Frostbite

Ch 9: Fever

My fever had sky rocketed overnight, I was shivering and shaking more than ever. Charlie and his brother had left into town to get me some medication. I didn't want any medication, I wanted my mother I didn't need anything else. I wanted her to hold me in her arms and tell me that everything was going to get better.

So instead of waiting for Charlie to return, like any sane person, I walked out of the house on my two destroyed heels. Each step I took on the hard dry yellow grass sent a wave of pain through me.

I was sweating buckets by the time that I reached the woods. I was still dressed in the dress that Charlie had supplied me, my feet were covered in bandages, not shoes. I stepped on rocks and pebbles and sure enough my heels cracked open again and dirt filled them. I felt the dust sting my large wound but I continued to walk into the woods. I was now completely surrounded by trees and hidden from any outside viewers.

I think I walked for hours because I saw the sun rise higher and the temperature also raised. I finally found a river and I flung my stiff feet into the freezing water. I saw the slow frozen stream carry away some blood and dirt, my bandages began to fall off and I scurried to pick them up. I miserably failed and was left with fewer bandages.

I sat there until I felt my feet go numb from the cold water. When I stood up I felt myself trip forward and almost fall into the water. I caught myself on a large rock and gasped loudly. I turned around to see that crouched on the bank of the river was a large dog. It was growling at me and its large teeth were shooting me a evil grin. I quickly stepped away from the rock and fell backwards, my head turned to the left and I saw a sharp rock awaiting to pound my head.

Some how I managed to close my eyes, so that I wouldn't see the dog leap over me or see my blood splatter over the river when I fell onto the rock, but I felt someone catch me.

I opened my eyes to see a man standing in the river holding my head, he was tall and had scruffy dark hair. I stared into his green eyes and then I heard his voice break the silence. "Marie?" he said as his hands began to shake.

"Phillip?" I said as I grinned quickly and picked myself up. I grabbed a hold of his arms and I smiled at him, we stood there in the freezing river for about five seconds. Then we heard a loud growl and I looked back towards the river bank and there I saw a large pack of gray wolves and standing bewteen them was the large dog.

"We better go." Phillip pulled me by my side and jumped onto his horse that was standing at the edge of the bank. We were now riding away deeper into the woods and the wolves were crossing the river furiously.

I was sliding off of the horse and the harder I tried to hold on to Phillip the easier it was to slip off. My arms continued to shake and my palms were sweaty and I couldn't hold onto Phillip for too long. The wolves were now chasing behind us and Phillip jumped over a large log of wood and I fell off the back of the horse. I landed on the log of wood and I heard my back crack and I cried out in pain. I could hear the wolves running behind us and I continued to cry out in pain. Phillip quickly returned and jumped off of his horse. He landed and took out his sword and took my hand. He pulled me up and led me to the horse, this time he placed me on the saddle and asked me to direct the horse.

The wolves jumped over the log and Phillip jumped onto the back of the horse. I was to sick to direct the horse anywhere so Phillip quickly took charge and when we crossed the river again the wolves stopped chasing us. Phillip was left swordless and I felt the cool breeze send shivers down my back.

We continued to ride for another hour or so. The sky had become even more clear and now it seems to be the middle of the day. The temperatures were going up and the Sun seem to be glaring at us from above the trees. Phillip jumped off of the horse and grabbed the reigns and he stopped the horse.

"Here. Let me help you." He tied the horse to a nearby tree branch and the he lifted me from the saddle and sat me looking to the side. "Is that a bit more comfortable?" He asked as I moved my dress over my feet. His green eyes quickly followed my hand and he saw my heels.

He cautiously lifted my dress and stared at my bloody heels wrapped in bandages, he placed my dress over my heels again and then I looked away. "You don't have to tell me... Princess." He bowed down slowly and I looked him with wide eyes.

"I'm not a princess..." I said with a hint of pain in my voice.

"What are you talking about?"

"My parents took away my coat of arms."

"I know but,"

"But what?" I threw my shaking hands up and wiped some sweat off of my brow. "I'm no longer a princess. I'm nothing!"

"What do you mean!" Phillip stepped away from me and stared at the ground for a while. "What are you doing alone? What happened to your escourt?"

"I, what? I don't have an escourt that is why I am alone."

"How did you get out of prison?"

My mouth dropped open and I felt my body get weak. "Charlie said..."

"Charlie?"

"Yes. Charlie was my escourt but,"

"Charlie was banished from the kingdom Marie." He said as he turned away from me. "Charlie killed the guards that were taking you to Gronstrong. He was behind the murder... he was sentanced to trial but escaped so he was banished even though news probably never got to him. " He kicked the snow and grunted loudly.

"Jenex was the guard who was sent to get you. He was found dead in the woods not to far from here." Phillip said as he walked back towards the tree and untied the reins of the horse from the branch.

He began to walk north. "Come on princess. Lets take you home." He walked for hours or more, and I continued to shake and sweat.

Halfway to the palace I felt myself get heavy and I fell backwards. Phillip caught me before I hit the ground. The evening sky began to shine through the trees and I began to fell cold again. Phillip didn't have a coat so I didn't bother stating that I was freezing. My feet were frozen numb and snow began to fall as we were ascending towards the palace.

When I saw the familiar dirt path I jumped off of the horse and let my cracked heels feel the cold bare ground. We arrived in the town and all of the shops looked like they hadn't been used in ages. I walked down the road and walked towards the coat shop. The large window in the front was broken and the snow was collecting itself on the seats inside the shop. The streets were empty and so were the shops. I looked at Phillip, and he continued to lead the horse towards the palace.

"After you were sent to look for, and you didn't return. And the guard was found dead in the forest..." Phillip started saying as he stopped at the fountain and sat down. "The kingdom fell into chaos. The whole town left, they are all in the upper states of Trention. No one wanted to be near the palace when the enemy came storming in with you." he sighed loudly and stood up again. "They thought you were dead. They thought there would be no heir to the throne. So allot of people left the country." He started to walk towards the palace. "It's a good thing you're here now." He smiled and then turned to face the palace again.

We proceeded in silence. We didn't speak at all and when we reached the palace gates the guards asked what our buisness in the palace was.

Phillip told them that I was the princess. That was when the guards threw themselves over Phillip and a random knight flew in out of no-where and rushed me inside, before I could gasp for air. Phillip's horse ran away towards the woods and that was the last thing I saw before I was wrapped in warmth and comfort again.

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