A Flame in The Wind

Chapter 8 - Amber

The hall was practically bare by the time I'd aroused myself. No nurses were to be found and those who were still in the hall were fast asleep, a thousand bells would not be able to wake them. I'd hoped when I'd awaken that all of last night's events had been a very creative and horrific nightmare. Yet here I was, still in the camp. At least I felt more like myself than I had when I was in the woods.

Someone could have called me a wild horse, and I would have believed them. Oh, just thinking about it was un-nerving. I hated not knowing what would happen next, and the woods had created so much tension and nerves that I was very surprised that my skin had not broken out.

My current situation had not changed, but I could try and seize what answers I needed. And hopefully with the help of Helen I would be able to figure out where to go next. In the bath, I'd thought about what would happen when I left the camp. I didn't know where James had gone nor him I. Simon could possibly be at his estate, but it was only a slight possibility.

There was no question that I was in a position where my rank in nobility would no longer matter to the people I was surrounded with. I felt a swift wave of relief pass through me before I realized that if I wanted something, I would have to give something in return.

I suppressed the controversial thought as I began to stretch, the soreness in my feet an odd feeling. I tore the covers back and grabbed hold of my foot, tendrils of my hair annoyingly moving in front of my face as I bent over. The bandages seemed intact as no blood could be seen, but as I attempted to massage the soles of my feet, pain shot through my legs. How had I managed to do anything last night?

Brushing my hair behind my ear, I slid my legs over the side of the bed and laid my feet flat across the dirt floor. As I looked towards the floor, I noticed a small pair of slippers were laid at the end of the bed. Darya was truly a darling for thinking of me. I would have to make sure she was given the gratitude she deserved for helping me, with whatever small power I had left in me.

Tentatively, I put pressure on my feet, not quite believing that I could barely trust my legs to get out of bed. Surprisingly it did not hurt as much to stand as it did when I was massaging it. Back at the manor, I rarely received injuries as mother was always breathing down my neck about doing activities that could endanger myself. Heaven forbid I scrapped my ankle where no one would see.

The slippers were a tad tight, but I was nevertheless glad to have something extra to cover and protect my aching feet from the dangers of the ground below. I'd once hated wearing torture devices known as heels, but I felt that a new weapon had entered the tournament and they'd just won the prize.

I walked out of the tent and noticed that a great amount of noise was coming to my left. I could have waited in the infirmary, but I felt the need to explore and get any answers I could was much more useful than sitting idle. Darya was gone and most likely not coming back for some time, and Danica hated me the moment she laid eyes on me. I couldn't fathom what I'd done to offend her.

No matter I would try and find Darya and get provisions at the same time. Moving towards the noise, I began to rethink my judgement. Many of the people I'd met last night seemed to have the need for violence.

I moved forward anyhow, the light of morning shining quite high in the sky as I began to see a clearing. I stopped walking as I saw what was before me. More than a dozen men were attacking other men, shirtless. Dear heavens.

As quickly as my body would allow, I turned around and walked back to the tent. As I sat back down on the bed, I felt far warmer than I had prior to leaving the tent. I covered my face in an attempt to calm myself down. I would not, could not, end up like the perfect little damsel my mother wanted me to be.