Chapter 11
"Endless Debacle"
Arianna looked away and shut her eyes but then she heard a small voice whispering in her ear, speaking in a soft strange ancient tongue. Afterward it spoke gravely in her language, Saedi Thies… you are no longer safe here… you are already revealed to her… she knows you are here… the fairies have vowed to exclude ourselves from the affairs of the Animasi…but we have foreseen your future… you are the One…now you must flee… flee now… we beg you to forgive us… we cannot aid you…it is not yet time for the fairies to act… we can only advise… flee… our king bids you, Saedi Thies…flee…
Arianna opened her eyes, the voice was gone.
As she looked at the table, the king was no longer facing her and the rest of the beings seemed impassive and sad.
Arianna shook her head, she felt as if she was losing her mind and her sanity every moment since the day she last saw her grandfather. Thinking again about her grandfather brought back the same painful longing she felt the night before. But she had already assured herself that there was no way she was going back to her grandfather unless it was with this victory. She went through too much to flee. So ignoring what she had heard a moment ago, dismissing the urgent warning in her head as nothing but her imagination. She started towards the archery ground.
There were callers dispatched everywhere summoning all archery players and spectators to the archery ground, which was just nearing its completion. Arianna was there promptly, watching as the targets were set at about forty yards away. Soon she was joined by three tall lean and strong looking hunters who were said to be widely known as the best archers in the Northern Land, Arianna cast her eyes to the ground, trying to fight off that strange sensation fluttering about in her stomach. She could hardly believe she was actually competing with the Best Archers in the land. But her silent blissful flame was quickly doused as she saw Uther approaching. His cold green eyes glinted maliciously and his usual cocky sneer was replaced by grim scowl. He said nothing as he immediately took the mark beside Arianna, but she could feel his icy gaze on her as she took an arrow from her quiver and fitted it readily to her bow. When the contestants were finally complete, she saw Lord Freso step up to the platform.
"Honorable guests, lords and ladies of distant lands and far away places, I am deeply grateful and most honored to be given a chance to present to you all, the Vasdenin Archery Contest!"
The on looking spectators cheered from the sidelines. Lord Freso beamed proudly at the mortals and fairies seated at the table behind him before he continued.
"Vasdenin is a land widely noted for its unusual and extraordinary talents in archery. A true Vasdenin archer could bring down three adult bucks in the dark with the use of no more than three shafts. It is here, in this town, where the best archery lads are born and raised and made! So in honor of our pride…We give you this Archery tournament! Let the contest begin!"
The loud shrieks and chants of the crowd filled the night air as they turned their attention to the archers on the archery field. Arianna took one more glance at Lord Freso and to her utmost surprise; he caught her eye, winked cheerily and flashed her wide grin. She smiled back awkwardly and gave a small wave with hand before facing the targets in the distant. The lanterns that had provided the archers what little light they had to catch a glimpse of their targets' location were soon extinguished.
Arianna and the other archers were now facing total and complete darkness in the distance. Her heart started beating wildly and her palms started to sweat. The unsettling vibration in the pit of her stomach whirled rapidly. She stole a glance at her opponents' faces. The boy from Gnath was in a miserable state, slightly shaking as he lifted his bow, fear was in his frantic eyes. Uther's face was expressionless and blank but Arianna saw him slightly fidgeting with his bow and though half in darkness, she could see he looked a tad bit paler. The three men also bore no obvious emotion and they held themselves in readiness.
Arianna closed her eyes and took a deep breath, muttering a silent prayer to the gods, and when she opened her eyes, fierce determination and grit shone brightly. She gripped her bow tighter and stood straight and prepared, holding her bow and arrow set.
"Archers! To your mark!" Lord Freso barked.
Taking a step forward and balancing their stance the archers stood poised in their position.
"Aim!"
They lifted their bows simultaneously aiming at the pitch-black darkness.
"Fire!"
Arianna released, a silent whistle cut through the anticipated tension in the air ending with a dull thud. Letting her bow down she waited for the call.
"All arrows have penetrated the bulls eye!" came the distant call.
The crowd cheered wildly and Arianna breathed a sigh of relief but it wasn't over yet. The competition proved to be as tough and as difficult as Arianna had imagined it. The night was waning fast, already the target was sixty yards away in the dark and still all players had remained. Inside, Arianna marveled at the skill of her rivals, they indeed proved to be the best in all the land. But the complete presence of all her adversary's hardly intimidated her focus or her fortitude. She played as hard as ever. Soon the Gnath boy was eliminated, his arrow fell short of the mark and he blundered off pathetically into the crowd when he realized he had lost. Surprisingly, two of the hunters followed shortly after the boy, both their arrows way off from the center target.
