The Selected

Chapter 3: Soup and Bread

After what felt like forever, the carriage stopped. There was a knocking on the carriage door making some of us jump and squeal. The door then opened and a guard stood there looking exhausted.

"We're setting up camp and taking a break. If any of you want to step out you are free to do so," he said before closing the doors again. It's about time they did, the horses and men should be drained.

"Ew, camping? I'm not going outside to where all the bugs, animals and dirt are," said one of the last girls to get on the carriage. The rest of the girls were agreeing with her.

Seriously? Come on!

"It's also dark outside, it's sort of scary," said Harriet. Scary? Really?

The others nodded in agreement. I was the only one that wanted to get out of this carriage? That wanted to stretch and just breathe?

Well if no one's getting up, then I will. I stood up earning weird looks from the girls around me and scornful looks as I tried getting past them so I can go outside. I finally get to the door and manage to open it without much trouble only to pause in realization. The carriage was pretty high, as memory serves, Harriet had to help me get on it. I shuddered thinking of all the ways this can go wrong, conflicts of a klutz. I was going to tumble and fall down, maybe even do a backflip on the way before breaking something and embarrassing myself.

Just close your eyes and jump Liana! You can do it!

My pep talk didn't help my racing heart but being my father's daughter made me face my fears and do it. Hanging on to the door I looked down gulping at the sight, why must I be so clumsy?

I quickly closed my eyes and held by breath before jumping down. I opened my eyes to find myself standing on my two feet.

I did it!

I can't believe it!

I was amazing!

I closed the carriage door and started to laugh and jump up and down in excitement at my miraculous accomplishment! Yes! I can rule the world next!

"Yes! Yes!" I threw my hands up and jumped backwards bumping into a tree. The tree's branches transformed into arms and grabbed my hips and lifting me up and setting me a distance away from it. I shrieked and turned around. My knees almost buckled as fear and shock ran down my body.

Dorian stood there with his hands up to surrender. He was the tree man?

Putting my hands to my chest that was heaving up and down as I took deep breaths. "Goodness Captain, you scared me!"

My cheeks flushed thinking of how embarrassing the last few moments were. Did he see me jumping in glee at my accomplishment of not falling? He probably knows of my clumsy tendencies from that moment in my kitchen.

Oh lord! I accidently had jumped on to him. He had to remove me off him. Oh my!

"My apologies miss, I was just doing a routine check. It seems like the guard on duty here snuck away for some of Thomas' soup," Dorian explained.

My ears perked up at the mention of soup. They've fed us enough to keep us going on this trip, but I wouldn't mind a nice warm meal. Right on cue, my stomach grumbled. Dorian bit his cheeks and I could tell he was trying not to smile. Oh right, the first time he saw me I was drooling over soup. How else should I ruin the night?

"Would you like some? Soup that is," he asked.

"Yes, in fact, I would." No need to hide it. A girl's got to eat. I teased making the best of my situation. "You would know how much I like soup."