Ice Always Melts

Chapter III

Upon hearing this Luna froze, hoping to everything good that the man, Justal, didn't just say that.

"Luna dear, it's no use hiding if you can't control your breathing." The man said, his head in the window. He had almond colored hair, and dark brown eyes. The hood of his cloak was down, revealing his evil grin. Luna gasped, meeting his mischievous gaze. He knew her name? Who was he?

As Justal was about to reach down to grab her by her white blonde hair, Merrick quickly shot out an icicle to Justal's back, forcing the man to whip around to defend himself. As Merrick did this he called out to Luna."Run Luna! Run as far away from here as you can! Run!"

"But I can help you Papa!" She exclaimed getting ready to do the same as her father had just done

"NO LUNA! You aren't experienced enough!" He ordered as he tried to keep Justal occupied.

Luna finally obeyed her father, after glancing back one more time she ran into the woods with tears streaming down her face.

"Be safe Papa, I need you." She whispered to herself as she blindly ran through the thick woods.

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She had never gone this far into the trees.

A slow moving river, about a meter or two wide, with a rocky bank and floor, had always been her set boundary. It wound around the forest, stopping by a tree stump and a yarrow bush, her two other boundaries. Her feet didn't process she had to cross the river till she took one, barefoot step, into the ice water. The cold made the girl jump, and realize she had already ran as far as she could go.

Her father's cry for her to run still rang in her ears. How could she keep running if she never stepped foot off their land? She couldn't go back though, not with that evil man Justal there. When could she come back? The questions rattled in her head. Maybe she could hide with the Torlans, if Lilly Eve made it home safely that is... But was the village safe? Could Justal still be there? If that was the case, then what was the point of going home?

"Run Luna...

RUN!"

The water surrounded her feet as she took another step into the bank. The rocky floor cut her feet as she kept running, through the shallow waters. The forest was more dense as she continued her walk, undergrowth grabbing onto her dress and hair. She tried not to scream every time she had to yank free, afraid Justal or his men would be around the corner, following her. Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of her mother, of Benjamin and Lilly Eve, and what would happen if Justal found them. The tears started to fall.

Luna wanted to run forever, like her father did. To another city, another world. Instead, a rock caught her foot, and she fell to the dirt, her sobs choking her breaths. She grabbed her barefeet, bleeding from the thorns and rocks. The adrenaline rush wore off, emotions crashing down on the little girl. It didn't matter if Justal was there as she cried loudly, looking around the now unfamiliar terrain. The edge of her dress that was wet from the river, collected mud and dirt. The dry grass pricked at her arms and legs. She hated this new forest. There were no birds chirping, or squirrels and rabbits scurrying. The forest was silent, as if she was the only inhabitant. She had never been this alone before.

Luna wanted to go home...

Her eyes slowly closed....

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She woke up as the sun kissed the earth, and the sky went dark. Crickets started to chirp, the sound calming the twelve year old, and letting her know she was not alone. Her arms had instinctively wrapped around her knees, trying as hard as she could to tell herself her father was okay, and that she was safe in these woods. These big, dark...empty...woods. She had completely forgotten where the river on her land was when she woke up, nothing looking familiar from when she closed her eyes. Luna was lost.