Fugitive (sequel to Becoming Atlantian)

Fugitive - Chapter One

The black scaled beast shifted and then Jet was nuzzling Aubrey's face with her snout.

"You're worried about them too." The red head murmured before releasing another sigh. "We'll find a way to save them, we have to."

After another few minutes of companionable silence, Aubrey left her companion behind and slipped from the cave. The entrance was well concealed; the leaves and branches hiding the cave from view almost seamlessly. She would have to remember the spot well or it was possible the Atlantian may not even find her winged friend again.

Glancing down at the grass beneath her feet, Aubrey's eyes picked out the areas where it had been flattened by the policemen. The trails led to the North and to the South. Taking in a deep breath, she turned towards the North and started putting one foot in front of the other.

Aubrey and Jet had been forced to flee Atlantis. She had been made fugitive, accused of treason for playing a part in the death of the Matriarch. It didn't even appear to matter that the crazed and power hungry woman probably wasn't dead. Tiberius, her mentor and her friend, had remained in Atlantis to complete his own mission. It had been nearly 24 hours since they had come through the portal but Tiberius and his own winged companion had yet to make it through which meant he had either been captured or killed.

Shaking her head, Aubrey set off at a jog. Running had never been her favourite activity but as the young woman's legs and arms pumped she felt alive. There was something about being on the run for your life which was both terrifying and oddly exhilarating.

It took about fifteen minutes for her to scale the large green peak which dominated the landscape. Once at the crest, Aubrey could see for miles in either direction.

Immediately her eyes were drawn to the first sign of civilization. Settled on the crest of the next peak was a small isolated village. There appeared to be one road in and one road out of the settlement, the rest of its surroundings were completely rural. There were fields of sheep and cows but no signs of a large supermarket of shopping centre. At least the cars traversing the roads gave her an indicator of the year they were currently in. Their sleek models were 21st century at the earliest.

Aubrey frowned and looked down at her attire. Her Atlantian leathers would stick out in a small rural town in the 21st Century. There was no way she could carry out reconnaissance unnoticed if she was dressed like she was an extra from a film.

Running a hand through her hair, she allowed her eyes to travel across the landscape. She stopped when the fell upon the few houses which were outside the protection of the main village. Little stone houses were surrounded by little stone walls which wrapped around their gardens. The most important part to Aubrey however was the lines of washing which were flapping in the breeze.

After another few minutes of running, the red head crouched down beside a garden wall detached cottage. It was far enough away from the others that she hoped no one would notice her presence. Needing a moment to steady her nerves, Aubrey took a few deep breaths while staring down at her hands. Calluses has started to form on her palms and her fingers from the training that Tiberius had put her through. Before she was an Atlantian she had been a librarian.

"And now I'm a fugitive."

When there was nothing else to be done, she pushed up on her knees and took a glance over the wall. The house appeared still. There doors and the windows were locked up tight and there was no movement in the windows.

Counting under her breath, the red head placed both hands on the wall and then with a surge of strength, she vaulted her body over the wall and into the garden. Her feet landed on the grass with a dull thud, knees bent and body low. Holding as still as she could, Aubrey waited for a few long moments with baited breath.