AN:/ Ok, so give me some credit, considering that I am a busy girl, I've updated a lot better on these than some of my other...erm stories. Apologies are in order, but I will maybe update those or delete, we're not sure at this point in my world. Anyways, this chapter is one of my favs. Please tell me if you think things are progressing to quickly. I don't have much to go on really. I luv you guys. Xx.
I raise my sword as it clashes with his. I am not even fully awake as he comes at me full force. Ok, so he was a little cranky. "Don't think it's worth fighting me on, love." He hisses, his sword coming to close to my stomach for liking. "I think it is." I grit. I counter his move and kick him backwards before he counters my move pulling me down. Yeah, ouch. There's a sharp movement in my side as it opens, blood coming from the wound. I cry out and he grins. "Ready to give up?" He asks. I look at him, I'm sure a wild look in my eyes. "Never." I hiss. I bring my sword back, he moves just in time, my sword landing where his neck had been. I get up, and raise my sword, clashing with his.
"Stop fighting woman!" He yells. "Stop trying to kill me!" I yell. I smell fire burning downstairs. Our eyes widen at the same time, before I deliver a swift kick between his legs. He falls and I grab my cloak and break the window, jumping out. Graham stood outside. "MOVE!" I yell getting on my horse. I give him a swift kick to the side as we take off. I see some of Killian's pirates. I growl. I feel an arrow pierce my shoulder and I fall off my horse. "Emma!" Graham yells. "GO! Get to Nostos!" I yell. He looks as the pirates rush after me. He nods once before kicking off. I crawl into the brush and the pirates rush by, not knowing where I am. I roll over in the brush, and hold my shoulder.
It's bleeding pretty profusely. Suddenly a thought that isn't my own comes to my head. Regina has Rumplestiltskin's knife…that's what she promised Killian. She wouldn't give that up. I silently thank the imp before feeling around. "FIND HER!" Killian's voice yells. I need help. I debate wether or not I should call to him for help, but he may just kill me. I use my dagger and my good shoulder to drag myself through the dirt. I feel something slice my hand. I wince. I finally decide to lie limp. This isn't good. The arrow in my shoulder is killing me, and it has something on it…something that's making my vision blur.
I yank it out, not before letting an anguished scream. Something was wrong. It felt as if my bloodstream was on fire. I struggle trying to move. I hear my mother yelling. It's an hallucination. "What was on that?" I hear a familiar Irish brogue yell. I struggle. "Emma, it's ok." She says. I see Killian come into my vision. He looks concerned. "She's-She's not giving-you-the dagger- she's tricking you." I say my breaths in short gasps. I see blood on his face. "Kil-Killian, you-you're bleeding!" I manage to exclaim. "Emma, what are you talking about?" He asks. He holds my face. "She doesn't plan on giving you the dagger…she'll kill you before hand…I swear," I say finally letting the poison take affect.
.
I am not as I was. There is fire raging all around me. I hear people yelling for me, but I can't answer. My mouth opens, but no sound comes from my mouth. I see my mother and father and I am running towards them. I almost touch them, when I am dragged back by a hand towards the flame. Flames lick at my skin and it feels as if I am on fire. I am shrieking, my body contorting and it feels like pure fire through my veins. This is my hell. Fire is spreading. I hear an agonized shriek, like a wounded animal. Whoever it is, is in much pain. The shrieks are continuous. I feel a forehead rest against mine. I must be dying. I realize I am the one screaming. All I can focus on, is the fire. The feel of my veins scraping together, like sandpaper as pure, agonizing fire rips through my body and tears me open. The pain I had felt before I would take a thousand times over.
I am shrieking, as my body tenses up. I don't hear the screams anymore, just the sounds of raging fire. My limbs burn, for days. Years maybe, time is irrelevant. My heart couldn't survive this. I couldn't survive this. This wasn't human. Had I entered hell? What had I done wrong? Didn't I deserve a trial? Or had God put me here as punishment, punishment for sins?