Then, there was only one target, a hundred and twenty yards away, the night breeze blew a little more strongly and the crowd was silent with awe. Three archers shooting blindly in the dark and still managing to hit their target was a spectacle far greater than any the Vasdenians had ever witnessed. So far the farthest target any hunter had been able to hit was a hundred fifty yards away and it was evident that that highest achievement was about to be beaten.
But when Arianna looked up to face her target, an eerie sound echoed and throbbed in her head and she could feel the dull burn of her hidden mark underneath her long sleeved top. She sensed something terribly and dangerously wrong and she felt like she had spinning long and fast, Arianna kneeled slowly to the ground clutching her head with a soft groan.
" Oh Gods! Someone get that lad some water! Water! Hurry!" she heard the voice of Lord Freso shout worriedly.
The crowd murmured with curiosity as a woman came out from nearby tent a clutching a jug of water and a small wooden cup. She hurriedly came to the side of Arianna or Ari, gently letting the "lad" sip slowly from the small cup.
"What's the matter, peasant rat? Fear starting to shake your little filthy head? Can't handle the pressure like a proper man, now, can't you? Can't you! You worthless scum!" Uther spat viciously after which he sneered at her spitefully.
Arianna felt her blood boil at the sound of his voice and she wanted to face Uther but instead she saw Lord Freso coming towards her, concern all over his face, "Is he well? Is the boy well? How are you there, lad? Feeling a little tipsy, I say. Hold yourself together lad, I know you won't let me down now."
Arianna nodded weakly and shut her eyes trying to fight off the throbbing and the stinging. She couldn't back off like a weakling now, not in front of Uther or Lord Freso or the entire town of Vasdenin. She stood up, shook her head and slowly took a deep breath. The dull thud was silenced and the burn was disappearing. Arianna carefully opened her eyes and what she saw confused her. She blinked harder and rubbed her eyes but her sight didn't change. Everything seemed different, but her vision was completely unlike the one she had the previous day, it wasn't hazy or purplish, everything was a bright shade of red, black and green. She knew she hadn't said anything out of the ordinary or done anything strange and yet here she was seeing everything as abnormal as it can be but strangely as clear as day.
She faced Uther but couldn't make out his face through the bright colors but she knew he was wearing his repulsive expression as he growled, "What are you staring at, peasant rat?"
She said nothing and instead turned to Lord Freso and made a gesture that she was quite all right and ready to continue with the tournament. It bothered her even more that besides the strange vision she was having, Lord Freso had expressed his concern and obviously his special favor for her in front of everyone. She faced the target again and if she was seeing it though in her normal eyes, she would still have been staring in complete darkness but in her new night vision she saw a green circle in a distance that Arianna was surprise to realize that it wasn't really as far as she thought it was.
Nervously preparing her bow and arrow, she listened as Lord Freso signaled to everyone the recommence of the contest and tried to adjust to her new sight as she watched both Uther and the hunter aim miraculously straight into the target.
It was her turn and she smirked as her new sight boosted her confidence and sent her arrow straight into that target.
Finally, the target was at the most expectant hundred and fiftieth yard. The crowd held the breath and applauded uncontrollably as all three archers still managed to hit the center target.
The farthest range was broken as the target moved to about a hundred and eighty yards away.
Arianna's arm and back were already aching painfully and her fingers stung as well. She held her breath as she watched the hunter aim and shoot. She didn't hear the dull thud of the arrow but she knew it must have hit the target.
"Off the circle!" the distant call sounded and the crowd groaned and booed, the hunter was clearly the crowd favorite. The hunter, meanwhile, stood shocked for a moment, hardly believing his arrow had barely reached the center target. He walked off in a daze, his face in total distraught knowing that he would be clearly beaten by one of the much younger lads. He took the failure very painfully
Uther was next. His cold green eyes set; he lifted his bow and aimed at the target. His hand quivering slightly with the fury he bore towards the impudent peasant boy, the boy who hardly spoke at all, who hid his face beneath the shadow of his hat and whose inferiority meant nothing to a wealthy boy like Uther, in whose blood flowed the pride and honor of royalty, power and riches of the Val Halls. But this particular peasant captured far greater attention to himself than Uther had in his entire life. Jealousy boiled rapidly in Uther's veins and his focus was slightly deterred. He released his arrow with a cry of contempt and it flew high into the darkness.
