darkness rising ( complete )

The Journey Ahead

"You will need many supplies," said Grace. "If Jefferson were here, he would ride you in his cart. But he's headed north as well. Perhaps you'll see him on your journey."

Sara raced up to Mal and hugged her tightly. "I'll miss you."

Mal hugged her back. "I will miss you too."

Sara smiled up at her. "When you become queen, can I live with you."

Mal smiled down at Sara. "I will see."

Grace handed the VKs the final bag. They had given hugs and were saying goodbyes. Once they left the house, Mal turned to the others. "Come on. I know where we can get horses."

She led them to the front gates of the southern city. The gate keeper loaned them four horses and a cart. Mal brought the horses back to the group. Jay, Carlos, and Evie took a horse. Mal attached her horse to the cart and motioned for the pirates to get in the cart.

"Um," said Uma. "I don't sit in carts."

"I am the queen of this kingdom," said Mal. "So you have to do what I say."

"Why cant we have horses?" asked Harry.

"Do you know how to ride a horse?" asked Mal.

"No," said Gil. "But you do?"

Mal gave him a look. "Part of us coming here from the Isle was riding lessons. So yes I can. Get in the cart."

Uma rolled her eyes and she, Harry, and Gil climbed into the cart with the bags. Mal closed the back and the three pirates were closed inside. One glance and you couldn't see the tops of their heads.

"This is humiliating," said Uma.

"Shut up," said Mal, mounting her horse. "Just roll with it."

"I will leap out of here and hit you," said Uma.

Mal chuckled. "No you won't."

"Why not?" asked Uma.

"Because I'm a queen," said Mal.

"You're not queen yet," Uma mumbled.

The VKs rode through the southern part of Anvia with the most amount of digression possible to a human being. People couldn't help but stare though, because underneath their cloaks, their golden armor shone in the morning sun. They rode across fields and hills and farmlands. Whenever they passed someone, the person would give them a look.

"I have a question," said Carlos. "How did they know that we were the kings and queens. It seems really random."

Evie shrugged. "Maybe there's a poster somewhere or something."

"I feel like there's something bigger," said Jay. "Something we're not seeing."

"The only thing I'm seeing is that the sky is getting darker," said Uma.

"And I'm tired," said Gil.

"Can we stop somewhere for the night?" asked Harry.

Mal looked around. She saw a sign that was pointing in different directions. She read the top one. It said INN: 1 MILES. Below it said NORTHERN ANVIA: 17 MILES

"Good news," said Mal. "We're closer than we thought. And there's an inn exactly where we want to go."

"And that," said Carlos.

It was a paper stuck to a tree with Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos's faces on it saying: WANTED! Future kings and queens of Anvia. Return to Raven Delarosa if found. Over it someone had written: LONG LIVE THE KINGS AND QUEENS!