The Marí

Part. 8

A shiver of panic jolted through me snapping me out of the lingering haze of my dream, Footmen? Horses? My pulse surged as my mind caught up with the present moment, the weight of our circumstances crashing back into focus.
"Mi'lady, they've found us," Regina whispered her face pale as she peered out into the dark listening to the steady relentless beat of hooves drawing closer, the noise grew louder with every second each step echoing our diminishing chances of freedom.
For a moment I was paralyzed, caught between the perishing thought of being caught and the reality of our escape but then instinct took over.
"Oh for the love of the gods, Reg get into the carriage now!" I shouted my voice edged with desperation. How could I have been so foolish to think we'd slip away unnoticed? A chill ran down my spine of course, Hugo would have been tipped off the moment the guards had gone missing I should have known something was amiss apart from Regina and me only Justin—one of Regina numerous lovers knew and that could mean only one thing—betrayal.
"There they are!" A shout rang out cutting through the night like a blade I turned, my heart seizing as I caught sight of the Brushtn guards charging toward us, their armor gleaming ominously in the pale moonlight, eyes locked on their prey—us.
"Reg, now!" I barked and she scrambled into the carriage her movements jerky with panic, I leaped onto the driver's seat grabbing the reins and urging the horses forward with a sharp tug, they neighed in protest but surged ahead, hooves thundering against the dirt path.
"They're gaining on us!" Regina's voice trembled with fear and I could feel the pounding of my own heart syncing with the frantic pace of the horses, we were running out of time and out of road. If they caught us, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Think, Emerald," I muttered my breath ragged a flash of insight struck me like lightning. The unbarred lands. The one place they wouldn't dare follow.
"Reg, did you say something?" I called over the cacophony of hooves and shouts, glancing back to find her pale wide-eyed face poking out of the carriage window.
"No!" she yelled, eyes darting to the figures closing in "Your Majesty, we can't keep this up! They're too close."
"We will," I shot back, jaw set as I yanked the reins to the east steering toward the unbarred lands. The shadows thickened, the path dark and forbidding but it was the only chance we had.
"Mi lady, do you know where this leads?" Regina's voice cracked with the weight of her fear and I didn't need to look back to imagine her clutching the seat, knuckles white and eyes squeezed shut I risked a glance behind, the guards were so close I could see the sweat glistening on their brows, their expressions etched with relentless determination. I whipped my gaze forward a voice whispering urgently in my mind, "Almost there. Steady now." The voice didn't sound like Regina's—was I imagining things? Exhaustion clawed at my mind, making it difficult to separate reality from hallucination.
"Reg, if you want to keep that tongue of yours, now's not the time for doubt!" The words erupted from me sharp and unexpected, echoing into the night.
"Milady?" Regina's voice trembled, half-lost in the rumbling of the wheels beneath us.
Before I could respond, the carriage jolted violently nearly throwing me off my seat, Regina screamed as an arrow thudded into the wooden frame splintering it dangerously close to the wheels.
"They're shooting at us!" she cried, the terror in her voice slicing through my focus.
"Grab the luggage and hold tight!" I shouted as we crossed into the dark gnarled edge of the unbarred lands, the boundary between the known and the unknown. Regina screamed as we teetered dangerously to one side, the wheels skidding on loose gravel. A sickening crack followed—a sound that could only mean one thing.
"Arrows!" Regina cried terror thick in her voice, my pulse surged as I felt the carriage lurch again, struggling to maintain its speed with a damaged wheel. The guards' shouts were growing louder their torches casting a flickering, predatory light that sliced through the darkness behind us.
"Reg, grab what you can!" I yelled my voice hoarse she obeyed instantly, fumbling in the dark to gather our scant belongings, the horses whinnied their hooves losing rhythm as they sensed the disarray.
"We're not going to make it!" Regina's words broke through the clamor and for a moment fear threatened to root me to the spot but then the looming edge of the forest came into view, its shadows reaching out like a cloak ready to hide us.
"Hold tight!" I commanded snapping the reins with every ounce of strength I had left, the carriage shuddered and with one final desperate push we broke into a tree line. Branches scraped against the sides of the carriage shattering in protest as we barreled through the undergrowth, the guards' voices grew muffled, the dense woods swallowing their battle cries but I could still hear their pursuit—the pounding of hooves, the crackle of broken twigs. Suddenly the carriage hit a rock and we were sent airborne for a heartbeat, the impact when we landed jarred me to my core nearly snapping my teeth together. Regina let out a sharp yelp as we skidded to a halt the horses panting and foaming at their mouths their eyes wide with terror.
"Milady, the carriage is done for," Regina whispered glancing fearfully at the damaged wheel that now hung uselessly at an angle.
I slid down from the driver's seat my legs shaking as adrenaline coursed through me. "We go on foot," I said my voice steadier than I felt, the sound of guards breaking through the trees spurred us into motion and we ran deeper into the night, the darkness enveloping us.
