Build A Forever After

An Old Friend

"You're trying to get caught." Flynn's heart sunk, but at this point his realization had come too late. "Why?"

The two students were crounched behind a pair of juniper trees twenty meters from the temporary camp set up by the royal guard.

"Because I don't want to be there" she replied.

Flynn couldn't believe the words that came out of the mouth of the beautiful girl with the darkest skin he had ever seen.

"My parents forced me to go. That's why I'm trying to get kicked out."

Flynn swallowed hard. Was it too late to turn back?

"Did you really want to go to the academy?" Xochitl asked nervously. Flynn didn't answer. "Why would you come with me?

"Y-You said all that stuff about earning the respect of the guard." Flynn stammered trying to come up with an excuse to hide the real reason behind his stupidity. Because you're beautiful.

"The guard value obedience above all other qualities" Xochitl replied quickly.

"B-but, you said..."

"I wanted to get out of that place!  I didn't have a choice, my parents wouldn't let me leave. But you...idiot!" Xochitl beat her fist against her forehead. "You need to get back to the academy" she exclaimed.

Flynn nodded quickly, and the pair turned around. A huge guard stood behind them .

"What do you think you're doing here?"

Flynn was stunned silent. Xochitl glanced at him sadly, "I-I can explain..."

"You can explain it to Sir Frederick when you see him," then the man muttered under his breath, "why did it have to be kids?"

"L-look it's my fault. I planned it all. He's just a freshman. Please, let him go." Xochitl continued, the big man with the emblem of the royal guard shaved onto the back of his head ignored her, and grabbed each teenager from the back of their tunics.

"Either come with me willingly or..." the man grumbled. Xochitl kicked, and pulled out her dagger, then used it to try and cut the back of Flynn's tunic -trying to set him free. 

The man noticed and quickly flipped from carrying Xochitl by the back of her tunic to wrapping an arm around her torso. Carrying her like a farmer carries a hog to the slaughter house. The guard changed his left hand to grip Flynn in the same way. Flynn then started kicking. Not because he thought he could get free, but because he felt he had to do something. He couldn't get sent home. His entire village was depending on him. His mom, his dad, Mordecai, and all the heroes for hire -well almost all of them, Corinthia would probably be glad to see him back. He'd be an outcast, the boy who had all this promise, but ended up letting everyone down. The big man had brought them deep into the camp now, and continued to carry them as he walked into a giant red tent with a golden emblem of the royal guard embroidered on the front flap.

Inside stood Sir Frederick, and a girl in a dark green cape-who Flynn assumed to be the princess.

"I found these two outside camp" the large guard explained as he threw the teenagers to the ground in front of Sir Frederick.

"Xochitl Njiru" Sir Frederick sighed and shook his head, "and...you?"

"Flynn Jackson, sir" bowed Flynn.

"You two shall be taken back to the academy, your fates will be up to the school council. We are heading back tomorrow. Don't make any trouble."  Then Sir Frederick turned to the guard behind the students. "Take them to the tent with the other prisoner".