The Battlefield

On The Run

Miriam walked along the dirt pathway, that led into the back of her house with a basket full of olives, as she had planned to make olive bread for lunch. She'd been living there for almost nine months by herself, living there since her parents died, living there with the walls that held decades of untold secrets.

The nervous whispers of her aunt brought Miriam out of her thoughts as soon as she closed the door. "Ria, you must leave town now, I heard they're
coming for you, I've already packed your bags, anything you may ever need, but please, leave now!"
"Zia?" Miriam asked. "But, how?" Her aunt had access into her home who checked on the young woman from time to time.
But today everything was different, the windows were shut tight which were then covered in a dark blanket, all the doors also had seemed to be locked. She could hardly see her aunt's short, petite figure in the darkness. Her aunt moved, picking up something from the floor at which Miriam's head snapped towards the movement.
"That's not important, sweetheart, it's that they're scouring the town for you. I beg you, please go, save yourself. I'll deal with them if they come to me," her aunt said pushing a heavy trunk towards Miriam.
The pleas of her aunt filled Miriam's ears, seconds later, loud banging and angry voices did. Without a moments hesitation, she grabbed the trunk and fled through the back door, from the place she had ever known. A place she had considered to be her haven now turned into a battleground in her eyes.
Miriam pulled off a red sash, that she had tied around her waist to accentuate it, and wrapped it around her head, obscuring her chestnut coloured hair that she had in a messy bun for the sake of accomplishing household chores without having her vision to be affected. The sash hooded her eyes, which held more pain, yet at the same time, more wisdom than any woman of her age could ever posses.

She dragged the trunk behind her and kept a vigilant watch all around her in case of the men who came to take her corners her. She also kept herself ready for sudden movements as she also had some herself, such as reaching to the the dagger that was hiding under the left sleeve of her dress, where she always had it .
A woman, whom Miriam had seen before in the company of her aunt's, approached her discreetly and clutched Miriam's hands affectionately.
"Miriam, do you remember me, I'm Bella, Bellatrix, not that it matters now, because you'll be going far away and we'll probably never see each other again unless your aunt and I come to visit."
"What do you mean I'll be going far away? Visit me where?" Miriam asked confused, she didn't know her aunt had booked her accommodation. Miriam held on tighter to Bellatrix's hand.
"You'll be staying in the house of Alena, a dear friend of your aunts," Bella said glancing up the narrow, cobbled street that led to Miriam's house. "I must go now child, and you must too, there's a horse and cart waiting for you in the square, it's the only one so it won't be hard to find, now forgive me but I must leave," Bella said before heading towards Miriam's house.
Miriam walked towards the piazza, ducking into alleyways if she thought someone acted suspicious to throw them off her scent.
A few minutes later, she saw what she was looking for. She studied the man who was near the horse and cart. His back was faced to her and he seemed to be talking to another man. A man she recognised as one of the men who had been on the scene of her parents death. Her breath caught in her throat,  did the men find out her aunts plan?
To her surprise the man, who she assumed was the driver of the cart sent off the man who possibly came to hunt for her with swearing and something along the words of 'never come back again.'
Miriam let out a sigh of relief, she could trust the man.

Zia- Aunty
Ria- nickname for Mi'ria'm
Piazza- (town) Square