had been here for the last month.  As one of the few nobles around his age, I had done my duty entertaining him and accompanying him on his hawking trips, though to be honest, I had found him slightly boring.  Much to the annoyance of the governor's daughter, however, he had not felt the same about me. 

"We were just talking about you!" he said, stepping forward to embrace me. 

I grabbed Rhi by the shoulders and moved her in front of me.  "We?" I echoed. 

"Yeah," he said, smiling his royally white grin at me.  He turned to look over his shoulder.  "You see, Pauline?" he called buoyantly.  "I knew you were lying about Temperance being a witch!" 

A few meters down the street, a head with scrupulously curled blond ringlets and a blue saffron bonnet turned.  Her eyes met mine and widened.  For a split second I considered roasting her with a blast of Lymefyre, but there were too many people in the way, including Rhi.  Which only left one option, really. 

I turned a bolted, gathering my skirts, now sullied from the dungeon.  Pauline's shrill and enraged scream of "GUARDS!" rang out over the crowded street as I barreled past (and through) people. 

Well, I thought, at least she saved me the trouble of refusing Ven.

By the way, I am very much liking this! It's a nice challenge to have to incorporate everyone else's bits. This is fun. And that Triangle comment was GREAT. I tried so hard to stick in a bit of geometry myself this last time, but failed. Haha...

Uh oh guys... our story's branched. ZNZ and Mary must have submitted posts at the same time. Which way are we going? Should we vote? Should we just let the next person pick? I'll check later on tonight, but I have a good plan for continuing ZNZ's thread... though, like I said, I like the challenge so I'm up for either. But we can't pick both because in one I get away and in the other I'm apparently recaptured.

And I like the idea of reminding people who we are, Mary, good call. I was getting confused too!

//Temperance//