Escape Ch.3

"Again you have failed me Azriel. I am highly dissapointed in you. And all for a girl."

"No, Master, for my dreams. Ruel is weak. Too easy a target for my liking. The girl is just something unexpected. I want more than this."

"You can't have more than this! You think a girl will love you? One whose hands have been covered in blood? You are a muderer and nothing more. That is all you will ever be. Kill Ruel by sunrise or start running. You know too much of this guild. Kill him or die."

Azriel bowed and headed to his room. He had nothing but a bed and a cross over it. He smiled. He held onto the necklace Tirzah had given him. He left the old palace in which his guild resided, taking the old path. It had been a week since he had come to Tirzah to take her with him. It was tonight or never.

Tirzah sat on the roof, her eyes to the stars. It was late, everyone had slept. She wiped her tears.

"She WILL marry Ezekiel! Yaakov she needs to leave us and marry! She is a disgrace!"

"NO! Tirzah has the right to decide for herself."

"Yaakov, she will marry him. She is bringing us enough shame."

Her parents had arranged her marriage earlier that day, Ezekiel was a soldier. He had money. He was a cousin of the Emperor.

O Yaweh....Why? I donnot love him. He is so boring...Common.Rich. He offers me nothing but money for my filthy mother. What about love? Purpose? Desires?

She ran into her room, she wrote a letter to her father. She wrote it in Greek, knowing her mother would never understand.

Abba...I love you. I had to go. You and I know a life in court could never be my life. I need to go, you knew this. I love you Abba. I will come back one day. Yaweh will bring me back some day.

She folded it and put it on her table. She set the ring Ezekiel had given her on it. She threw a few dresses and sandals into a bag. She put on her jewelry, and threw her veil over her head. She crept out of her house, walking down the back road. She wiped her tears, she fought the urge to look back. She walked as fast as she could, finding herself in the entrance of the soldier's section of town. She didn't know which way to turn.

Azriel saw a girl standing alone in the middle of the road. He looked at her and he walked towards her. He saw her hazel eyes shine when she looked at him.

"Tirzah?"

"Azriel?"

She ran to him, holding him like he had saved her life.

"What are you doing out at this hour?"

"They want me to marry! I refuse!"

"Well, they want me to kill Ruel, and I refuse."

He took her hand.

"So I believe you'll join me?"

"I believe I shall."

They walked hand in hand towards the poor section of town. They went to an inn, Azriel giving them false names to the InnKeeper.

"Jezreel and Almah, this way."

They were led to a small room and left alone. Azriel let her sleep in the bed, he took the small chair. He sat beside the window, an eye on the road. He also watched her sleep. She was curled up at the bed's edge, her hair loosened and her skin glowing in the moonlight. He placed his hand on his sword whenever he heard people outside of the door. By sunrise he woke her, smiling when she got ready quick. They held hands as they left. He bought a horse, it was black. He got on, helping her up. She wrapped her arms around his waist, her head on his back.

"So where are we going?"

"Where does my lady desire to go?"

She smiled.

"To Egypt my lord. I want to see the Nile."

"Then to the Nile we shall go."

They rode past the gate of Jerusalem, stopping at Bethlehem a nightfall. They stood at an inn, they were brother and sister this night.

"Welcome Mikael and Tzipporah. Your room is ready."

They fought the urge to laugh, Tirzah laughing as she jumped into bed. He smiled, making his way to the window. He took out his map, thinking of which way to get to the Nile. He wanted to get to Gaza by the end of the week, then the eleven day trip to Memphis.

"Care for a walk, my lady?"

"Of course my lord. Lead the way."

They held hands, Azriel making sure no one saw them leave. He walked her along the hillside.

"In fourteen days we will get to Memphis."

"Memphis?"

"Yes. From there we can travel along the Nile. Have you ever thought of Greece or Rome?"

"Of course."

"I believe we should go to Athens."

"And see the temples?"

"Yes, anything you like."

"Azriel?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you doing this for me?"

"We have similar dreams, the same spirit seeking freedom from a world others tried to keep us locked in. You sought freedom and I have the key. I have a dream to fulfill, you are my way to do so."

She stopped him and put her hand on his sword.

"Do you think we'll make it?"

"I think with a mind like yours and persistance like mine, we can acheive anything. Together we can do anything."