Just Something

Chapter 29

A/N: Hopefully, this will be better than the last chapter. If you have any complaints/advice/things-you-want-to-say, then please leave a comment and I will try my best to fix it.

I'm on a computer that has an "h" key that pops out after you hit it too many times. To fix that you have to hold it down for a really long time resulting in, "hhhhhhhhhhhhhh." So, beware of "h's"

***

I turned to face Amos in the darkness. It was our last night at the Bradford Inn before we left with our assembly of Reeston-troops. Something had been bothering me, it had been on my mind ever since Amos' father had taken us to the clearing.

"Amos, why," I stopped, wondering if this was the right thing to do. I wasn't sure, but I had to know this, had to have an answer, "Why do you have wings? Or really, how? Did your mother have them?"

- - -**- - -

I was completely taken off-guard by Ava's question, well, questions.

"I-I don't know why, or how. I asked my father once, and he told me that-," tears began to clog my throat as I remembered the day I asked him, "He said, 'I don't know, Amos. I can only guess that you were made different for a reason, a reason we may not know now, or even 10 years from now, but a reason.'"

I saw Ava nod in the shadows, her eyes warm and understanding. My heart lifted a little.

I put a wing over her, and saw her smile.

"Well, whatever the reason, I'm glad you have them." She said, moving in closer to me, one hand pulling my wing tighter around her.

- - - - - -

After packing up everything for the two day journey, and after many sad goodbyes, we were off. Ava and I at the head of our good-sized group. I looked over at the crowd just inside the city, the crowd of those left behind. Those too young, those injured, those wives watching their husbands leave, wondering if they would ever see them again.

Children waving goodbyes to their fathers, tears streaming down their innocent faces. I vowed then and there that I would try my very best to make sure all these men returned, that widows and fatherless children would just be a nightmare, an inconceivable nothing.

I prayed that they would all return to the arms of those who loved them.

- - - - - -

At about the time that my backside was sore from sitting on the horse for so long, Nolan rode up beside me.

"I want to be ready, to-when," he sighed,"Just, when are they expected to, you know, make a move?" He asked tentatively, as if he wasn't sure he really wanted an answer.

"The king thinks about a month or so, maybe sooner." I swallowed, I hated that this was happening, that the Carithians were no good, greedy little-Ava stopped my train of thought by speaking up.

"I'm sure that we'll have plenty of time for training, Nolan. You'll be fully prepared when the time comes, I promise." Ava smiled kindly, a "don't-worry-in-the-end-everything-will-be-fine" smile that I'd seen many times.

- - - - - -

The ride stretched onward endlessly, just like it had on the way here, and I found myself wishing I could fidget like a normal person. I wanted to get to the capitol as soon as possible, eager to begin the training that we would bring with us to the battlefield.

There was a cry from the back of the line, and I turned around in my saddle-

-to see a flood of masked riders coming down on us, bows drawn and ready to fire.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Well, I liked how I started the chapter, but I feel that the end of this chapter is, sadly,incredibly cheesy. I went through(just now actually) and I am MUCH happier with it then I was before. Still, it's not my best chapter.

Oh, and I've discovered a song that near perfectly describes Amos and Ava's relationship. That's right, it's the Pina Colada Song, no, I'm kidding. But seriously. In the actual song (not the Pina Colada Song), not only do the lyrics match rather nicely, just the flow and sound of it match, in my opinion.

It's Beautiful Thing, by Sister Hazel. If you want, I'll post the lyrics in a separate little thing, in fact, I think I'll do that right now.
'Till Next Chapter!