Prisoner

Chapter 9

AN: Thank you for reading! Please comment and vote below if you enjoy or have anything you want me to know! Thanks:)

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Adaryn

As the sun rose over the mountains far to the East, peace fell over me. From up high, on the gryphon, I could see everything, and I almost forgot the maddening situation I was in.

John flew silently close behind me. He had not spoken since we had departed almost twenty minutes ago. Upon looking back, I saw an expression of joy mixed with sadness on his face. A strange combination.

"You will see your family again, I promise, John." I reassured him. He inhaled deeply and nodded, not looking very convinced.

Just ahead, I saw a large body of water, which I quickly identified as Lake Hafaleil. It was surrounded by several tall trees, which cast long shadows in the rising sun. The mountainous stones that lay in the water cast bright colors because of the sun reflecting from the legendary gems which were embedded within them. Every treasure hunter for miles traveled to Hafaleil, but none had been successful in mining a single gem.

I pointed out the infamous landmark to John.

"We can take a swift break there to regain our strength." I informed him.

"Good. I'm exhausted!" John said tiredly. I nodded in agreement. Rest sure did sound good after the escape.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, an arrow whizzed through the air, piercing the breast of John's gryphon. The beast shrieked loudly and began to plummet swiftly through the air, heading for the rocky terrain below. I saw John's mortified expression as he fell.

"John!" I cried. As I looked down, I spied a party of five or six Malorian guards on horseback, two o which held crossbows. They had caught up with us.

I kicked the side of my mount, forcing it into a dive with my sights set on my friend. I dove through the air at an incredible speed. The entire way down, my gryphon growled fiercely.

When I was within reach of John, I stretched my hand out towards him.

"John! Take my hand!" I shouted, barely audible over the rushing wind that accompanied the dive. John reached his hand until our fingertips were barely touching. Horrified, I saw the ground was growing closer at an alarming rate.

I stretched until I thought my arm would break from it's socket. When the ground was less than twenty feet below, I clasped John's hand and pulled him onto the gryphon.

"Are you alright?" I asked him, worried. He only nodded, looking shaken. I pulled the gryphon out of the dive, only to be thrown violently from its back a second later. My gryphon had been shot in the neck with an iron arrow.

I held tightly on to John, squeezing my eyes shut and waiting for the inevitable crushing impact. Instead, we plummeted into the frigid water of Hafaliel. The gryphon had carried us just a little farther, saving us.

The impact of the icy water against my bare skin, other than my light cloth trousers, stung. Since John still wore his clothes from when he came, he was more protected.

Frozen from shock, I began to sink deeper into the lake, the light growing dimmer. When my lungs began to protest from the lack of oxygen, I kicked my legs. I did not move an inch. If anything, I sunk faster.

The realization hit me. I had never been taught to swim. Sad, but true. My father was always off when I was a boy, for he was a red-eye, a guard. My mother was always busy with my younger siblings, so she had not been able to teach me.

Frantically, I began to kick harder towards the surface, but these motions were in vain. My lungs seemed to be screaming and burning for air, and I grew weaker than I was. Black spots appeared in my vision, and I sank slowly into unconsciousness...

* * *

I vaguely felt a strong arm wrap around my torso, but I could not process who's or what that meant. Did John make it out all right, or had the soldiers caught a him? Pity, he was a good man.

I felt myself being propelled through the water, and light began to pierce the darkness that was my vision. I broke the surface of the water seconds later. Greedily, I gulped down huge lung-fulls of air, looking around, my gaze stopping at the one who had saved me.

It was John.

John was barely keeping my limp, exhausted body afloat, his head just above the water. His dirty blonde hair was plastered flat to his head. He coughed, sending water shooting from his lungs and mouth.

I felt weak, unable to move to help or speak, as John dragged me ashore. He they lay me flat on my back and kneeled over me.

"Adaryn? Adaryn!" He called. I felt my head nodding to the side, feeling light as a feather. I was still physically unable to even keep my eyes open. Over all, I felt at peace. Was this what dying felt like? Peaceful?

I lost all consciousness once more...

* * *

"How is he?" I heard John ask, a worried tone in his voice.

The heaviness in my head and eyelids was too heavy to move. I felt as if I was laying on a cushion made of goose-down. Warmth enveloped my being.

"He is weak. The years barely fed in prison, the exhausting physical exertion of escaping, and the near-drowning at the lake has left him in a very fragile condition. He must rest." A kind female voice answered.

I wish I could call out to John, tell him I was okay.

"Well, is he going to be okay?" John asked, more desperate this time. I heard the female voice shush him softly.

"We will see. It all depends on his condition, which we really cannot document until he awakens. Until then, I cannot be sure of how long he will be with us." She whispered.

What? Was I dying? I could not be... I had not rescued Venia and Danya! If only I could tell John or the angelic-sounding female where they could go to find them. Then, I could go in peace.

I felt myself slipping away a third time. Even though I fought to stay awake, a deep sleep quickly consumed me.

* * *

I awoke slowly, my vision blurry. I could make out large shapes, like a fireplace and the man sitting at my bedside. Startled, I looked at the man. My vision focused.

