A Princess Torn (Alys Book #2)

Chapter 23

Every bone in Endolynn's body ached as she lay front down on a rocky shore, letting the afternoon sun warm the side of her face that was exposed. She had no idea how long she had laid there, but this is how she had been when she unexpectedly woke up.

At first, she was sure she had died. But as the aches in her body surfaced, she knew she had not been so lucky.

She knew she was a sitting duck laying on the shore like this, her sopping red robe likely a beacon for anyone travelling or searching the shoreline. But when she tried to move, the painful protests from seemingly every inch of her body stopped her short.

Bones were broken, that was for sure. Which ones, she did not know. Breathing hurt, so definitely a rib or two.

She could wiggle her hands, but her left one protested with a shot of pain.

Maybe her wrist was broken?

Her feet could move, but her legs felt heavy and wooden. She would check them later, if she found the energy.

Her stomach still hurt, and every now and then she would fight back the urge to vomit; she was already in enough pain as it was.

The sun moved across the sky slowly, and Endolynn watched the shadows of nearby trees move with it. Birds flew back and forth, chirping happily while Endolynn lay in her misery. She knew that if she did not get up soon, she would be picked off by some form of predator during the night. Still, she could not muster the energy to move a muscle.

At some point, Endolynn drifted off into a sleep, only to be woken up later in the afternoon by the sound of hoofbeats.

Her eyes fluttered open. Whoever was approaching was coming from behind the direction she was facing and could see.

Her pulse started to race as she analysed who it could be.

A lone fisherman?

A logger taking a break from his labour to grab a drink from the riverbank?

No, it was more likely that her aunt's guards had found her and had come to finish her off.

Endolynn closed her eyes and weighed her options.

She could play dead and hope they did not see her, but with the shoreline this obvious and her bright robe glowing in the sunlight, that seemed to be an unwise strategy.

There was no possibility of fleeing; she could not even get herself to a sitting position the whole day.

She could try to push herself back into the water and back into the river rapids, but that would surely leave her to a watery death. Besides, her left arm was in no shape to push her body away from shore.

It seemed that waiting and hoping she would not be spotted was the only option.

The hoofbeats got closer; close enough that whoever was riding the horse should be able to see her by now.

The hoofbeats stopped, and Endolynn held her breath.

"Miss?" the voice of young man, likely in his late teens, pierced the air, causing her to flinch. She stayed silent, unsure what to do.

The rider dismounted and slowly walked towards her.

"Miss? Are you alive?"

The footsteps stopped for a moment, followed by a poking sensation at Endolynn's left shoulder.

She moaned, unable to bring herself to speak.

"Skies!" the young man ran over to her opposite side where she was facing, "Are you alright?"