Chapter thirty six:
"Let's make camp here!" Nicholas yelled over the pounding of the rain and thunder.
It was a nice day when we left but then this crappy weather hit and it's just been getting worse. There was a cave that they'd spotted and it was probably the driest thing we'd get so we stopped and hoped to wait out the storm.
It was a miracle Emily was able to start a fire and help keep us warm and we all gathered close warming up our drenched clothes.
I took off my cloak because me shirt was mostly dry already and shoes as well so I could warm my feet. Rosetta had been awfully quiet today and it seemed odd. Nicholas didn't have to snap some words at her at all and you could see he thought something was off.
I was sitting in between Emily and Nicholas while Rosetta took this chance to snuggle up next to Alex which he didn't look to comfortable with. Laughed on the inside at the sight and thought who would be a good match for her.
I gave up because I didn't know many people here, and grabbed something to eat and walked over to the entrance of the cave and watched the lighting light up the sky at night and the rain would crash down on the trees and all other things in sight.
I felt a blanket being put on me and someone sat down next to me.
"Hey."
"Hi."
It was Emily and u really didn't expect her to be the one sitting next to me.
"Isn't this so cool," she said ,"I used to sit at my bedroom window and look out at the rain because I loved it so much." Emily said looking out at the sky as the lighting lighted up her face every once in a while.
"Me too, I would always want to go out there and just play around but my mom didn't want me getting dirty." I laughed thinking about them and what would they be doing right now.
"What is it like?"
"What?"
"I mean, life in your world. What was it like?" She was looking at me with curiosity in her eyes.
"Well, we had lots of different things, I don't know what w where to begin. But we had different clothes, jobs, schools, buildings, lights, everything really."
"That sounds cool, but I would rather be here."
"I still don't know where I would belong yet." I said, the words escaping my mouth without thinking about it.
"Don't worry you'll find out, and when you do, it will all feel right." Emily stood up patted my back then started to walk back to where everyone was.
"Thanks, Emily." I turned and said as she walked.
"No problem." she turned and waved then kept walking.
I sat there for a while and aimlessly thought about things and hugged the blanket tighter around me as I watched the rain fall. I jumped a little because as I looked into the forest and the lighting lit up the forest and I swear I saw that man from the dinner and with the hood still up I couldn't tell but I thought he was looking at me, I almost thought he looked familiar, and then all to soon he disappeared again.
I got up and walked back to the group to see Rosetta asleep on Alex and had to place my had over my mouth to stifle a laugh and he looked at me telling me with his eyes that he was not comfortable.
I whispered to him to lay her down next to him so he could get up and go where he wanted. He nodded and slowly lifted her by the shoulders and pushed her down softly off my f him until she was fully off and he could get up.
"That was miserable." he said walking over to me and taking a seat next to me.
Nicholas was asleep as well and Emily was talking to Maxton in the corner.
"Aww, be nice. She does look kinda cute when she's sleeping though. Maybe even innocent."i said tilting my head looking at her.
"Come on, its getting hot in here." he stood up and helped me up as well and we walked to the entrance of the cane again and sat down.
Alex was holding my hand and I was leaning my head on his shoulder while looking out at the forest same as before with Emily.
"How close are we to the stone?" I asked not wanting to really know.
"About four days journey." Was his reply.
We sat there in silence for some time and I just looked at our intertwined hands and how his hand for so well into mine.
"You know, when you first got back to Igriendale, I was kind of an idiot." Alex said not looking at me.
"Really, how?" I wonder what he was going to say.
"I don't know, I felt like a little immature boy because when we were on that hill I was so happy to see you again that I want to kiss you and I almost did." He chuckled a little embarrassed.
"I kind of noticed that one, but hey, it had been ten years since you'd seen me. But then again, I didn't remember you." I said remembering how awkward that was.
"No doubt, I felt so stupid after that."
"Don't worry I can pretend that never happened."
"Please do." he sighed, he really seemed embarrassed about it.
"Hey, I'm serious, it wasn't a big deal, it's in the past and you're the you now and not you then. Woah, that was a lot of yous." I laughed at the last part even though I was serious about the rest.
"Thanks, I just thought you might've though I was weird for those things and I'm glad they didn't bother you that much." He put one arm around me releasing my hand and once again laid my head on his shoulder.
"No problem."
"Do you still have feelings for someone?" Alex asked out of the blue.
"Who? Ander? I don't know, why do you ask?" How would he know about him.
"You talk in your sleep about him." he said.
"Oh, well, I don't know but do you have a special someone in your life if I wasn't here?"
"No, I've always thought of you but I just didn't know if you would feel the same about me."
"I feel the same but it's just hard to explain if you get what I'm saying, but I think somewhere I do still have feelings for Ander, like, I still care about him and don't want anything bad happen to him you know?"
"Yeah, but you still like me better right?" He teased.
"Yes I do." I laughed.
"Okay so I can do this." and he gave me a quick kiss on the lips, for the second time.