The shrieking is drowned out by the sound of the flames licking and splintering against my body.
.
My eyes open. I am lying in a cave. Water drips around me, as I hear heated voices. "I don't trust you. You've been trying to kill her!" I hear a familiar voice yell. Graham? It hurts to think, let alone move. "Yes, well priorities change, mate. I value her life a little more now." I hear a familiar accent annunciate.
I look around. There is a dead fire in the center of what looks to be the middle of a cave. I see Graham's knapsack and an unfamiliar one. I see bows and arrows, one very bloody. I clench my eyes shut. My skull pounds. Something had happened. "Milady?" Graham asks coming towards me. He touches my face caringly. "Graham where are we? Did we make it to Nostos?" I ask, my voice sounding tired. He shakes his head. "We're a few miles away from the inn we stayed at." He says.
"No thanks to him." Graham says snidely. I see Killian move forward and my eyes widen. "Well, I'm the one who took care of her." He says. Took care of? I remember my shoulder…the blood…the hallucinations. "Yeah, right sorry I am. One of my men used one of our poisoned arrows. Luckily it was older, so it didn't kill you, obviously, but still." He says with a shrug. "Graham, I told you to run." I say, trying to fix him with a glare. "As I said, my loyalties lie with you my Queen," He says bowing his head. I would slap him, but I can't find the energy. I look at my arms which are covered with marks and bruises.
"You took quite a tumble…and you lost quite a bit of blood." Killian says. He kneels before me. "You're still concussed." He says. That explains the headache. "We should go." I say closing my eyes and nodding. "Milady," Graham says. "No." I say stubbornly trying to get up. I try to stand, but a searing pain rushes through me. Killian quickly catches me before I fall. "Yeah, that's the 're very hurt Emma," He says. I glare at him.
"I suggest we stay here for a few days, it'll be good for all of us." Graham says. "So what, you're going to help us now?" I ask dryly looking at the Pirate. "I tend to chose the winning side," He says. "And I don't feel like losing my life stupidly to a witch with bad wardrobe." He says. I roll my eyes and sit down. My skin tingles from where he touched me. "I'm going to go hunt. My Queen, you stay here, you too pirate. Don't let a thing happen to her." He says. "You're leaving me here with him?" I hiss. Graham shoots me a look.
"Look we need food, I left it all at the inn, which burned to the ground." He says looking to Killian who grins impishly. "Besides, he needs you alive even if he brings you to the Queen. I could track him and kill him before he gets the chance." He says. I sigh and nod. "Go. Please, be safe." I wish. He nods once. "I will, my Queen." He says. "And don't call me that. I'm not a Queen, or a princess, I'm Emma." I said. "No, I shall always call you My Queen," He teases.
He grins at me before leaving. I close my eyes before Killian is swigging something. "Rum? Really?" I ask, not opening my eyes. I hear him laugh heartily. "You knew? Surprising," He says. "Well, I was on your ship for some time." I said. "Ah the ship which is now in port, getting repaired." He says darkly. I smile. "Glad I could cause some damage. How's your crotch fairing?" I tease. "Why don't you look and see? I know you've been dying to." He says.
I physically roll my eyes at that one. I open and see he's staring at me. Judging by the sky it's late and Graham certainly won't be back until morning. I take a deep breath. "So, what's the deal with the huntsman?" He asks. I cast my eyes to the ground. "When…before I was taken he was a servant at the castle. We played with each other, getting along well. He also helped me escape the fire the Queen set to the castle…" I say looking at the ground. "Loyal," He says with a nod. "To a fault," I say thickly. I remember the fire briefly that shattered my world.
"You'll win love." Killian says. I look to him. He stares at me with a sort of fierce passion. "It was touch and go. You broke into a fever…delirium. You were yelling for different people…your parents, Graham…me," He says. His eyes look haunted. "And you kept saying something about the darkness and loneliness," He says. I cast my eyes down briefly.
