Odessa's amethyst eyes studied the gate, a massive structure standing between her and the freedom she sought. The moonlight played upon its iron bars, casting intricate patterns on the cobblestone ground. Her analytical mind kicked into overdrive, evaluating the gate's openness, the level of guard presence, and the potential challenges that lay ahead.
"Open or closed? Guarded or unattended?" Her thoughts echoed in the confines of her mind as she considered the factors that could either facilitate or impede her escape. A cautious step forward brought her closer to the gate, her silver hair gleaming faintly in the moonlight.
Her gaze flickered to the mechanisms that held the gate in place. She assessed the hinges, the locks, and the overall state of the entrance. "Not heavily guarded, but that doesn't guarantee it's open." Odessa weighed the possibilities, her mind working like a well-oiled machine.
A soft breeze carried the distant sounds of the city, a subtle symphony of murmurs and laughter. In the stillness of the night, she strained her ears, trying to discern the footsteps of approaching guards. "I need to time this perfectly, but without knowing the guard schedule..."
Odessa's thoughts raced, a series of calculations and probabilities swirling in her mind. Her eyes darted around, scanning the perimeter for any signs of patrols. The Nightshade heiress mentally mapped out potential hiding spots, escape routes, and contingency plans. The gate, once a formidable barrier, became a puzzle waiting to be solved.
She took note of the shadows, gauging the moon's position to estimate the hour. "Late into the night, but how late? How much time do I have before the guard shift changes?" Odessa's mind raced through the details, a master tactician contemplating every move.
Odessa, poised like a shadow against the gate, began her meticulous maneuvers for a swift escape. Her silver hair framed a determined face as she executed a series of calculated steps, each movement deliberate and purposeful.
First, she edged closer to the gate, ensuring she remained hidden in the alcove. Her slender fingers brushed against the cold iron bars as she surveyed the lock, testing its resilience. The distant hum of the city served as her auditory backdrop, a constant reminder of the urgency that fueled her actions.
With a silent grace, Odessa crouched low, minimizing her presence. Her amethyst eyes flickered between the gate and the surrounding area, scanning for any signs of approaching guards. The city's ambient sounds became her ally, masking the subtle noises of her movements.
A gust of wind whispered through the night, and Odessa seized the opportunity. She examined the gate's hinges, gauging their resistance. A careful assessment allowed her to discern the gate's responsiveness to manipulation. "If it's well-oiled, I might be able to open it without a sound," she thought, her mind a symphony of strategy.
Simultaneously, Odessa mentally calculated the potential time it would take for the guard to reach the manor, located approximately 50 miles away. Every scenario played out in her mind—the variations in the guard's speed, the conditions of the path, and the factors that could either expedite or delay his journey.
Her analytical mind, honed through years of training, averaged out the possibilities, creating a mental timeline of the guard's journey. "If he hurries, it could be a few hours. If he encounters obstacles, it might take longer. I need to be gone before then."
As she worked out the mental math, Odessa's focus shifted back to the gate. She tested the lock with delicate precision, leveraging her knowledge of mechanics to manipulate it silently. The gate yielded under her skillful touch, the lock releasing without a discernible click.
With the gate ajar, Odessa slipped through the opening like a wisp of smoke. She embraced the cover of the night, her every movement a testament to her clandestine prowess. The city's lights faded behind her as she ventured into the unknown expanse beyond the gate, leaving Celestria's nocturnal embrace behind.
Odessa, hidden in the shadows just beyond the gate, strained to catch snippets of conversation among the guards stationed there. The night air carried hushed tones and intermittent laughter, revealing glimpses of the information she sought.
Guard A, a stout man with a weathered face, leaned against the gatepost. His voice, a gravelly undertone, carried through the air. "Did you hear about the engagement at Nightshade Manor? The heiress is to be wed to Crown Prince Xander. Seems like the talk of the city."
Guard B, a younger recruit with an air of naivety, responded with curiosity. "Really? The Nightshade heiress? She's just a kid, isn't she? What's the Prince thinking?"
