Elements

Rescued by Strangers

She could tell it was night. She could tell she was in the forest from the wind rustling the leaves, and the smell of fresh pine. From the heat hitting her face, the smoke smell, and the light penetrating her eyes she knew there was a fire in front of her. She could hear whispering, foot steps, and armor clanking. Her hands were tied to her feet, causing her shoulders to burn from the angle and her knees to burn from kneeling. She could taste blood in her mouth, and her body ached from being hurt. Her back felt cold, which meant that her dress had been ripped, exposing her back. Her head was buzzing slightly, and she couldn’t talk to Airn, but she could feel him nearby. She could feel his pain, he was hurt and trying to get through to her. Something was keeping them from communicating. She felt the knot holding her hands and ankles. It was a single length of rope with a complicated sequence of knots. She knew this knot well, the yarn knot. It was so complicated that if you tried to undo it like a normal knot it would become even tighter. However, on the inside, underneath all of the other knots, is the end of the rope that if pulled on will force the knot to unravel in seconds. It was the first knot she’d ever learned, because she accidentally tied her hands together trying to make a bracelet when she was 5. She knew all these things, and more, and that was without her vision. 

When Sorsa had first opened her eyes, all she’d seen was a swirl of colors all smeared together. Now that she had sat here a while, the colors had become blurry figures. Her vision was returning to normal, so she opened her eyes fully and looked around. Pretending to be asleep had been her strategy to get information, without being noticed. 

Things were still slightly blurry but the shapes were at least recognizable. She was in a clearing with fire in front of her, as she had suspected. She had about 20 soldiers all around her, blocking off the clearing from the rest of the forest. It was night but there was no moon, only stars. Beyond the fire, in the center of the clearing, was Claqu lecturing, almost yelling at, his captain about something. 2 feet to his left was a shimmering, black... cage? Inside was a bright white eagle with no other color on its feathers. Its beak and legs were silver, as were its eyes. One of its legs had a large wound in it. The eagle was looking directly at Sorsa, almost string her down. There longing and pain in its eyes. 

Sorsa wasn’t sure this was him, but shouting with her thoughts and alerting Claqu that she was awake was worth the effort. Claqu would find out sooner or later anyway. AIRN!!!!! she called with her thoughts as loud as she could, directing it toward the eagle. Emotions, that weren’t hers, flowed into her; relief, pain, anger, love. The eagle was Airn! He had blood pouring down his leg form his injury, and he was stuck in a cage of dark magic, but her was okay! Sorsa had found him, but Claqu now turned in her direction and smiled. “So, Airn, that’s his name? I’ve been trying to get him to tell me that for a few days now. After all, names have power. Don’t they, Sorsa?”

Sorsa glared at him. Claqu was really starting to get on her nerves. He helped kill her parents, chased her for 3 years after that, then forced her out of her normal life, has bee chasing her and Airn for weeks now, almost killed them a few times, ambushed them, has now kidnaped them, tied them up, hurt hem, and was going to take them to the emperor to be servants for all eternity. Claqu was going to pay. Anger swelled in her chest. After being hit in the head (with... what? A rock!?!), tied up, knocked out, hurt in other ways she wasn’t aware of, and kidnaped she was not very happy. 

Sorsa was in pain, so was Airn. She had to get them out of here, far away from Claqu and his men. If Airn could fly, then probably their palace in the sky. Marcia could help with their wounds. Claqu was still talking about how difficult they were to catch, and how he must be a great teacher, and his brilliant plan that had worked. Sorsa started to fell the inside of the knots to find the end. She kept her eyes, glaring, on Claqu the entire time to keep him from suspecting what she was doing. Even as the emperors right hand man, he had his stupid moments. He really thought he had Sorsa and Airn. 

Sorsa had just found the loose end of the rope and got her hand in position to pull on it when Claqu said, “Well now that this is all settled, we should be off to the Capitol in a few hours. The emperor will be very happy to see you. You and Airn.” 

