Running Away From One Thing, and Into Another.

Chapter 1: Hiding in the Wood Pile

I dedicate this to Egyption_Night since she is the reason I am on wattpad. =)

Now. The guy to the right, He is Dantem. =)  You will meet him if you read more!  ^_^  God Bless!!   @~

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I've got to stay quiet. If I don't, we will both surely die.  All I can do is listen helplessly.

"Are you alone?" The harsh voice demands. There is silence, and then a loud slap echos. "Answer me, slave!"

"Of course I am. I am the only one stupid enough."  Dantem mumbles.  If only that were true.  He should have never come with me.  If only I had kept my mouth shut!  

He had surprised me this morning while I was peeling potatoes under a willow tree a bit behind the house.  Hardly anyone bothered me there; even the Watchers didn't check on me there.  "Tacia, what are you planning?"  Not hearing him approach, I nearly cut myself by accident.

"Why would you sneak up on me like that?"  I nearly yelled.  "Step a little harder next time, that way I hear you and don't the what-not scared out of me."

Dantem's face remains serious. "Tacia."  

"What makes you think I am planning something?" I asked innocently, returning to my potatoe. 

"Please, I know you."   I looked up again at his dark eyes.   Yes, he knew me.  I knew him as well.  He is the only soul I trust and my only friend.  Why shouldn't I tell him?  I had thought to myself. It isn't like he will rat me out. 

I sighed in defeat.  "Fine, whatever.  I have been taking food lately."

"You what?" His tanned face paled as he stared in disbelief at me. "Why? You get enough food."

A sacrastic laugh slips through my mouth.  "Yeah, that is why I am half starved. Besides, Targon has enough food to last him for years."

"It doesn't matter, it's stealing." He growled. "You could be killed for this."

"Well, it's either starving or hanging."  I retorted stubbornly. For a while, we just stood there. Anger kept me from caring if he left or not, so I just ignored him and peeled my long, oval potato. I stopped mid-slice when I heard his loud sigh.

"I'm not going to change your mind, am I?"  I look back up at him and shake my head.  He lets out another sigh.  "Fine, you win.  How about I tag along?" The knife slid out of my hand at his words, and I couldn't keep my jaw from dropping.  He was joking, right? He had to be.  By the way his mouth was set in a firm line, I'm guessed he wasn't.

"You sure? You know it's dangerous." I reminded him.

Shrugging, he dusted off some dirt from his dark brown shirt. "Why not?  I'm kinda hungry myself.  Besides, two is safer than one, eh?"  With a pause, he looked off towards the house. "How long have you been doing this?"

"Two weeks. I only take a little so that they don't recognize it. The filthy pigs can't even tell when their trough is being stolen from." I smiled at his soft chuckle.  His laughter always made the day more beautiful.   It was always a joy to hear it.  "Then, I only do it every two days. Can't take it every day, you know."

"Nice..."  Dantem turned back to me and looked at me with mock hurt.  "Say, how come you never gave me any of your food?"

I smiled at him, but my voice remained serious.  "I felt it was too risky to involve you.  I was going to share with you after tonight, though.  Honest."

His gave his own smile.  "I think you are just saying that so I don't get angry at you.  We've done risky things before."

"Not this risky nor this stupid."

"This is definitely risky and stupid."   Dantem mumbled.  "We will be okay though.  Everything will go just fine."

And it had. All had gone well till Mart saw us.  What he was doing out in the middle of the night, I don't know.  But he was there, and so were we. 

It's easy to assume that there isn't a country out there that it is easy to be a slave.  I don't know what it means to be a slave in other countries, but in Jeroth it means to put yourself before the other slaves.  You fight for you and you alone; no one else matters. You do what you can to make sure that you end up at the top by the end of the day no matter the slaves that suffer.  It's all about you and your survival.   

Dantem and I are exception; he and I are a team.  No matter what we are up against, we stand by each other and fight together. We fight for each other.  The other slaves know this too.  Because Dantem and I are different, we are especially hated by the other slaves.

We are hated by Mark most of all.  However, he isn't dearly loved eather.  Being the favorite slave, he'sated pretty bad.  And he knows it.  That's one reason he won't even hesitate before giving up a fellow slave.

"Quaden!" Mart had screamed when he saw Dantem.  Both of us were paralyzed with fear and shock at the sound of his voice, not even seeing Mart near the food shed.  Mart didn't waste a minute knowing that Dantem could easily kill him.  Like the coward he was, Mart took off running, screaming for attention.

Dantem broke out of the trance before I did.   As soon as mart was out of sight, Dantem grabbed my arm and ran.  I barely kept up, but I somehow did as he led me around the food shed until we found a pile of wood.

"Stay here." He whispered. "He didn't see you, he just saw me.  Whatever happens, stay here."  With my back to the shed and my face to the wood, I felt so trapped with the musty odor, but I knew he knew what he was doing. I could only watch him from the opening with my left eye.

He almost found shelter under a tarp when it happened. A small block of wood hit him square in the stomach. I nearly screamed, but my hand had already found my mouth. With a muffled grunt, he fell to the cold ground. Not five seconds passed before Quaden stood over him.  Quaden had grabbed Dantem roughly by the collar and held him up in the air with  his feet dangling. And so the interrogation began with barely enough air for Dantem to breath.

"Mart said that he thought he saw two." Mutters Quaden, staring hard at Dantem.  This quickly brings me out of my flashback.

"Well, he saw wrong." Quaden throws Dantem down and begins looking around. I keep my breathing as quiet and even as I can.  I feel so useless here.  I've got to help Dantem some way or else he will die.   He can't die; I need him.

As if reading my thoughts, Dantem looks in my general direction and shakes his head.  His eyes are strained, but calm.

"What are you shaking your head at, boy?" I stiffen completely as I hear large foot falls coming towards me.

"Well, I'm a bit dizzy thanks to you." Shut up, Dantem! You will get killed! I scream mentally.  Now he will surely die.

"Slave, if you know what's best for you, you will shut your sass and tell me who else is with you." I can't even breath, he is right by the wood pile. I can't move my head, for I'm too wedged in.  I am trapped.  Dantem, how are you going to get us out of this?

Dantem doesn't speak for a while, and a cold sweat comes over me. "If you give away who else is with you, the punishment will not be as harsh." Don't trust him! He's lying! 

I wouldn't be too shocked if I was told hours passed. I can't even feel the chills on my skin, I can only listen for Dantem. His long brown bangs cover his eyes, so I have no idea what he is thinking. Finally, Dantem sighs, "She is hiding in the wood pile."

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Hiya! Hope ya like it! If ya don't, then ya don't! Feel free to comment! Though, if ya don't mind, please keep it clean, thanks! =)