The lost princess of Arenthia

Chapter 8 ~ 'carry the light' ~

Amorette :)

My eyes flutter open to nothing but darkness, I feel cold and unconnected as though my body, mind and soul are all lost in the tranquil winds drifting through the forest. I was in a state of sleep where there was no dream, no escape into the imaginary world filled with cotton candy and talking books. No, instead I was swept into a hurricane of memories, of pain and destruction. Destruction so clear, so vivid that my body thought it so real I couldn't stay. As I wake and look around to the space that is supposed to be my room I sigh as it is now a field of green and brown. Of patches of moss and mushrooms. Realising that I am without my bed in a place so far from home makes my throat burn. Who knew not having a place to call home could hurt so much, could burn so much.

I shut my eyes for a second feeling the wind against my skin. I try to let the wind detach me from everything that has happened ; instead it makes me feel so much more. As if the wind is coaxing me to release the burning feeling inside of me.

Building in my troath and behind my eyes and...

"Hey, hey breathe." A cold hand touches my cheek, but I push it back. I open my eyes again to see a concerned Quille and a smiling horse next to me. Brown and blue eyes that were glazed with the first rays of the morning sun greeted me. Straight away I lean forward and place his hand in mine.

" I'm really sorry. " I say, my voice deep with unspoken feelings. I gulp down undetected spit, my throat drier than the stains coating my dirt covered face.

He smiles at me nothing strained or unnatural and I feel happy, happy that even if he pitties me he doesnt show it on his face.

He lifts me up from the ground and I stumble over my feet. I have probably been sleeping for too long. My whole body needs to wake up. Shaquille takes out a flask of water from one of the bags we brought and hands it over to me. I slowly drink the water and the burning in my troath lessens.

"We need to continue on our journey, we need to find an inn by nighttime, the forest will only cover us for so long."

"Could you please tell me where we are going first?" " I need to know I can't just be left in the dark while we ride from one place to another." Shaquilles eyes narrow in thought but I wont put up with dicussion. I need to know.

Moreover even tough I trust him more than I've trusted anyone before, I dont know, he is technically still a stanger. I want to follow him but if he wont tell me anything I can't blindly put my faith in him. I just can't.

Shaquile's face contorts and he seems hurt as if he had heard everything that I had said. However he puts that mask on again and hides himself from the world.

"I can't tell you... Not yet"

"Why?!" I try to stay silent but my voice has other plans.

"Because if I tell you you might not come!" He retorts, His eyes a whirlwind of pain and anger and... fear?

"That just makes me not want to come even..." Before I can finish my sentence Shaquille is pulling my arm and we are rushing towards Horsey. The hairs on my skin rise as I hear shouting and hooves on  earth.

Quille picks up the bag from the floor and straps it unto horsey. I jump unto her back and Quille is right behind me. Horsey starts to run and all I feel is pain that runs trough my whole body, that pumps in my blood. I start to speak in toungs quitely but steadily. Every pound of hooves makes my heart clench. Beside us the river tosses and turns as if the river itself knew the situation we were in. The waves move in a different rhythm and pattern each time and I wonder how it would feel to be in it myself.

Then an arrow wizzes past. Quille shouts but it is too late as it hits my left arm. The arrow comes from the front the man cladded in blue darker then the stream next to me, smiles at me, nothing friendly in those dark green eyes, nothing safe.

Eyes bright with bloodlust.

Before fear can settle within me Quille meanderes Horsey to the right.Her hooves beating against the ground her laboured breathes a sign of how hard she is trying to push past the tick trees. We are now so close to the stream that the flowing water fills my ears soothing sound against my thundering heart.

Blood soaks my shirt, I bend my arm a little to see the damage luckily it's just a graze. A little deeper and I would have been crying in pain. Quille grunts as we reach a wall of trees . next to us is the river the cold water beating the rough stone the current pushing past strongly like a gust of wind and on the the other side are people ready to end our lives. My eyes water but I don't let the tears fall. No not when the Bible says "The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me" I sit up, turn around and stare straigt into Quille's eyes.

"How deep is the river?" He looks at me wearily as I ask the question but gives me an answer without nretort.

"Atleast 35 feet if not more... Don't tell me your planning to do what I think you want to do?"

I think I'm planning to do exalctly that. I jump of Horsey and look her in the eyes.

"You must run and dont look back continue to run down the river and do not let them catch you, if they get to you run away from the river and you run far." Something like understanding shone in her brown eyses and my heart hurt lettng her go.

Men shouting from behind me pulled me back, I pushed against Horsey but she stared at me pain swirling in her walnut brown eyes ; with what seemed like cry she ran fast away from me down the side of the river and into the thick covering of the trees. Shaquile who had come off of Horsey when I was talking to her was already looking at me ready to do whatever I planned but before we could horses and men surrounded us. This was good very good. They would think we were dead and leave us alone for long enough so that we could get out of this forest. Metal against metal sounds as the men close in. But i open my mouth a smirk gracing my face as I say.

"Tell whoveor sent you that I will never grace them with my precense." And as realisiation dawns on them and daggers come flying, Shaquile and I fall. Into the deep abyss of the waves.

And I let the darkness fill me knowing that I carry the light inside of me.

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