Airn started throwing himself into the side of the cage to try and brake out. Claqu being detracted by talking to Sorsa, had let his concentration fall. The cage shimmered for a few seconds, Airn jumped, and then just as quickly it reformed trapping him again. Claqu turned to Airn and spoke, “Didn’t I already explain to you why you shouldn’t do that!?! I thought you were smarter than this! But you are just a hatchling of course...........” Airn cawed angrily. 

Sorsa gathered all of her strength into her legs. They were not going to the Capitol! And she would not allow Claqu to stand there and insult her dragon while he could not defend himself. She could not stand for this! She pulled the loose rope end fast and hard. The rope around her hands and feet crumbled to the ground. Still holding the length of rope in her hand, she sprang forward. 

The fire wasn’t too high, so it was easy to jump over. With Claqu distracted by Airn it was relatively easy to tackle him to the ground. Sorsa and Claqu wrestled on the forest floor trying to gain an advantage over the other. Claqu was kicked in the gut, and then sailed backwards until her was only inches from the fire. Landing on his feet, like a cat, he turned to look at Sorsa. She wasn’t were she had been a few seconds ago!

Sorsa didn’t know how tired and weak she truly was until she was standing. When she had first started the fight she only felt like she’d missed a few hours of sleep, now it felt like she would collapse if someone so much as blew on her. After kicking Claqu in the stomach and sending him flying, Sorsa had gotten to her feet and was now behind Claqu instead of in front of him.

He was looking in the opposite direction. Using the length of rope she still had in her hand Sorsa jumped on his back, hooked it around his neck, and pulled on bother ends from the back. Claqu immediately began to struggle and do everything he could to be able to breathe again. Sorsa was holding on as tight as she could but pain was screaming at her form her entire body, especially her back, and her energy level dropped dramatically. She lost all strength all at once, forcing her grip on the rope to loosen. Claqu took the advantage, grabbing her wrists with both hands he flipped her over his head onto her back on the ground. 

Claqu rubbed his throat and managed to croak out, “I’m afraid you do not have enough strength to do anything like that at the moment...” Sorsa just laid there. Her whole body ached, she couldn’t move, stars danced before her eyes, and she could taste metal in her mouth. Airn began trying to break out of his cage again. Screeching and clawing anything that he could get his talons on. Claqu turned angrily toward Airn, “I’ve..........”

Out of the forest cam 3 figures, all in black cloaks. You could see nothing of them except pale lips and almost white skin around them. They ran into the camp swords, bows, and daggers bared. Claqu’s men rushed forward to stop the intruders, but to no avail. Claqu unsheathed his sword and charged one of the figures. 

The black figure with a long sword finished off his group o f soldiers and then pointed at Airn’s cage. It immediately melted away, leaving Airn free. Claqu yelled and ran toward the long-sworded figure. They locked in a duel. 

Airn changed form an eagle back into his dragon-self and roared as loudly as he possibly could. Everything stopped. It was as if the men fighting had frozen. The figures, however, did not. They rushed forward, grabbed Sorsa, and went towards the forest. Claqu crossed their path, and began to chase after them, only to feel the terrible pain of a weasel biting your calf. 

Claqu screamed like a girl, and was then hit across the face with the hilt of a sword. He collapsed. 1 of the 3 black figures caught the bright white weasel in a sack, went and joined his companions who had Sorsa between them unconscious, and together they melted into the forest having accomplished their mission.  

A.N. This book just got over 1000 reads!!!!!!!! That's AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks so much!!!!!!!!!

Now I must know.......... does this chapter sound familiar to you? Who was the weasel who got caught in the bag? Please share any questions, answers to questions I asked, comments, and concerns in a comment!!

This is dedicated to murtaghlover..... who has written some pretty awesome stuff and likes all of my books so far. THANKS MURTAGHLOVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! X3D

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