His Girl

Chapter 26

I felt the cold air that seemed to spring from out of the steep drop brush my cheek. I crept cautiously around the side of the cliff, my hands against the rough rock at all times. I daren't look down, in fear that I would tumble to my death. Stone crumbled beneath my feet and I wondered whether death was worth it. I decided that there was nothing left for me, if I returned my life would be eternally miserable, I had to keep on moving forward. The ledge ended and levelled off with dense forest. I began my journey through the tangled woods, not knowing in what direction my unknown destination lay, I headed down the mountain. The ground was wet and slippery beneath my feet so I had to walk slowly as to prevent myself from falling into the mud.

My stomach began to rumble mercilessly and I scanned the wilderness around me for any signs of food. I spotted some glistening red berries on a nearby tree and swallowed two.I began to feel drowsy. I felt the world spin around me. Maybe those berries weren't the safest thing, I thought as my body slumped to the ground.

*
My eyes fluttered open. As I awoke I looked around myself in confusion. Where on earth was I? I was situated in a large cave with a huge fire in the middle of it. The stone walls were rippled with colours of various minerals and gems. I was lying on a makeshift bed of hay with a scratchy cover over me. The smell of a cooked broth hit my nose as I gazed at the towering fire. I frowned, the last thing I remembered was eating those berries. Those blasted berries! How stupid could you be Tania, red berries on Mount Calena , nothing that grows on this mountain is going to be safe.

"Took you long enough." A familiar voice sounded. I turned to see in a shaded corner a woman wearing a dress made entirely of feathers. The woman stepped out. I gasped as I remembered who she was, the woman who had helped me and Jackson after we had been attacked by bandits.
"How did you know where I was." I asked curiously.
"Darling don't insult me, I am more powerful than the crazy woman you may think me of." I was about to utter an apology when she interrupted me "But to answer your question, my sister told me that you where forced to leave Lothelor." She said as she walked up to me and sat beside me her wild hair framing her face with its madness.
"How did your sister know?"
"My sister is Rachelle, she is very fond of you, you know. Always banging on about this that and the other, I don't normally listen to half the nonsense that comes out of her mouth. But I felt that I would never forgive myself if I didn't help you." Her brilliant blue eyes twinkled knowingly.
"I never knew she had a sister I thought all her family were taken by my father." I said the word 'father' through gritted teeth.
"Yes well that's the tale she does tend to say. Quite the drama queen is my sister, the only one who escaped blahdi blahdi blah. Factually though it was both of us. We lived in this cave for a few weeks before we plucked the courage to head back down the mountain. My powers weren't very strong back then, hell I thought I was just some creep who could do things with her mind. I guess it's lucky for you to have someone who knows their way around this...place." She paused as if she was fighting back feelings, this was the place at which the rest of her family was killed
"Well I'm forever grateful." I stopped, I still didn't know her name and as if she read my mind, which she probably did, she said.
"I'm Lydiea, now up you get."
"How long have I been asleep?"
"Three days."
"Three days!"
"Three days, I only found you a day after you had eaten those berries, which I found in your hand. Your lucky you weren't eaten by any wild animal. Plus if you had eaten one more berry, you my beauty would have been a gonner."
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me, when I tell you the full story you will probably wish you were dead."
"What do you mean?" I asked as she took in a deep breath.
"Jackson launched an attack. Nagoria is officially at war with Lothelor."

*
"I have to go and stop him." I yelled as I jumped from my bed.
"You do realise that you confessing your love and defying your father, will do no good. Your father wanted a war, god for what other reason would he force you to leave Lothelor. Think about it honey, he could have come to get you at any time, Eldred escaped months ago. Yet he chose to wait, wait for you to fall in love with the future king, as all the prophecies proclaim. He knew that Jackson would love you so much that he wouldn't accept you being taken from him. A war with Lothelor was all he wanted, he didn't care about your marriage, but I guess you already figured that. He is a greedy man your father and Lothelor is the crown jewel to his empire. You and Jackson are merely the pawns in his bigger game. Don't you see, he has planned all this from the get go, there is nothing you can do to stop the war. Jackson may want you but your father, he wants Lothelor."

How had I been so stupid. A woman who barely knows my situation had worked out my father's true motives in an instant. Why had I been so oblivious? Then again, if I had already known, would it have actually made any difference. My father would have still forced me to marry that creep Romero and Jackson, being the overly protective man he is, still would have come after me. He had thought of everything. There was no way out of this. Jackson and I were both going to die.

"I'm not currently liking this negative thought process." Lydiea piped up, I had totally forgot she could read my mind like a book. "Do you really think I would have come here and bothered saving you if I had thought you had no chance. I'm a competitive woman, and I like to win. Where's that fighting spirit in you. Don't you want to see your father put down and run of with the love of your life. Isn't that enough to fight for, if not then girl you have serious problems." She chuckled before drawing me into a huge bear hug. I barely knew Lydiea but she was so open to me and had done so much for me that I couldn't help but trust her. I decided that I was going to follow her example. I wasn't going to go down without a fight.

*
"I came equipped." Lydiea stated as she ran to the other side of the room. "I know your not much of a fighter so I thought we'd stick with a dagger, not much then that can go wrong." She said as she handed me an extremely sharp silver dagger. "Rachelle insisted that she be in charge of your armour, so don't blame me." She said whilst handing me a pile of glistening steel. "Now go get changed, we haven't got time to lose"

I quickly changed in to the armour that was probably the most flattering armour I had ever seen. It clung around my waist, yet wasn't uncomfortably tight like the many other corsets Rachelle had forced me to wear. I pulled on a pair of maroon trousers that were tight fitting around my legs, I felt strangely free without a dress on. I twisted my hair into a bun and laced my feet up in the shiny black boots that were pared with my battle gear. I for once felt like a brave and independent women, of who nothing could stand in her way. Lydiea had changed also and in her hand lay a long stripped stick with a green jewel that seemed to glow eerily. I decided not to question her on it, as I was too empowered to find Jackson and together show my father who he is messing with.

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So how was that? I love Lydiea, she is just amazing. Don't worry guys there will be Jackson and Tania action next chapter, I have missed my favourite couple of all time.

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Till next time my lovelies

Beatoria xxx