Floating Stars

Chapter 8: Strelle Forest

Sitting on the only made up bunk within her dormitory; Astrid stared at the contents of her brown leather bag. It didn't take long for her to pack her belongings - for she didn't own much. All that she managed to gather was her bed clothes, some soap, teeth cleaning equipment and her hair brush.

She pulled the straps of the bag, watched the opening scrunch together and swung it over her shoulder. She wore the only clothing that was available to her - her yellow rank uniform; even though she knew that she would need to find new clothes as soon as she possibly could.

They were leaving that night. Her and True. They came up with a plan and he was going to arrive outside of her door any minute!

She waited in the dark. Her long ebony hair covered her shoulders, her violet eyes pierced the shadows as she counted down the seconds before her only friend's arrival. Her heart was hammering at her ribcage. She hushed the breath that left her, so that it didn't drown out the faint sound that they agreed upon to communicate with each other.

She didn't wait more than three minutes before she heard a hushed owl "hoot" from behind the wooden plank that she stood in front of. Without a beat of hesitation she opened the door and closed it silently behind her before being led, by the hand, down the dark corridor. They were careful not to make the slightest tap under foot so to not wake anybody behind any of the doors they passed. They made their way down staircases and through a number of swinging doors until they came to a sudden halt at the dormitory building's locked front door.

"W-what now?" a small breathless voice interrupted the still darkness.

"I told you, you don't need to worry about a thing, my Astrid," True answered as he blew into his light orb that sat in his open hand. It lit up Astrid's bewildered face, with a soft white glow. "Stand back," True whispered, letting go of her hand and taking a step back. True crouched down, then without a warning he slammed the orb into the wooden door. It flattened and spread across the large surface, creating the perfect sized archway for them both to step through.

True grabbed Astrid's hand and they walked through the archway with ease before True yanked the light magic back into his palm and hid it back inside a pouch he had tied to his belt.

"Wow..." Astrid glanced at the locked door behind.

"Yeah," True sighed. "Come on, we're not out yet!"

He pulled at Astrid's hand and they both began to run again, across the marching ground and the combat yard. They ran past the different buildings that stood between them and the outer wall. It felt as though they would never get there. Astrid's feet ached as they pounded the hard concrete that lay beneath them and her frantic breath stung her hardworking lungs. Until finally they reached the twenty-foot wall that surrounded the Emerald Army's training grounds.

"Here will do!" True exclaimed with laboured breath, slapping his hand onto the cold bricks that stood proudly between them and their freedom, then reached into his pouch.

"Hey! Stop!" A distant voice bellowed from behind them.

"Someone's coming!" Astrid squeaked in panic.

True blew into his hand with a rushed gust and flung the magic onto the layered bricks where a much smaller opening presented itself within the thick wall.

"Quick, Astrid climb through, now!" True lifted her up, so that she could stand on his bent knee before clambering through. She landed with a roll on the grassy ground on the outside before jumping to her feet. She then watched True try and squeeze through the gap in the wall that she only just managed to fit through.

"Astrid! Help me!"

Astrid ran to him, grabbed his arms and pulled on him with all her might, but he wouldn't budge.