Jade Medieval

Chapter 11

Some people just know what to say, they know how to handle things. I'm not saying I can't be like them. Just that my thoughts run deeper than what can be said aloud. It's like my thoughts form a whole new language that, when translated, come out mixed up. My fingers wiggle inside the rope that binds them loosely.

When I don't understand, sometimes I cry. I wouldn't cry here. I knew why I had been tied up. Even if i hadn't know i would've held myself together.A crying girl amongst these prominent men would hurt their possible compassion.My tongue touched the fabric tied around my mouth. It tasted like lillies and when I sniffed it it barely covered the stench of mud and beer.

I was woozy and light headed. Warm red blood dripped from my forehead to land on my soiled dress. The blue fabric was torn at the bottom hem when they'd must of dragged me. I felt a necklace in my hands. My fingers clutched around the smooth metal tightly. A small green stone lay at it's heart.

Earlier

"We cant outrun them!" Alexa shouted.

"I know."

"What do we do?"

I thought about this carefully before answering," we have four people out there. We try and save them! When I get off hurry to them and save them."

I turned Ginger around and ran behind a boulder for cover. I swiched places with Alexa and swung out my sword. I caught a glimpse of a character with a bow. If they had more archers coming from behind we were completely screwed. I dropped off my horse to fight. Blood splattered on my face but I was safe. I felt the eyes of the lone archer behind me. I took down three warriors before I got a good look at him. Brown clothing and a hand crafted bow.The archer pulled a arrow to his bow and took aim at the warrior that held Kiara captive. It whizzed above with great speed and accuracy. The archer was on our side.

"Dad?" I called out.

"Jade! Focus," I whipped around to see Michael running with two swords," he threw a dagger from his pocket at a bulky man that was charging at me.

The man yowled in pain and pulled the silver dagger from his bloody shoulder. Furious like a bull he puffed and held his heavy sword above his head. I ducked to the side, and rolled. The sword dug deep into the earth and the man struggled to pull it out. As I lay on the ground I gasped at the amount of blood on me. My face was dripping with red, I wiped it off and caught my breath. My side was seizing and I barely heard Michael shouting my name.

"Your dead girl," the rotten teeth sneered at me.

I pulled myself up and wobbled," Michael!" I gasped and clutched my side.

I saw he was caught up with a group of four men and wouldn't be able to help me. My predicament was god-given. Was I to die here? The large man struck his sword near my feet slashing it mid-air. He was playing with an injured sheep before killing it. I walked backwards leading the man slowly to my only chance. Behind me I saw Alexa had freed Kiara and Mint. Then a saw them. Another army of men was coming; I knew this wasn't about me or my father. Our kingdom was being attacked by southerners and this was the retaliation.

"Why do you have my friends?" I asked the man then pointed to the army arriving on a hill.

His face drained of color," that, they aren't from my group! See ya girl!" He puffed running to his leader to the right and pointed fiercely. His elderly leader snapped the reins of his black horse and called his men.

"Retreat! Reform a line!"

In the middle of the field I met up with Alexa, Michael, and Kiara. The rest went to warn the native villages and prepare for war. The army was coming up the hill fast on their horses, almost every dark faced man sat on a horse. Us three jumped on Ginger and dashed to my father that stood with his bow aimed and ready.

He waved at us and spoke behind a boulder," I must go and speak with the king. Alexa you come with me, he looked from me to Ginger."

"Take Ginger."

He nodded and gave me a gentle hug," get someplace safe."

Michael moved to the edge of the Boulder and looked to the far right of the vast field. I followed his gaze to a brown horse tied to a log. I heard Ginger gallop behind me and turned to silently see them off.

"We can try to get to my horse then go through the forest behind the army."

"To the horse."

If this was a fight between two kingdoms I was confident our knights, two times their fleet, could win alone.

We agreed upon our plan and slipped swiftly behind the landscape's boulders and hill ridges. We got to Michael's horse slower that what I'd of hoped, but fast enough. The army was still oblivious to us and marched on. The ringing of metal armour clashed along the hill sides causing my ears to ring. Michael and I sat on his horse and ran to the safety of the forest. The trees and soft moss swayed earily as we entered. I was about to propose looking around when a thick rope net fell on us and caused the horse to buck us off. Groaning we pulled ourselves up and saw nobody coming. Soon they would be. Surely they heard the horse and our bodies hitting the ground. We pulled and cut ourselves from the trap and stood behind two trees.

"Someone from the Southerners has to be here, perhaps a coward," Michael said.

"What if it was a hunter's trap?" I said hoping.

"Somebody set it."

His eyes darted around but fell upon no soul.

"What now?" I asked

He pointed to a small stream and cupped his hands. In agreement i walked to it and took a drink. Micheal dipped his cupped hands into the cool clear water. The silence apart from nature sounds was most welcomed. Acting on a premature sense of safety. I whisled a five note tune and a small bird caught on. Michael gestured to shush a moment later and pointed over a bush on his right. We heard foreign southerners speaking spamish. It was times like these I'm grateful to my teachings.

"The horse came from here."

"Could just be some kids messing about."

"The King's brother thinks its spies."

Two men and they were coming closer. We took shelter up a tree and perched on it's branches. I was lower that Michael, just out of sight. The two men were young like my brother but held themselves higher. They bickered about who had most experience in defeating the enemy and tossed rocks at poor woodland animals. This all happened a handful of feet beneath my own. I shifted and heard Michael above me begin to speak when he was silenced by more movement. I realized frantically that i had to get up higher. I yanked on Michael's shoe and pointed to a higher limb then to him.

"Up!" I hissed between my feet.