Guard A chuckled, "Who knows? Nobles and their arrangements. It's not for us to understand. Anyway, we've got to focus on our duty here. The city gates won't guard themselves."
Odessa's ears perked at the mention of her impending engagement, her small frame tensing with a mix of frustration and resignation. "The entire city is talking about it," she mused, contemplating the weight of her predetermined fate.
As the guards shifted their conversation, Guard C, a seasoned veteran, joined the discussion. "Word is there's unrest in the Nightshade clan. Some whispers about the heiress not being too keen on the match. Makes you wonder what's going on behind those manor walls."
The mention of unrest within her own clan piqued Odessa's interest. Her mind raced with questions, wondering if there were others who shared her discontent. "Could there be allies within the Nightshade clan?"
The conversation veered toward more mundane topics—the city's affairs, the weather, and the occasional gossip about fellow guards. Odessa, with her keen intellect, sifted through the snippets, extracting information like a skilled detective assembling a puzzle.
Guard A, oblivious to Odessa's clandestine eavesdropping, remarked, "I heard the Nightshade manor is throwing some grand engagement celebration tomorrow. Royalty and all. The whole city will be buzzing."
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Odessa absorbed this piece of information with a mixture of dread and determination. "Tomorrow. That gives me a timeline." The guards continued their banter, unknowingly becoming conduits of information for the Nightshade heiress plotting her escape beyond the city gates.
Guard B, the younger recruit, chimed in, "I overheard some merchants saying there's been strange happenings at the Nightshade Manor. Like shadows in the halls and whispers in the night. Superstitious nonsense, probably."
Guard C scoffed, "Merchants gossip more than old ladies. I've patrolled around that manor countless times. Nothing but old stones and creaky floors. Besides, the Nightshade clan doesn't mess with that supernatural nonsense."
Odessa, still concealed in the shadows, listened intently. The mention of strange happenings within the Nightshade Manor intrigued her. "Shadows and whispers? Is it related to the Kitsune bloodline or something else entirely?" Her amethyst eyes narrowed in concentration.
Guard A, the seasoned veteran, interjected, "Speaking of the Nightshades, heard they've been trying to keep a lid on the heiress. She's been making some noise about not wanting the engagement. Wouldn't be surprised if there's a scandal brewing."
The words hit Odessa like a subtle revelation. "Others are aware of my discontent. Is it common knowledge within the city or just among the guards?" Frustration and vulnerability clashed within her, emotions that fueled her determination to escape the shackles of expectation.
Guard B, always eager for a bit of gossip, leaned in. "Scandal, you say? What kind? Secrets and forbidden love? I've always wanted to be part of a real scandal!"
Guard C rolled his eyes. "You've been reading too many romance novels. This is real life, not a storybook. Anyway, just focus on your duties. We're not here to speculate about noble affairs."
Odessa, though absorbing the information like a sponge, felt a sense of urgency creeping in. "Scandal or not, I can't afford to linger. I need to leave Celestria before the manor is alerted." Her pulse quickened as she continued to eavesdrop, extracting every valuable tidbit of information that might aid her in the perilous journey that lay ahead.
As Odessa lingered in the shadows, she caught the tail end of a conversation among the guards.
Guard C, the seasoned veteran, spoke with authority, "The next shift change is in two hours. You know the drill. Report everything and don't let your guard down."
Odessa internalized this critical piece of information, her mind swiftly calculating the time she had before the guard change. "Two hours. That's my window."
With a silent resolve, she made her way to the outside of the gate, her small frame hugging the stone wall. The moons overhead cast a soft glow on the city, illuminating her surroundings. Her amethyst eyes scanned the walls for patrolling guards, her thoughts sharp and focused.
"Three moons, clear sky. Visibility is high. I need to avoid any direct lines of sight until I'm far enough away for them not to matter." Odessa's analytical mind devised a strategy, considering every inch of her path towards the dense forest, a place known mundanely as Greenwood Grove.
She eyed the guard patrols on the walls, noting the intervals between their rounds. The city's layout unfolded in her mind like a map, and she mentally marked spots of cover—barrels, crates, and the occasional shadow cast by architecture.
