Sarah knew it wouldn't be long until they were followed. She didn't let Chuck stop running until they reached the tree line. They had to slow to a walk when the terrain became rougher. Rocks and roots were everywhere and running wasn't worth a twisted ankle. Moss and dead leaves littered the ground as they moved more slowly through the trees.
After a few hours of careful hiking, Chuck started to complain. A few hours later, he was reduced to whining, but she kept him moving. Rather than going in a straight line, Sarah did her best to seek out natural barriers to move through that would make them harder to track. Going off the path hadn't bothered Chuck, but he'd baulked when she pointed to the river.
"River, really?" Chuck said, looking out over the river in question.
"Well what would you call it?" Sarah asked.
"Creek, maybe," Chuck said. Sarah had to admit he had a point. The water was too wide to simply step over but it was also shallow and slow moving. Sarah could see his point about it not being a river, she just didn't really care.
"It doesn't matter what you call it," Sarah said. "We are still crossing it."
"But we are gonna get soaked!" Chuck whined.
"There is enough daylight left to dry us off before nightfall," Sarah said. "No excuses."
"Why can't we go around or find a bridge or something?"
"That won't throw off our scent," Sarah answered. She was getting rather tired of his arguing.
"We don't know for sure that they have dogs," Chuck reminded her.
"We also don't know for sure that they don't have dogs," Sarah sighed. If he'd just moved instead of bickering about it, they'd be across already. "If you don't get moving, I'm going to push you across and you will get even wetter."
Chuck grumbled but he didn't argue anymore. Instead he started walking through the water. The creek came up to just above their ankles. Sarah followed him in and she had to admit the water was rather cold. She could also feel the slimy algae growing on the rocks. They had to be careful not to slip. They wouldn't get far injured.
"My stolen shoes are soaked through," Chuck stated as they reached the other side.
Sarah's boots were also wet but was she complaining, no. She had a feeling this was the roughest the prince had ever had it in his entire life. Sarah almost envied him, if his spoiled comments weren't so annoying.
"Technically, those shoes were the property of the king and you are the king's son," Sarah reminded him. "Therefore, not stolen."
"Tell that to whoever goes to collect their shoes tomorrow and finds them missing," Chuck shot back.
"Why don't we take a break and let our shoes dry in the sun," Sarah suggested, gesturing off to her right. There was a clearing there where the trees were far enough apart to let the sun shine through.
"We can even eat some of our rations," Sarah added to get him moving.
It worked. Chuck's face lit up at once. She'd insisted they be sparing with their rations. Sarah didn't know how long it would be until they could get more. It had been clear after their first meal break, that Chuck could not be trusted with the food. He had tried to eat it all, after working up an appetite running, hiking and generally moving more than the prince was used to all day. She reached into her bag and took out two small pieces of bread, handing one to Chuck which he ate at once.
"When we run out of our packed food we are going to have to hunt," Sarah reminded him when he asked for seconds. "Do you know how to hunt?"
"Why can't we just buy food?" Chuck asked.
"With what money?" Sarah countered. Chuck opened his mouth but Sarah cut him off. "We can't use your title and send the bill to the castle as it will very likely lead whoever is after you right to us. We didn't have time to collect any coins before we left. We were lucky to get away with what we have."
"How did you know what I was going to say?" Chuck asked, slightly impressed.
"What can I say," Sarah replied with a slight laugh. "You are predictable."
Chuck didn't say anything. He just sighed and laid down on the grass, closing his eyes.
"At least the sun is warm," Chuck said softly. The cover of the woods had protected them throughout the day, but Sarah did have to admit the sun felt wonderful. It was so warm against her skin, Sarah hadn't realized she'd been cold.
"And it should dry off our shoes in no time," Sarah agreed as she placed her shoes in the direct sunlight and told him to do the same. "You should rest now while you can. We'll have to move again before dark."
"Why can't we just stay here tonight?" Chuck asked, once his shoes were sitting in the sun with hers. The prince looked exhausted and he was now laying in the only patch of sun they'd seen since entering the woods. She couldn't blame him for not wanting to get up.
"Too easy to spot without the trees for cover," Sarah said. "And we should take advantage of the few hours of daylight left."
"Whatever you say," Chuck's voice was trailing off like he was about to fall asleep. Sarah decided to let him. She sat down on a rock and stood guard - or rather sat guard - as Chuck's breathing grew slow and even.
Sarah couldn't help watching him. He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping and despite his slightly annoying nature, he'd proven more than once already that he had a good heart. She caught herself smiling as she watched him nod off.
