Captured Grace

Chapter {8} - S e r p e n t i n e

All around me were countless soldiers and sobbing females. The trees appeared to weep, too, as they clawed out in every direction... drained of life, and often scraping against my delicate skin, drawing blood on occasions. They were mere injuries in comparison to the dangers I had faced back at home.

Home.

How are Elowen and Sybella dealing with this? What about father? How will they survive without food? Sybella and Elowen have not the slightest idea on how to hunt.

A flustered panic arose from deep within my stone cold approach, my family are in danger just as much as I am. And there's nothing I can do to prevent it this time.

Hours passed, my legs shuddered in agony at this forever lasting route. The soldiers didn't quiver at all, poised broad and upright, heads angled up with strength, and their legs... marching with such perfect grace. I observed my surroundings, ensuring I noticed every detail of these preposterous lands. When we had finally arrived to the lake. It appeared truly astonishing, the waterfall colliding with the silky smooth water beneath it, the sound of peace rushing through my ears. Allowing a slight feeling of hope and reassurance. My father once told me...

You never know what lies behind a waterfall. You never know what life will bring you.

I clung onto the meaningful sentence, memorising the soothing but raspy tone of my father's voice, embracing it... until my fathers voice was no longer his within my head, but the raspiness of the silver eyed man I had encountered echoed like hallways opening into my mind. Eryx's voice. I found myself pondering into thought before a blaring voice interrupted.

"The Five!"

The five?
I questioned, until I realised that there were only five of us. Five of the graced. We were positioned in a line, and not one of us dared to step out of place. The first girl, clearly trembling in fright, had wispy but short white hair. From what I could see, her eyes were that of golden. Or perhaps they were extremely light hazel. It was unclear in the Fae Forest's aura. Her skin was illuminating the same iridescent golden tone, though there was a tint of iciness within them layers. And those lips.. plumped and full, though her features were masked behind the streams of tears. My eyes shifted along to the next, you could say she looked like an ideal Princess, if it weren't for her foul choice of clothing, soiled with dirt and grease. As for her hair, utterly golden blonde, positioned in an extremely loose ponytail. Perhaps one of those inhuman soldiers had grasped the locks of her hair too. Though what caught my attention about her, seemed to be the faint blush, eccentric on her tanned skin, giving her features character and life. If only.

With very little time, whilst the soldiers rushed around in conversation- appeared to be waiting for something, or perhaps someone, I observed the rest of the girls. One, with deep brown strands of hair, falling just below her shoulders in an elegant yet pleasing style. Her extremely arched eyebrows, giving her a cold expression, though the fear was still present in those deep black eyes of hers, taller than us all, with her hair appearing to be in in loose curls, streaked with black and a mixture of hazel. The features of her face were sharp and toned, her skin light- but not too light. A faint tan casted upon her flesh.

Then there was the red-head. I had but only glimpsed towards her in the carriage. It was unclear within them ill-lighted walls. Her vivid red hair tumbled in heavy curls on her shoulders, some strands falling just below them. Her clothing, too, were mostly black with eccentrics of red accompanied with them. In the elucidating light of the glistening sun before us, It was visible that her eyes were of hazel, a reddened hint within them. But what I had failed to see, were the point of her ears.

Her ears were not too obvious in terms with the Fae. But they were definitely formed in that structure. Perhaps, that was why she was so calm. Perhaps she knew of what she contained.