The Curse of Thorns

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Briar hit the ground with a bone-jarring thud, the impact knocking the breath out of her lungs. Pain radiated through her body, and she lay there, groaning, trying to collect herself. Every inch of her screamed in agony, but she forced herself to breathe deeply, willing the pain to subside. After a few agonizing moments, she slowly moved her limbs, checking for any broken bones or injuries. Miraculously, nothing seemed broken. It was a wonder she wasn't dead after falling from such a height.

As she finally managed to scramble to her feet, she took in her surroundings. She was in an unfamiliar field, dotted with ancient-looking trees and large boulders scattered here and there. The landscape was eerily still, with no signs of human or animal life for miles around. The air was thick with the scent of earth and moss. The silence was broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves.

Briar squinted into the distance and spotted twinkling lights, like tiny stars, on the horizon. There was a city far away. As her eyes adjusted, she could make out the outline of a distant castle perched on a hill. It seemed like they had fallen on the outskirts of the city.

She quickly turned her attention to finding her companions. Scanning the area, her eyes landed on Knight first. The horse's gleaming white coat was impossible to miss. He lay on the ground, unmoving. Briar's heart skipped a beat. "Knight!" she called out, but there was no response.

Next, she spotted Theodore. He was lying beneath Knight, his arms wrapped protectively around the horse's neck, as if he had tried to shield him from the fall. Theodore's satchel lay a few feet away, its contents spilled across the ground. But there was no sign of Prince Leon.

A horrible feeling clawed at Briar's stomach. What if Leon had fallen somewhere else? What if he was hurt, or worse? Shaking off the dreadful thoughts, she looked around more carefully. He was with them when they were falling. He must be nearby. "Leon!" Briar shouted, her voice echoing through the quiet field. "Where are you?"

"Up here," came a small, slightly irritated voice from above her.

Briar looked up and there, dangling from the branch of a giant tree like a hapless bat, was the prince. His royal attire was disheveled, and his face was flushed with a mixture of frustration and embarrassment. Relief washed over her at the sight of him.

"What are you doing up there?" Briar called out, half-laughing in disbelief.

"Just enjoying the view!" Leon yelled back. "Can't you see I'm stuck?"

One of his legs was caught between two branches, and no matter how hard he tugged, he couldn't free it. He grunted, twisting his body in a desperate attempt to extricate himself. With a grunt of effort, he heaved his body upward, grasping the branch with his hands and giving a mighty tug on his leg. Finally, with a groan of triumph, he managed to free his leg but lost his grip on the branch. He tumbled to the ground, landing face down with a pained yelp.

Briar ran to him. "Are you okay?"

Leon winced as he removed his boot and clutched his ankle, which was bleeding. "My ankle," he said through gritted teeth.

"It's okay. Theodore will heal you," Briar reassured him.

"The healer," Leon snapped, his eyes blazing with anger. "We could have died! All because of him and his stupid horse."

"It's not their fault," Briar said.

Leon narrowed his eyes. "You're still on their side, even after all this?" he spat.

Briar knew Leon had always disliked Knight. She had hoped that as they spent more time together and faced danger, he would come to appreciate the bond they shared. But after this incident, it seemed that hope was in vain. "I'm not taking sides," Briar said. "I just don't think it's fair to blame them without knowing what really happened."