Captured Assassin(Arthur/Henry)

[Henry Renold]

Henry laughed, "A saint? Even my mother wouldn't have gone that far!"
The thought of his adopted mother, made him pause for a second, but not wanting to think about his deceased parents, he quickly shook the thoughts from his head.

"Well, I need to get those greys back to the Brotherhood and I think you need to rest." He said firmly.
"Just because you're out of gaol, doesn't mean your able to go running around getting into all sorts of trouble like you usually do!" He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Dante was in a bad way and Henry had seen enough of death for one lifetime. Thinking of his former family had left him even more concerned for Dante's condition and all he wanted to do now was get him healthy again.
"Lets go back to your place." He told him more than asked, "I have some poultices back at mine that will help with any bruising or swelling, and I think I might have a few herbs that will help numb any pain too." He helped to support his friend as the two of them hurried away from the castle. They would be able to use a shortcut Henry knew to get to the slums, but they would still have to be careful.

[Dante Grixis]

Dante nodded. Rest sounded good. He gladly accepted Henry's help in moving. His initial rush had worn off and now he hurt more than before. He leaned heavily on the smaller boy's shoulder and limped off in the direction Henry led him. It struck Dante that Henry was much stronger than he had anticipated, he outweighed they boy by at least fifty pounds and he was several inches taller but Henry bore the weight without complaint or too much effort.

As far as he was concerned Henry was the closest thing to family Dante had left. His real family was long gone, and anyone in Spain who he had loved was also lost to the sands of time.

The trip to Dante's home went relatively smoothly. They had to hide in an alleyway when a guard walked near them and Dante had slipped and fallen once, he had to muffle his cry of pain in his arm. Once they got to Dante's house he opened the door and went to his box full of clothes. He undressed and gave Henry the greys back before he put on a set of his own clothes. Immediately he collapsed on the bed and sighed deeply.

"Henry, go into the chest over there," He said indicating one in the far corner of the room, "and get me the medium sized jar from in there." He said. His chest was full of stuff but what he really wanted was one of the opium balls from the jar. He rarely used them, only when in extreme pain, like now. He had learned the medicinal effects of the poppy plant from his father, as the drug was native to his homeland of the Ottoman Empire. He had a small amount imported to him from time to time for occasions such as this.

[Henry Renold]

Henry could not deny his pleasure at being able to put Dante down.
The walk back had been arduous, not only through the sheer weight of Dante, but also due to having to hide once or twice when guards came a little too close for comfort.

Dante's house was (unsurprisingly) nothing at all like Henry's. He really did live in a house rather than the hovel Henry called home. Although he wished he could afford to live somewhere like this, Henry thought it must be lonely. His hovel was stacked against three others, and you could hear every conversation, every cry, every scream. For a stranger it would be disconcerting, perhaps even frightening, but for Henry- It was home.

The chest in the corner was huge, Henry could have hidden inside it had the need ever arisen. As he searched for the jar Dante described, he found several pieces of parchment and a couple of strange artefacts he didn't recognise.
"This one?" Henry called out, holding the jar up to the window and eyeing the contents suspiciously. He had never seen these strange black spheres before, despite all the knowledge of herbs he had.
"Are these some sort of herb?" He asked, handing the jar to the almost comatose Dante.
The night outside was lightening and Henry couldn't help but wonder how long it had taken them to get back here. With all the stops they had had to make, it wouldn't have surprised him it were near waking time. He wished he could have gotten more sleep, for he had a lot of training to do today.

[Dante Grixis]

Dante nodded slowly as he took the jar from Henry and poured one of the small balls from it. He inspected it quickly before putting it into his mouth and swallowing it. He breathed a sigh of relief as the effects began to take effect immediately. "It's called opium. It is an oil extracted from the poppy plant before it blooms into flowers. It's native to my homeland and it's one of the best pain killers I've ever come into contact with."

The pain in his arms, legs, chest and head began to ebb away and Dante felt at peace. He was home, in his own bed. He had escaped that nightmarish dungeon all thanks to his friend. His brother. "Thank you, Henry. I owe you my life and more." He said quietly and turned his head to face Henry. "If you ever need anything just ask me." His voice was still horse and quiet but the sincerity of the statement shone through.

Through a small dirty window across the room he was able to see dawn streaking across the horizon. The escape had taken a long time. Soon the guards would realize what had transpired the night before and for at least a fortnight after he would always have to be on his guard. A small price to pay for his life.