“You’re crazy,” Aiden said in a calm tone. “No I’m not. It’ll work, I’m sure,” I bit my lip. The truth was that I wasn’t sure but I could stand going all the way to the shack without Daren. “She won’t fall for it,” he said in a know it all voice. “She has to,” I said. Tears were pricking at my eyes now. My plan had been to disguise myself to take Aiden’s place as a guard. “Its okay we’ll think of something else,” he said quickly, noticing my state. I nodded, my lip was almost bleeding from the pressure my teeth were putting on it. I turned to the path to the shack and started walking again but not without sending a few regretful glances back. Aiden had probably noticed it but he didn’t comment.
I walked slowly deliberately. Even though that my plan wasn’t of any use, I still didn’t want to leave Daren behind. As my jaw worked so did my mind formulating a plan. I spent the whole day thinking over the flaws so the plan wouldn’t backfire on me. As the sun dropped to the horizon, a smile crept its way onto my face. It was all perfectly done. I knew what I was going to do and had accounted for everything I could think of, even Aiden. If the man controlling Niray wanted to keep Daren hostage he was going to deal with what I was doing. Not only was I going to get Daren but I was also going to fetch the sword. “We should stop,” I said suddenly as only a small portion of the sun could be seen. He nodded fervently and kicked at the dirt, pushing out the rock that had been buried in the caked dirt. “What ever you’re planning, you aren’t going to do it without me” he said looking at me straight. I could see a glimmer of mischief in his eye. I was slightly irritated as I realized that he had known that I had been plotting something all along. “I’m not planning anything,” I said firmly. “Sure,” he said in a patronizing voice. I huffed and laid down on my side turning away from him. “You know I’m not stopping you,” I heard his whisper behind me. And thinking over it, I realized that he wasn’t. He just had one condition. I had to take him with me.
I could I thought sitting up and biting my lip. I tried to think of a reason why he would want to come. If he came with me wouldn’t he be in mortal danger? Niray could catch him and punish him for running away. I shuddered involuntarily. I couldn’t even imagine her punishment after she had been so harsh to us but she had needed us alive. She could easily replace Aiden couldn’t she? “What is it?” he asked with his eyebrows furrowed causing the skin on his forehead to crease almost four times. “You can’t come with me,” I told him firmly, standing up. I brushed the grass off and took a deep breath. “Try and stop me,” he said with a smirk on his face. I frowned as I remembered how stubborn Daren was. He would have never let me go alone. “Its his fault you have to go back anyway,” I muttered to myself. “What?” I heard Aiden ask. I cleared my throat as the blood rushed to my cheeks. I hadn’t realized I had said it out loud. “Nothing,” I said fervently, “but your still not coming,” I said standing my ground. “I’m the only one that can get you in,” he said confidently. “No I’ll just go in the way we came,” I replied, turning around and walking. I didn’t know which direction I was going in the gloom of the dark. The full moon was above me, giving everything a dark shadow. Cloud lined the sky numerously. They looked like large black ghosts as they floated, unmoving. A cold breeze moved my hair as I felt two eyes watching me intently.
“Why are you following me?” I asked Aiden without turning around. I knew he was there, behind me. I could feel him staring at me trying ti figure out if I was going to turn. “I want to go with you,” I whined loudly, disrupting the silent night. “Why?” I asked sighing, “surely its more dangerous for you to come back with me than to run away,” I added. His eyes softened. It seemed like he was looking at me with admiration almost. “I live for danger,” he said with a childish grin on his face. I raised my eyesborws at him. His immature demeanor didn’t seem to ‘live for danger’. “Fine, actually I want to know how this ends up. If they legend is true than you and Niray both will be at intense draw before this is all over. I want to help you win. For once I want to be good and save the people with the power of the sword,” he said. I was taken aback at his long speech. He spoke with such sincerity that it was almost impossible to say no. His hands were clenched into fists in his determination. “Are you sure this is worth putting yourself in danger for?” I asked him giving up. “Hell yes,” he said grinning from ear to ear. Praying that he wouldn’t be hurt on my account, I nodded my approval. His happiness almost radiated off him.
