The Dead war.

Chapter five: Serena

We had been walking for 5 days. I could tell Oliver was getting slower and slower and he was losing energy. I tried my best to keep him alive and walking but I Couldn't give him much because I was in the same boat as  Oliver. Nathaniel hadn't realized I was giving him all of my food and my water. It was affecting me more than I had realized. We stopped once more for a break and I felt the rope pull. I turned around to reprimand Oliver when I saw him fall to the ground unconscious. His head smacked the ground and then there was blood.
"Well that made our job easier." Charlie said with a laugh. I rolled my eyes. "We need him, idiot." I said annoyed. I ran over to Him and I tore a piece of cloth from my shirt and held it to his head.
" He has a pretty big cut on his head, do we have the stuff to sew him up?" I said to Liam.
"Yes I do." He replied. Liam then ran over.
"You hold his head, I'll stitch it okay." I said
"You know how to suture wounds?" He asked.
"Well I've been watching you for 11 years, remember." I said with a smile. He laughed. "Nate I need you to start a small fire so I can sterilize the needle." He asked, then he then pulled out the needle and some thread. He held the needle over the small fire Nathaniel made to sterilize it. I washed the blood with a little water and then he handed me the needle.
"Let's test your skills." He said grinning. I smiled back and grabbed the needle. I threaded the needle through the thread he had grabbed and then washed my hands with water. And then I started to suture the wound. When I got it all sewn up I tied the rest of the thread together to keep it closed.
"That was good for your first time." He said a hint of surprise in his voice.
"Don't be so surprised! I learned from the best." I said smacking him on the shoulder. He laughed and then we grabbed logs and leaves to make a stretcher that we could Carry. It took us all afternoon and when we were done the sun had set.
"We better stay here for the night and continue in the morning." I said looking at the surrounding forest. The boys set up their tents and Liam walked back over to me.
"Do you want him in your tent or mine?" He asked. Looking at his makeshift bandage.
"Put him in your tent and you might be able to help him more. Nathaniel can come into my tent." I replied. I helped Liam bring Oliver over to his tent and placed him in the far end of the tent by Liam's Medical supplies. I walked out and walked over to Nathaniel.
"You're with me tonight, Oliver is taking your spot so Liam can keep an eye on him." I told him.
"Ok thanks Serena." He said returning to his conversations with Charlie and Oscar. I walked back into the tent with Oliver and Liam. I sat on the floor and put a wet rag on Oliver's face.
"What's going on with you and him?" Liam said, pointing to Oliver.
"What do you mean?" I asked, looking confused. He set his swords down after cleaning it.
"You're protective of him. You saved his life. You won't let the other boys hurt him." He said
"I'm not protecting him, I just want information." I replied
"About the war?" He asked and I didn't reply. I just looked at Oliver and continued to press the cold and wet rag to his forehead.
"No, not about the war. There was this woman in the queen's quarters that when she saw me she ran away quickly. And then there was a soldier who looked identical to me. And then there were three more who looked so similar to the other guy. I just want to know why or who they are." I replied, still looking down.
"You think you may be adopted or something?" He asked. His voice was different shaky like he knew something I didn't.
"Do you know something?" I asked raising an eyebrow
"No, not about the women. Or the boys." He said turning away. He was hiding something and I knew it. Liam left the tent and I stayed there caring for Oliver. He woke up a few hours later Liam had said.
"Where am I?" Oliver asked
"In my tent, you have Serena to thank for saving your life. The rest of us would have let you die." Liam replied.
"Why did she?" He asked again.
"Because she needs information and she thinks you can give it to her." Liam replied, getting annoyed by all the questions.
"I already told you all. I don't know anything about the war. My father never told me a single thing about the war, only that he planned to attack before winter." Oliver said.
Liam never replied, just continued to clean his sword and bow. I walked in that morning to retrieve him.
"How is he?" I asked, looking over at Oliver.
