The sun glowed as it drifted over the snow capped mountains. Bella shaded her face with her hand while looking into the horizon. She heard the familiar rumble of horse's hooves. Except this time it was like a thunder growing with each second and the fear rose into her heart. Panic swelled and beat against her insides. She dropped her skirt of apples and frantically scanned her eyes over the apple orchard for somewhere to hide. The apple trees were too small and scrawny; they would not hold her as they were as weak as saplings and the leaves barely covered the oaken branches. Running was her only option. She turned and fled through the orchard. Her brown work dress caught and tore, leaving traces of her presence everywhere. As the trees grew less dense. The horses gained, she could feel the vibrations come through the ground straight to her head and dizzy her. Surely they'd be off the trail by now? she was so tired! Her legs stumbled over a fallen branch and she crumbled to the ground, badly slicing her thigh on a rock. There was no chance! "I'm going to die!" she screamed desperately, incase there was another person around. Any person! "Help! Help me!" She lay on the ground shivering, her calls unanswered.
The invading soldiers swiftly gained, their expertly trained horses clipped to a stop. Not even a snort or whinny escaped as they stood patiently waiting for their masters. A steel grey stallion lead the heard of twenty black horses. Hot breath swirled in the morning air as a tall lanky man glided off the lead horse, in his gait followed the chief commander and two soldiers. All their faces unemotional and solid except for the velvet red robed man whose long face carried an evil sneer.
Bella barely breathed and her chest was still. If she appeared to be dead they might leave her. The lack of air was confusing her brain and it desperately tried to force air into her lungs as she blacked out. Her muscles relaxed and her breathing began again. Deep but silent.
Yusein's sneer broke into a smile as he watched Bella. With a single wave of his hand one of the soldiers marched over and picked Bella up, blood from her thigh trickling down her bare foot onto the wet grass. He proceeded to drag her over and lay Bella on her side in front of the chief. He whispered something into Yusein's ear and he nodded. The soldiers dismounted and lead their horses away to graze.
Images sped around Bella's head as she swam in spongy cold blackness. Something told her not to open her eyes and dread slowly spread through her body as she gained consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open and she let out a squeal as she met cold black ones. In fright her hands flung to her face and she kicked out wildly spraying grass and mud everywhere. Cold rough hands grabbed her shoulders and stood Bella up. She swayed and collapsed, her leg burning in protest. Once more she was picked up and held by the shoulders. When he let go she swayed again, but before she fell one hand firmly grabbed her arm and pulled her up. The other slapping her sharply on the face, leaving a large red hand print on her pale skin. "Stand up you stupid girl!" Her uninjured leg could not hold her fatigued body and once again she swayed and started to fall. Hands clasped her shoulders and tried to pull her up. Instead she threw herself backwards onto the dewy grass, her body shrunk into a ball with her face tucked in between her knees and her hair fell over her teary face. Bella's arms hugged herself as she began to whimper. Tears soaking the front of her dress. Her face throbbed and her thigh burned. The scrape of metal from a sheath silenced her whimpers and the chief placed the tip of the blade on the back of her neck.
While this was happening Yusein had stood back and watched. He now stepped into action, as the chief prepared to slit Bella's throat, Yusein angry that he would kill so mercilessly. He knocked the chief to the ground and stepped over him. Yusein then tried to pull Bella up, his flaming skin sent shivers through her spine and she jolted out of a ball as he swiftly yanked her to the ground. Her leg still bled and her face throbbed reminding her of the reason why she couldn't stand. She fell again, this time more roughly then before onto a tree root. She groaned in pain and crawled away from Yusein. Yusein's voice rang through the orchard, "STAND UP YOU STUPID GIRL!" Birds scattered from trees screeching and a horse bolted into the forest. Bella's feet picked themselves up and a numbing sense filled through her body. Her eyes grew heavy and closed, and she stood almost floating. Yusein immediately grabbed her arm, ensuring that his hand was covered by his robe lifted her onto his horse and sat behind her. He ordered them to stay and wait for his return, any body caught wondering would be put to death. The Soldiers saluted and continued to graze their horses. This happened regularly he would return later in the night, alone. Though nobody ever saw what he did with the victim there were rumors it was experiments with magic.
Yusein spurred on his almost flying horse, the orchard suddenly stopped and turned into dense woodland. His horse skidded to a halt and turned sharply, snapping Bella out of her trance. She struggled immediately, her hands searching frantically for something to hold onto. The horse half reared with fright as Bella screamed and flailed wildly. She threw Yusein off balance and he pulled sharply on the reins turning the horse back into the forest, at that moment Bella kicked wildly and the horse bolted into the dark forest.
