The Mother

Chapter 23

Scarlett ran as fast as her body would allow ignoring Lycan and Morocia that crawled out of every crevice they could. She occasionally killed one or two when they were in her direct path, her movements were so fast rarely anything had a chance to actually see her let alone get the chance to attack. She wasn't quite sure if she had ever moved that fast or that long before, she may have been moving as fast as she had seen Wesker move. Unfortunately, everything she had been through the past few days was catching up with her quickly and she knew she needed to find him quickly and get this over with or she'd pass out.

    She just made it toward the field they had fought Heisenberg in, and she stumbled on mold roots kicking her out of the speed she had been using nearly sending her falling. The sound of a horse reeling and a familiar voice crying out caused her to look to the left where she saw the duke, his cart and horse sliding toward her. She was quick enough to throw herself out of the way, but she laid on the ground as the man got his ride under control and leaned over to look at her.

   "Ahh good to see you're doing well Mrs. Kennedy." The Duke greeted cheerfully when he saw who it was. She looked up at him dizzily, breath heaving unusually heavy, she hadn't been this tired in a long time.

  "I have... to find Ethan." She heaved out as she glanced toward the former battlefield and pushed herself up onto weak legs. Her vision darkened for a moment, and she steadied herself with the hard, damp wood of his cart and waited for the nausea to pass with the dimmed vision.

  "Climb into the back, Ethan is...sleeping there. You can rest too; I know where I have to take you." The Duke said watching her with a serious expression, the tone of his voice was no longer light and cheery like usual now it had turned sharper, darker and a bit deeper. Her head snapped up to look at him and she bit back the bile rising from the unwise quick movement. She forced her vision to clear so she could study him, her thoughts buzzing to fast, but she settled for deciding to find out what the fuck he was once this was over.

  She walked to the back and opened the door, lifting herself into the dimly lit and warm box. She nearly collapsed there on the floor and began crying when she caught sight of Ethan laying across a large flat bench. She was quick to move herself to the opposite side, against the high wall near some cooking supplies and leaned against it as she lowered herself to sit on the floor, touching the rug with a strange crest on it before her eyes caught Ethan's form again.

  "Rest, We'll be at our destination in about thirty minutes, he should wake close to then." The Duke called softly, and she sighed as her body relaxed on its own, but her eyes remained on Ethan. The inside of the carriage was warm, quickly warming her bone-weary body to almost hot, but the cool air from the small panel that was behind the duke's head she could hear him from. Soon the lull of the carriage moving, and the comfortable temperature made her hesitant mind be consumed with dark exhaustion.

   Scarlett awoke at the sound of movement and forced her heavy eyes open. She smiled softly when she saw Ethan sitting up, looking at his good hand. She didn't know how long she had slept but she was immensely grateful for the rest she had gotten, already feeling the energy it had given her worn out body and mind.

  "At lats, he wakes!" The Duke called cheerfully, back to normal from his earlier words, hearing the man waking.

   "Where am I?" Ethan asked lowly, his eyes glossed over a little when he looked up to the window not seeing Scarlett sitting on the floor. Ethan was unsteady and looking at the floor when he asked where he was. Scarlett didn't move, she didn't want him to remember so much too fast, it was hard on the mind, and she knew that from experience.

  "My carriage, Ethan. You were having a nightmare." The Duke called back, and Ethan frowned, looking at his good hand and flexing it before his eyes cleared a little and he looked back up at the window.