Thank you, for reading and if you did review than thank you double. Here is another chapter hope you all like it.
No more the bare wands that told of winter's magic, here come the green flags, the parade of spring in bright bloom. The chorus of the skies has called forth the promise of the earth and sunshine combined. These weeks will be as a developing photograph - the colors deepening with the richness of the season. The rain will wash warmer over each face, a freshness to open each budding smile.
A female blackbird hops on the newly defrosted grass, her deep brown legs matching the soil below. She has feathers the color of every tree, of every wisp of wood that promises life to come. There is something in the way she moves, a joy, as she relishes the season change. The air is cool, but she can feel the promise of warmth within. My hands still warm in the mittens as we ready to head to town, we used Celia's skill's to make the wedding invitation's with the supplies the boys fetched us. She was skilled in Calligraphy with beautiful, flowing lettering in gold, I talked to Gerry and Kelly and they joyfully agreed to let me use the manor as the location for the reception and wedding, so today we are mailing the invitations to those we have selected to join us.
Our list was complete now so much had to take place as getting a florist in TreeGap, the reception planned and who was cooking what. I knew certain places in my hometown and in April we would head there to order what we wanted, so by June 1st everything be set for us. Mae sketched the decorations and how I wanted them, Celia was keeping a detailed list of every single choice. The boys just doing their own thing, this was my first and last wedding so to me it had to be perfect.
His hand twitched alerting me he was trying to capture my attention, when I glanced up at him he was smiling already. "Lost in thought, my love," the way his voice was rough but husky, but silky too had me.
"Will the Brotherhood of the farlands attack or will they not risk it with many in attendance?" my question caught him off guard now his brow was furrowed, and his hand tightened.
But he stays silent as we walked through the forest to the tunnel, the Spring day was glorying after the harsh Winter we had to endure but Jesse seemed to come into his own. Miles turned back to check in on me as Celia turned with him, "We're coming," with a beaming smile.
Miles echoed, "Hurry, we want to stick together right now. Jesse," his dark eyes had a conversation as Jesse just picked up the pace nearly dragging me over the fallen logs and large tree branches.
"But no ripping her arm off," Celia was stern her eyes like daggers. "Sorry," he muttered. In the forest, the sky vanishes almost completely, only a few fragments of blue remain- like scattered pieces of an impossible jigsaw puzzle. The air is rich with the fragrance of leaves and loam, damp too. The mountains were covered with a rug of trees, green, yellow, scarlet and orange, but their bare tops were scarfed and beribboned with snow. From carved rocky outcrops, waterfalls drifted like skeins of white lawn, and in the fields, we could see the amber glint of rivers and the occasional mirror-like flash of a mountain lake...
I touched the tree my fingers skimming the tree bark, it loomed in front of the tunnel, caught on a small thick branch was a small scrap of black fabric. I halted and so did Jesse as our other hand are intertwined. "Jesse look," holding it to him like a viper he took it, his voice angry.
"PA, MILES,"
They all came running to us, looking worried. "They made it through before us, they must have found shelter in the mountains. We need to get our things and then to town," plans have changed as Mae gave each of us a look.
"You're right, son. You two boys know where our safe house is, your Pa and I will go to town and mail these, act like everything is normal. They would have attacked if close, get home grab your bags and go, go as fast as possible. We will be there in one weeks time," her voice was firm, a stern motherly tone as she hugged us, girls, first then her own boys.
Angus, his face was grim. "Your Ma is right, go on and go," I was confused.
But like that Miles takes Celia's hand and mine running with Jesse covering us, a gun out what type is unknown.
I nodded in acknowledgment and followed Miles grueling pace without complaint. The warm spring day of the forest made me feel sticky and suffocated. Now my clothes and hair, slick with perspiration, clung to my skin. I swatted another pesky insect. Sweat rolled down my skin in thick, salty beads. I could feel my heart throbbing inside my chest. My skin felt like it was roasting. I began bouncing slightly as she jogged, which wore me out quickly. So I settled to stumbling along behind him as fast as she could. Was vaguely aware of a stinging in my leg. I was exhausted by the time we reached the large cabin.
Miles bellowed, "GET PACKED WE LEAVE IN FIVE,"
I just take the right hall to my room, grabbing my bag placing clothes, deodorant, socks, undergarments, anything I would need wrapping a picture of meemaw and me in a tee. Next was my backpack, I took the hunting knife I bought and hid from Jesse, hooking the case to the back of my jeans and pulling my sweater over it. Before I was running from the room to the kitchen. Packing jerky, fruit roils we just made, and some fruit and granola bars. Even some matches, rope and oil that would burn, wrapping it and stuffing it in before any of them came out here.
Last was water, all the perishables into my back pack, it was on and Jesse skidded into the room taking the buckle and snapping it around my waist, but his own eyes wouldn't meet mine. "Our things are okay here?"
"Yes," short and a new emotion, one I had never seen on him.
Celia and Miles are at the door neither looking happy, each with a bag as I took mine and rushed to them as Jesse shut the door and we took off in another direction. Miles had a gun in hand as did Jesse, Celia just looked pale taking my hand.
Her voice shook, "We will be okay, I promise you're getting married in June. But right now we flee as fast as we can, Miles wants us to run if anything happens," but we both knew it wasn't going to happen, we would do everything to protect them.
Miles was front and center while Jesse took the rear, we are in the middle making our way through the brush. The first river was in front of us about a mile further than we would be in waist deep water, but behind us came feet pounding into the damp green county side.
My feet slip outwards on the wet spring leaves as I round the corner, the cold evening air shocking my throat and lungs as I inhale deeper, faster. With each footfall, a jarring pain shoots ankle to knee, ankle to knee. Perhaps jumping that log was not the best idea. My heart beats frantically, all or nothing. Fail and my whole body will pay the price, run and the damage is limited mostly to my shins and knees.
Jesse fired, the gunshots cracked into the air as loud as thunder but without the raw power of a storm. In comparison they were tinny and small, coming from one direction only. Now Miles joined in pushing Celia and me to go on but could we just leave the men we loved…NO
Only six come, but we are but four, Celia pulls a gun from her back and fire's but Jesse is down as I skid to his side and plunge the knife hilt deep. I am furious seeing Jesse dead, I know he will wake but still, the sight scared me as I just kept stabbing until I was hauled off by Jesse. Being chased was nothing like the movies. The stars look heroic, sexy and in command of the situation. The reality was far removed from that pretty version of running to save your skin. My souls crash into the water a few times before I transition to the balls of my feet. My face is flushed red and my expression is just pure panic.
Miles just dragged Celia, and Jesse was holding me so tight as we crossed the river when Miles yelled. "My truck is in that underbrush," a sigh of relief a truck was faster than them. But there was his truck so even with them on us we drove down the very and I mean very winding road, it looked as if any minute a strong wind could blow us off. But Miles he handled his truck well as after an hour we hit a do not enter sign chains an all. It was warm but the chill of the river's we crossed chilled us to the bone.
"Starving," Miles grumbled as I tore open my bag handling out snacks and water much to everyone's relief. "Thank you, little bit,"
I asked, "Will Mae and Angus be alright?" worry clear as day.
"They will, not worrying baby," Celia just put her arms around me as she turned in her seat.
I was still worried…