The horse skillfully dodged huge oaks and towering pines. Bella bent low and lay on the horse's neck and held his mane pleading into his flattened ears. He slowed gradually, her whispers assuring him. He slowed to a smooth canter, a trot then a tired walk. He stumbled on a protruding rock and fell to the ground. Bella was thrown off his neck and landed onto the soft pine needle carpet. The horse got back up, unhurt except for a small graze on his left knee. She looked around hoping that Yusein had been thrown far off into the other direction. Instead when she focused her fuzzy vision, she realized that Yusein was still on the horse when it bolted and he now stood over her sneering again. She groaned and grabbed her thigh as its burning returned. Brown blood had soaked through her dress and she dared not look at her cut. Still clutching her leg she crawled over to the base of a large tree and pulled herself up. She took her hand off her leg and wiped it on the front of her clothes, smearing blood everywhere. Her head lolled as she fought to stay awake.
Yusein realized how bad her leg was. He walked stiffly towards her and approached, wary of any flinch or shudder. He reached the base of the tree and grabbed her arm swiftly pulling her onto the ground, making sure not to touch her with his skin. She gasped in shock and immediately went to defend her self. He pinned her down with one hand, while he unsheathed his dagger with the other. He sat down and pulled her head onto his lap covering her mouth and holding her still at the same time. He pulled up the sleeve on his robe and placed the flat of the blade onto his skin until it glowed like hot metal.
Bella screamed into his hand and squirmed as he proceeded to pull the blood soaked hem to just above the cut. She couldn't imagine what he could do with that knife. Yusein watched for a few seconds as blood slowly oozed out of a deep gash in her thigh. Before she new what was happening, he firmly pressed the blade onto the torn skin, slowly pulling the two pieces of skin together and welding them like two pieces of metal. She jerked violently and squirmed her eyes wide in pain. Yusein's horse whinnied at the sudden disturbance and pranced with the smell of blood. Her hand pulled and scraped at his forcing it off her mouth. She let out the most terrifying gut scream. The trees shook, and Yusein's horse jerked back and reared pawing the air frightfully. Yusein held her tight and let the dagger drop to the ground, back to its metallic grey colour as soon as it left his hand. She kept shivering violently, but the bleeding had stopped and her breathing slowed almost too normal. He sat her up to face him. She stared into his cold back eyes and saw flames dart and leap in his pupils. The heat from his hands began to seep through her thin dress material and she panicked her mind throwing up a subconscious shield. He tried to enter her mind, but surprisingly it was like trying to break through a steel wall and he gave up. Her face crumpled as she burst into tears, and began to cry. She leant on him, blind with tears and tried to get up and run. He pushed her roughly onto the ground and got up. Yanking his horse's reins. "If you will not let me enter your mind, you will be left here. My men are weary and my horse is exhausted and would rather carry one than two." And at that he swung gracefully onto his tall horse and began to walk away from the shivering form that was Bella. "Wait." She whispered. Yusein halted his horse and he turned around. "What?" he asked mockingly a sneer reappearing on his face.
"Wait, Please! What do you mean! I want to go home!" her voice choked with tears. His horse walked back, sensing the tension it flicked its ears back and forth. "Then let me enter your mind, I need to see the power of your magic." She nodded sullenly although she had no idea what he was talking about. She just wanted to escape from the enemy and return home to inform the village of the invaders. He dismounted and sat beside her. His hands once again touched her shoulders and the shield went up again. This time she felt it and she shrugged his hands off. "Please, don't touch me your hurting me!". She replied hysterically. Relaxing, she began to breathe deeply. She gasped mentally as she felt a presence inside her mind. "Don't worry Bella, that is your name." Said a whisper inside her mind. "Just hurry up, my head is hurting!" she replied back. She heard her voice. It was a loud, clear cut voice, Unlike Yusein's. His mental tendril shrank back and Bella opened her eyes meeting his cool black one's. His face was pale and he looked worried. She stood up and walked over to his horse, his gaze to strong to hold. He followed her, but she refused to meet eye contact with him. When she looked into his eyes she could see her tortured mind reflected in them. It hurt to see all her memories that this malicious man now shared. They were so personal, her first kiss, watching her sister play, her mother and farther hugging. Tears slowly dribbled down her cheeks as Bella mounted his horse. She didn't notice Yusein's arms slip around her waist and hold her to him as they galloped back to camp. The soldiers looked up and surprise lit their faces as they realized she was still with their commander. She dismounted followed by Yusein. He called orders for camp to be set up and led Bella over to a campfire. She sat down on a log close to the fire, her whole body felt cold and her eyes glazed over. Yusein noted this and moved closer to her and tried to put his hand on her shoulder, but she shoved him off and sidled away from him. Some of the soldiers whistled and called out to Bella. She didn't react but just kept her head lowered tears dripping onto the ground. Food was offered to her but she refused, slowly shaking her head as her was broken again. When the fire died down to embers Yusein ushered her into his tent. She lay on a thin mat as far away from his as possible in the small canvas room. Sleep came easily to Bella, but Yusein lay on his back and stared into the ceiling his mind tormented from Bella's suppressed memories.
