Two years, the war raged on, neither side coming any closer to victory or defeat. Kaden remained tied to the pole. She was allowed a short tether so that she may stand and walk to the small wooden lean-to that was created for her to sleep under & to store bowls for her to eat from like an animal. Her hands were still tied together, her ankles shackled, the skin around them had become so battered that blood had long since crusted her restraints to her skin.
Finally, one day, the Jägerin approached her, no longer the smooth motions of Veronica, but the jerked movements of a puppet being yanked by a small child, who had not quite learned the workings. The hand of the Jägerin shot out, and seized the rope about Kaden's throat, and, in a choking snatch of the rope, yanked her to her feet. The fighting immediately came to a halt, and the Queen and Mitzie floated over the crowd, landing in front of the Jägerin and Kaden. A moment passed in silence as they stared at each other, and Kaden stared at the ground, then the Jägerin let forth an animalistic growl, yanking Kaden's rope once more.
"Choose!" Was its guttural scream. Kaden weakly looked up, and a small cry released from her throat.
She saw the Queen, her armor bloodied, a deep slash ran down her face. She was crusted with dried blood, bruises, and grime. Kaden then looked to Mitzie. The small girl was grimy as well, her arm hung awkwardly at her side, and Kaden realized that it was broken in several places. Next Kaden's eyes landed on the one holding her at the end of a rope. Her breath caught in her chest as she saw, not the Jägerin- that vicious beast that glared through white orbs in a borrowed vessel, but Veronica. Her Veronica.
Beautiful, soft honey-colored eyes met her own, a soft smile lit Veronica's face as her voice softly whispered,
"Oh my sweet Kaden, what have they done to you?" Kaden teared up, whispering brokenly,
"My Ronnie..." Mitzie gasped, and the Queen looked away. Kaden saw from the corner of her eye, her Highness pulling Mitzie by the hand, the small child fighting to stay, but failing. "My Ronnie never called me 'Kaden'." She finished and winked at Mitzie, who snatched her good arm away from the Queen and threw a knife that cut the rope holding Kaden's hands. She made quick work of her worn shackles and launched herself at the Jägerin.
Kaden wrapped her legs around its shoulders, quickly forming an aquatic rope of her own, twisting it into a noose. She looped it around the neck of the Jägerin and jumped off of her, running like mad, yanking it behind her. She ran until she reached the meadow near her cottage. Creating an aquatic platform, she lifted herself up to a strong branch of the oak tree where her time with Veronica began so long ago.
She shortened the rope, choking the Jägerin as she yanked it up off the ground. She secured the rope firmly around the tree branch and hopped down, admiring her work. The Jägerin hung, four feet off the ground, flailing wildly as its lungs betrayed it, failing to find the oxygen it needed so desperately. Tears began to fall down its face, and it tried one last trick, swapping white orbs once more for honey eyes and a soft voice that brokenly begged,
"Schatzi, please. Please help me. I....I love you." Kaden felt her heart wrench at the sound, and as she watched the life drain out of the body of the love of her life, she whispered back the words she heard so very long ago, words that she had begged herself to have imagined,
"I wish that were true, my dearest Schatzi. I really do."
YOU ARE READING
Fae
FantasiA young lady is begrudgingly inducted by a strange group of people. Will she become who they want her to be, or will the ties to her past get her killed?
