Sleeping Beauty

Chapter 14

Elijah gazed across the landscape, watching his soldiers search and overturn every object in their way.  Their search of the village and proven fruitless and the lack of co-operation from the public had not helped in their search, many of the residence had had to be restrained in order that they could conduct their searches thoroughly.  Though they were now well and truly behind Maria and Phillip, Elijah worked his soldiers to the bone making them carry on through the night and refusing them rest until they found his brother and the Princess.  Eric, Leonard, Alexander and Ethan had been of no help either, continuously protesting about his ill treatment of their subjects but Elijah just saw it as a means to an end.  He needed Maria and would do whatever it took to get her back.

As the soldiers methodically searched the woodland; tracking every inch of it for any clues as to their whereabouts.  The Princesses brothers had offered their services and reluctantly he had accepted as he would need all the help he could get if he was going to find them though he remained wary of their motivations.  The brothers all searched with the soldiers, riding slowly on the back of their horses as they monitored their progress.  It gave them an excellent opportunity to sway the search for they could ignore and destroy any evidence they found and could plant evidence which would mislead Elijah as he did not join the search, he only watched from a far.  They had also asked some of their most favoured soldiers to join the search under the pretence that they would be better at tracking than the average soldiers, while this was true their main purpose was to deceive and misinform the others rather than help Elijah.

Not long into the second morning of their search did Leonard find something which was most emphatically an indication that Maria had travelled this area.  A soft blue material had snagged on a bramble bush, most likely when she had rode past she probably hadn’t even noticed but this placed her squarely in the area and Leonard could not let Elijah know.  He slid the piece of cloth under his tunic and behind his tights so it was completely out of view but now Leonard had to make sure that Elijah looked no further.  He summoned over his brothers and told them of his suspicions and they all agreed that they had to move Elijah away from this area; they all rode to the hill where Elijah kept his visual, sitting on his horse like a grand overseer.  They dismounted their horses and gave a shallow bow before they waited for Elijah’s reciprocation.

He did not acknowledge their presence with a look or a turn of the head; he simply spoke to them in a monotone voice which gave away no emotion.  “Have you found anything?”

“Nothing, the woods are clear.” Eric lied.  “We think it would be best if we were to change our search area, maybe move down river.  They may have head for the coast in which case there is no time to lose.”

“No, I know my brother he would not head for the coast it is too obvious.  We continue on this course.”  He replied with the same monotone.

“This is madness.”  Yelled Alexander.  “She is our sister and we want her home, let us search the river and at least make sure they are not heading to the coast.  If they managed to stow away on a boat we shall never see either of them again!”

Elijah flicked his head squarely at Alexander and looked down at him with fury raging in his eyes, a kind of rage that could only hold evil.  “We will search every last inch of these woods even if we have to burn it the ground.”

“But that would kill anyone unfortunate enough to be in the woods, innocent people who live here.” Leonard pointed out hoping that it had escaped Elijah’s mind.

“Then so be it.”

Alexander then pulled out his sword and swung it at Elijah, his veins throbbing as his skin turned from pink to red.  If Ethan and Eric had not pulled him back with such speed then Alexander would have sliced clean through Elijah’s arm, an experience he would no doubt have treasured after all Elijah had subjected Maria to.  Eric and Ethan continued to restrain their brother as he fought boldly against them, struggling against their tight grip as he tried to fight his way back to Elijah.