"Unconscious again. He passed out again early this morning." Liam replied before grabbing him and dragging him out of the tent. We packed up our supplies and Nathaniel and Charlie and Liam and Oscar grabbed Oliver and carried him on their shoulders. I walked in front of the boys watching and listening for anything that could attack us. We had been traveling for over a week and not with Oliver unconscious it made us even slower. We reached the outskirts of the town by the 8th day we set down our stuff and set up camp in a clearing. We were surrounded by trees and branches and stumps for the trees we cut down for wood. The trees were at least 20 feet in this part of the forest. The ground was covered in dirt and little grass. I walked into my tent and sat down. Nathaniel was already in the tent laying on his back, his hand behind his head.
"How long do you reckon it's been since we have been home?" He asked with a hint of sadness in his voice.
"At least 5 weeks. It took us a week to get there and then 3 weeks to carry out the plan and then 2 weeks to get home. So yeah, 5 weeks." I said "why?"
"My dad." He replied.
"Have you heard anything?" I asked him
"No nothing." He turned to me. "Do you like the prince?" He asked
"Why would you ask that." I said with clear bitterness in my voice.
"Because you saved his life, you're tending to his wound. You have been giving him your food and water for 2 weeks. You knew he didn't have to be healthy and yet you are still doing it." He replied again with sadness and almost jealousy.
"I want information, on the war, on that woman in the queen's quarters, the soldier who looked identical to me. Ever since I was little I felt out of place in royalty. I want to know why." I said looking into his eyes. He leaned forward and before I knew it our lips touched. He kissed me with a want and passion that made me nervous. It was a kiss that had been building up for weeks, maybe months, for all I know it had been years. I pulled away
Quickly before it could continue and walked out of the tent in a hurry. He called after me but I kept walking until I made it to Liam's tent.
"Can you switch me tonight?" I asked.
"Yeah sure why?" He replied with a questioning look on his face.
"I just don't want to be with Nathaniel right now." I replied sitting down by Oliver again. "He's getting warmer again." I said. He ignored my answer and went back to Oliver.
"Yeah he has got a fever now. He may have an infection. I need to get him back to Umbris as quickly as possible so I can get some antiseptic and antibiotics." He said, grabbing his clothes. He put a hand on my shoulder and then walked out. I put my knees up to my chest and rested my head on my hands. What was wrong with me? How could I not tell my best friend was in love with me? Oliver never opened his eyes the rest of the way back. I refused to look at Nathaniel and when he tried to talk to me I found an excuse for why I couldn't. We made it back home two days later. We walked into the large gates and I looked in horror as buildings were destroyed. People lay in the streets covered in blankets. We continued to walk and then we entered the castle. My mother ran to greet me and hugged me tightly. 
"Some Prophis soldiers came here and destroyed some of our town. Everyone who survived is relocated in the town in the back. We thought you died." She said holding me tight.
"What about my father? Is he ok?" Nathaniel asked, looking around. My mothers smile dropped and her face tilted.
"He is in the medical wing. His health is deteriorating." She said she grabbed his hand and squeezed it. Nathaniel smiled a sad smile and ran to the medical wing to go see his father. Liam and Charlie took Oliver to another medical room and I walked with my mother to my fathers office. There he stood pacing when he saw me, his face lit up and he ran to me and held me tightly.
"I was so worried! When the soldiers came I thought they found you! I thought you  were dead." He said gleefully.
"I'm alright." I said softly.
"Did you get him?" My father asked.
"More or less, we have him but he is unconscious from a head injury and an infection." I replied
"Did he give you any information?" He asked.
"No, he doesn't know a single thing." I replied.
"Have you tried forcing it out of him?" My father asked.
"No." I said. I knew what my father was suggesting. He was suggesting that we torture him to get out information.
"I will have Charlie take over to get as much information out of him as I can." My father replied. Walking back to his desk
"Am I adopted?" I asked and my father stopped in his tracks.
"Why would you ask that?" He said but I knew it was true by my mother's look.
"Yes Serena, you are. We didn't tell you because we didn't think it mattered." She said sadly.
