Jade Medieval

Chapter 7

He wasn't at the barn...

Kyle and Sasha ran to France and stayed with our Relatives there. France would be safer, Kyle knew the language but Sasha had spoken French very little. We had two siblings that had moved over there. Our sisters, who lived together, had answered my letter with open arms. Riss and Natash kept them safe and fed.

I had been there before, it was very pretty. Natash resembled me but her height and age was less. Riss and Sasha shared blonde hair and blue eyes. I waved Sasha and Kyle off and a tear rolled down my cheek.

"They will be safe," I thought.

Father, Mother, Ryan and Saralee call farewells after Sasha and Kyle dissapear over a hill. My stomach fluttered and a soft cry escaped my lips. Once it started I couldn't control myself. Ginger and Sasha had left because of me. If only I'd let Michael kill Quil...

"Michael!" I realized aloud drawing concerned looks from my family, quickly recovering I headed to the barn shouting over my shoulder," I re-named the white chicken!"

"Chickens are female!" Shouted mother

I looked back at Ryan and tugged my ear secretly as I could. We'd made it up as children. It meant "cover me!" Ryan nodded and I could tell Saralee caught on.

"Unfortunate name for a chicken," joked Ryan.

Saralee nodded enthusiastically," rather so, I'd of named it something more...respectable."

Father began to laugh,"respectable?"

Ryan laughed along enjoying the conversation," my dear, its a chicken, what is respectable of a chicken."

I walked off slowly listening for mother to catch and join the conversation.

"A chicken produces food for us, we should respect them."

I breathed a sigh of relief, mother had joined in at last.

Leaving the chicken talk behind, I hurried behind the barn and set off to Michaels. I stopped nearly out of the yard and went back to the house. I climbed up to my room using the vines and grabbed my sword. I changed my belts around and latched my sword on it.

Hiding it under a cloak I walked through town to Michael's. Out of breath I knocked on his door. There was shuffling behind the door.

"Hello?" I called.

A chair toppled over and I heard a muffled scream. It was the scream of a child.

"Josh!"

I stepped from the door and beet on it with my boots to no avail. The glimmer of an ax caught my eye. I snatched it up and beat at the door until it flew open, splinters falling everywhere. As the dust settled I saw everyone. The mother an father tied up in chairs. The father was bleeding madly on his skull and both were gagged. Little Josh was nowhere to be seen and Michael wasn't here either.

My hairs stood on end but I clutched the ax.

"Where are they?" I pulled off the mother's gag,"tell me!"

She only shook and shook her head, stammering something inaudible. I gave the mother a small knife from the kitchen table and moved slowly through the room. As I moved into the back cooling room I felt a warm drop on my hand. The room was dim but I had ideas of what it was. I heard shouting upstairs from this room. Dashing up the stairs I wielded the ax opening a door to gore.

Michael was alive and using a small knife to protect himself and his brother from five other men. One man was cut deeply in the thigh.I saw Quil in the crowd. Michael pushed Josh towards me forcefully. I pulled Josh behind me and gave Michael the ax. He was relieved with the weapon. I swung out my sword and fought my way forward, protecting Josh whilst I did so. My thick cloak would protect him from serious slashes from swords. He was stunned but moved when I told him too. I had to help Michael fight the men before I could being unfocused and getting Josh out. Quil was focusing his careful moves on Michael and slashed him badly on the arm.

"You bastard!" I scowled angrily and pushed Josh out the door," Go Josh, be safe."

He slipped from my cloak and I relieved myself of the extra worries. Unpinning my cloak I took down two men with my sword. Michael was stuck by a window but had killed one man already. We had two left to take down now.

I knocked over a chair distracting Quil and his larger fighter. Michael moved from the corner and we fought back to back. He took on the larger one an I took on Quil.

"Your a better fighter than I thought," Quil said to me as our swords clashed,"but you can't beat me, girl," he snarled

"I know plenty about you," I retorted

"Left!" Michael shouted.

I dodged a swing from the larger man and fell into Quil. Quil pushed me back and I pushed Michael forward who whinced.

"Separate!" He said," but be careful!"

I stepped to the window and saw that beneath it was soft hay lying in a cart. It was far too crowded in here.

"Why don't we," I said fighting with Quil as I open the window with my spare hand," take this outside?"

"I could do with fresh air."

I surveyed Michael but he seemed to be handling himself well.

"Don't die," I say to Michael as I slip out the window into the hay.

Quil follows after me and we continued our fight.

Michael pops his head out the window and shouts to me," you!"

"Yeah?"

"Don't die!"

I grin and push a strand of loose hair from my face.

"Its not me who's going to die," I say pointing my sword to Quil's neck drawing blood.

He winces but cleverly pushes his sword into my stomach. We both have reached a stalemate.

"Ahhh!" I scream as he pushes his sword in further," don't."

I push mine further into his neck. My head begins to spin.

"Jade!" A whistle passes by my ear and I see Quil's shocked face.

Deep in his skull is the ax.

That's the last thing I see before I collapse.