Burned to Ashes

Chapter Two

My legs burned, and I feel as though I could collapse at any moment, but I keep going. The rain beats down on my face mixing with my tears making them undistinguishable. We have been running for three days. We can't give up. We run through the thick mist covered forest, jumping over tree roots, and slipping on sludge. I can see flashes of red through the trees, and I can hear generals barking orders. As a whip cracks, I exhale sharply. The horses scream fills my ears along with their galloping hooves. I know they're following us.

I hear the sharp sound of a sword unsheathing and I turn around to see, Allister holding a sword out to me. His sword, the one he got when he was seven years old. I would have objected but we didn't have time. I took the sword and put it in my holster. "I'll give it back" I think to myself, "He's going to get it back." Allis's lean body pushes up against mine as we hurry forward. His light blonde hair covered by the hood of his cloak. But he doesn't look directly at me, because he knows it would hurt too much.

As we run and run, over and over, for miles, for hours, I can't breathe. Not because I'm tired but because I want to give up. But the fear of losing Allister makes me keep going makes me breathe. I know he gave me his sword because he didn't know how much time we would have left; something to remember him by. And I didn't want it to be true. But I could feel it in my bones, time was running out.

I don't know what happened or why but I just stopped. I stopped running, stopped breathing, just stopped. Allister passed me and ran about another two feet before he halted. He turned around to look at me. Gods he was beautiful. His brown eyes and his blonde, almost white, slicked back hair.

"Go!" I yell at him," You can make it just go!" I was sobbing now. So many years of running and hiding and working all wasted. But he needed to live. He couldn't go back. I would never forgive myself if he went back.

"What are you doing Lea?!" He says running to me. "We have to---" But the sharp singing sound of a flying arrow interrupts him. I hear a thud of metal and wood entering the human flesh before I can interpret what just happened. Allister falls to the ground as a stifled scream of agony escapes his throat.

"ALLIS!" I scream. I know I shouldn't have but I couldn't help it. I fall to my knees cradling his head in my hands. The arrow shot through his shoulder, he wouldn't die right away but it could become fatal if it got infected. Allister's soft sobs of pain broke my heart.

"Allis." I said again but in a whisper. "Allis answer me."

"Kalea, you need to get out of here." He said caressing my cheek. I can tell he's trying hard not to cry.

"No, no you can't make me." I say in between sobs.

"You know what they will do to you if you stay with me. They'll kill you, and it would kill me." I can hear the Blood Guard soldiers come to a halt yards behind us.

"There they are!" One of them yells.

The rain mixes with Allister's blood making a red stream across the muddy ground. "Lea," he begins panting "I love you." Allis pulls me in and kisses me hard on the mouth.

And with that he uses all the strength he has left in him to push me into the bushes. I slide across the wet ground and land in the green bushes. My hands covered in his blood. There's nothing I can do.

As the guards in red uniform approach on their black horses, my heart stops. "Someone go after the girl!" a young guard says probably just above sixteen.

"No," and older man with ginger hair says. "We'll call the Royal Guard; the king wants her now." I shudder. Why does the king want me?

The same ginger man hops off his steed and rushes to Allis. "Sorry I'm such a good shot boy." He laughs as do the others. I grind my teeth; I will kill him. I will tear him apart with my bare hands.