Deliver Me Safely

Deliver Me Safely Chapter Five

      “Stop.” Leon calls to Etienne.

The priest halts the horses.

      “What’s the matter?”

Leon dismounts from his horse. He makes his way up to the front of the wagon.

      “We’ve been traveling all day,” he says. “and this mountain pass is endless. Let’s take a break.”

Valere and Antoine share a look. Etienne nods his head and gets off the vector.

      “You’re right,” he agrees. “We all need a break.”

      The men descend from their horses. They make small talk to each other; Etienne and Valere at one end of the chariot, Leon and Antoine at the other. Leon takes a small pouch from the top of the wagon. He pulls out a red apple from it and, after peering at it briefly, hands it to the witch. She instantly snatches it from him and begins gnawing on it hungrily. Leon chuckles low as he watches her eat. When she is finished, she looks up at him.

      “Thank you.” she mumbles.

      “You’re welcome.” Leon replies.

      The two gaze at each other admiringly. Antoine looks between them intensively. The witch turns a light red and dodges Leon’s eye. Antoine pulls Leon to the side.

      “Why are you looking at her like that?” he asks.

      “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Antoine.” Leon answers.

      “You look at her like…like…” he stops, trying to think of the right word. “Like you’re in love.”

Leon scratches his head. He doesn’t know what to say.

      “I don’t think you should trust her.” Antoine continues.

      “We don’t know she is a witch for sure.”

      “She has confessed to bringing thousands to their deaths!”

      “Parce qu’elle avait peur. Because she is afraid.”

      “Afraid of what?”

Leon sighs in annoyance.

      “Do you think it is an easy task to prove your own innocence when you are accused of wrongdoing by the highest power?” he interrogates.

      Antoine thinks on this. He looks downward. Leon stares back at the witch. She is examining her own hand. He smiles.

      “I don’t care what you think of her,” he tells Antoine, who stares up at him again.

Antoine nods nervously.

      “But don’t let your thoughts get in the way of your mission,” he warns Leon. “We must deliver her to the monks.”

      “Je sais. I know.”

      Leon walks over to Etienne and Valere and tells them it’s time to start again. Etienne gets on the wagon again while Valere and Antoine get back on their horses. As Leon mounts onto his horse, it has become habit for him to inspect the witch. She is beaming outward toward the scenery of forestry.

      Suddenly the ground starts shaking violently. They get off their horses.

      “It’s an earthquake!” Valere shouts. “Everyone duck!”

      The men immediately get down on their knees. Leon starts crouching down when he sees the distressed face of the witch. It seems she fears something will fall on the wagon. She hugs her legs in tight and puts her head down. Then he ducks down, putting his hands on top of his head. After a few moments, the earthquake ceases. Antoine stands up, dazed. Valere groans and rubs the back of his neck. Etienne looks about, trying to find the source of the earthquake, though he cannot find one. Leon rushes over to the cage. Inside of it, the witch peeks through her long hair. He can see her shaking. Antoine spots Leon and narrows his eyes.

      Leon turns back to the men.

      “We should keep moving,” he suggests.

Valere walks up to him and says in a low voice.

      “Is that wise? What if another earthquake occurs?”

      “Then we’ll duck,” Leon replies.

      Valere cannot argue with that. He turns away from Leon and mounts onto his horse. Etienne quietly slips over to the front of the wagon and waits for the others to embark. When Antoine gets on his horse, he shoots a look to Leon, who ignores him and mounts onto his horse. With a sniff, Antoine rides to the front of the carriage.

      Valere and Leon watch the witch. She looks briefly at Valere, and then turns her attention to Leon. She shows him a gentle smile. It arouses him. He smiles back, nods his head. The witch giggles. Valere nudges his side.

      “I think that witch has taken a liking to you,” he jokes around.

      “You think so?” Leon quips back.

The two laugh together.

      Again, the team is forced to abandon their intentions on going further. The sun is setting and they can hardly see the path in front of them. Etienne approaches Leon.

      “Valere told me that you and the witch are in a ‘happy’ relationship.” he sniffs, annoyed.

Leon keeps a moment of silence.

      “Maybe I am,” he answers at last. “Why does it matter to you, priest?”

      “She is a witch!” Etienne barked. “An advocate of the Devil!”

      “We don’t know that for sure!” Leon defends.

      Etienne glares at him, and Leon whirls around, heading for the cage. Etienne clenches his fist and walks back to the fire they had started just a moment ago.

      “You can’t change his mind,” Valere comments to Etienne upon his return.

Etienne sits down beside Antoine. He doesn’t respond.  Antoine is staring into the fire.

      “She frightens me,” he tells them.

      “The witch?” Valere wonders.

      “Of course the witch. Who else would I be talking about?”

Valere chuckles under his breath.

      “You’re losing it,” he taunts. “There’s nothing she can do to harm us.”

      “Don’t be so sure,” Etienne puts forth.

Valere stares at him in curiosity.

       “What are you saying?”

      “She has unworldly powers, dark powers. She can do things you would never imagine.”

Silence. Antoine feels even more insecure now. He fidgets, uneasy.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay everyone, so I need your opinions on something. Do you think the kind-of romance between the girl and Leon is too soon? Or should I keep developing their relationship from here?