The assassins sister

Chapter 13:

Erisire gazed up at my treehouse, her face bewildered and amazed at what I had created. She climbed up carefully, placing her hands on the branches delicately to make sure they could hold her weight- I don't know why she bothered, Erisire looked as if she would weigh a feather. Finally she reached the top and snuggled against the corner and then all was silent apart from the soft snores coming from her. I dug through my pack and found a small towel that I draped over her to keep her warm, then I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the ground.

My eyes snapped awake as I heard the distant voices of men coming uncomfortably close for my Likings. Shaking Erisire awake, I threw my hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming in fright. "It's me." I said, my voice barely a whisper. She nodded and gave me a questioning look. Pulling her up, I gestured for her to follow me to the other side of the tree and pointed below. Three men around average height for an adult, stood below holding a lit lantern and unfortunately, I immediately recognised them- well one at least- Harding stood in the middle glaring at the other two. "Shh!" He hissed, "Alena is not an idiot- unlike you two- she will be able to hear you if you keep shouting Like that!" I was confused, what had the other two said? They were undoubtedly looking for me, I had an idea they Arobynn would send someone to kill me, just not so soon. The one who had a scruffy beard, grouched, "she may not even be out here! For all we know, she's in the desert, or the snow, or the...." I tuned out as he babbled on, until Harding told him to shut up. "For all we know," he hissed, "Alena is right above us!" He said. My breath hitched, as Harding looked up for emphasis, and his eye caught mine.

With no idea what to say or do, I unwittingly looked right into his eye as he shouted, "It's her! Quick, shoot her before she gets away!" I whipped around to find Erisire already clambering up higher into the tree. Smart girl. I followed her and as soon as I reached the top, I realised I'd dug my own trap. With no where to go but down I hoped that at least they would spare Erisire. An arrow flew past and nicked my arm. Biting down on an alarm of pain, I looked around in panic and a crazy idea formed in my head. "Jump over to that tree" I whispered to Erisire. She looked at me with her grey eyes horrified but nodded. Urging her to jump, I heard another arrow come, but this time it hit me square in the  right shoulder. The force knocked me back and only at the last second did I grab a branch as I fell, about a metre from the ground. Looking up, I saw that Erisire had gone, and hopefully would have the initiative to get away as fast as she could. Harding came over to me with a blank look. I let go of my branch and began to run, but didn't get very far, because a final arrow came. And this time, hit me in the left knee. My arm was still bleeding from the first arrow, and black dots were starting to cloud my vision from blood loss. I collapsed to the ground unable to stand and black enveloped my vision as someone whacked the side of my head with the face of a sword and with that, the lights went out.