The careless general

Behind the mountain

Evelyn woke up, and looked around herself, Jackie was sleeping, but Layla was not to be seen. She looked around the cave, then stood up and walked to the entrance of the cave. The sun was shining, birds singing, you could now see the very green grass, they had walked on. Still looking for Layla, she walked a bit out of the cave, when someone came running "Evelyn! where is Layla?" Jackie asked worried and out of breath "I have no id..." a sound of branches moving stopped her, they both looked around, but saw nothing...

But in the distance, there were bushes, and they were moving as if something or someone was behind it. They looked at eachother, and disided to walk towards it, on the way Jackie grabed a stick from the ground, Evelyn had grabbed a few rocks. Just in case.

The bush now stopped moving, and suddenly, a deer ran away, running away from them. When branch moving could be heard again, they now saw Layla, jumping and climbing from branch to branch, she was quite fast. She got in front of the deer, still climbing on the trees, when she then jumped over the deer, throwing a dagger at the deer, she just got her hands on a branch, before falling down, hitting the ground quite hard on her back, but so did the deer.

"Layla!" Jackie and Evelyn shouted and ran towards her. Layla looked at them still laying on the ground, "Did i get it?" she asked, Evelyn nodded "You did" looking to the deer laying on the ground, then back at her. "Are you hurt? does anything hurt?" Jackie asked worried, looking around her body for any bruises "Im just fine, dont worry" she said. Evelyn held her hand out to her, to help her get up, she took her hand, and got pulled up. 

"I got us food" Layla said with a happy voice, both Jacie and Evelyn smiled at her. They all then helped eachother drag the deer back to the cave, where the others were starting to wake up. 

After they had all gotten some food, they all sat and talked what to do next. "We should probably find a way to make money" someone said. Layla nodded, kinda being the leader from this group "Any ideas?" she asked, looking around "Stealing" someone suggested, Layla ignored that answer, hoping for something else, everyone kept quiet. Layla signed, "I suggest we find a near by village or town, and find a job, or just something to get money from" she said, when everyone nodded, she took grabbed her bag to find a map. She opend the map on the ground, and found their location, then the nearest town or village.

She now realised that there was a town on the other side of the mountains, she smiled to herself, then looked up at the others waiting for her to say something "Looks like we gotta climb a mountain" she said, with a smile on her face. They all kinda looked around at eachother, but desided to nod, and follow Layla's kind order. "So pack your stuff, then we are leaving this cave!" They all stood up and went to pack their stuff. Layla, Jackie and Evelyn did the same. 

When they were all done, they walked together out of the cave, the 3 friends at front. Layla looked up at the mountain, for the best way up. She started walking, soon they all had to climb. Layla often looked behind, to make sure everyone was following and no one was left behind. Seeing a few people had problem getting up some places, Layla left the front, to help people on the back. Evelyn understood what Layla was doing and now climbed in front. 

A foot now steped and a rock, but the rock fell, and the person was also now falling. Suddenly a hand grabbed the persons hand, and pulled them back to the stone wall. Layla smiled at the person and let them climb in front of them, her climbing right behind them, now being the last person in the row. 

Finally Evelyn reached the top, and started to help others get up. Now Layla got pulled up as the last person, when sge got up she looked around. The view was amazing, they were quite high up, and on the other side of the mountain, you could see the town, and before that, a grass field. Layla thought back to when she looked out the window at the orphanage, where she hoped for a grass field behind here, and there was, she smiled. 

"Now just gotta get back down" Layla said, Jackie now looked at the mountain, seeing how hard that would be, then at Layla, "wont work" he said. She then took of her back and found some robe, bound it to a big rock, and threw the robe down the mountain. "Be careful on your way down, please dont fall" People nodded and Jackie took front this time, with Evelyn close behind, and everyone following them, and again the last person being Layla. 

There was not too much trouble down then up, everyone got down safely. When Layla got down, she took a little break to get air. She then looked at Jackie and Evelyn, who were looking at the grass field. Suddenly someone grabbed their hands, and dragged them. Jackie and Evelyn now noticing it was Layla, ran with them around the field, they let go of their hands, and spread their arms, like a plane, and touched the tall grass with their arms. Running and laughing, they at some point ran in a circel, and ended with laying themselves in the grass, looking at the sky, out of breath, with big smiles on their faces. 

They could even hear the others running too, and at some point also layed down and relaxed. Layla smiled, she had finally been running in a tall grass field with her 2 friends, she was happy. 

At some point Layla sat up and called out "Lets head to the town!" people got up and so did Jackie, Evelyn and Layla. Then they all walked towards the town. Layla holding Jackie and Evelyn by their hands, swinging them back and forth. While they walked to the town, the sun was shinning above their heads, slowly moving in front of them. 

Layla finally had tried running in tall grass, hell, not even alone, but with friends, very good friends. This was freedom.