Steel of a Woman

CHAPTER TWO

I've been sitting in the dark for days as punishment for causing a disturbance. I don't really know how long I've been here for -- four? five? days. My throat is dry and parched. I'm very dehydrated and overheated and I may have a fever. I think I may have injured my left ankle. I don't care. No one here cares either.

My mother is dead, my little sister is dead, and my older sister is gone now too. Even if Ulima was to see me again she will probably hate me. Infact she's probably hating me this very second. She's all I had left and she's gone.

Pit.Pit.Pit.

Water seeps from above onto the dirt covered ground squirming with little bugs. Feverishly. I could make out where it was coming from. I try to stand so that I can move towards it for a couple of drops of water. But it's no use. My legs are too weak. I can barely sit up as it is. Just as I think that I will give up there is a noise. It sounds like the scraping of rocks-- it's the big boulder that stands as a door being rolled open.

I just sit here watching the bolder move waiting to see the face of the person who dares to go against the King's wishes. Light shines through and a face pokes in. I can't make out the person's features but I do know it's a man because of his build. He's tall with broad shoulders he's also wearing a soldier's uniform. He walks in making his way closer. I shuffle away not exactly wanting to come in contact with another soldier. He walks closer. I scoot back farther but to my luck my back hits a wall. He continues to come closer reaching out his hand. As if by instinct I grab his hand and bite down on it as hard as I can drawing out blood.

"Are you crazy!" He yells holding his hand. I wipe away the bit of blood that got on my face disgusted that it had come from a soldier.

"I'm here to save you!" He whisper yells looking around to make sure he didn't attract another soldier.

"And I should believe that ," I scoff. "It was your King who put me in here why would you go against your King's wishes to get me out," I continue.

"Because the Queen ordered it." He states as if he's just telling me what day of the week it is. My head shoots up at the mention of the Queen.

"Ulima? Is she okay? Is she mad at me? Does she hate me?" Questions come pouring out of my mouth. I stop for a minute thinking. "Wait how do you know my sister? I though the wife slaves weren't supposed to talk to any other man but her husband. Who are you?" I say suspicious of the man standing in front of me.

"My name is Luka. I'm a swordsman I was sent here by the King's slave wife to save you." He says standing up straight and speaking as if he had rehearsed what he was going to say before hand.

"Yeah okay, thanks but no thanks I'm not one to trust men so just turn around and go back to where you came from." I say pointing to the sliver of light he walked through. He sighs and walks away. As he gets closer to the light I can start making out his features, but what stands out the most is his bright white hair. White hair identical to mine.

"But I thought that was a genetic defect that only ran in my family," I mumble to myself.

"Wait!" I yell. He stops in his tracks and turns around.

"Whe- Where did you get your white hair from?" I ask staring at the strand of hair that fell into his eyes.

"Um I don't know. I was told it was a genetic defect." He says running his hands through his hair. I sit there thinking. How can this be possible. I look at him one more time and make my decision.

"Alright, I'll go with you," I say. His eyes widen and he looks surprised at my answer. He walks back over slowly reaching out to me, but yanking his hand away at the last minute.