“Well since this is settled we can leave after dawn,” I said yawning. Since sneaking away wasn’t the plan anymore I could leave at any time we desired. He tiredly nodded his head in agreement. Both of us cleared rocks out of the dirt and grass and, this time, laid down facing each other. After looking at each in silence for almost a minute he averted his gaze and asked, “What is making you go back? You know why I am, now tell me why you are?” I bit my lip. I should have been responding that the sword was my responsibility but somehow the only image that came up was Daren. “I need to get the sword….,” I started but he interrupted me. “That isn’t really why,” he said, amusement ringing in his voice. “Ya it isn’t,” I muttered in agreement. “So are you going to tell me the truth?” he said yawning. “Well the swords important but Daren is more important to me,” I said seriously. His face expression lifted suggestively and I found myself laughing. “No not like that…” I explained, biting my lip. Yet again the blood rushed up to my face. “You’re in denial,” he said devilishly. “I’m not,” I said hotly. “You can keep saying that to yourself. You aren’t fooling anyone else,” he said smirking. “Good night,” I said turning around. I could hear him chuckling again but I was already on the verge of sleep as he said, “Good night Erica”.
Waking up to Aiden’s screaming wasn’t the best experience. I tried blocking him out by putting my hands over my ears but then he started to poke me. “What do you want?” I asked him, my tone dangerously flat. He grinned at me guiltily then stuck a hand out to pull me up. I looked at it without emotion but ignored it flipping so my back faced him and the dawn’s light would burn my eyes as I tried to catch another few minutes of sleep. Then he did something that surprised me beyond belief.
He grabbed by the waist, and before I could break free, picked me and stood me onto my feet. Not gaining my balance I fell onto him. He didn’t falter as I fell on his chest, rather supported me until I gained my balance. As I pushed myself off of him I felt a craves in the skin in between his ribs. I gasped and he flinched. He was hurt. “Can I see it?” I asked him meekly. I could tell it was fresh. Then I got more worried as I saw that I had opened the wound and the blood was starting to stain part of his shirt. He slowly pulled his shirt off. I saw that his upper body was fine except for the gash that was bleeding because of me. I quickly ripped off a piece of cloth from the bottom of my shirt and started to dab at it, trying to wipe the blood away to get a closer look. I almost choked on my own spit as I saw that it wasn’t an ordinary gash. A lashing had caused this one. “Who whipped you?” I asked him shaking. “It’s nothing. I’m fine,” he said, trying to dismiss me with his hand. “No, tell me who it was,” I said stubbornly. “Leave it Erica,” he growled. “We aren’t going anywhere until you tell me,” I said tapping my foot impatiently. “Niray did it after you escaped into the hallway,” he said, grinding his teeth. My face fell as I realized it was my fault that he had been in pain. “Just that one lash,” I asked him quivering. He nodded that it was. “I…I’m so-sorry,” I started to stutter put but he put a finger to my lips and quieted me. “Its fine,” he said pulling the shirt back over his head, “I would rather not talk about it,” he said with hurt in his eyes. I nodded my consent as to not upset him anymore but it still gnawed at me.
As we walked, when a silence fell between us, I couldn’t help but wonder how many other people had gotten hurt because of me. How many other people had been lost in this war? My family and village had already been killed in vain for the sword. I didn’t think all this pain was fair for one piece of forged metal. The power was top great for anyone to handle even me. It needed to be destroyed so it couldn’t end lives and cause violence. Was there even a way to destroy I thought in wonder. I didn’t think so but if there was I was going to be the one to find it. Too many people had already died for it and it was my responsibility that it didn’t happen anymore. And if I can’t destroy it ill find a place where no will ever find it again. A place harder to find than even under the tree. I couldn’t think of anything at the time. My mind was set on one thing. Saving Daren.
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One day late but Ilonger than the last few (i hope)
Enjoy!
Next update in about a week
GirlWithTheGlasses99
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The Sword Bearer
Fantasy[Older Work] It was evident that I was different but little did I know how different. I'm connected to another world in ways that only few have been since the beginning of time...