Bella woke some hours before dawn. She heard whispers outside the tent flap and she froze, two tall shadows stood outside the tent. A wolf howled in the forest and she jumped and rolled over onto Yusein. He woke and his eyes darted to hers, flames once again danced in his pupils and she shrank back off him. Suddenly two soldiers burst through the flap and reached for Bella. She squealed and leapt under her blanket trying to hide as strong hands gripped her. Voices shouted and growled above her. Bella curled into a ball and she was wrestled to and fro inside her cocoon. Her head was jerked violently and she let out a muffled scream then fainted. She came to a few minutes later. Yusein shook her softly and her eyes fluttered. He called her name and she smiled. Yusein was leaning over her he was saying something, but it was muffled. He swayed in front of her and she smiled weakly, his eyes were so beautiful she was entranced as flames leapt before her. Her vision slowly cleared and she became aware of a sickening feeling. She sat upright and wretched onto the damp earth. Yusein held her hair with his hand covered. Bella stood up and swayed. She looked down and saw her dress was torn in many places. Two men also lay on the floor unconscious. She shivered as she remembered what had happened before and realized what they had tried to do. How where people capable of such terrible things? But she would not let this drag her down. The torment was lifted from her mind as she remembered all the happy things she had ever done. Yusein looked into her eyes, but they weren't dull and blank. Instead he saw bright wide eyes stare back into his. Suddenly Bella darted out of the tent and into the forest. Yusein followed her amazed at her sudden change in character. She wound behind the pines, her brown hair flowing behind her. Bella laughed and it echoed around the trees.
"Catch me if you can!" Bella's mental voice boomed into Yusein's head.
She felt so free and full of life. She raced through the crisp air and felt so elated. Yusein began to gain on her and leapt, grabbed her legs. He pulled her onto the ground and Bella landed on top of him. They lay panting, staring into each other's eyes. She felt Yusein's heat again on her, but it was bearable this time. He smiled and swiftly flipped over pinning Bella on the ground. She squirmed and wriggled trying to get free. Bella stopped struggling and waited until he loosened his grip. She quickly rolled back on top of him. She smiled and pushed a lock of hair out of her face. It fell back again and this time Yusein brushed it back. He was surprised when she didn't flinch when his skin met hers. They both stared into each others eyes. Suddenly Bella pulled away and stood up, the rustle of material disturbing the silent forest. She knew what could've come next. Yusein looked miffed. He got up and brushed dirt and leaves off his robe. His face was slightly flushed and he looked angry. Bella tried to put her hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged her off and mounted his horse without her.
He turned to leave, but she grabbed the reins. "What are you doing?" Although she knew the answer. "I'm leaving." He replied stonily. "What is wrong with you? Are you just going to leave me here?" She pleaded desperate; she couldn't be left alone again. "I think your asking the wrong person Bella!" He turned to look at her. The flames in his eyes had died down and were almost like glowing embers with sparks of blue. "Do you expect me to just love you like that? It was only lust, I realized it but you didn't. You only wanted my body, you don't care about me! If you cared why did you kidnap me? Go! Leave forever! I don't ever want to see you AGAIN!" She wouldn't cry, she couldn't let her self. She saw Yusein's face break momentarily when he realized what she had said. He regained his stiff composure and jerked his horse round and galloped back to the camp. He turned in his saddle and snarled back. "YOU'RE RIGHT BELLA! I NEVER CARED, AND I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOUAGAIN!" Bella let one tear fall. Only one. She would never cry again. Not for him not for anyone. Bella wandered through the forest aimlessly. She just walked. Not one tear fell and she didn't speak a word. What had she done? Sometime in the afternoon Bella reached her small shack on the edge of the orchard. Her mind was too busy to think, so her subconscious had driven her home to where she belonged. She forgot of the soldiers and the invasion. Her mind kept replaying her last conversation with him. There were so many things that could've stopped it. Why did she keep talking? Why did she break his heart?