SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Eleven
Chapter Eleven
We delved into the woods, as we had so many times before. Truthfully I was a bit exhilarated to be back there, while I did enjoy the comforts of a normal life, there was something grand about living in the forest, with the trees and the moss, and all the creatures you would hear as you drifted off to sleep.
We hadn’t been going very long when the sun began to set, and we had to make camp.
“So how did you know?” Finley asked, after we were settled around the fire. I took a deep breath.
“I’ll explain, but you’re not allowed to get cross with me,” I said. He nodded. “Alright, I’ll start with the first dream,” I said, fiddling with my hands. “Just before we reached Mitono, I had a dream, and in that dream we had gone out on a boat, and gotten swallowed by a giant Muano, that’s why I suggested we separate, but the thing about the dream was, that every detail down to the ripples in the water when we arrived, matched the actual reality of it, and when we were at the village, I had another dream, similar to the first, accept this one’s outcome was much more cheerful, so I didn’t change it, and what happened in my dream came to pass,” I paused, and took another deep breath. “And a few nights ago I had a dream, it was of Zander destroying our village, and slaughtering us, and that combined with one of Aria’s warnings was too similar to ignore, so I thought it would be safer if we just left.” I let out a long sigh, “and I guess now that I say it sounds ridiculous,” I said, placing my head in my hands.
“I think it was a little hasty, but not ridiculous, and I prefer the woods anyway,” Finley said, perking up, “And I say, it’s better to air on the side of caution,” He added. I gave him a grateful smile, then looked at Kiara. She hadn’t said a word, but she didn’t look cross, or disappointed, so I didn’t figure she was angry with me, and I slept peacefully that night, happy to be back on the hard, lumpy earth, and for once I didn’t mind the biting cold.
I woke up to the birds in the trees, and the sweltering heat of the day. I sat up, and stretched, and while I enjoyed being back in the wilderness, my sore body did not. I groaned. Finley chuckled,
“Yeah me too,” He said with a grin. Kiara was still fast asleep on her bedroll, her shoulders rising, and falling, in a steady rhythm.
My face got hot as I realized I had been staring at her. I looked back at Finley who was wearing the same stupid grin he had been wearing the day he first joined us. I rolled my eyes. Kiara woke soon after, and we ate, then packed up camp. Not having a destination this time made it a little harder to move around, and it didn’t help that we didn’t know if Zander had gone to the village or not, which made me nervous considering what happened to the last village I lived in. but we managed for a few weeks, until we had a visit from our old friend Devin.
It was late evening when we hit a clearing, and were met by Devin, and two other men.
“Who are you?” I asked, pretending not to recognize Devin. The men sneered.
“Is that them?” One of the men asked. Devin nodded. The two men stepped forward.
“You can come quietly, or you can resist, and things will get messy,” he said. The other man snickered. Finley drew his sword, and Kiara her bow,
“I do enjoy the messy ones,” he said. The men drew their long ridged blades. I stood back, I couldn’t fight, but I could keep Devin at bay. I had a range of different poisons at the ready if he tried anything, several of them only needing to touch your skin, but he didn’t move to help the two men.
Kiara was firing arrows at one of the men, but he was dodging skillfully, and Finley was engaged in fighting the other. There were deadly dances on both sides, but the music hadn’t started in mine yet, so I waited.
Until one of the men reached Kiara, and tackled her to the ground. She struggled against him, but he was much bigger than her, and her writhing wouldn’t do much, so I stepped in, my music was playing, but I didn’t know this dance, and my footwork was sloppy. I took the dagger out of my belt, and tackled the man. The surprise of my attack, and the wait of my body knocked him over off her. Kiara rose quickly to her feet, and kicked the man, but this seemed to shock, and affect him less. He tackled me, and quickly bound me.
“Devin, bind him tighter, and make sure he doesn’t get away,” the man said, moving to overtake Kiara. I could see a fire, as well as fear in Kiara’s eyes. As the man quickly overpowered her, and bound her as well. We both struggled, against our bonds, until something hard hit my head, causing me to black out, and rendering me more helpless then I had been before.
I woke in a small canvas tent, I was sitting on the ground, bound to a tent pole, as were Kiara and Finley, both of whom were still unconscious. Finley had blood trickling down the side of his head, much like the injury he had gotten after our first encounter with Zander. I struggled against my bonds, for a few moments, but they were too tight for me to slip out of, so I looked around the tent searching for anything that might aid me, but I could see nothing, that didn’t matter however as Zander had just entered the tent. He glared at me.
“Hello old friend,” He said, His voice deeper, and more serious than I had ever heard it, I didn’t say a word back. Zander smiled mockingly, “What? Nothing to share? I’ve heard you’ve had quite the adventure,” He sneered. “I also heard that you didn’t start fighting until this one was in trouble,” he said, squatting, and raising Kiara’s chin, inspecting her face. I flinched slightly
“Don’t you touch her,” I snarled. Zander jeered at me,
“So you are protective of her? It’s too bad the witch only needs two souls, or I would let you experience the pain I did,” he said calmly. I glowered at him. He stood, and went to the mouth of the tent. Before he exited, he turned his head and said. “I’ll see you tomorrow for your execution.” I groaned, and curled my knees up to my chest, placing my head on them, and sobbing, whilst the others couldn’t hear.