Leave

Chapter 5

"Welcome to The Leave Scarlet." The man said.
I stared at him. Was I really free? Was this a dream? I pinched my arm to make sure. Nope it wasn't it a dream.
"I thought I would have to do some crazy tests!" I thought aloud.
The man laughed.
"The names Levi. This is Dana. We are recruits  for The Leave and we have found you worthy to join."
"This was the test. You have more than passed it." Dana explained.
"When we ask people to show us their weapon most of them decide to show us. Others are suspicious but eventually do show us,and only few, like you, don't. Most of them say no,but you stared daggers into my soul. You will find a good place in Leave."
"Where do we go?"I asked.
"Headquarters are about ten day walk, four days on horses. We have three other recruits. Come out!" Levi called out.
There was a rustling in the bushes and a girl and two boys stepped out. The girl had short reddish hair with high cheek bones and freckles. She looked to be about sixteen.
The first guy had curly brown hair and tannish skin. His eyes didn't really focus on one thing and he looked to be about fourteen.
The other boy was handsome with dark brown hair cut super short. His blue eyes were almost gray and he had a scar next to his eyebrow.
"I'm Pryia. I didn't catch your name. What is it again?" she asked. Her voice was sweat and I wondered if we could be friends.
"Scarlet,"
"I'm Jace, this is Angus." The handsome guy said.
"Nice to meet you." I said trying to be nice. Something about him was unsettling.
" Now that you all have been acquainted we should get going. Oh and Dana when is your brother getting back? I miss the boy!"  Levi chuckled.
"He gets back the night of the ceremony and if we don't get headed we'll miss it!" Dana huffed.
They had lots of food packed and I rode on a beautiful brown stallion. His name was Falda. We had bonded immediately. The moment I sat on his broad back I knew he liked me.
We rode through the forest in silence. I enjoyed the scenery and couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen to me. I barely new them, so I had to stay on my guard. They could be leading me off to kill me, or take me to the government for running away. I didn't care. If I died then I died away from my prison. Sure it was my home but it did not feel how it was supposed to be. It had been my prison and I had escaped at last. it was a sacrifice I was willing to make. Freedom was the most important thing to me and it had always been.
We rode until it was a few hours past sunset. The horses needed rest as did I. Everyone did. My belly growled with hunger.
"Hungry much?" Pryia laughed.
"Starved," I replied giggling with her.
We all gathered around the fire that Levi had made and ate my mothers bread and some dried meat that Dana had had in her pack. We talked about our past lives. Pryia had grown up on a farm with her aunt and uncle.
Angus had lived with his mom after his dad left her and helped sell things at the market.
Jace's father worked for the government and had always been way hard on him. He was so fed up with everything that he had ran like me.
We talked and talked until Levi shouted at us to go to sleep.
I slowly rolled out my bed roll and sighed.
"I'm nervous about what's going to happen.What are they planning?" Pryia asked. I shrugged. "who knows. We'll just have to wait and see." but deep down I was scared. I didn't want to admit it, but I needed to hide it. I had to be strong.