"Well, I'm sorry to have bothered you." I say shortly. "Don't do that lass," He says. "Don't shut me out too," He says. "You broke my trust! How can I let someone in who not a few days ago wanted me dead for HIS revenge?" I ask. "I'll get my revenge," He says his eyes glinting darkly.
I sigh, suddenly quite tired. "Yes, and in your wake more bodies than the original killing. I know how this tale ends, Killian. And it's not in your favor…which is why I refuse to be a broken heart left in your wake." I say closing my eyes. He sits in silent shock. I open an eye and see his sitting, mouth open. He looks at me and I open my eyes. "Why do you care so much about me? Even…while you were tricking me…you cared somewhat. You took care of me," I say.
"Because I don't need a woman dying on my hands." He says. "Not again." He says faintly. I look down. "I want to care about you, but it's hard." I admit softly. "I was locked away for…so many years." I say my eyes flickering. "And the only things I saw were death and destruction." I said. "I lost my secure life…torn away from me. But…I won't let her win any longer. So, this is me. And you should know…I won't ever be the kind, trusting princess." i say.
I feel exposed, but I was. He'd seen me crying, on the verge of death, angry, happy, and everything in between. A feat no one has ever accomplished before. "Perhaps that's what I want," He says looking up. "I've met and bedded many princesses over the years my love. All fake smiles, and lonely souls. Emotionless is what I'd call them." He says. "But you've a fire about you which burns brighter each day. You shouldn't lose that." He says with a nod. He clears his throat, the moment becoming to great for him. "Why did you really come back?" I ask. His back is turned to me.
"Because right now, you're the only person I trust in this damned realm." He says before walking away.
.
The fire flickers and burns high into the cave. It's warmer as I try to stand to walk around. I stumble slightly but I hear Graham come back in. His face was swollen, his right eye a ring of purple. "Graham!" I said. He holds an elk. "Where's the pirate?" He asks. "Right here, mate." Killian's voice sounds. I touch Graham's cheek. He leans into the touch. "What happened?" I ask in a whisper. "Sit," I order.
"A bandit attacked me," He says. He's lying. He was covering his pride. "But I killed him and got away." He says. He pauses for a second too long. "Would you like me to cut the meat?" I ask. "No, you're hurt. Please," He says asking for the knife. Something's wrong. "Graham, why's your chest all bloody?" I ask. He looks at me. I feel Killian's eyes on me. Something's wrong with Graham.
"I fell," He said. "Oh, so you'll let me see your chest then, so I can tend to it," I ask. He shakes his head and laughs. "Please, Emma, it's fine." He says. "What did you call me?" I ask. "Emma," He trails. "You never call me Emma," I say standing. His eyes widen. "Graham take off your shirt." I order. Something in his eyes tells me he's already pleading. "If you insist," He said. He takes his shirt off.
"Emma where are you going with this?" Killian asks. Graham's toned chest has no mark on it. I jump on him. "KILLIAN GET THE ROPE!" I yell. Graham struggles and fights against me. "His heart's been taken!" I yell as I feel him digging sharply into my side. Killian manages to quickly bind him and punch him, effectively knocking him out.
"We won't have much time, he'll come to soon." He says. I take a deep breath. "We should go." He says. "He'll find us, he's a hunter." I say biting my lip. "So we ditch the horses, and go by foot, barefoot." He says. "In this forest?" I ask. "Do you know where we're about to go? We need him!" I say my eyes going wide. He sighs. "Emma," He says. "The dwarves home isn't too far…perhaps…we need to leave now, and help me lug him in the back of the cave and cover his eyes," I direct.
Killian does what I tell him, and guilt racks my chest but we take off into the night.
A Pirate and a Princess.
AN:/ My muse is kissing my laptop. So this is what my brain has put forth, and this is a very exciting story line from here on out. Things are set up + falling into place which makes me VERY happy. Thank you so much and have a lovely night/ couple of days as I am going to go out into the world and be social! PLEASE REVIEW I LIKE THAT AS INCENTIVE :)