Jade Medieval

Chapter 38

I wandered around the camp quiet, as to not wake Hark, and cleared my mind. I was listening to the birdsong and creek when I heard Hark begin to wake. He grumbled pulling himself up very slowly. I looked at him in his half-awake state in amusement. He nearly tripped over a root and seemed very lost. Nearly as if he had forgotten why he was in the middle of nowhere.

"Good Morning Hark," I said casually walking past him to a berry bush with only a few berries remaining.

"Good Morn-" he yawns," Morning Jade."

I picked a handful of the remaining berries and plopped a few in his hand. I turned to leave when he asked where I was going.

"I'm going to find Fillip, he has been gone for near half an hour since I woke," I said simply back still to Hark.

"Alright," he said and I walked near out of his sight before he spoke again," will you be coming back?"

"Yes," I answered turning around to see him and he allowed himself to grin at the reply and tip his hat my way.

I dusted off my satchel and blue navy dress, both of which I stole from Madame Leecha, and touched the only weapon I had for reassurance. The dager which I had hidden safely in my boot. I pulled my hair from its pony tail and let the loose brown waves fall down. I meandered to the creek snacking on the berries I had picked.

"Fillip?" I called as I went along the creek not wanting to see him improper.

"Over here!" He replied waving from behind a bush," I found breakfast!"

I looked down at my handful of berries that I had absent mindedly reduced to half its original size. Fillip walked out from the bush running his hand through his damp hair. He wore a loose beige shirt and brown pants that hung comfortably from his body.

"You left without a word," I said plopping most of the berries into his hand.

"Yes I did," he said tilting his head as I continued in silence," whats wrong?"

I shook my head," nothing," I looked at him.

He was almost a foot taller than me and so his shadow blocked the sun from my eyes. He blinked slowly in thought then grinned at the berries in his hands.

"Good thing you gathered up a good breakfast because all I dug up was some roots," he said eating all the berries at once.

"Save those for the journey," I said finishing the last of my berries.

"Speaking of which where are we-I mean you-or-," a long sigh," whats the destination?"

"Back to where it all began," I say with decision," my friends may need me and only God knows what your brother and Jocelyn are up to!"

He winces making a gesticulation of his hurt and I laugh.

"I love your laugh," he grins cupping my face gently and some of his hair tickles me.

"I love your silly hair," I tease curling a strand with my finger.

Our mutual gaze finds each other's eyes and for a moment my heart skips a beat. I stand up taller and he grins. I tilt my head as I close my eyes hoping that somehow, even though I cannot see, some unseen force would lead me to his lips.A gentle kiss that makes my heart pound in thrill and my mind race on a newfound surge of energy. After a moment I break away and my eyes open to see him standing with a smile across his face. I touch my lips tentatively and laugh softly returning to my normal height.
"We best be getting back to camp now," I say quietly still smiling.
"Aye we better do that," Fillip says reaching for my hand.

"Jade! Fillip!" Hark shouts frantically .

My smile fades away quickly and I look in the direction of the camp. Fillip takes my hand now and we run back to camp, cautious though as we near it. We hide behind a large bush and survey the camp through a sparse section of the plant. Our camp has visitors.There are three people in hooded cloaks, two are larger  therefore I presume them to be male and one woman judging by her figure.
"Hey what do you lot want?" I shout ready with my dagger.
Slowly they turn from Hark and look to me pulling back their hoods. I recognize the faces immediately.
"Jade! Fillip!" Jocelyn cries out racing over to hug me as my eyes open wide. Henry follows after her nearly holding himself together in relief in the sight of his 'brother'.
"Good to see your not dead," he said clutching Fillip's arm and shaking it as Fillip did the same.

"Ha! Can't get rid of me so easy. Good to see you," he said and they hug.
Jocelyn was mumbling words I could not understand in her fit of joy and I looked over her pink dress to see Mint trying his best to explain things to Hark who stood confused and silent as a tree. When Jocelyn broke away from the hug I saw she had been crying. I wiped the tears away in silence confused by her behaviour slightly.
"Why are you crying? I'm ok. What is it?"
Henry and Mint went quiet, a heavy tension rose in the air. Nobody spoke a word to answer me nor moved a muscle. Fillip caught onto the mood and stood beside me asking the same question I just did to Jocelyn. Like a wave to a sandy shore Henry went to Jocelyn and nodded reassuringly for her to speak.
"It's the kingdom Jade," Jocelyn says and takes a breath to regain her normal stature,"with the Southerners now attacking in such force the kingdom is all but lost. They've c-" her voice caught and she turned to bury her face in Henry's chest.

I observed the small ragged group. Jocelyn's dress was matted and flithy. She had torn it in multiple sections. Henry's face was strained and he had dark circles under his eyes. His clothes tattered and worse than Jocelyn's. He had a blood stain on his shirt and he was filthy from dust and mud. Mint looked the most decent apart from his eyes which lacked their usual excited nature. He had dark circles under his eyes and held himself in defeat with shoulders slouched. He tried his best to smile but it looked forced.