"I want a picture of my real mother." I said. My mom pulled out a picture of my mom and me, and when I looked at the picture there were two babies. "I'm a twin?" I asked
"Yes." My father replied. I looked at the picture and recognized the women in the photo. She was the woman in the queen's room.
"I saw her, in Prophis she was a maid for the queen."'I said
"Yes, that's correct. Your mother is a maid, your twin  brother is a soldier. And your two eldest brothers are soldiers as well." My father replied by pulling out another photo. They were the men I shot at the door of Umbris. I had shot all three of my brothers. The stress of possibly killing my brothers combined with not eating and being kissed by Nathaniel. I felt my legs buckle and then everything went black. I woke up in the same dream. With the women and the men and then Oliver. And then Nathaniel was in the dream. And he was killing Oliver. I screamed and screamed for him to stop but he couldn't hear me. And then everything went black. Fire erupted from everywhere I stood in the middle of Umbris and Prophis fire was everywhere I ran and ran back to Umbris and it was nothing but fire, people fighting and screaming, people dying, blood everywhere. And then I saw him. Oliver was fighting three people at once. I rushed over to him and helped my fight. The people disappeared and suddenly it was just me and oliver. He pulled me in and kissed me deeply. And I kissed him back. And then he was dead. Lying in my arms. A stab wound in his stomach. I was screaming. But I wasn't holding him myself I was watching myself hold him I was watching myself kill him. It wasn't a dream, it was an omen of the future. This was our future full of blood and tears. This war if we didn't stop it would be the end of civilization as we know it in Umbris and Prophis. No one would survive this war. I woke up with a jerk and saw Liam standing over Oliver.
"Good morning." He said walking over to me.
"What happened?" I asked
"You passed out. You weren't drinking enough water or eating enough and the stress of learning you were adopted. It was too much for your body. So your body shut itself down to protect your heart." He said
"Oh." I replied
"Yeah and before you ask, Oliver is fine. He is doing better.
"My father wants to torture him, so why are you fixing him if he is going to he hurt again?" I asked
"I'm repairing his head injury. nothing more and They aren't to touch his skull they can Injure his face and body but not his skull." He replied.  I didn't laugh or smile, I just laid back down and put my hands over my eyes. I got up and put boots back on. And started to walk out when Liam grabbed my arm.
"Where are you going? He asked
"To my room." I said even though I knew I wasn't going to my room.
"You need to lay down, you just passed out, you could have a concussion." He said looking at my head 
"I'm fine Liam, it's just a Bruise." I said
"Ok but if you feel sick or dizzy or anything tell me, and no training for at least a week." He said, turning back to Oliver. I nodded and walked out and instead of going to my room I walked to the training room. And Nathaniel was already there at the bow in the ring with Charlie. They were like brothers whenever I wasn't training with Nathaniel he was with Charlie. They did everything together. He saw me walk in and they both turned to look at me.
"Aren't you supposed to be on bed rest?" Nathaniel asked
"Are you my mother?" I snapped back walking to the punching bags. I set my stuff down and started punching the bag. One punch then two punches then three I had gone into an autopilot mode just punching the bag repeatedly over and over and over. I hadn't realized how bruised and bloody my knuckles got until Charlie walked over.
"Serena! Serena! Geez, would you stop!" Charlie yelled. He grabbed my arm. And I pulled away "what is going on with you! Are you alright!." He said, looking me up and down.
"I'm fine." I said through gritted teeth back walking away to the ring with the dummy in the far end of the room. Charlie called after me but I ignored him. I got to the dummy and I just began kicking and punching it and grabbed a sword and just started stabbing and cutting and shaming the swords against the dummy like I would do in an actual fight. I was blinded by rage, flashes of that woman and those men and the prince and my mother and my father and Nate and my childhood, Thomas lying in that bed, training with Thomas, playing with my mother, pretending to be my father at nighttime. Every memory flashed in quick succession and with every new memory that came I hit harder and faster. Before I knew it the dummy was completely destroyed. I turned around to see Charlie and Nathaniel and David staring in absolute shock at what I had just done. I threw my sword to the ground and it landed with a clatter. I turned away from the men and walked to my room and put my leather pants and the jacket with the wool and my boots on. I put my bow around my shoulder and my arrows in my holder on my back and put my Dagger on its hilt on my thigh and put my sword in the hilt on my waist. I walked out of my room and Nathaniel ran after me.