"Quickly grab our luggage!" I shouted as we neared the edge of the unbarred lands.
"All set, milady," she answered her breath ragged and eyes wide with fear we ran toward the border that separated Brushtn from the unbarred lands. The line that promised freedom—or perhaps chaos—loomed before us.
"Merald!!" Hugo's voice rang out authoritative and sharp halting me mid-stride, I spun around my pulse racing at the sight of him striding purposefully toward us, Justin and the guards trailing behind like a wave of fury.
"Quickly! Reg, cross the border now!" I urged pushing her forward she hesitated, her eyes darting between Hugo and me.
"Unless you want to see Justin's smug face when we're caught, move!" I snapped she gasped but took the step crossing into the unknown. Hugo was closing the distance now no more than twenty feet away, the torchlight illuminated his face, contorted with rage and determination.
"Don't you dare come closer!" I shouted my voice trembling despite my attempt to appear composed. Hugo stumbled slightly but regained his posture glaring at me.
"One more step, and I swear I'll cross this line. You'll never see me again," I threatened the promise weighted with finality.
"Merald, my love please," Hugo's tone softened desperation creeping in "We can discuss this rationally. Tomorrow is our wedding! Don't do this—you don't understand what's at stake."
"Stop moving, you fool!" I barked my hands shaking "I will not go back with you—not now, not ever."
Hugo's jaw clenched his eyes narrowing as he took another step forward "Enough of this madness! Come here now or face the consequences of your actions!!" he warned his voice low and lethal.
"Milady, we have to go!" Regina's urgent cry jolted me back she gripped my arm,
yanking me over the border.
"Merald!!!" Hugo's voice cracked with fury as he surged forward we bolted down the slope that marked the end of Brushtn's territory, adrenaline coursing through our veins.
Regina tripped, her bags spilling onto the rocky ground I rushed to help her up, our breaths coming in ragged gasps.
"I'm fine, milady," she managed though her voice quivered.
Hugo's shouts echoed behind us relentless "Merald!! Where are you?!" causing us to gasp we knew we had to keep moving until we reached the woods. We kept running, leaping over stones as Hugo and his men charged toward us.
"Milady, look! The woods! Finally!" Regina exclaimed pulling me with such urgency that I stumbled forward nearly losing my footing, we sprinted into the dense thicket the cool shadowy embrace of the forest swallowing us whole our breaths came in ragged gasps as we finally halted chests heaving. For a moment the only sound was the pounding of my heart in my ears I strained to listen for Hugo's footsteps but an eerie silence greeted me instead. I crept forward cautiously peering through the canopy of twisted branches and brush there at the crest of the hill stood Hugo and his men their figures dark silhouettes against the first streaks of dawn a smirk tugged at my lips—cowards! They wouldn't dare set foot in these woods not with the haunting legends that shrouded them but the laughter died quickly,replaced by an icy shiver that crawled up my spine, the woods were unnaturally silent, the kind of quiet that pressed on the eardrums and made every heartbeat feel like a drumroll the goosebumps pricked my skin as an unsettling thought took hold—something was wrong, or worse, we were not alone.
"Reg!" I called out twisting around to find her the fear in my voice startled even me. "Regina!" I yelled again louder my voice cutting through the dense silence, no answer.
Panic surged as I retraced my steps my eyes darting to every shadow and hollow, leaves rustled underfoot the only noise breaking the oppressive quiet my heart thudded faster with each moment she didn't respond confusion taking root as I spun in circles, calling her name until my voice cracked. Where could she have gone? She was just here.
Disoriented and gasping I pushed past a thicket each branch snagging at my clothes like grasping fingers, the world spun slightly exhaustion wrapping around me like a heavy shroud the forest looked different, more twisted as if it was shifting around me.
"Reg... Regina!" My voice wavered hoarse and useless now a dry, parched ache throbbed in my throat, each breath scraping like coarse sand. My legs threatened to give way beneath me and my muscles quivered with fatigue I leaned against a tree, the rough bark biting into my skin as I tried to steady myself. The first light of dawn seeped through the treetops casting everything in a weak bluish glow, I sank to the ground a heavy sigh shuddering from me I felt the burn of frustrated tears but blinked them away, the reality pressing down hard—I couldn't find Regina and I was utterly alone with shaking hands I reached for the bags that lay abandoned nearby, searching desperately for water to soothe the raw rasping fire in my throat. I was super exhausted and thinking about where Reg could have possibly gone was the last thing I wanted to do, I laid on the ground in the woods watching as the sun began to rise. My body ached and sore from all the running and the little rest caused me I sighed deeply, a part of me couldn't help but wonder how my mother would react when she found out her "little Merald" had taken a "little detour" out of the way of life.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" a voiced chimed abruptly pulling from my thoughts, I gasped turning toward the direction of the voice, only to be met with my doom.