Chapter 8
She clutched her knees protectively. The intense emotions had overwhelmed her as they had the first time. Through some combination of trickery he had effectively had her in his arms, somehow made her pliant to his every whim. Fear coursed through her accompanied by a shiver. She didn't know or care how he did it any more, it was obvious that her will, strong as she believed it was no match for whatever method he used. It was a battle that she could not hope to win. She had to flee. Reach the south where he would never be able to find her. Dark hair would mark her as different but no warrior would humor a northern elf looking for a southern lady.
As soon as she saw his silhouette take a seat among the other elves, heard him engage in conversation she rose and shifted out of his sight, behind the trunk. Her mind had already selected a tree. In the faint light she could see that it extended into the fern covered ground relatively out of sight of the platforms. Not far was a denser darker patch of forest where she could hide. But better to run, she was faster than many that way and if she could get out of sight she could weave out of her original path and set them off.
She gripped a branch just above her head and held tightly until her feet were able to cup the tree between the two of them. She let go of the branch, guiding the fall with her arms. It made next to no sound as she slid down the smooth trunk, but it was sound enough. She took off towards the dark patch. Shouts in the heights softened as she gained distance. She darted into the darker patch and hid between bushes and a tree while they searched the area, scanning back and forth for her. She willed her breath more silent as she pressed into the shadows. Eventually they left, leaving her alone as the crickets started up the night song again. She walked until she found a patch where the moon shone more brightly among ferns and lay down among them to sleep.
At daybreak she was off, running perpendicular to the sun through the wood. She paused only to drink from a stream or eat some berries off the bush before pushing on again. She hid at every strange noise and waited for the sounds of the forest to precede her as she ran. They would not be so careless if they caught her again. Midway into the morning a group of hunters passed as she hid in the cleft of a rock. She was not as far from the south as she thought. Dusk found her at the edge of the wood, weary, hungry and tense as a hare. She had not had any more encounters with the elves but had been on her most alert the entire evening. She slept in the shadow of a tree, deciding that if she ran flat out, she could make the southern forest before the moon rose a quarter into the sky.
She started a before daybreak, racing over the grassy plains as the skies a cloudy gray turmoil darkened the landscape imperiously. She was praising her luck as she tiredly loped over what she deemed to be the last hill in front of the forest. As she reached the crest however her heart sank. Men blocked her path to the forest. Around twenty armed and mounted formed a line behind a dark haired stranger who wore the armor of the king. They came to attention as they caught sight of her.
"Lady! We bear you no ill will, but have come to escort you to the palace where a friend awaits your return."
Kirel? No, he would never enlist the help of men. She remained silent.
"You must be weary from your journey."
How did he.
".an elven friend of mine from the nor."
She took off before he finished his sentence, making a beeline for an outcropping of the forest. Hoofbeats sounded behind her. She spun, grabbing the reins and jerking them towards her as the charging animal passed. Like most horses, when handled roughly it bulged and reared. It's armored rider hung on obviously having had this happen to him before. She had predicted as much, her sword sliced through the saddle strap. Man, saddle and armor all slid off. Elves had no such need of things like saddles. She boosted herself off the fallen man and settled upon the horse's back, urging it into a gallop. She was ready when the first of the riders caught up with her.
She evaded his grabbing hands and neatly sliced through his reigns, giving the horse a encouraging pat with the flat of her sword. The next rider managed to get ahead of her horse, wheeling it around in front. We turned a sharp left as he grabbed my reigns. I neatly cut off the piece he had, leaving myself but the left reign which she pulled to guide the horse in a complete circle and releasing it when they were aimed at the forest. I could see the forest, not twenty feet away.
She clutched her knees protectively. The intense emotions had overwhelmed her as they had the first time. Through some combination of trickery he had effectively had her in his arms, somehow made her pliant to his every whim. Fear coursed through her accompanied by a shiver. She didn't know or care how he did it any more, it was obvious that her will, strong as she believed it was no match for whatever method he used. It was a battle that she could not hope to win. She had to flee. Reach the south where he would never be able to find her. Dark hair would mark her as different but no warrior would humor a northern elf looking for a southern lady.
As soon as she saw his silhouette take a seat among the other elves, heard him engage in conversation she rose and shifted out of his sight, behind the trunk. Her mind had already selected a tree. In the faint light she could see that it extended into the fern covered ground relatively out of sight of the platforms. Not far was a denser darker patch of forest where she could hide. But better to run, she was faster than many that way and if she could get out of sight she could weave out of her original path and set them off.
She gripped a branch just above her head and held tightly until her feet were able to cup the tree between the two of them. She let go of the branch, guiding the fall with her arms. It made next to no sound as she slid down the smooth trunk, but it was sound enough. She took off towards the dark patch. Shouts in the heights softened as she gained distance. She darted into the darker patch and hid between bushes and a tree while they searched the area, scanning back and forth for her. She willed her breath more silent as she pressed into the shadows. Eventually they left, leaving her alone as the crickets started up the night song again. She walked until she found a patch where the moon shone more brightly among ferns and lay down among them to sleep.
At daybreak she was off, running perpendicular to the sun through the wood. She paused only to drink from a stream or eat some berries off the bush before pushing on again. She hid at every strange noise and waited for the sounds of the forest to precede her as she ran. They would not be so careless if they caught her again. Midway into the morning a group of hunters passed as she hid in the cleft of a rock. She was not as far from the south as she thought. Dusk found her at the edge of the wood, weary, hungry and tense as a hare. She had not had any more encounters with the elves but had been on her most alert the entire evening. She slept in the shadow of a tree, deciding that if she ran flat out, she could make the southern forest before the moon rose a quarter into the sky.
She started a before daybreak, racing over the grassy plains as the skies a cloudy gray turmoil darkened the landscape imperiously. She was praising her luck as she tiredly loped over what she deemed to be the last hill in front of the forest. As she reached the crest however her heart sank. Men blocked her path to the forest. Around twenty armed and mounted formed a line behind a dark haired stranger who wore the armor of the king. They came to attention as they caught sight of her.
"Lady! We bear you no ill will, but have come to escort you to the palace where a friend awaits your return."
Kirel? No, he would never enlist the help of men. She remained silent.
"You must be weary from your journey."
How did he.
".an elven friend of mine from the nor."
She took off before he finished his sentence, making a beeline for an outcropping of the forest. Hoofbeats sounded behind her. She spun, grabbing the reins and jerking them towards her as the charging animal passed. Like most horses, when handled roughly it bulged and reared. It's armored rider hung on obviously having had this happen to him before. She had predicted as much, her sword sliced through the saddle strap. Man, saddle and armor all slid off. Elves had no such need of things like saddles. She boosted herself off the fallen man and settled upon the horse's back, urging it into a gallop. She was ready when the first of the riders caught up with her.
She evaded his grabbing hands and neatly sliced through his reigns, giving the horse a encouraging pat with the flat of her sword. The next rider managed to get ahead of her horse, wheeling it around in front. We turned a sharp left as he grabbed my reigns. I neatly cut off the piece he had, leaving myself but the left reign which she pulled to guide the horse in a complete circle and releasing it when they were aimed at the forest. I could see the forest, not twenty feet away.