Chapter 170: The Goal
Once Rhaegar discovered that Laesh wanted to escape the pit, something shifted within him.
As the days turned into weeks, he found himself silently observing every single boy in the pit. He soon realized that not many shared his new friend’s ambition. Most of the prisoners had resigned themselves to their grim fate, yet there was still a collective spark of excitement whenever someone attempted to climb the ropes.
This makes the thirteenth attempt, Rhaegar thought, watching a frail boy, no older than six, slide down the rope with tears streaming down his face.
The child’s hands and arms were scraped raw, blood trickling over his bruised skin. The rope must be deliberately rough, Rhaegar mused, designed to hurt anyone who dares to try.
There were six ropes in total, suspended above the center of the pit. Four were training ropes, hanging at varying lengths, while the other two extended from the opening high above.
According to Laesh, those two ropes had been hung by the guards themselves. However, they were intentionally short, forcing anyone attempting to escape to climb from one rope to another, increasing the difficulty—and the danger.
Clever scheme, Rhaegar concluded, his gaze drifting upward. They won’t give us an easy way out. Not in this place.
He sighed heavily and turned around, only to find Tayiid’s piercing gaze fixed on him, sharp and unyielding. The older boy’s eyes seemed to bore into him, as though dissecting every hidden thought in Rhaegar’s mind.
Rhaegar raised an eyebrow, silently questioning the intensity of the stare.