Her Pride

Run

Scattered Leaves

"Explain this whole bonded thing again to me please" Embers say as she rubs her temples. She leans back onto the deep purple couch across from mine and groans.

"We basically let our souls become connected and now we feel each other's emotions. It's like a mating bond" I explain to her for the fifth time tonight.

"What was your mother going on about being fated?" She asks me and I sigh.

"Being fated is like a mate, you are made for each other and physically can't live without your fated half or mate as you call it" I explain. This poor girl has been though so much this week it's a wonder she's still alive.

"Mates" She mumbles softly and her eyes brim with tears but she blinks them away.

"So we are fated I assume then?" She ask and I nod truthfully.

"So let me get this strait here, you and your mother had a plan where you would find me and then get me to my full power and bond to me so when she killed me you got all my powers. Then you would rule while your mother made all the decisions from the sidelines behind the Elders which she has under her control? But since we are actually fated this ruins her whole plan and you've switched sides?" She says and I nod again not trusting my mouth. She sighs and falls back against the couch. She seems to be thinking about this very thoughtfully.

"If you are going to remove my mothers title as keeper of the Elders your going to have to have a good reason for it because a lot of the people here adore her" I warn. My mother is ver highly respected by everyone in this village so I someone were to fight against her they would be fighting against the whole village.

"Can't I just use what actually happened?" She whines.

"I suppose so but a lot of people would be weary of the Elders after that" I warn her and she nods.

"I guess we better do that now before she can tell everyone a different story" she say as she stands.

"We shall head to the Elders, it will be done there" I say and stand too. We walk to the Elders in silence but in my mind it is extremely loud as my thoughts swirl.

"You need to run" I tell her as we reach the stairs. She gives me a puzzled look.

"They're going to kill you the second you walk in there. That was the plan. I'm only telling you because I love you, run for your life. I'll cover for you for as long as I can but you need to get out of here now" I say shakily as I try to keep the tears back. She takes a few steps back in shock.

"Are you sure about this?" she asks nervously.

"I'm sure. Go back to the house and get your book and pack a small bag and run. It will be safe to return when you have mastered your powers but only then" I says and pull her into a tight hug that will be our last for a long while.

"I'll miss you" she whispers to me as she returns my hug.

"Go, now" I tell her. She pulls away and kisses me passionately. When I open my eyes she has disappeared into the blackness of night.

I whisper goodbye to her disappearing form as a tear rolls down my cheek. I wipe it away quickly and regain my composure before ascending the stairs to the Elders.

"Where is she?" My mother says as she bursts out of the door.

"She has taken the sacred book and left! I made sure she is long gone! You can never have my fated, mother!" I yell at her angrily. She storms past me and rounds the stairs. I launch after her, taking the stairs two at a time I manage to reach out only to feel the fabric of her top skim the edges of my fingertips.

My mother races through the village and I after her quickly. We come to her house and my mother politely knocks on the door asking for entrance which shocks me still. When she hears nothing she kicks open the door and searches through the house. I start to yell for her to stop and run to the bedroom after my mother. I see the window open and glance out to see the tip of a black tail disappear into the darkness almost too quickly for me to believe I actually saw it.

I let myself fall to the ground in front of the window. My love is gone and all I have left here is my mother screaming at me at how useless I am for letting her get away. In all my life I have never cried. Not as a child when I skinned my knee or when I feel off of the training grounds and broke my wrist while trying a stupid dare. For the first time in my life I truly cried. I let the tears flow and fall down my face. I let myself believe my mother as she tells me it's my fault, that I am a failure.

Eventually a few people from the village come to see what the commotion is about. They pull my mother away from me and I feel a warm hand on my back. I knew right away it was one of my friends but at that moment I didn't care if he saw me crying. I no longer cared about anything.