John sat in a wooden chair, his face in his hands. His elbows were propped on his knees. He did not seem to notice I was awake.

The sensation of complete fatigue and fever came strongly over me. There was a burning sensation from the salt water of the lake in my lungs and throat. Foolishly, I coughed weakly. The burning momentarily intensified. John quickly lifted his head, staring at me with his deep brown eyes.

"Adaryn!" He said, astonished. My lips cracked into a weak smile.

"Hello." I said. My voice sounded raspy and terrible. John sighed in relief.

"Where..." I started, wanting to know where we were.

"Back at the prison." John understood and answered.

Prison? I glanced quickly around the room. I was in a long bed in a small room with stone walls. A fire roared in the fireplace. This did not seem like prison. Perhaps it was the infirmary.

I broke in to a fit of small, short coughs, each burning my throat worse than the previous. The coughs wracked my entire weak frame. When they finally subsided, John stood.

"I am going to get a nurse." He told me quickly before rushing from the room. I noticed he was wearing the same dirty clothes before and looked to have not slept an hour. He disappeared from the room, leaving me alone. I closed my eyes, feeling sleep trying to pull me under.

I had almost drifted off, whether to sleep or death, likely the latter, when the wooden door to the room flew open. I opened my eyes slowly.

John entered the room, followed my a brown-haired nurse with brilliant emerald eyes. She looked to be barely over five feet in height. The nurse strode to my bedside, holding a porcelain basin, which contained steaming hot water and a clean rag.

"How are you feeling, Adaryn?" She asked politely. I stare at her for several moments. Realizing I was being distracted by her beauty, I blushed slightly.

"Uh, not too great, to be truly honest." I answered truthfully. I could barely move or speak, and an intense fever was scalding my entire body, sending chills and sweat across my skin.

The nurse nodded, looking quite concerned, and lay the hot, wet rag across my forehead.

"Are you able to sit upright?" She asked. I shook my head.

"If I may ask, what am I to call you?" I asked quietly. The nurse smiled slightly.

"I am Evangeline."

Beautiful.

I clenched my jaw tightly and closed my eyes, shaking the thought from my head. My wife and child were not yet dead. It was terrifying, thinking that soon they would die.

Evangeline stood and began to leave the room.

"I will return shortly. Rest." She said before exiting. John returned to the chair at my bedside. He saw my expression am smiled.

"She is very beautiful." He commented. I smiled a little.

"They all are."

"Who?"

"Those with green eyes. They are blessed with beauty, along with many admirable traits, just as I, having purple eyes, is blessed with extraordinary strength and agility." I informed him.

I sighed, thinking of Venia.

"My wife has the most gorgeous green eyes. My young daughter inherited my eyes." I said.

"How do you have such a young daughter? I thought you have been in prison for years." John asked.

"A little less than a year ago, when the judge pronounced I was to die, I was given a two month time where I lived with my wife. During that time, she informed me that she was expecting a child," I said pensively, "I never got to see the day my Danya was born. Even afterwards, I was not allowed to go see her." John remained silent, them looked at me.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

"Me too." Sleep once more tried to overwhelm me, but I fought to stay awake. John could tell I was exhausted.

"Sleep. You need it." He instructed me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I did not object.

* * *

I awoke what felt like moments later to feel Evangeline swabbing my sweat-streaked forehead with the rag, which was re-soaked. John was not on the room. Seeing me awake, Evangeline put the rag back into the basin, which she set aside.

"Are you able to eat some broth?" She asked kindly, holding out a wooden bowl of a rich-smelling liquid. Hunger gnawed at my insides. I nodded.

Over the next several minutes, Evangeline spooned small spoonfuls of the warm broth into my mouth. I swallowed each bit gratefully. As I are, I watched Evangeline's eyes, which remained low, glancing from the bowl to my mouth.

After half the bowl was consumed, I objected to eating any more. Eating prison-grade food for so long caused this broth to sit uncomfortably in my small stomach. Evangeline took the bowl and left without a word. I watched until she left.

John stepped inside almost immediately after Evangeline's departure. He held a small, wooden pail in one hand.

"Good to get some food in you?" He asked, walking slowly to my bedside. I felt as if he was uncertain or nervous about something. Answering his question, I nodded.

Suddenly, my insides began to lurch and churn within me. It felt as if my stomach were being stepped on or squeezed. I gagged and vomit spewed from my mouth. John caught it in the bucket, which he proceeded to hold closely to my face.

"Yeah, Evangeline said that may happen." He chuckled.

I gagged, causing my stomach to empty into the bucket. The discomfort made me swiftly sit up in the bed. When I had finished, John took away the bucket, keeping a comical look about his face. I, on the other hand, felt quite different. My lungs refused to function properly.

I sat upright, unable to move, in shock, my mouth stuck open in a mid-inhale. It felt as if the wind had been violently knocked from my lungs. John's expression soon turned to one of utter concern.

"Adaryn?" He asked. I wheezed, not able to draw in a breathe.

John shot up from the chair and put a hand on the back of my neck, easing me down to the pillow.

"Evangeline! Help!" He shouted.

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AN: Thanks for reading! How did you like this chapter? What do you think will happen to Adaryn? Leave a comment and vote if you enjoyed:)