A Cold Night To Remember

[1] Waking...

[Copyrighted 2015] [All rights reserved] [Intellectual Property] 

[ Hi there, I wrote this in 2015 when I was still a teenager. Now I'm back 9 years later and interested in refurbishing this interesting short story. I just posted a few more pages, but some of the chapters are in pretty rough shape. I hope you can enjoy the story anyway. Please leave comments with feedback and encouragement. I really enjoy hearing from my few readers. Thank you!]

The first indication that something was wrong were the screams, women in terror and men responding with battle cries. Her litter crashed to the sandy earth below, her body flung to the side and her head crashed onto the hard surface. She could hear the pained cries of a horse nearby, were they under attack? Head pounding, she got to her hands and knees, crawling out of the fine silk tent and into the darkness outside, lit only by torches of flame and the dim light of the stars above. Lyla's scream tears her mind back to reality, she turns to see her yelling something as a tall figure dragged her along the sand by her long yellow braid. Riders buzz past on either side of the wedding procession, groups of camels trailing behind without their caretakers. Her ears were full of a pounding of drums resonating from her chest. Then she saw her guard, silver armor gleaming in the firelight against the black shadows that were closing in on their wedding caravan. He wielded two long curved swords, cutting down anyone who approached her as she struggled to find her balance. She touched her face find to find blood splattered across it. Looking up, she saw a barbed arrow protruding from her protector's back. After a moment, he falls to his knees. She scrambles over to him, searching for a way to save his life as he had just saved her own countless times. Coughing one last breath he sputters, "Forgive me, my lady." She looked away, unable to watch as his eyes rolled back into his head and his whole body when limp. She resist the urge to vomit but made it to her feet to see the whole dune lit up in flames, every cart, tent, litter, and carriage up in ablaze. Her people were scattered about, some fighting, some fleeing. She turned in the direction Lyla had been dragged, taking unsteady steps toward her. But it was for naught, for before she made it ten paces away a mountainous horse cantered up to her, a burly man atop the creature. With one strong hand he grasped the fabric of her dress at her back and effortlessly pulled her up onto the steed. Immediately she began to flail and fight, screaming for her guards, or anyone to save her. Then something hard struck the back of her head and she knew no more.

***

Arovis' eyes finally snapped open, she tried to reach up to touch her aching head but found her hands immobilized with rope. She looked down to see herself still wearing her wedding gown of white lace. It was smeared with blood and dirt, and some other black substances, it was a shame really, such time and energy spent on such a beautiful dress for her to only wear once... Her breath caught at the thought of the wedding and all that had happened. Her body was jostled side to side, her shoulder bumping into a wooden wall next to her as eyes finally adjusted to darkness around her. Someone coughed and another sniffed and her vision finally cleared enough to see there were five or so other people, all young women. Their eyes had dark half moons of sleeplessness under them and the hems of their gowns were darkened with ash and blood. As her deep brown eyes scanned the scene one person stood out to her, her maid. The blond of her hair was unmistakable... no one had yellow hair in all of her country... She was the mirror opposite to Arovis. Her yellow hair, pale skin, and many freckles stood out stark next to her own tan skin, black hair, and sharp features. "Lyla," Arovis whispered, reaching out her bound hands to tap her friend's knee. 

"My lady!" Her eyes flashed open and her countenance brightened. She shifted her way closer. "Are you well?"

"I am fine, but what has happened? Where are we?" Arovis became aware of pain all throughout her body, as if she had been slung across a horse and then dumped in a cramped carriage and been tossed about for days.