The Sword Bearer

Chapter 15

I couldn't stand how uneventful the next day went. Usually our life was filled with all this unwanted action but now that it was gone I felt bored. I didn't understand how I could feel bored in such an amazing world but then again how many things didn't I understand in this world. My mind was always filled with unanswered questions. When one was answered another one always replaced it soon enough. I wondered how many questions I would have answered by the time I died but I realized I shouldn't be thinking about that because I had many things to do before I died. I had so many responsibilities on my head. Some were shared by Daren but not all of them. I wanted to block my ears and sit down in an isolated place but nothing could shield me from my own thoughts. My imagination made everything more drastic then it probably would be like I would be responsible for the end of my race. Daren seemed lost in thought as well but while walking he usually was. I didn’t think any of it until I heard him sniffle. He was wiping his eyes on his sleeve. I went next to him to ask him what was wrong but his face was straight. I guessed he was trying to hide his feelings from me. I wanted to comfort him and tell what ever was bothering him would be okay but I couldn’t, not when I was feeling the same as him. I wondered what had saddened him. His straight expression made me scared to ask. He just kept looking forward. I tried the same but I couldn’t help but steal a few glances at him.

I heard a rustling in the bushes. It was almost sunset. I looked back hoping it was just a gust of wind. Daren pulled out his pocketknife and held it in front of himself with both hands. He slowly moved to the bush. I bit my lip until I started bleeding. He pushed back one of the branches on the bush. Something moved in the bush and the leaves brushed against each other again. I stepped forward out of reflex as something crawled out of the bush. A little girl timidly came out of the bush. She was trembling. Her face was covered in multiple cuts probably from the bush. Her body was slender and she looked as if she hadn’t eaten for days. When she saw Daren’s knife she squealed and tried to enter back into the bush but before that happened I rushed toward the girl and grabbed her hand. She looked at me with alarmed eyes. I smiled at her uncertainly. Her face softened a little but I could tell she was scared. Daren had lowered his knife after figuring out the girl was of no harm. I pushed the hair off her face. Her eyes widened and she tried to squirm out of my grip. “What happened?” I asked her in a low whisper so I wouldn’t scare her anymore. “They took them.” She started crying. I didn’t know how to comfort people but Daren came forward and wiped her tears. “Who was it? Who did they take?” Daren asked her looking at her in confusion. “My family,” she whimpered. “Who took them?” I asked from behind. She whirled around. “They had swords and there was a woman with them. She was smiling like she was enjoying taking them. My mother told me to run so I did but I left them behind” she said before bursting into tears again.

Daren and I decided we would protect the girl for now but what would we do after that. We had come to the conclusion that the same woman who wanted us had taken this girls family. The girl was sleeping as we discussed what we were going to do with her. When she woke up I would ask her of she had anywhere we could take her. If there was somewhere we would leave her there but there was still the problem of the girl’s family. I wanted to help her. She struck something in me when she came out of the bush helplessly. Daren stared into the fire as I listened to the girl’s soft breathing. The fire reflected on her face leaving shadow. She looked almost happy while she slept. This made a smile creep up on my lips. She reminded me of someone and I knew I had to help her but how? I didn’t even know the full extent of the woman’s power. One thing that crossed my mind countless times was why she wanted the family. I wondered if they had another secret in their race. The girl started coughing in her sleep. At first they were mild then she got my attention when she had a longer spasm. I rushed over to her and woke her. I gave her some water and coaxed her to go back to sleep but she didn’t. She seemed worried somehow. I thought it was about her family because anyone would be.