"You're such I tease." I smiled giving him a slight push.
"Cool," and then he just acted like that never happened and stood up grabbing me by the hands and helping me up and we walked back into the room and everyone was the same, Nicholas and Rosetta asleep and Emily and Maxton talking.
"I'm going to sleep." I said lay big down on my set out bed.
"Okay goodnight." Alex said giving me a quick kiss in the forehead again and he went and sat down on his bed but he was going through his bag and not sleeping quiet yet.
I yawned and snuggled up in the blanket and went to sleep with the sound of the crackling fire and the pouring rain lulling me to sleep.
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I woke up early and it was dark in the cave an everyone was still asleep and so I got up and walked out of the cave to see what time it most likely was.
It was getting lighter and it smelled like fresh rain, one of my favorite things, and the horses were all calm and going about their own business.
I walked out into the grass and looked around just thinking how could it be so warm when it should be winter? It didn't matter though because who was complaining?
I started to walk back to the cave and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up as if someone was watching me and I turned around to see if there was someone there but there wasn't so kept on walking.
I got back inside and everyone was still asleep so I went and laid back down just laying there but not sleeping. When some of them did start waking up I did get up as well and started to pack up our things just like the other four nights.
Maxton somehow had kept some eggs without them cracking and he placed them in the pan for us to cook with some other things.
After, we go the horses and saddled them and left just the same, I was getting tired of just doing the same thing every day. I wanted to go have some fun, but right now wasn't the time so I stayed put and didn't do anything stupid.
We all had left and no rain had come thankfully and the sun stayed out in the sky all day, we would all talk and still do things but it was boring. The next three days got colder as we climbed higher into the mountains and farther away from safety.
"We are now in what Lundstoff thinks is his land so keep your eyes out for us warriors." Maxton announced one day while riding along.
On the fourth day it started to snow out of nowhere as we got closer to Lundstoff's place or castle or whatever you want to callled it. I was cold sometimes but my cloak did a really good job of keeping me warm.
We had to go slower than usual with the snow storm always blowing different ways making my hair whip around when it would blow down my hood. It made it so hard to tell who was who when we all were covered in snow and the wind was blowing into your eyes making it to hard to see.
Then, out of no where, one of those things called Markslins jumped out of the bushes near us and onto me throwing me of the horse and onto the snowy ground.
We were wrestling each other as it was like déjà vu when I was in front of the castle with two of them. The others all turned to see what was happening as I struggled for the knife in my boot. Someone jumped off their horse and raced over and it caught the Markslin's attention long enough I could grab the knife and thrust it through its chest.
It looked at the knife in its chest that I was still holding and I pulled it out and hurriedly stabbed it again before it could react.
It's eyes rolled back in its head and collapsed on me and I could barely push it off until someone rolled it off and helped me up. It was Nicholas and I thanked him before looking around to seeding more of them jump out start attacking us. I shoved the dagger in my boot again and pulled out my bow and latched in an arrow and shot the nearest one.
I threw it back on me and pulled out the sword is been given by my mother and raced towards to help anyway I could. I stabbed one in the back while it was attacking Emily and she gave me a look of gratitude before helping elsewhere and I didn't the same.
Seven bodies lay dead in the snow and some blood colored the snow red and we all stood there looking around while trying to see where the horses went while we were fighting.
"There they are." Rosetta pointed to some place in the forest and I saw a flicker of a tail and I knew it was a horse.
Some of us headed out to get them and brought them back being very cautious after the attack and started on our way again.
No one talked now and we all were more alert and focused, examining every surrounding. That night when we stopped, one of us kept watch and took turns through out the night every few hours. The next day was all to quiet and we all stayed in a line on the steep path that was a straight drop off on the right.
We came off the path and were on flat ground again, but everything seemed so dark and all the life seemed sucked out of everything. After a couple of hours, I could see his lair. It was all dark and torches light up some of the walls and many bridges.
We came to a gathering of trees and tied the horses up and when I climbed off something fell out of one of my saddle. I leaned over to pick it up.
"Alex come here." I said holding the long cylinder package.
"What?"
"Look at this, it fell out of my saddle."
"Open it then."
I untied it and pulled out the object. A note fell out as well and i opened it to see what it said.
"Dear Katelynn,
This is a powerful thing which I have given you. I hope you never have to use it but just in case I have given it to you. It is called a Rifled. If you break it in half and think of where you want to go, it will take you, and anything you are touching, there in and instant.
Please use it wisely, Mother"
"Alex, we could really use this for when we leave." I said looking at him with hope that this would be easier that it seems.
"Yes, but only if we have to." he said very seriously.
"Okay."
Maxton walked over to us and said, "We need to come up with a plan before we go in."
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A/N: Hey guys! What do you think of all this? It was mostly just a filler chapter and so the action begins next time! Also, what do you think of Maxton, Nicholas, Emily and the rest of them? I want to know, but personally I feel like Maxton is dark and mysterious am I right? Any way hope you're enjoying and keep reading.