The Red Bird Knight

2

The sun had began its falling over the ridge, its golden liquid rays spilled through the cracks in the trees. It is as if time has taken me to another world, a world where one could bask in the beauty of the star without a care. I guess the beauty of my surroundings distracted me from the rumbling beneath my feet. The second I began to recognize I wasn't alone was when my body was thrown into the ditch lining either side of the trail. I rolled until tar like mud caught me, my shoulders and my hips were aching, I could feel a bruise forming on my left side. I picked my head up, my breathing labored as the shock began to wear off. a set of four white horses screeched and wailed, kicking into the air, but their thrashing did not move the emerald carriage an inch. Suddenly they calmed, as if a spell was cast. I could hear a man's voice murmuring as quiet as the breeze to the horses.

I pulled my elbows in ready to push myself from the ground but the mud held me strong. I twisted trying to give myself more strength but it only made my aching side stab with torturing pain. Thoughts of a possible broken rib crossed my mind but I pushed it aside. I told myself i was fine, that it was just my twisted corset squeezing my hip too tightly.

It was as if a gust of wind swung open the carriage. But my eyes did not deceive me as I noticed a rather large hand widely pressed into the velvet interior. a man's pointed shoulder poked out. I heard a snippy conversation, meaning he wasn't alone, but I decided to focus on trying to pick myself up again. This time I pushed at the pain and pulled my knees close but a whimper slipped passed my lip. the sound must have reached their ears as it silenced their quiet argument. After a few more exchanged words a mans leg poked out of the door and angrily stomped on the dirt path. The carriage barely swayed as the aggressive man stepped out. I sat back on my ankles and held my pained side. My eyes met his, his gazed looked irritated, as if I had been so rude to interrupt him. I knew my look right back at him was of pain and anger, even embarrassment.

I laid in the filthy mud before a man who looked fresh off the royal docs. He sighed and kept his hands in his pockets.

"Are you alright?" he asked. He had no concern in his voice yet he watched my gaze carefully. I broke the contact of our eyes and turned toward the grassy side of the ditch that bordered the road, ignoring his question. I kept my right hand tight on my hip as my muddy left hand gripped the grass like a fist full of hair. using my knees and ankles I began crawling up the side of the ditch.

"You'll never get anywhere doing that." The golden skinned man said to me, I never heard his approaching steps but he stood right in front of me, my nose just inches from his boots. He scowled down at me, he didn't even drop his chin. He reeked of arrogance but I couldn't help but admire the gold reflection in his deep brown eyes. I had no idea who he was, and quite frankly I did not care. I put my attention back to digging my feet into the thick mud, my knees dug into the ditch and my ankles were sinking. The pain in my hip was now spreading to my stomach making me sway with nausea. But I dug my hand into the grass and prepared to pull myself out. Suddenly the man crouched down, squatting like a frog in front of me, still glaring down and still not offering any help.

"You could ask for help." he commented. I just imagined he wasn't there. Asking for his help just frustrated me even more. With an exasperated huff he reached down grabbed my elbows gently pulling me up. The mud grabbed onto my ankles, not wanting to let me go, and my torso stretched. I hissed in pain but before I could break free to hold my side I was pulled into the man's chest. My brow contacted his chest and the navy velvet and gold weaving scratched. I stepped back out of the odd embrace but I felt my heel slip in the uprooted grass sending me tipping backwards. His hand, as well as mine, darted instinctively toward each other. Him trying to catch me and me trying not to fall. His hand snaked around my waist and lifted me up, my feet were off the ground as he stood straight taking a step back into the center of the dirt road.