Savoirs

Jaclyn

I heard Joseph suggest we go to sleep and Jason volunteer for first shift but even after I could hear everyone softly breathing I didn't go back to the fire. I sat away from it and stared at my hands, sometimes they would create a light and I'd snuff it out almost as fast as it had appeared. It made me mad that I had this power. It wasn't fair. Why did I have to be the one who got this power? Why? I felt a tear roll down my cheek and wiped it away angrily. I wanted to hide, I wanted to go home, I wanted everything to turn back in time and fix themselves so that maybe I had a chance of being normal. Of being the young inn keeper until I grew old and passed away in my sleep, peacefully and worry free. 

Now I was a girl who could control light and I had to live the rest of my life in fear of being caught with this power, no, this curse. I sighed and brought my knees to my chest and rested my chin on my knee like I did when I was scared or cold or just needed to comfort myself. I thought about what I told them and what I didn't knowing that Jason had a heavy story too and that he was holding some things back too. We weren't all that different though he wasn't scared of his own shadow and his family was probably still alive. He was a leader and I was just a inn keeper who's inn now had no inn keeper. I was thinking about how furious people staying there would be when I heard something snap behind me and panicked. I brought my hands up to fight. Suddenly there was a hand over my mouth and I felt someone holding my hands so I couldn't make any noise. I felt the knife blade against my jaw and my heart dropped. 

I was hauled to my feet and I kicked out, rustling the dry leaves on the ground and making something hit a tree near by. I felt the blade dig into my throat but I had gotten someone's attention and I heard my attacker swear. I couldn't see what was happening behind me but I could hear what was going on. I heard someone cry out as they jerked awake and then a momentary pause. Then I heard yelling and I felt my foot hit something as I was pulled backwards and I fell, pulling my attacker down as well. The blade cut across my collarbone as I fell, making pain bloom in my chest. I landed hard and my wrist screamed in pain as I was released and put my hands out to catch myself. I ignored it and rolled to my feet quickly. I didn't see my attacker but I saw the fire and ran towards it, being further from it than I had thought I was. Once I got closer, I plowed into Jason and we fell in a tangle of arms and he landed on top of me, his dagger pressed against my throat. I cried out in pain as he fell on my injured wrist, which made Lia and Tanner stir from their slumber. I heard someone blundering through the woods and got back to my feet and faced the darkness. In a moment of panic I lifted my hands and my light flickered and I heard a gasp. In the moment of light, a guard was revealed and Jason lifted his hands, aimed and a ball of fire erupted from his hands. The man was suddenly a pillar of fire and he screamed in terror then in pure agony as the fire ate at his clothing and flesh. I brought my hands up as he staggered towards me and light exploded from my hands. The man fell over dead. I stared down at him in terror and then at the others. Jason locked eyes with me. I saw a haunted look in his eyes and he grimly shook his head. He killed in the war. He used his power to kill. He knew what it was like to kill yet he just helped murder a man and he looked so, so calm and I found myself wondering how he could look so calm. Now everyone was up and Jason made the fire dim.

"Jaclyn, you may have to provide some light again." He said and I nodded stupidly as I stared at him, terrified but I didn't know of what exactly I was more terrified of, myself or him. I was scared and still wanting to flee not fight they saw that but I knew I had to stay and I did even when every fiber of my being was screaming for me to run, to get away, to hide, to disappear but I couldn't, I was frozen in place. Then I heard yelling and something moved somewhere near us and I threw an orb of light in that direction. It stuck in the air and illuminated the surrounding area. This time an arrow killed the guard not my light or Jason's fire and then we were running through the woods and the orb moved with us.