Behind The Rebel Mask

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Loraina

They came on a moonlit night. Dinner was as always: The maids served soup, which is Omam's favorite. We saw no signs of disaster as Terrient took me riding among the grounds. I was wearing the new knee-length riding boots and a pale pink dress which was loose at the sides and stopped a hand length before my boots. Little flowers of an orange color dotted the cloth.

I rode Lottie, and Terrient took Rollie. We had only been out for a short while when it was Terrient who heard them. Footsteps.

"Loraina," he whispered, pulling his horse to a halt. "Listen."

I strained my ears to hear, and only because the footsteps were getting louder every count I could hear them.

"Go!" Terrient shouted.

"How? They'll go to the drawbridge!"

Terrient was silent for a second, looking from me to his horse to the moat to the forest behind it. "We need to jump!" he says, and I turn to the direction of the footsteps. I can see open flame jumping from roof to roof in the village. This is my life that I am concerned about.

I turn back to the stable boy. "What about Omam and Baba?"

"They'll be fine," Terrient chides, but I know that neither of us knows the fate of Queen Malia and King Jaomalo at the time. He backs up his horse, and sets off at a gallop. I follow, and we both fly through the air.

Please land on four feet, I think. Please land on the other side.

We touch ground on the other side after what seems like an eternity of flying over the water and canter into the forest just as I see the men with torches step out to the down moat. But however they got it down is not my concern at the time. Now I have to get away. We set off at a quick pace, but just riding gives me the chance to think about Omam and Baba. They're stuck with the worst possible fate, when I have a chance to survive. A tear slips out of my eye and rolls down my cheek. I imagine the strange men barging into the castle, stealing everything we owned.

"Who were they?" I ask Terrient weakly.

He swallows. "Allerakin soldiers. Ever since under King Chie's rule, the treaty we made ten years ago after the Airavian-Ekkarian land war wasn't fly. We've been expecting attack. I never trusted him to hold such a high government role. He probably should have gotten a job cleaning out stable manure, not running the country." King Chie was the king of Allerakin ever since King Taosh was killed. In Erelaria, Baba became King because he was King Angha's son. In Airavia, a Queen named Aloisa took over with King Anders.

We ride in silence for a bit, and I am the one to break it. "Terrient?"

He turns his head to face me.

"Where are we going?"

"I know you may not like it, but Erelaria isn't safe anymore. We're going to Allerakin."

"Why?" I ask.

"As I said, Erelaria isn't safe anymore. They'll notice that you are missing from the castle as soon as the raid it. They'll send out a search party, and where else would you go beside Erelaria? Why would you go to Allerakin? That's why we go there. It's the last place that they will look, and therefore, the safest." He finished. I swallow a lump in my throat, but still even more tears slip down my cheeks.

"Where am I to stay?" I choke.

"You'll see."

We ride late into the night, when we stop at a horse stable. I am hungry and tired, but we have neither money nor food. After talking to the man in the home nearest, Terrient sends me to bed and puts up the horses. There are four empty, and the other four contain four, big horses. He takes the horses and puts them in the empty stalls, and I collapse in one with fluffy straw to cushion my rest. The hay is scratchy and the stable smells of food that has sat out far too long, but I fall asleep so quickly that it doesn't even matter.

When I wake I could swear that I had fallen asleep just counts ago. It's still dark, but Terrient is up and already getting Lottie ready. He sees me and tosses me a small chunk of bread.

I shove it into my mouth. It may not be royal food like I am used to, but it is food and I am starved. "Where'd you get de money for dis?" I say, mouth full.

Terrient is silent, glancing away.

"Terrient?"

"We really needed it! I'm sorry!"

"What did you sell?"

Terrient looks over at Rollie's stall.

"You didn't sell her, did you?"

He nods. "I'm sorry, Ok?" I look back to Rollie.

"Goodbye." I whisper, standing up to stroke her mane for one last time.

When I turn back, Terrient is filling up each horse's food tray including Rollie and Lottie's. He keeps the empty sack, folding it across his arms. "Listen, Loraina." He looks all over the stable and even pokes his head out the door as he checks for eavesdroppers, and then stares at me. I can see the whites of his eyes. "You will stay with my Great Aunt Mae and pretend to be her granddaughter. I will visit to give you money. You--"

"But Terrient," I interrupt, speaking with a normal voice, "Where are you going to stay?"

"Shh. Here I will work for money, wherever I can find work. I have told the man here that you are my daughter, and I am taking you to live with my mother. Stick to this story." He whispers and turns away. I nod, but don't really like the idea that he told this man that I was his daughter. For goodness sakes, he was two years older than me. But this was my safety. And necessary precautions can't exactly be avoided.

"Loraina," He says, placing his hand on my shoulder. "You are now Loran."

I nod, afraid not to. With that he walks out the stable door.