CHAPTER FOUR
A New Presence
The horse bounded forward, driven by the ferocity of the battle behind it and the yells from the wounded woman on the saddle. She clutched her bundle tightly, knowing what would happen if it were to fall into the hands of the Gerudo.
That's when it happened, some strange girl just appeared in front of the horse, spooking it. The horse reared back, throwing the woman off.
* * *
Sarah turned away as the horse reared up, fearing that she would be kicked. Derek dove and grabbed her just moments before the horse's hooves hit the spot where she was standing.
Jacob ran over to the woman that had fallen of the horse. He slid next to her and lifted her head with his arm.
"Ma'am, are you alright?" he asked urgently, as he did so, he was brushing some of the blood-matted hair from her face and noticed she was clutching the bundle tightly.
"Pl.please, you have to help him." she spoke just barely over a whisper, "help him."
Then, Jacob noticed it, the arrow, protruding from her chest. He attempted to reach for it, but the woman stopped him, and told him: "no, leave it."
She handed Jacob the bundle in her arms and pointed to the forest, "please, you must hurry, t.take him into the Forbidden Forest. please, b.bef.ore they find.you."
Her blue eyes clouded and she slumped in Jacob's lap, he looked down at the bundle and realized what he held. A baby. A baby boy with blue eyes and blonde hair.
Jacob lifted the woman's head out of his lap and lifted the child in his arms. He sighed and walked over to where Sarah and Derek sat, Sarah was sobbing into her hands and Derek just looked down.
"Jacob, I don't think we're not home." Sarah said in between sobs. Her hair was dripping with and her face was red and her eyes were puffy.
"What gives you that idea?" Jacob asked as he shifted the bundle in his hands.
Derek just looked up and pointed. Jacob turned to look at where he had pointed and saw a ominous castle in the distance. "Well, that was never there." Jacob said to himself.
Jacob then realized the fire and smoke around the castle, and the many people fighting outside it. They looked like ants, they were so far away.
"What is this?" Sarah asked, now recovering from her sobbing, a new wave of it threatening her.
"We need to get out of here, follow me." Jacob cried. He started a dead run towards the forest and before the others could say anything. They had no choice but to follow him.
As they ran, Sarah heard horse hooves hitting the ground somewhere behind her. She ran faster, driving to get there. As they reached the edge of the forest they could hear someone yelling back where they just were. Jacob could not understand what they were saying, it was in a strange language.
They all plopped to the ground as Sarah brought up the rear. She was panting hard. "There's some freaky women on horseback, waving around these curved swords and speaking some kind of strange language."
"Jacob, what is that?" Derek said, pointing to the bundle.
"This is the reason we had to get out of here." He opened it up to reveal the baby, and Sarah and Derek both looked in awe. "That woman back there told me to take it to the Forbidden Forest, then." he hesitated. "she's no longer able to help us."
"Derek and Sarah both looked to the ground. Sarah sniffled a bit, fighting to keep her composure.
"Come on, we have to find a place to spend the night." Derek said as he bagan to walk deeper into the woods.
"Where are we going?" Sarah called to him. Derek only shrugged. Sarah hesitated but when she saw Jacob offer his hand, she nodded and took it, and walked along with him. They took turns carrying the infant.
* * *
"This looks good." Derek called. Sarah was carrying the infant and Jacob looked wore out. Derek motioned to a cave in the cliff face, it was about six feet tall and four feet wide.
"It's small, but it'll work." Jacob said. The baby was snuggling up to Sarah and beginning to fall to sleep.
They entered the cave and settled down. Jacob sat down and pulled the book from his pocket and opened it up. Sarah was nestled into a corner, and the baby was wrapped in her jacket.
Derek was sitting next to her. Jacob began reading to himself. He was almost asleep when the infant awoke and began crying. Sarah jumped up and immediately began to try and quiet the child.
"Jacob, it's not working. I think he's hungry. Try and find something." Jacob looked at Sarah.
"You're a female." Jacob said smiling,
"This isn't the time."
"I know, C'mon Derek, let's go out and find something." Derek nodded and they both left, feeling sure that nothing would happen to Sarah while they were away.
* * *
"Derek, have you found anything at all?"
"No, it looks all burnt. There's nothing."
"Did you here that?"
"What?"