Some men, like Shaw or Larkin, knew they were attractive. It created a slight arrogance to their personalities that showed up in small ways. Larkin especially. as the only unmarried one. tended to attract a fair bit of female attention, but Sarah had never been very interested in that kind of thing. For someone to be truly beautiful, there had to be something more to them. Something less tangible that made them better than they seemed. She'd turned down Larkin's offer to share a meal with him many times since coming to live in the Castle, and knew she likely would again, if they ever made it back.
Sarah shook her head to clear it before getting up to do a perimeter check. Why had watching Chuck sleep made her think of that? Sarah checked their shoes. The sun had turned the shoes from soaking wet to just mildly damp. Sarah decided this would have to do for now. They were burning daylight.
Gently, she woke Chuck, who jumped up with a startled noise then shook his head and rubbed his eyes.
"Time to go?" he asked, once he'd properly woken up. Sarah nodded her head.
They started moving again, but this time Chuck didn't complain. Sarah suspected he was starting to get too tired to bother. What little of the sun she could see through the trees was low in the sky. They had been walking since before it had risen. Sarah couldn't blame him for being tired. She was tired, too.
When Sarah stopped walking, Chuck didn't notice right away and walked right into her.
"We can camp here tonight, Chuck," Sarah said and the prince exclaimed in relief then promptly collapsed on the ground.
"What I wouldn't give for a pillow right now," Chuck whined.
"At least I made you wear layers," Sarah reminded him playfully.
"That you did," he agreed with a kind smile.
His smile faded and he sat up to look her in the eyes before speaking again.
"I'm sorry, Sarah," Chuck apologised. "I know I've been whiny and horrible today. I promise I'm not usually such a jerk."
"I know," Sarah replied. "And thank you for admitting it, but the apology wasn't necessary. This is my job."
"It was necessary," Chuck disagreed firmly. "You deserve better."
Sarah wasn't really sure what to say so she didn't say anything. It didn't take Chuck long to fill the silence.
"And I don't want to make excuses, but at the same time I can't quite believe this is happening. Yesterday I was at home with my family. I thought my parents were just being paranoid about the extra security. Clearly, I couldn't have been more wrong, because now I'm on the run, hungry, tired and sore. I have no idea when, or if, I'll ever see my family again and we don't know who attacked the castle." He paused, taking a deep breath before adding, "The whole situation is just so overwhelming, at least to me. I'm sure this feels like a Tuesday to you."
"This isn't easy for me either," Sarah admitted. "I've never been a personal bodyguard before, never been given an assignment on my own before, let alone one this important."
"So, we are in agreement that today was less than ideal," Chuck replied with a laugh. Sarah couldn't help but laugh with him.
"Yes, Chuck," she smiled, feeling lighter than she had all day with just this one moment of humour.
After that she offered him more food from her bag and said they should get some rest.
"I don't suppose you'd let me try and start a fire?" Chuck asked.
"Maybe tomorrow," Sarah answered. "But not tonight. A fire will be too easy to spot and we don't know how far these people are willing to chase you."
"Kinda figured," Chuck sighed before laying back down on the ground. "Really makes me want that pillow again or even just a blanket."
Without the constant movement to keep her warm, Sarah was really starting to feel the cold night air in her bones. She laid down on the ground and curled her body up to try and conserve heat, but she knew she'd never get any sleep without at least a blanket. She moved to lean up against the trunk of a tree cause the wood was warmer than the ground but even that didn't stop her teeth from chattering.
"This is stupid," Chuck said. "You are going to freeze. Come over here and I'll keep you warm."
The whole situation just seemed more than a little awkward and yet she couldn't refuse. She was too cold. Social standing, personal space and etiquette didn't feel so important while her whole body was shaking.
Sarah settled in next to Chuck who put his arm around her. He was so warm and she snuggled in without even thinking about it, unable to resist his warmth. Both their shoes were still a bit damp from the creek, so they'd taken them off in an effort to keep warm. When Chuck tucked his warm toes in between her cold ones it felt so good. She could feel the warmth spreading through her body and after a few moments her teeth stopped chattering.
"Better?" Chuck asked. Sarah just nodded into his chest.
She fell asleep with her head on Chuck's chest, listening to the sounds of the forest mingled with his steady heartbeat.
When she woke, Sarah could smell something. It smelt good and she could hear crackling. She opened her eyes and, to her surprise, she saw Chuck sitting a few feet from her with his frying pan over some hot coals. The pan had some kind of meat in it that was the source of the amazing smell.
Sarah sat up, feeling like she might be dreaming.
"You packed raw meat?" Sarah said slowly in disbelief. She had to be awake, however. as the smell was making her realise just how ravenous she was.
"Nope. I hunted," Chuck explained. "For today's breakfast I offer you rabbit."
