The Burning Sky.

Ivory

I heard the thump. The unmistakable thump of a heavy body hitting the ground. No scream, no struggle, just a thump. Before the thump I had heard my own whimpers, and the excited talking and heavy breathing of the tracker above me. After the thump, there was nothing. Even the wind seemed to refrain from blowing through the cracks in the walls, the birds ceased their chirping and the close by creek seemed to desist its bubbling. Death was in the air though. I could sense it, and my feeling of relief almost overtook my fear. Sure, the tracker was gone, but who, or what, had disposed of him?

After thirty helpless heart beats, I heard movement. I struggled against my bonds again, but to no avail. There were footsteps, very light. They had the rhythm and movement of a cat. Cats can pad through anything without a sound, other than the slightest tapping. That's all I heard then. The slightest tapping

"Hello?" I asked confidently.

-no reply-

"Hello?" I repeated, drawing out the word in aspiration. I hoped it was a person, it would be a terrible way to go down, a simple animal. Cowardly almost considering what I'd been through. I heard a slight stumble, and a clank of metal, and I was reassured it was human. Only people would make stupid mistakes like that. Maybe the person was trying to be mysterious, or maybe the person was trying to be cautious. Why? I didn't know.

I felt the thing come close, real close, too close. I heard the thing breathing, calm, even breathes. Obviously this wasn't frazzled about my earlier killing spree. i felt a pang of guilt shoot through me, as what i had done sunk in. I smelt the thing, distinctly human; tanned leather with musky undertones, also distinctly male. Relief once again washed over but still I tensed.

"You need to be quiet" I heard him whisper, before he lifted me as if I didn't weigh a pound.

"I can walk" I argued, trying to get down.

He tensed and tightened his grip for a couple of seconds, before letting me down.

"Come with me though" he warned.

To be honest I don't think I had even thought about not going with him, I mean, I couldn't stay here, and he couldn't be completely bad, because he had saved me. He wasn't Delarian, and that was a good sign, and there was something reassuring about him, like he knew what he was doing.

"I will" I said, and, holding the sleeve of my shirt, he set off, me stumbling behind.

I tried asking him to take off the blindfold, a lot of times. It was frustrating me, I felt too helpless, relying on him just to keep on my feet. I asked him three times, until finally I refused to take another step. He tried pulling me after him but I wouldn't budge.

"Take it off" I demanded

"We need to hurry" he said, trying to get me to come with him.

"No," i said, tears welling up in my eyes, " please just take off the blindfold"

He sighed and lifted me. I struggled, kicking and wriggling but it was useless. "Shut up" he said. I whimpered as my injured shoulder collided with his body, but he ignored it.

Half and hour later he finally stopped walking. I was almost asleep, the days excitement affecting me in the form of exhaustion. I was jerked out of my half sleep-half woken state as he dropped me, not so carefully, on a scratchy patch of grass. Then he let out a shrill whistle. After about three minutes of sitting in an awkward silence, we heard the shuffling of brush, as more people entered the area.

"Who is this?" I heard a girl ask. Her voice was high, slightly nasally and had a twinge of disgust in her voice.

"Who is that?" I asked the boy, mimicking the girls voice squeaky voice.

He ignored me, and began explaining to the girl how he had found me.

They seemed to be drifting further and further away from me, there voices fading out. It wasn't long before I realised I was alone.

I was woken by a new voice. It was gentle, deep and trusting. "Let's just talk to her and take it from there"

I felt soft hands reach around my head. They brushed away the tangled strands of hair that had been caught in the rags knot, and with a single tug, I was free from the veil.

I flinched back, I lost my breath, panic rose in my chest. My whole body tensed and I could feel myself shaking uncontrollably. Leaning over me was male. A male with striking green eyes and a sweep of dark hair. But it wasn't he who had led to my reaction, it was the boy behind him. He was looking at me, head tilted to the side in curiosity, those dark, piercing eyes taking in every part of me. His flawless skin was glowing in the light and his soft lips were held in a smirk. It was the unmistakable face that had haunted my dreams. The one person who i had hoped never to ever see again. It was the imposing and unforgettable figure of Keilen.