Here comes the next chapter :) all your favourite characters are coming! Please review and tell me how I could make this story even more awesome! Sorry about the Sophia confusion. That was Annora's original name :) Enjoy...
Annora shook from the cold. It was raining and she huddled closer to the little fire she had managed to make. She had made a little shelter out of the cloak Kyden had given her.
What was she doing here? Why did she agree to this? She would end up dying from cold or be killed by bandits.
"Franji, what am I doing here?" Annora asked the pack pony. She hadn't known it was an arrows horse, or even that black arrows were real.
The horse rubbed its muzzle against her cheek and she patted her. She seemed to say 'it's in your nature'.
Annora saw a light in the distance and quickly put the fire out, huddled under the coat and attempted to sleep.
Annora sneaked through towns in the dead of night and hid in the forest when someone passed her on the road. The whole time she was worried about Kyden.
He had freed her from the clutches of Edmond, Truman and Greg and now he was risking his life for the kingdom.
Kyden was the bravest man she'd ever met and she couldn't forget his green eyes.
"Come on let's get going. I need to buy more food." Annora mounted the mare and they set off again. They were lucky and hadn't been attacked by thieves, yet.
They had been riding for most of the day when suddenly Franji buckled. She skirted around and Annora fought to keep her in check. Something was scarring her.
Two people jumped out of the bushes in front of her and two from behind. One guy ran and grabbed Franji's bridle and pulled Annora from the saddle.
"Please let me go." She cried out in fear.
"Shush, give us all your money and we'll let you live." The man's breath smelled of beer, making Annora want to retch.
"I don't have anything." Annora tried but the thief just shook her roughly.
"Put her down." A voice ordered, a voice she wished she'd never hear again.
Truman and Greg walked from the bushes and the bandits backed away. Three ran away but the man holding Annora didn't seem fazed at all.
"What do ye want Truman? This was my catch." The man shook Annora again.
"Do you want to take this up with Edmond?" Greg asked and the man let go of Annora and shrunk back into the bushes.
Annora's heart was racing and she couldn't believe that they'd been wrong. She couldn't believe that Truman and Greg had come after her and not Kyden.
"Come on Annora." Truman took a step forward and Annora took one back, careful to keep both of them in her sight.
"I'm not going to become a slave." Annora told them and they laughed.
Franji whinnied and Annora realized she was walking away from her. Annora jumped forward and pulled the sabre from its sheath then danced away.
She could do this. She'd been dodging cups and plates and swipes from her father since before she could remember, and she used to have mud fights with her step brothers. She could do this.
But it wasn't anything like mud pies. What if she killed one of them? Annora quickly dismissed the idea. She would never be able to hurt these masters.
Annora swiped at Greg and he joined her in a rally before hitting her across the ear with the flat of his blade. She cried out in frustration and attacked again.
Again Greg hit her across the head. The next time was the knee. He went for the knees and Annora jumped. She shoved her shoulder against him and he stumbled backwards, anger obvious on his face.
When he attacked next it wasn't with the flat of his blade.
Annora fell back against a large rock, blood coming from a cut on her head, knee and arm.
Greg grabbed her hair and leaned in close. "You're going to wish you hadn't done that girl. If Edmond didn't want you alive you'd be dead."
Annora shivered under his cold glare. She had to get out of this she had to get to the castle.
Annora did the only thing she could. She slammed her forehead into his. Greg stumbled back and Annora ran to Franji.
Her head killed, she couldn't see properly. The only thing she could do was hold on. She turned Franji into the bushes and away from the road and Franji took off into the brush.
Kyden glared at Edmond. Their weapons stood between them and they waited for the other to move.
"Where's Greg and Truman?" Kyden asked, hoping to buy more time.
"They've gone after Annora. You really shouldn't have put her in more danger." Edmond took a step forward.
"I didn't put her in danger, you did." Kyden tried not to think of the girl he probably did send into danger. Edmond was trying to confuse him when Kyden was meant to be confusing Edmond.
Suddenly Edmond moved, he jumped forward and, as Kyden went to attack from behind, elbowed the younger man in face.
The horse trotted straight to the castle's front door. It hadn't come through the town and it didn't come through the castle gate. It was just suddenly at the front door.
There wasn't normally a guard at the door and there wasn't one that night. It was luck that had a guard passing by and a green rider.
They stared at the horse and half dead rider. She hung limp in the saddle.
The girl looked up as Mara went to lift the girl's head.
"I must see the king." The girl's voice was hoarse and scratchy. She looked absolutely exhausted.
"You cannot see him." Mara told the girl. Shock and fear lit up her features and she half fell half climbed off the horse.
"Please, it's urgent." The girl pleaded. "Look at me, I am no threat to him."
"You're about to fall over. You may see him in the morning." Mara looked at the horse. It was of the riders breed but wasn't one she'd seen before. The cloak looked extremely warm and strange.
Mara turned to the guard. "She can't really do any harm." The girl swayed on the spot. Her eyes fading.
"Take her saber away and we'll take her to him." The guard said and Mara took girl's weapon from her.
It was strange. It had a leather handle and was too well made for a commoner to have.
"Wait, Franji." The girl grabbed hold of her horse.
"Don't worry. Hep will look after him." A man ran up and took the horse. Mara steered the girl into the castle.
Halfway to the throne room the girl couldn't walk by herself. Mara tried to convince the girl to sleep first but she refused to.
The girl was bleeding from various wounds and looked thin and sick.
Finally they reached the throne room. People were still trying to speak with the King.
Mara and Captain Jacob made their way through the crowd and to the front, carrying the girl between them.
"Mara, what's going on?" Mapstone asked.
"She said it's urgent." Mara bowed to the king and Queen.
King Zachary stood up and the herald Neff told everyone to leave.
"Get the girl a chair. She can't even stand by herself." Queen Estora ordered and the girl collapsed into a hard chair.
King Zachary stared at the sabre the girl's cloak. There was something in his eyes that startled everyone there.
"What's your name?" Zachary asked tenderly.
Lauren felt uneasy. The look on Zachary's face and his actions and the girl were scarring her.
The girl swallowed and looked into her monarchy's eyes. "A, Annora."
"Annora, who gave you this cloak and sabre?" There was an urgency in his voice but he kept whatever it was in check.
"His, his name was Kyden. He should be here. He said he'd meet me here." Annora stumbled over her words. She remembered the letter and tugged her boot off before giving it to the King.
Everyone tensed as he reached for her boot but Zachary held up a hand. He frowned as he read the letter.
"Where were," Zachary looked up and saw the girl almost fall off the chair. "Donald," one of the weapons emerged from the shadows, "take her to, you know where."
The stone faced weapon nodded and helped the girl to her feet and they left the room.
Disclaimer: The only characters I own are Annora, Kyden, Franji :), Truman, Greg, Edmond and Captain Jacob :D
Please review and tell me how you're thinking? Tell me anything you would love to see and I'll try to put it innnn :P REVIEW!