"Shh. I don't think we're alone.."
The horse bounded forward, driven by the ferocity of the battle behind it and the yells from the wounded woman on the saddle. She clutched her bundle tightly, knowing what would happen if it were to fall into the hands of the Gerudo.
That's when it happened, some strange girl just appeared in front of the horse, spooking it. The horse reared back, throwing the woman off.
* * *
Sarah turned away as the horse reared up, fearing that she would be kicked. Derek dove and grabbed her just moments before the horse's hooves hit the spot where she was standing.
Jacob ran over to the woman that had fallen of the horse. He slid next to her and lifted her head with his arm.
"Ma'am, are you alright?" he asked urgently, as he did so, he was brushing some of the blood-matted hair from her face and noticed she was clutching the bundle tightly.
"Pl.please, you have to help him." she spoke just barely over a whisper, "help him."
Then, Jacob noticed it, the arrow, protruding from her chest. He attempted to reach for it, but the woman stopped him, and told him: "no, leave it."
She handed Jacob the bundle in her arms and pointed to the forest, "please, you must hurry, t.take him into the Forbidden Forest. please, b.bef.ore they find.you."
Her blue eyes clouded and she slumped in Jacob's lap, he looked down at the bundle and realized what he held. A baby. A baby boy with blue eyes and blonde hair.
Jacob lifted the woman's head out of his lap and lifted the child in his arms. He sighed and walked over to where Sarah and Derek sat, Sarah was sobbing into her hands and Derek just looked down.
"Jacob, I don't think we're not home." Sarah said in between sobs. Her hair was dripping with and her face was red and her eyes were puffy.
"What gives you that idea?" Jacob asked as he shifted the bundle in his hands.
Derek just looked up and pointed. Jacob turned to look at where he had pointed and saw a ominous castle in the distance. "Well, that was never there." Jacob said to himself.
Jacob then realized the fire and smoke around the castle, and the many people fighting outside it. They looked like ants, they were so far away.
"What is this?" Sarah asked, now recovering from her sobbing, a new wave of it threatening her.
"We need to get out of here, follow me." Jacob cried. He started a dead run towards the forest and before the others could say anything. They had no choice but to follow him.
As they ran, Sarah heard horse hooves hitting the ground somewhere behind her. She ran faster, driving to get there. As they reached the edge of the forest they could hear someone yelling back where they just were. Jacob could not understand what they were saying, it was in a strange language.
They all plopped to the ground as Sarah brought up the rear. She was panting hard. "There's some freaky women on horseback, waving around these curved swords and speaking some kind of strange language."
"Jacob, what is that?" Derek said, pointing to the bundle.
"This is the reason we had to get out of here." He opened it up to reveal the baby, and Sarah and Derek both looked in awe. "That woman back there told me to take it to the Forbidden Forest, then." he hesitated. "she's no longer able to help us."
"Derek and Sarah both looked to the ground. Sarah sniffled a bit, fighting to keep her composure.
"Come on, we have to find a place to spend the night." Derek said as he bagan to walk deeper into the woods.
"Where are we going?" Sarah called to him. Derek only shrugged. Sarah hesitated but when she saw Jacob offer his hand, she nodded and took it, and walked along with him. They took turns carrying the infant.
* * *
"This looks good." Derek called. Sarah was carrying the infant and Jacob looked wore out. Derek motioned to a cave in the cliff face, it was about six feet tall and four feet wide.
"It's small, but it'll work." Jacob said. The baby was snuggling up to Sarah and beginning to fall to sleep.
They entered the cave and settled down. Jacob sat down and pulled the book from his pocket and opened it up. Sarah was nestled into a corner, and the baby was wrapped in her jacket.
Derek was sitting next to her. Jacob began reading to himself. He was almost asleep when the infant awoke and began crying. Sarah jumped up and immediately began to try and quiet the child.
"Jacob, it's not working. I think he's hungry. Try and find something." Jacob looked at Sarah.
"You're a female." Jacob said smiling,
"This isn't the time."
"I know, C'mon Derek, let's go out and find something." Derek nodded and they both left, feeling sure that nothing would happen to Sarah while they were away.
* * *
"Derek, have you found anything at all?"
"No, it looks all burnt. There's nothing."
"Did you here that?"
"What?"
"Shh. I don't think we're alone.."