Mutiny

I: Amara

A brisk arrow whisks by, zooming over my soot coated face. Touching the edge of my nose. Raven. I thought I lost them. But this whole time, Raven was just waiting for me to stop, waiting for their time to strike. Another arrow flies, near my back. The whole forest stirs. They're watching too. A sudden, sharp, cry rips through the forest.

Run.

I jump over the small creek and dart through the dismal woods. The woods I call home. But only home for one more year. My feet are numb to the forest floor, full of broken sticks and crisp autumn leaves. The whole ground is masked with red, orange, and only a hint of green leaves. Arrows follow me and so do whispers. They cloud my ears. The cry only gets louder, more desperate. Cold air fills my lungs, it aches, yet soothing, like drinking a glass of ice cold water, my mother gave me a glass when summer rolled around.

Mom...Dad...

No. Move on, Amara. Move. On.

I start to sprint. The cold air makes a sharp pain in my lungs. For a moment, I thought I've been shot by Raven. But they aren't at my heels anymore. Not yet.

I, finally, find the source of the blood-curdling cry. A boy sits upright in the small clearing, making himself an easy target. His leg is bleeding from a vast cut. I wince. I've never seen a cut that terrible. Who did this? The boy looks at me with a perturbed look. His sugar grey eyes show his pain. Not from the cut, but what he's been through. I choke down the urge to cry or hunt down the person, or people, who hurt him.

"Please.." The boy's voice is nearly inaudible. "Help-Help-"

I edge closer to him, slowing my steps. I haul my pack off of my shoulders as I kneel down next to him.

"It's going to be okay.." I whisper. He seems to loosen up a little. His hair, that reaches down to his neck, is dark, like the midnight sky was scooped in a bucket, and poured over his head. His skin, covered in freckles, stars sprinkled like glitter over his body. I have never seen anyone who looks like he does. It's so..unusual. What--Nevermind, I can't afford to get distracted. 

I begin to get out the items I need to tend the cut. The boy whimpers. I speak to cut the silence,  "What's your name?" The boy pauses, stutters a few things under his breath, and finally speaks.

"I...can't remember..." He says quietly, his hand skimming over his cut. I pull his hand away from it, he might get it infected.

"My name's Amara, you might've heard of me..." The boy nods. I can feel his sugar grey eyes trace over my body. Then they meet mine.

"Star," the words stumble out, "your name can be Star." I bite the inside of my lip as I get a piece of tattered cloth out of my pack. I dab the excess blood off. "It suits you..." The boy smiles, yet I sense he's still fighting the pain. I have to clean his wound more quickly.

"Star..." He mumbles, "I like it...Thank you." His voice is smooth and sweet, like honey. I nod and get to work.

Raven. Raven. Raven. Raven will be here, I bet they're already here. Already ready to shoot. I can see myself bleeding out upon the floor. I can see Star screaming for help, holding my dead body close to his chest.

I shake my head. Star yelps, it sends a jolt through me.

"It hurts.." Star's voice has dropped to a low, gravely, whisper. Low especially for an eleven-year-old. I furrow my eyebrows and wipe the cut again.

"Sorry, but I have to clean it or else it'll get infected.." I wrap Star's leg his bandages, yet cautious of the amount I use. I don't have enough left. Star can sense my worrying. I know it. His hand finds mine, he gives them a quick squeeze and smiles. But his smile fades, like water pulling back into the deep ocean. His mouth opens but the only sound that fills the forest is screaming.

Raven.