Fire's Grace (Being Edited)

Chapter 18

"Ben! BEN!" He can't hear me. The Captain is standing in front of me. I see him smiling through the bars of my cramped cell. Ben is hunched over across the hall. He can't see me. I know it is worthless trying to get to him.

"Well Emma," the Captain says my name with hatred, "your brother can't hear you. What are you going to do? You won't get past me or this cell."

I hear the sound of flesh on flesh. I hear Ben scream in pain. The Captain laughs at me. He knows I can't do anything. I feel helpless. I feel stuck.

"Ben!" Tears stream down my face.

"He can't hear you, but you can hear his pain." The Captain laughs his horrible laugh.

"Emma! Emma help me!"

"Come save me Emma!" He Captain taunts me. "You can't save him now."

Ben turns around and I can see his face. It is bloody and bruised. Tears cut through the blood like water through stone.

I wake up panting. Gulping air like the world doesn't have enough for me. My throat is dry and raw. I know it was just a dream. A really horrible dream. It felt so real though. Like I was really there.

Cal is asleep next to me and Hope is walking around the tree we tied her to. I heard my brother yelling for me. Yelling for me to help him. It didn't feel like a dream when he called for me. His voice echoes in my head. He is no where near me. I know that. I just have to help him.

I get up as silently as possible. And make my way towards Hope. I untie her reins and turn around to make sure Cal is asleep. He hasn't moved. I quickly get on top of Hope and walk back towards the direction we came. Turning towards the direction we are traveling, I start Hope trotting. Then we canter. Cal will know what I am doing and where I am going.

I hope I know what I am doing anyways. I plan on turning myself in. I know Cal doesn't want me to. But I have to if I am going to save my brother. I see the sunlight reflecting off glass in the distance. I know it is the capital. The capital is the only place that I know of with glass. Hopefully I can get to Ben before he gets hurt. Hope runs as if she knows what is happening.

"We have to save him Hope. We have to save Ben. He is in trouble."

I'm guessing we must have gone about ten miles. Hope needs water and to rest. I find a stream nearby and let Hope drink. I decide I am going to stop here for a while. I lay on the ground and look at the sky through the trees. The trees are very large in this area. The sky's the light blue like it is at noon. I can hear birds hiding in the trees.

The next thing I remember is waking up. I don't remember falling asleep, but I guess I did. Hope is standing over me looking down. I guess it is about ten at night. The moon is bright and the stars shimmer and dance between trees.

"I guess we better get going Hope."

Hope just looks at me. I push Hope over and get myself into the saddle. We take off towards the faint light in the distance. The light I know as the capital. It will take me about another day to get there. I can tell based on how faint the light is. I just hope I get to the capital before Ben gets hurt for real.

"Let's go Hope."

Hope takes off again. She knows where we are going and why. I know she knows. I am the one who told her. Still, I feel bad for leaving Cal, but I had to. I have to save Ben. He would do the same for me. I know he would. He has protected me all these years. Now it is my turn to protect him.