"I can use the city's features to my advantage. Stick to the shadows, move swiftly when the guards turn their backs, and use any available cover." Odessa's training as a Nightshade heiress, coupled with her innate cunning, guided her every move.
As she flattened herself against the wall, Odessa's silver hair blended seamlessly with the shadows. Her focus intensified, her senses attuned to the night sounds—the distant laughter of revelers, the gentle rustle of leaves, and the rhythmic footfalls of the patrolling guards.
"Patience," she thought, her breath steady. "Wait for the right moment. Move like the night itself." Odessa braced herself for the challenge ahead, the clock ticking down to the opportune time when the guard change would create a temporary gap in their vigilance. The journey to Greenwood Grove, and the freedom it promised, lay before her like an uncharted path through the darkness.
As Odessa bided her time against the stone wall, the landscape beyond the city unfolded before her like a tapestry of shadows and silhouettes. The city gates opened to a terrain of rolling hills, each contour etched by the pale glow of the three moons overhead. The outskirts of Celestria stretched into an expanse of open land, transitioning from the urban sprawl to the untamed wild.
Beyond the immediate vicinity, the land varied in elevation, with gentle hills undulating in the moonlight. Sparse trees and patches of brush dotted the landscape, creating natural cover that would serve Odessa well on her journey. The air carried the scent of earth and distant foliage, hinting at the promise of denser forests as she ventured farther from the city.
In preparation for her escape, Odessa deftly tied up her silver hair, the practicality of the gesture evident in the way it freed her field of vision. From the folds of her garments, she produced a black cloak—the very essence of shadow—and draped it over her small frame. The hood, when drawn over her head, concealed her silver locks and merged seamlessly with the darkness.
Cloaked and with her hair hidden, Odessa became an embodiment of the night, her form blending effortlessly into the surroundings. The cloak whispered promises of invisibility, an ally to navigate the world beyond the city walls.
Her gaze remained fixed on the sky, attentive to the celestial dance above. Clouds, wisps of darkness, slowly gathered, promising to obscure the radiance of the three moons. Odessa's heart quickened in synchrony with her anticipation.
As the appointed hour approached, the cloud cover thickened, shrouding the lunar trio in darkness. The moons' glow waned, casting the landscape below into obscurity.
In the hushed stillness, Odessa waited with the cloak of darkness enveloping her. The moons, now hidden behind a blanket of clouds, cast no revealing light on her clandestine departure. She steeled herself with calmness and patience, the cloak draped over her shoulders blending seamlessly with the shadows.
The seconds ticked by like a quiet heartbeat, each one amplifying the anticipation within Odessa. Beneath the hood, her amethyst eyes gleamed with a mixture of determination and a hint of trepidation. In these final moments, as she awaited the signal of the guard change, a myriad of emotions swirled within her.
There was the weight of responsibility, the gravity of the decision to break free from the predetermined path that awaited her within the Nightshade Manor. A current of nervous energy coiled within, but Odessa willed herself to remain composed.
Finally, the anticipated single—resembling the night's whispered secrets—cut through the air. It marked the pivotal moment she had been waiting for. The time had come to execute her escape.
As if summoned by an unseen force, Odessa burst into motion. Her small frame, shrouded in the cloak of shadows, seemed to glide over the ground. With each step, she rotated her cultivation, a well-practiced technique that enhanced her speed beyond the capabilities of an average seven-year-old.
In the realm of the hidden, Odessa became a fleeting wraith, a phantom navigating the landscape with grace and agility. Her silver hair, concealed beneath the hood, remained an enigma in the night. The cloak billowed in the wind as she surged forward, the dark fabric and moonless night conspiring to keep her presence veiled.
The landscape blurred around her as she traversed the rolling hills, a silent and swift figure against the canvas of the night. Odessa's heart pounded with the rhythm of freedom, and the wind carried away the echoes of her escape, leaving only the promise of the dense forest—Greenwood Grove—awaiting her arrival.