Chapter 2
She sat upright as she felt the gentle touch of her soulmate on her shoulder. She turned to embrace him but his powerful arms held her back. As she looked in to his face she saw a hint of fear in his eyes but it vanished as soon as it appeared. Nevertheless Shiri had noticed it; she backed away from him. Dantes stood up, now drawing her near him. He put his index finger to his lips and then whispered ever so quietly in her ear, "Listen, what dost thou hear?" His breath seemed to fill her up and she felt a tingling sensation in her spine at his closeness. If only they weren't running from Lord Fabian they might have been able to rest. Shiri strained her ears; she stood so still it felt like all her muscles were locked. Finally she heard the ever so slightest sound of twigs snapping under soft padded feet and the hard breathing of bloodhounds. She couldn't mistake it; she had been on countless hunts with her father. The breeze had lifted their scent and betrayed them. Shiri franticly clawed at her hair, she couldn't think of what to do, the reassuring pat on her shoulder calmed her just enough to help her think clearly. But before Shiri could think of something to do, Dantes had lifted her up easily and started running, as fast as he could, but now Shiri could hear the hoof beats of horses. Her fear grew by the moment. Would her dream never come true? Had they set off on their journey for help in vain? The howls of the dogs penetrated her soul, made her very bones shudder. She buried her face in his tunic and wept, gasping in between sobs. Dantes hushed her with little soothing sounds and words like, "We will be together my beloved," and, "Our hearts have already been taken." With a reassured soul she fell in to a deep and fitful sleep. Finally, as dawn crept over the horizon, shining its first rays on the forest and awakening the lark with its gentle beams, Dantes heard a shout of triumph and perilously loud hoofbeats. Suddenly an arrow whistled past him, barely missing his arm. He franticly looked around but couldn't find an escape; he awakened Shiri, his heart and only love ever, and forced her to run with him. Shiri stumbled helplessly, rubbing her eyes and blinking several times before obeying. Shiri's senses awakened automatically as she heard a thump behind her, she swiveled around to see the horrible sight of Dantes lying face down in the dirt with an arrow through the back of his tunic. She stood shocked; she sank down to her knees and wailed the anguished cry of a lover that has lost her heart. She felt empty as she turned him over and stared in to his green eyes, the eyes that used to hold love in them, and the eyes that always reminded her of her joy. Now they were filled with nothing, they were stripped of feeling they were dead. She scrambled up and away from Dantes just as a horse burst from the trees, she yelped in surprise as she saw the rider although she had expected him. Lord Fabian, her father with no conscience that she could perceive, hopped off his horse and surveyed the area. Just as his gaze settled on Dantes, Shiri saw the bow hanging from his saddle girth. Fire automatically seemed to leap from her eyes as she ran to the horse and jumped on to it. But before she could ride away on her father's proud steed, one of her father's gendarmes came riding from an azalea bush off to the left and grabbed hold of the reigns sneering at her. She remembered that face, that look, that man. He had wanted her for himself once.but she had refused, only this time she couldn't refuse, she didn't have that power anymore. Her father's stone cold eyes bore down in to her, he didn't seem to take any pleasure in having captured her once again.but she couldn't help noticing that the bow and arrow on his horse was slanted, as if it had just been dropped after use. She was slung over the pommel like a sack of potatoes and without saying another word, they set out. She was in mourning; she wouldn't utter a word in her contempt. All that flashed in her eyes now was revenge, murder, and vengeance. After being so close to her lover, her heart.she was caught cold. As the reclining sun swept it's rays across Shiri's face, she couldn't help but close her eyes after the tiring run, tear streaks trailed down in to her hair but she heard no more as she fell in to a deep and dreamless sleep.
She sat upright as she felt the gentle touch of her soulmate on her shoulder. She turned to embrace him but his powerful arms held her back. As she looked in to his face she saw a hint of fear in his eyes but it vanished as soon as it appeared. Nevertheless Shiri had noticed it; she backed away from him. Dantes stood up, now drawing her near him. He put his index finger to his lips and then whispered ever so quietly in her ear, "Listen, what dost thou hear?" His breath seemed to fill her up and she felt a tingling sensation in her spine at his closeness. If only they weren't running from Lord Fabian they might have been able to rest. Shiri strained her ears; she stood so still it felt like all her muscles were locked. Finally she heard the ever so slightest sound of twigs snapping under soft padded feet and the hard breathing of bloodhounds. She couldn't mistake it; she had been on countless hunts with her father. The breeze had lifted their scent and betrayed them. Shiri franticly clawed at her hair, she couldn't think of what to do, the reassuring pat on her shoulder calmed her just enough to help her think clearly. But before Shiri could think of something to do, Dantes had lifted her up easily and started running, as fast as he could, but now Shiri could hear the hoof beats of horses. Her fear grew by the moment. Would her dream never come true? Had they set off on their journey for help in vain? The howls of the dogs penetrated her soul, made her very bones shudder. She buried her face in his tunic and wept, gasping in between sobs. Dantes hushed her with little soothing sounds and words like, "We will be together my beloved," and, "Our hearts have already been taken." With a reassured soul she fell in to a deep and fitful sleep. Finally, as dawn crept over the horizon, shining its first rays on the forest and awakening the lark with its gentle beams, Dantes heard a shout of triumph and perilously loud hoofbeats. Suddenly an arrow whistled past him, barely missing his arm. He franticly looked around but couldn't find an escape; he awakened Shiri, his heart and only love ever, and forced her to run with him. Shiri stumbled helplessly, rubbing her eyes and blinking several times before obeying. Shiri's senses awakened automatically as she heard a thump behind her, she swiveled around to see the horrible sight of Dantes lying face down in the dirt with an arrow through the back of his tunic. She stood shocked; she sank down to her knees and wailed the anguished cry of a lover that has lost her heart. She felt empty as she turned him over and stared in to his green eyes, the eyes that used to hold love in them, and the eyes that always reminded her of her joy. Now they were filled with nothing, they were stripped of feeling they were dead. She scrambled up and away from Dantes just as a horse burst from the trees, she yelped in surprise as she saw the rider although she had expected him. Lord Fabian, her father with no conscience that she could perceive, hopped off his horse and surveyed the area. Just as his gaze settled on Dantes, Shiri saw the bow hanging from his saddle girth. Fire automatically seemed to leap from her eyes as she ran to the horse and jumped on to it. But before she could ride away on her father's proud steed, one of her father's gendarmes came riding from an azalea bush off to the left and grabbed hold of the reigns sneering at her. She remembered that face, that look, that man. He had wanted her for himself once.but she had refused, only this time she couldn't refuse, she didn't have that power anymore. Her father's stone cold eyes bore down in to her, he didn't seem to take any pleasure in having captured her once again.but she couldn't help noticing that the bow and arrow on his horse was slanted, as if it had just been dropped after use. She was slung over the pommel like a sack of potatoes and without saying another word, they set out. She was in mourning; she wouldn't utter a word in her contempt. All that flashed in her eyes now was revenge, murder, and vengeance. After being so close to her lover, her heart.she was caught cold. As the reclining sun swept it's rays across Shiri's face, she couldn't help but close her eyes after the tiring run, tear streaks trailed down in to her hair but she heard no more as she fell in to a deep and dreamless sleep.