Eliza and the Queen

Chapter Two

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Thecandles were blown out shortly after supper and everyone went to bed.Eliza quietly climbed out of bed and went outside. The moon wasbright so she was not as scared. She used to watch the stars untilthe soldiers started coming and destroying their homes. Ever sinceher best friend was taken, she refused to look at the stars again.

Thevine bush was in the entrance of the woods. She slowly pricked herfinger and let the blood drip. She waited several minutes then wassurprised again with the disappearance of the wound. What could bethe cause of this? Why was she healing so fast?

"Youra healer." Eliza looked and saw a boy her age hiding behind a treewatching her. Eliza lowered her hand and moved closer to him.

"Comeout and tell me who you are boy."

Theboy slowly stepped around the tree and lowered his head. He was verytall and wore old clothes with holes in them. His dark messy hairhung around his face and his blue eyes were bright. Eliza movedcloser slowly still thinking of his words.

"Whatdid you say I am?"

Helooked at her a few minutes then looked away. "A healer. Your bodyheals quickly. They call them witches. Witches are banned from hereand are usually hung for everyone to see. You cannot let anyone knowthat your a healer."

"Howdo you know this?" Eliza wanted answers immediately. The boy seemedto know everything about healers and he looked afraid to share. Heslipped his hands in his pockets and kicked pebbles under his foot.

"Donot let anyone know. You must keep it a secret. They will come foryou." Before Eliza could say more, the boy ran leaving her standingthere alone in the dark. Eliza did not get the answers she wanted,but the answer she needed. No one is to know of her witchery. Noteven her mother.

Motherand father rested the next day trying to avoid the rain. Mother satin her rocker sewing a dress for Lilly and father sat by the firesmoking his pipe. Eliza stood by the window watching the rain fallthinking of what the boy said. She looked over at her mother as shesewed and hummed to herself. She told her mother everything and nowshe was told to keep something important from her mother. She wantedto tell her mother everything and hope that her mother could help herwith it.

Elizawas about to walk away from the window when she heard yelling. Fatherquickly closed the window and pulled Eliza back.

"Thesoldiers are here. Blow the candles out quietly and come sit by thefire."

Motherand Eliza blew the candles out and hugged Lilly by the fire. Fatherjoined them and pulled them close. Eliza heard yelling from thepeople in the town and hooves running along the wet ground. She knewwhy the soldiers were here. They were here to earn their pay. Theyusually took women and sold them to the wealthy as slaves. She knewthis because her friend was taken.

Lillyburied her face in mothers arm and cried silently. Then the bell wasrang. Father led them outside where the town people started togather. The soldiers sat on their horses glaring and the leader helda rope. At the end of the rope was a young girl a little older thenEliza drenched in mud. She was crying and begging to be freed. Thesoldier jerked the rope forwards making the girl fall in the mud. Hermother was on her knees crying and begging that they release her. Herfather held the woman in his arms and cried with her.

"Ourfellow people! May this be a warning to all of you that witches arenothing but trouble to us! They deserve to be hung!"

Thegirls mother ran forwards and gripped the soldiers boot. Tears felldown her face as she looked up into the soldiers eyes.

"Pleaselet my daughter go!" She begged.

Thesoldier kicked her back with his boot and turned his horse with thereins so that his back was to her. "We do not show mercy to theevil woman."

Thenthey took off kicking mud up behind them as they left. Eliza watchedafraid that she would be the next one taken and just as she thoughtit, she looked up to see the last remaining soldier staring down ather. She lowered her head trying to avoid his eyes. She was afraidthat her secret would be revealed through her eyes. Only when heleft, did she look up. The boy stared at her from behind a tree andwhen she locked eyes with him, he ran. Who was he?

"Eliza?"

Elizalooked to see Lilly standing over bed with tears in her eyes. Lillydid not sleep well last night because of the nightmares. She wasscared just like Eliza and refused to stay in her own bed. Mother andfather were nervous as well afraid the soldiers would come back. Theytruly believed that there was witches.

Elizamoved over and let Lilly climb in. They ended up falling asleeptogether knowing that they had each other and that father wouldprotect them.

Morningcame too quickly and Eliza was awaken by the sun. She slowly climbedout of bed and looked out her window. The day was a very beautifulday and the smell of fresh grass made her smile. She walked to thefamily room to see her mother rocking away in the rocking chair infront of the fireplace. She was humming away quietly and did notlook up when Eliza came in.

Shequietly snuck outside and walked to the edge of the forest. Theincident of her fast healing had slipped her mind and memories of thegirl who was accused of being a witch flashed in her mind. Was thegirl really a witch and how did they know?

Shegently picked up a flower and smelt it. The flower smelt so beautifuland the scent was so strong. She closed her eyes thinking of theflower field she loved so much. She wanted to go to the field somuch, but she did not want to make her parents angry at her after allthat they experienced last night. So she held the flower in her handsand pictured the field in her head.

Thenshe heard voices around her. She looked around and when she saw thatshe was the only one in the forest, she ignored it. The second timeshe heard the voices, they were closer. She dropped the flower andlooked around again scared. Her head was telling her she needed toleave, but her feet would not move. She stared deep into the forestwanting to know who was coming her way.

Thewind seemed to die down and the sun shone through the trees givingEliza more light to see deeper into the forest. Just when she wasabout to run for her life when a fox walked around a tree towardsher. Eliza smiled and bent down to let the fox come to her. The foxstopped and stared at her like she was harmful to it.

"Iwont hurt you." Eliza said as she held her hand out towards it. Thefox slowly approached her and stopped in front of her.

"Areyou a witch?" The words flew from the fox's mouth. Eliza jumped upshocked that she hear the fox talking. Was it all in her head?Animals don't talk. She titled her head a little at the fox like shewas studying it.

"Didyou speak? No. You could not have. Animals do not talk." She walkedoff.

"Don'tgo. You must be a witch. You heard me." Eliza faced the fox againand backed away. She was going crazy. No way could she be a witch.Her parents needed her. Lilly needed her. If she was hearing the foxspeaking then that meant one thing. She was a witch and if she was awitch, it was only a matter of time before the soldiers came for her.She had to shake this off her mind. She ignored the fox and rushedback home afraid to keep thinking of the fox.