Firstly, I apologise for the unimaginative title, it's just a working title and will be changed later on. Secondly, this chapter is brief and more of an introduction to set the scene to the reader. I'm currently writing more, I just wanted to upload this to see if it got any readers.
She ran through the streets, desperately clutching her child to her chest as she gasped for her breath; she couldn't remember ever having run so fast and so hard before, but the fear, the fear of what that man would do to her, or worse, to her child, her poor sweet child, kept her going even further and faster still. Her bare feet pounded against the hard pavement slabs, great puffs of snow were being kicked up behind her. She could hear the grunting of the horse just behind her, smell it's sour, hateful breath.
She saw a break in the seemingly endless row of buildings and ran there, it was a small gap and that was good, far too small for a horse, and he wouldn't chase her on foot, of that she was sure. She jumped over the small railing, nimble and light on her feet, her poor cold swollen feet, but no time to think of that now, not with her poor, innocent baby boy to protect. If he saw him he would undoubtedly kill him, and she couldn't allow that to happen.
She could see the giant cathedral looming ahead, and whilst she wasn't Catholic she knew enough about gorgio religion to know that she wouldn't be shunned from a church, and the Catholic's would offer her sanctuary. She gave an extra burst of effort, nearly there, where she would be safe whether he found her or not, and suddenly she could once again hear the pounds of a horse's running feet, hear the beast's panting grunts. As she ran the last few steps, she prayed.
Finally she was at the great wooden door, and she pounded on it with her fist.
"Sanctuary! Please, give us sanctuary!"
She could hear the beast loud and clear, and spun around in time to see it climb the steps to the Cathedral where she stood. The door would not budge and she had no longer to wait, her, their only chance, if they had one, would be to keep running, she had to. She managed to run only a few steps before a hand came down from that beast and grabbed the bundle she held tight to her chest. She continued to hold on, evening daring to hope that they might still be able to get away to the Court of Miracles as her and her husband had been planning to only ten minutes ago. Oh her poor, dear husband, who would surely be dead by dawn!
She suddenly felt a blow to her chest and was thrust backwards by the force, her child torn from her arms. She seemed to fall for minutes, but knew it could only have been seconds. And then her world went black.