"Serena!" "Serena, wait!" "Serena!" He said.
"WHAT." I yelled when I spun around and he grounded to a halt. And looked absolutely terrified.
"Just leave me alone!" I yelled again and continued to walk away. I looked over my shoulder and Liam came running after Nate stopped at Nate while I ran away. I had always loved running. It gave me a clear mind and a little bit of peace I ran any time I got the chance. I got to about a mile away from Umbris before I sat down. I sat by a log that lay on the ground. I put my head on my hands and tucked my knees to my chest. And I just sat there listening to the sounds of the forest. I don't know how long I sat there until I looked over and saw Liam standing there.
"I said I'm fine Liam." I said
"No you're not Serena, you went to the training room and you could have broken a wrist. I told you to rest. Too much strain can cause a tear in your brain, you already have a concussion." He said sitting down next to me.
"What on the earth is happening to you?" He asked. I laid my head on his shoulder and he laid his head on mine.
We sat there for at least an hour before I spoke up.
"Those men I shot when we were escaping Prophis the three men who stood at the doorway." I stopped.
"Yeah?" Liam said, urging me to continue.
"They were my brothers, all three of them my mom found out she had twins, one boy and a girl. She kept the boy but sent me away. I was brought here for a better life. Luckily my adopted mom and dad had a huge heart and they took me in. My brothers stayed in Prophis and became soldiers and I became a princess of Umbris. That's why I never felt Right here. I don't belong here. I shot my brothers and probably killed them." I took a shaky breath and Liam grabbed my hand.
"You may not think you belong here but you do. Fate brought you here, maybe you weren't born here but you were raised here we all were. I wasn't Umbris born and yet I feel more comfortable here then in Prophis we're I was born. And maybe your shot your brothers buy you didn't shoot to Kill you shot to injure. If they have good doctors they will be fine, maybe just a limp but they will live." He said in a reassuring tone. But even in his tone I send a hint of uneasiness, he wasn't sure if they would live either.
"Come on, let's get back, it's getting dark." He stood up and held his hand up to me, I took it and we walked back as soon as I entered my room my father was already there. He started to talk before Liam held up his hand and shook his head. The king closed his mouth and I climbed in bed. I turned to face away from my father and Liam. I heard them talking outside of my door.
"She doesn't need anymore stress or arguing right now, her brain can't take it. We need to leave her to rest. And when I say she is ready, you can talk to her. But not right now." Liam said
"What exactly happened?" My father asked
"She went to the training room after she passed out. She destroyed one of the dummy's, And bent a sword, she bruised her hands and broke a finger. When Charlie tried to stop her she ran. I found her in the forest a mile away from the castle where she was sitting by a log." All this information is too much for her. When we were in Umbris she shot three men in the thigh. They were her brothers, her twin and her two eldest brothers. She doesn't know the oldest one Alex died of an infection. And I don't plan to tell her until she can handle it." Liam explained.
"And the other two?" My father asked.
"All fine. They will just have limps for awhile." Liam answered.
Before I knew it tears burned my eyes. I killed my oldest brother and I didn't even know him. I didn't get to know him. I cried and cried until my head throbbed. My mom sat beside my bed and I laid on her lap. And then everything went black. I had finally fallen asleep.
"How is she Victoria?" My father asked
"She heard you, she knows she killed one." My mother said sadly. 
"This will all be over soon." My father said walked to the jail Cell where Oliver resided. Once he got there the guards opened the cell and my father walked in. Oliver was covered in blood and bruises from being beaten. The stench was horrific; it smelled like burning skin and blood.
"You will tell me everything I want to know if not there will be consequences." Oliver looked up and the other thing he could think of was that he was never going to see Serena again. And that killed him. In his heart he knew he had feelings for her. And now he would die before he got to tell her.