Sarah starred, blinking at him still expecting it all to vanish any second. He'd even skinned and deboned it. Sarah remembered learning how to do exactly that with her father as a girl. Before he'd gone to prison.
"You can hunt?" Sarah asked slowly.
"Later, first let's eat!"
Sarah was definitely confused, but she couldn't resist the smell. Moving forward she helped herself to the breakfast on offer, pairing it with half the last piece of bread in her bag. She gave Chuck the other half. They ate in silence until all the food was consumed.
"Thank you for breakfast, Chuck," Sarah said. "Now can you please explain to me how you suddenly know how to hunt?"
"What do you know about magic?" Chuck asked her.
Sarah shrugged. She had no idea what he was getting at here/ but answered honestly anyway. "Just what I've read. It's out there, but it's rare. I've certainly never met anyone with a magic ability. I've never even met someone who claimed to know someone who met someone with magic before. Some history books claim there was a time when every kingdom employed magic users by the hundreds, but that always sounded more like mythology than history to me."
She paused for a moment, putting two and two together. "Chuck, are you telling me you were born with magic?"
He nodded slightly. "It didn't really show up until I was a teenager, and my parents have insisted on keeping it a secret ever since. Something about danger. I never believed them until yesterday."
Just then Sarah realized how much he was trusting her by telling her this. She found herself oddly touched.
"Who else knows?" she asked.
"My parents and Morgan," Chuck answered. "And now you."
"And most likely whoever is hunting you," Sarah added.
"Oh yes, and that. though I will only take credit for telling you and Morgan," Chuck announced.
"How exactly does your magic work?" Sarah asked. She couldn't help but be wildly curious!
"I can temporarily borrow other people's skills," Chuck explained. "But it's not exactly fool proof, as you've seen. I still suck at stuff most of the time."
"What's the difference then?" Sarah asked. "Why could you borrow my hunting skills, but you couldn't fight those guys at the castle?"
"Because in order to borrow someone's skills, I have to touch them," Chuck explained. "Skin contact for at least five seconds, sometimes ten, and it takes concentration, which is a bit tricky when someone is actively trying to kill me."
"I can imagine," Sarah replied. In combat, seconds were a small eternity. She couldn't picture trying to hang on to an attacker's arm for ten seconds going well.
"Sometimes I can sneak it in, though," Chuck said. "An uncomfortably long hand shake usually works nicely."
Getting up, Sarah checked her boots and found them to be dry enough, so she put them on. Chuck followed her lead.
"I wanna see it in action," she said. "Here." She held out her hand. "Borrow my fighting skills and we can spar."
"I don't want to hurt you," Chuck told her.
Sarah just scoffed. "I bet you can't," she said. "Come on! It will be fun."
Reluctantly, Chuck took her hand. He didn't quite close his eyes, but they started fluttering slightly. Then, after about six seconds - Sarah counted in her head - he released her hand.
Sarah attacked him and Chuck dodged, rather expertly actually. Better than she'd seen him dodge before. She repositioned her feet to throw another punch and he dodged again.
"Chuck the idea of sparing is that we both attack," Sarah reminded him with a hint of laughter in her voice.
"And I said I don't want to hurt you," Chuck reminded her.
"You are only as skilled as me, right?" Sarah replied. "So that should make us evenly matched."
Chuck didn't answer. When she tried for another kick, she learned he still didn't seem to understand the concept of fighting back. After watching him dodge her every move for a solid five minutes, Sarah gave up.
"Honestly, I got better practice sparring with Morgan," Sarah complained.
Chuck did at least laugh at that. "I'm sorry," he said. "I just- It's not like I've ever practised with this magic. I only know how to use it in real situations, and I don't want to hurt you."
"How long does the skill last once you absorb it?" Sarah asked.
"Not that long," Chuck replied. "Usually for the length of time I use it. I've never actually timed it. Man, you sure are interested in this magic thing, aren't you?"
"Who wouldn't be?!" Sarah exclaimed. "That is a pretty cool power to have, Chuck."
"I guess so," Chuck shrugged. "I never really thought about it like that before. It's just kinda there."
"What I don't understand is how this could be useful to anyone but you," Sarah added. "Like why chase you down for it?"
"Dad has this theory," Chuck answered. "He thinks that if I can borrow skills, I might also be able to extract information. He thinks if I practised, or was as he said 'properly motivated' to learn, I could use this magic to absorb anything a person knows. He thinks someone would want me to get information out of prisoners."
"Oh yeah. I hadn't thought of that," Sarah said. "That makes sense. What a useful skill in war time or if a spy is captured or something like that."
"Which is probably why Dad told me not to tell anyone," Chuck added.
"So naturally you blabbed to your best friend and now your bodyguard," Sarah giggled at him.