"Three inches within the inner circle!" the call came and the crowd cheered again, their shrill voices echoed everywhere.
Uther relaxed and smiled smugly. It wasn't exactly a bulls eye hit but at least it was the closest he could get to the center and if this peasant's arrow would not land as close as his, he would be declared the champion.
Arianna's jaw dropped slightly in disbelief. This boy was as good as he boasted he was, but she immediately composed herself as Uther flashed his smug smile in her direction. She gave away no obvious expression and instead stepped up to the mark and readied her bow.
"Be prepared to swallow up your indecent words of yesterday, peasant rat. I will make certain you will…" came Uther's disdainful whisper from behind.
She ignored him, and lifted her bow. She could see her target in the night, she calculated quickly in her mind the best way to make her arrow fly without its course being disrupted by the breeze that was getting stronger. She knew she could hit that center mark… she had to. It was what she had come all the way for. It was already apparent to her that she was the gods' favor or else they would never have given her such strange visions. She couldn't even see the light glow of the fairies anymore.
Victory was close at hand; she could feel it in her bones. Soon, her long awaited prize will be achieved and she could face her grandfather again with no shame in her past actions, no matter how reprehensible. She could see her mind's eye, her grandfather waiting with open arms, a proud smile on his lips and happy tears in his eyes.
This is for you grandfather…
She was just about to let go of her arrow when she suddenly felt a hard jab at her back. Blood red stains and giant flames flickered in her eyes. She gasped in horror and surprise as she released her arrow before she meant to. Arianna heard some of the crowd gasp as well.
Her normal eyesight returned. She turned back to find Uther wearing a smile of triumph, his bow in his hand. She looked around to see if anyone had seen what he did, to see if anyone called out the foul move, but those who had made the shocked sound said nothing and it seemed their attention was for a moment not on the game but their gaze was directed somewhere else.
Arianna turned her attention back to the target, she saw the figure of the caller moving towards it and she waited with bated breath to hear if her arrow had made it or not.
"Three inches also within the inner circle!" she heard the call.
"WHAT?" Uther snarled in disbelief.
The crowd was murmuring nervously with one another.
Arianna didn't know whether to sigh in relief or explode with anger. The wind must have carried her off course arrow in to the right course but still she was leveled with Uther that meant they were both the Champions, she had meant to aim for the center, gain victory for her own and she could have attained it easily but she didn't. And why was no one reacting to this chaotic incident? A hundred thoughts flooded Arianna's head and she dropped her bow on the ground.
Turning to Uther, a violent flame raging in her brown eyes she clenched her hands into a fist knowing it was he who had maliciously distracted her. Uther's smile had vanished off his face just when the caller announced her arrow's position. The peasant hadn't lost. His treacherous attempt to gain victory over the peasant boy had proved futile and when Ari had faced him, Uther's green eyes were alight with a furious fire as vicious as Ari's.
"YOU!" Arianna cried but before she could take a step towards her foe, Uther was charging towards her.
"NO!"
Uther crashed into Arianna and knocked her to the ground, his balled fists raining on Arianna's face. She tried to protect herself with her arms as she heard him screaming,
"No! No! You lost! This was my victory! Mine! Mine! You worthless piece of filth! Insolent dog! Peasant scum! Rat!"
Arianna opened her eyes and saw Uther's face contorted with anger, and saw his fist nearly colliding with her nose. She turned her head and Uther howled in pain as his fist came in contact with the rough ground. Arianna took the moment of his paused beating to shove her knee into his stomach. The boy rolled off her as he clutched his midsection in agony, she then clambered on top of him and started attacking with punches of her own.
The raging struggle between the two had finally caught the attention of most of the crowd and a few hunters came running in to stop it. The town head was in a terrible state as he went about shouting for order; here were the two best archers and supposedly champions of the Archery tournament fighting like spoiled children on the ground and his people were in panic and confusion. Everything for him was all going terribly wrong and all his plans crushed and scattered.
