Pentoria

6. Pren's Story

Chapter 6

Pren's Story

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stade couldn’t believe it. Prentice, his long lost sister was just in front of him, her arms around his chest embracing him tightly and tears were streaming down her face. He had envisioned their reunion again and again in his mind but knowing that it was really happening seemed too good to be true.

“Stade.” he heard her small voice say.

His sister tightened her hug as if afraid her brother would let go. 

Memories rushed through Stade’s mind: the massacre, screaming people, and their hands slowly and painfully loosing their grip. He remembered that dreadful moment when the panicking crowd screamed and pushed, their hands gave way and his sister taken away from him.

Those memories fogged his mind and the pain of guilt reopened itself. He kept holding on to Prentice and only wished for her forgiveness. 

He held her tightly and spoke, “Ill never let you go again.”

Prentice looked at her brother. She stared at him, he held her gaze. The guilt that Stade had bared for so long and the apology he so wanted to express, he couldn’t let out in words. But the forgiveness and love he thought he didn’t deserve shown on his little sister’s eyes. All was forgiven and past. All what was left to do was to make up for it.

Stade smiled and finally broke the embrace, holding Prentice at arms length to examine her. “You’ve grown.”

Prentice let out a giggle.

“Stade,” he heard Iel say. “Let’s get her inside.”

Prentice didn’t want to let go of him so Stade carried her and despite her age she didn’t seem to mind. Stade remembered doing this a thousand times before.

Prentice had once fallen off Allan and gotten hurt. He remembered carrying her as she cried back home on his arms. Those times he didn’t forget.

In the recovery room, Stade helped Iel take care of Prentice’s injuries. He had remembered Prentice as she was 2 years before. Since then she had grown taller and more mature looking, prettier, and stronger. He looked up to her proudly. 

After a while Stade noticed that Prentice’s eyebrows were knit and that she was looking at him in confusion. She opened her mouth and spoke, “What happened? I saw…I saw our house in fire. I thought…”

Stade dropped his gaze. He didn’t know what to say and the silence stung his ears.

Iel kept his stuff, “I’ll be outside.” 

As Iel left, Stade still couldn’t make himself say what had happened. His guilt was still too heavy and he tried so hard to hide it the past week with the Rebels. But now Prentice was here and still the words didn’t come out his mouth.

Prentice looked at him and slowly the answer revealed itself although unspoken. She knew, but her face was showing that she didn’t want to believe it. She fought against the truth but at the end it won out and tears again began to cloud her eyes. 

“Mom.” her mouth seemed to say but there was no sound.

Stade held her hand and finally forced himself to tell her what happened. 

“They burnt down our house as a warning like they have done to many others before.” He said as he finished. “Why would they bother so much about something as small as a letter?” he thought out loud.

“That letter,” Prentice said, “The one written by the Princess Myrane.” 

Stade looked at her in amazement. He might have looked funny because Prentice actually smiled despite her tears.

“Do you know about it?” Stade asked.

“I've read it after Lurd threw it away.”

“Wha-who?” Stade asked, “Wait. First tell me what happened to you after…” Stade couldn’t finish the sentence. He realized that most of the bad things that have happened always had him to blame.

After an awkward silence Prentice spoke, “Alright,” she said, “I’ll tell you my story: After the massacre, that Farighte man took me to his house and treated me like one of his slaves.

“This Farighte man, Lurd, was the soldier who led the attack in the Clan of Trade. He was a terrible and wicked man and he built his base like the one at our clan to scare the people.

“I tried so many times to escape but his men always catch me. Because of that he never lets me out.

“One night, I was sneaking around and ended up in his room. I then heard his horses arrive back and when I saw him enter the room I hid beside the fire place in the shadows. He was drunk and his sword was stained with blood. His uniform was splattered and dirty like the day he attacked the market place. It was horrible.

“I later on over heard that that night was the time the Clan of Combat was defeated in battle.

“Lurd was holding a book, laughing and mocking at it. He attempted to throw it in the fire place but instead the book hit the wall right next to me.

“Soon enough he passed out and I picked up the book and ran out of the room. 

“I kept the book and read it secretly. Soon I noticed that it was actually a long letter. I finished through the whole thing and I realized that Pentoria was actually our country. I was so motivated that I wanted to escape from that terrible house once and for all.

“I later on found a window at one of the storage rooms high at the side of the city wall. I escaped through there and raced to the forest. But unlike the other nights I tried to escape I met a large bird. It told me to follow him and it guided me through the forest.

“When I reached the end of the woods I found myself in our clan. I was so excited of seeing you and mom again my expectations were crushed when I saw the house burning. 

“I…I ran back to the forest not knowing what else to do. I didn’t even know what to think.  I felt so terrible and drained I probably slipped and fell down somewhere…then I woke up here.”

Stade was listening intently the whole time. Then when Prentice finished he tightened his grip on her hand.

“The Farightes are so mean to keep us apart.”

Prenticed smiled at her brother. She then seemed to remember something and her smile faded.

“What is it?” Stade asked.

“But not all Farightes are bad are they?”

“What do you mean?”

Prentice looked down and seemed to try to forget the thought. “Nothing.”

"Prentice." She heard him say.

"Huh?"

Stade then suddenly messed her hair, “I’m just so glad you are here.”

Prentice smiled at the familiar face of her brother, “Me too.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

seeeeee! ^_^ now you know! :D hehe

=D You guys are awesome readers!! You read through my story this far? ^0^ yehay! I'm so honored!! :D Comment or vote if you want...ah, or read on? I wonder what you might choose this time ^-^