"Naturally," Chuck said back with a laugh. Then he sobered and turned to look back the way they'd come. It was not possible to see the castle from here, but Sarah could easily guess that was where Chuck's thoughts were.
"I wonder what they are doing right now," Chuck said after a moment's pause. "Do you think mom and dad sent out search parties?"
"Oh, most definitely," Sarah replied kindly. "But as I don't know how to avoid one party hunting us while letting the other party tracking us know where we are, the plan is still to avoid both."
"Yeah, I get that," Chuck agreed. He seemed sad and Sarah didn't like how that made her feel. She moved closer and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's going to be alright, Chuck."
"Thanks," Chuck smiled at her.
And then he was gazing into her eyes with such intensity Sarah almost forgot to breathe. For a moment they just stood there, staring into each other's eyes.
"Sarah," Chuck whispered softly. "I think it's time I answer your question."
"What question?" Sarah replied, still feeling slightly dazed by the uninterrupted eye contact.
"The one you asked when we first met," Chuck continued.
Sarah had to actually think about this. She blinked a few times and that seemed to help her focus, but not enough to recall what she'd said.
"Well I suppose you actually asked me two questions," Chuck added. "You didn't realise it then, but the answer to both is the same."
He was even closer to her now. She could feel his breath against her skin. Sarah had never felt like this before. She was so aware of him standing there in front of her.
"My reading tower has a great view of the military training yard," Chuck admitted.
Sarah couldn't tell if this was an answer to a question or just a statement. Chuck was so close. She heard the words, but she hadn't the capacity to truly process them at the moment. All she could think about was how close Chuck's lips were to hers. Just a fraction closer and-
Sarah's thought was cut off sharply by a new much less pleasant sensation. Something cold, metal and sharp was pressed against the skin of her neck.
She couldn't see behind her, but she had a pretty good idea what the sharp cold metal thing was. The look on Chuck's face alone would have been enough to tell her they were in real trouble.
"Sarah!" Chuck cried out, very visibly upset.
"Don't even think about it, Charles," a voice behind Sarah spoke. She had to assume he was the man with the knife to her throat. "One wrong move and she dies."
"What do you want?" Chuck asked. There was a hopeless desperation in his voice and Sarah hated to hear it, but more than that, she wished he'd been able to keep his cool. Showing how upset he was just made him easier to manipulate.
"I want you to tie her up," the man said. He threw something forward. Sarah turned only her eyes and was able to identify the object as two pieces of rope. "And then yourself."
Without a single word, Chuck did exactly what he was told. Sarah didn't understand. She wanted to yell at him to stop! Her life wasn't this important. He had to run, and run fast. Why was he just doing exactly what the attacker wanted? It was her job to protect him, not the other way around.
She tried to speak, but the blade was pressed so firmly against her throat even the small movement required for speech would have caused the knife to pierce her skin. She had never felt so helpless before in her entire life.
"Good," the guy with the knife said. "Now we are leaving."
He made Sarah move forward and she got the impression she'd be his prisoner so long as he wanted Chuck to do what he was told. This wasn't good. Then, Chuck stopped dead and faced the enemy down.
"I'll come willingly, but only if you let her go first," Chuck stated firmly. There was a new confidence to his voice and Sarah hoped maybe that meant he still had the skill he'd absorbed from her earlier. Maybe they could get out of this?
"No, she comes with us," the man replied. "I believe she will prove useful in preventing you from escaping."
"I won't try to escape," Chuck promised. "But she stays here."
"You know, I had planned to put the knife to your throat, but then I saw you earlier and knew this plan would work better," he said. "What I don't understand is why. She's just military and yet here you are at my mercy merely because her life is in danger." He paused almost thoughtfully as if pondering Chuck's offer. "Alright. Strangely enough, I believe you will keep your word. She can stay."
Sarah hoped this was part of Chuck's plan, but then she saw his face. He was determined, that was for sure, but somehow she knew it wasn't because he planned to escape. He was more resolved to the deal than anything. If they were going to escape, it was up to her.
As she was being tied to a tree, Sarah fought back. The blade was still there but not quite so close as before. She was able to kick with her legs and still avoid the knife's edge. Her outburst didn't get her free, but it did get her punched down against the ground. Sarah could feel where he'd hit her and knew she'd have a wicked bruise there by the end of the day.
"Stop!" Chuck's voice snapped. "You do that again and the deal is off."
The man just smiled in an evil kinda way. Sarah felt sure he'd enjoyed punching her. She tried to memorise his face. He had a beard flecked with grey and a messy mop of brown hair, but mostly it was the evil glint in his eye that she knew she'd never forget.
If you haven't read any of my pre-chuck fanfic than you probably don't know this about me... but I LOVE a good cliffhanger! ^_^