Three men had managed to pry Arianna off Uther but just as both of them were on their feet, Arianna pulled free of her restrainers and yanked Uther back to the ground. They were tumbling, rolling on the ground, and hurling everything they got against each other. As they continued their brawl, Arianna rolled, felt a sharp rock slice her skin, tore her right sleeve and her hunting cap fall off but she hardly cared. All that mattered was that she made Uther feel the most terrible pain he had ever left, to take in all the anger and hurt she bore him, and to make him suffer as he never suffered before. She saw nothing except Uther's bleeding mouth; she was blinded by her own fury towards this boy.
The hunters had their hands once again on her shoulders, Uther's hand was clutching her outer vest and Arianna felt herself being roughly pulled away again. This time, there was a loud screeching rip and a tinkle of coins that rang in her ears after which she was flung abruptly to the ground. Arianna groaned in pain and was about to take on Uther once more when she looked up and saw that the hunters and Uther were staring down at her in shock and disbelief. Blood was flowing out of Uther's mouth and nose and dark bruises formed around his eyes and cheeks. But he didn't seem to notice as his green eyes were staring wide at her.
"Tis a woman!" one of the hunters gasped.
"Not just a woman, she's a bloody witch!" Uther spat.
Arianna's eyes flitted towards her bosom; her outer vest was torn in the middle revealing her white inner shirt where the outlines of her developing breasts were clearly seen. She immediately tried to cover them with her ripped vest but strands of her long scarlet hair fell unto her face and she knew that even if they hadn't seen her breasts, her ladylike scarlet hair would have told all. Her bag of gold coins had fallen and scattered on the ground but she didn't take notice of it. Instead she saw her shredded sleeve and the bright red star glowing brightly for all to see. She quickly hid her arm behind her back.
The crowd was in complete silence. All eyes were on her but none shown any compassion, joy or pity. They were cold, hard and cruel. Arianna looked around, Lord Freso had disappeared and to her utmost incredulity and shock, so had the fairies. The table was empty, not one fairy or tiny glowing light could be seen anywhere. They were gone. Arianna knew that she had put herself in the worst situation imaginable; the situation she had been trying to evade.
"I-I…c-can explain." She stuttered frightfully in her normal voice. Her heart was racing furiously with fear and Arianna was racking her mind for a plan, but her thoughts were a blank. She tried to stand but her legs were quivering so badly, she slopped back to the ground.
"Mother look! It's Arianna!" she heard a shriek call out from the crowd and she turned to head to find herself facing Luli and her family.
"So it is! That's the little vixen that nearly burned our house down! I should have suspected she had to be a witch!" Madam Lilianne snarled.
"Only a witch could have the insolence to break the most important and vital rule for women in Vasdenin!" Luli declared vehemently.
Arianna was speechless. This was it. It was all over for her now. Her secret was out and revealed and she knew that if she stayed on that ground, she would soon be taken to her death. Arianna saw the hunters moving in to take her. But just before she could, she scrambled to her feet and darted into the crowd narrowly escaping the clutches of the hunters, running as fast as she could away from the archery field.
"After her!" she heard the town head bellow.
Arianna ran as fast as her legs could take her. She dove in and out of tents, knocking over tables and lanterns, running into shrubs and flowers, jumping on benches, shoving past people until she had raced as fast and as far as she could out of the town square. She couldn't quite clearly see where she was heading, all that she knew was that she had to keep running. She could hear the angry voices and the heavy steps of her pursuers behind her.
She ran into houses and even climbed up rooftops. It was only when she jumped down from one rooftop to the other and over a fence unto a small pile of hey that she knew she might be safe. She was behind a small wooden house and she saw a large crate. Stepping out of the hay, she moved quickly towards it. Opening it, she tossed out the buckets and pails that were inside and slid in. She pressed herself into the darkness of her cramped space, hoping no one could see or find her in there. She breathed in short quick silent gasps. Easing her heart to beat more slowly. She saw three men and two women walk past her holding up lanterns, and torches. She breathed a sigh of relief when they had gone and started to think of a plan to get out of Vasdenin.
While she was thinking, the pain and aches of the previous moments ago suddenly came down on her. Her right arm was bleeding; her face felt all puffy and raw and her legs and arms were throbbing excruciatingly. Her lucky escape had made all her aches feel even more agonizing. She knew she wouldn't last the night by simply running back to the fields. She had to find a horse. But where could she look for one?
She had to find a way out or else be subjected to hiding inside that crate till someone would find her or until she would die of starvation. Her night of supposedly fulfilled dreams was turning into a nightmare filled with nothing but endless debacle and torture.
