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    Chapter 1 HERE

    12

    Be Brave


    Hours passed by and the shadows from the trees began to grow longer on the ground but still I allowed Aiden to sleep. He needed it. I had situated him with a pillow and a blanket from the pack we had acquired back at the manor. Even though I felt a little irritated at having to knock him out like that… and that he had landed on me, I still found it in my heart to try to make him comfortable.

    Besides, if he woke up in pain I doubted he would be in any better of a mood anyway. So far he had slept like a rock! Normally someone would stir a little in their sleep but he had yet to move a muscle.

    Just how much had he exerted himself? It was unfathomable how he could have still been flying earlier. I almost felt as though I should check on him to make sure that he was still alive. Never had it been heard of a mere sleep spell killing anyone but I was beginning to question.

    Seeing as how his bangs, which had fallen into his face, moved every once in a while… he was still breathing. He even snored every so often which I secretly found amusing.

    Just didn’t strike me as the type to snore.

    I didn’t mind the rest myself; not at all. I sat up against a tree near him, trying my best to stay alert. We weren’t totally out of danger, we wouldn’t be until we reached Archosaur. Despite the feeling of an approaching darkness, the forest was so peaceful.

    As it got darker all around, fireflies began to emerge, floating effortlessly along in the air. Their light was comforting to me as well as the sounds of crickets chirping. A slight breeze blew every once in a while, carrying with it the scent of every wild flower in bloom. Perhaps the night wouldn’t be so bad… I could keep watch, I wasn’t that tired yet.

    Despite my efforts to gather my courage, I still found myself inching closer and closer to Aiden as the skies grew darker and twilight gave way to nighttime. My imagination already played tricks on me and my thoughts wandered to more troubling things. What would I even do if something happened? What could I do? If only I could figure out how I had fried that monster back in plume I could be a bit more brave!

    A sudden chill ran up my spine when a rustling in the brush caught my attention. I almost stopped breathing entirely to try and determine what it was that was nearby. It sounded so close!

    What if it was him?

    That thought chilled me to the bone. I still hadn’t forgotten the pain he had caused me. Every emotion and sensation from my own death that I had pushed back from my thoughts all came rushing back to me now. I didn’t want that again… anything but that!

    Calm down Cat… It’s just an animal of some kind. I told myself. But even so, I reached for the pack we had been given back at Arrowhead Manor. Attached to it was a sword that Edna had given to me. She had said that it used to be Roarke’s from when he still practiced magic as a wizard.

    That must have been a long time ago…

    I felt bad about taking it but as I held it now it made me feel slightly safer. It was an odd sort of thing. I had seen others around plume with magic swords such as this. It looked like it should have been heavy yet I lifted it as though it had no weight to it at all. Even so, I gripped the handle with both hands as I shakily got to my feet and inched toward the noise.

    “I-is someone there?” I stammered.

    My eyes went wide and I lurched backwards as something erupted from the brush nearly right in my face! “Ah!” I cried out , struggling to keep my balance. I failed miserably, falling backwards onto my rear end. How many times had I done so now since the beginning of this ordeal? I tried to slow my racing heart when I finally realized what had me so worked up.

    A bird.

    Just a bird.

    Well now I felt rather stupid and cowardly.

    “What in the world is going on?” A voice questioned behind me. One I recognized.

    I turned to see that Aiden had finally woken up. Probably partially my fault when I had been startled. “N-nothing.” I said with an involuntary stutter, getting myself up off the ground. I hastily brushed the dirt off and tried to act as though I hadn’t been scared out of my wits.

    I watched him as he sat up, rubbing at his eyes and pushing the blanket off. He looked genuinely confused for a moment or two but it all seemed to click for him in a matter of seconds. “We have to get moving.” he said, hastily getting to his feet. He quickly began to stuff the few items I had gotten out back into the pack. “What the hell were you thinking?”

    Well that certainly hadn’t rubbed me the right way. “I was thinking that you were going drop like a fly if you didn‘t take a break.” I retorted indignantly. “Besides, I kept watch.”

    He didn’t seem impressed. “Oh really?” he questioned. “And what did you plan on doing if we were attacked?”

    My cheeks flushed red, partially out of embarrassment but also out of anger. “I’m not completely helpless!”

    “Well? What?”

    I didn’t reply. I wasn’t sure what I would have done… I just stood there with my arms crossed, my gaze focused off to the side somewhere. I didn’t want to look at him right now as angry as I was at him, myself….

    The whole God-forsaken situation!

    A brief silence fell over the both of us before he let out a sigh. “I-I’m sorry Lady Catriona… I didn‘t mean to be angry with you,” he said finally, “but--”

    I didn’t allow him to finish his thought before I held the handle of the sword out to him. “Here,” I snapped, “put it back with the pack, it’s not like I can use it or anything.”

    He frowned at me but took it and attached it back where it had been. “Come on. I know it’s dark but we can’t stay here.”

    “Right.” I grumbled. I summoned my wings, stretching them a bit in preparation for the flight. Normally I enjoyed flying but lately I had nearly grown to hate it. My bad mood didn’t help it much either. Wrapped up in my own anger, I failed to realize just how silent the forest around us had gotten.

    I began to take off but Aiden stopped me in my tracks.

    “Look out!” he shouted, latching onto my arm.

    I wanted to yell at him that he was hurting me as he pulled me to him. It felt as though he intended to rip my arm off! All too soon the reasons why he had done so became apparent to me. The wind from an arrow lightly grazed across my cheek as it whistled by.

    He had pulled me out of the way just in time for it to miss me! It landed with a thud in a nearby tree trunk instead of it’s intended target in the back of my head. I was unable to move, frozen in fear. Had he hesitated just a split second that could have been the end.

    “Are you alright?” Aiden questioned, loosening his arms around me though he continued to shield me with his wings.

    I nodded. “Yeah…” I said breathlessly. “I-I’m okay.”

    “Well I must say.” A familiar voice stated. “I’m impressed soldier.”

    My heart stopped.

    No, it couldn’t be!

    “Who’s there? Show yourself!” Aiden demanded. He let go of me to face the direction the arrow had come from.

    “I don‘t know many that would have seen that arrow coming.” the voice continued to taunt.

    “We have to run!” I said quietly to him. That was all I wanted to do was run, or fly. Just get away as fast as I could. I didn’t want to die! Not again…

    “Looks like I’m going to have to get rid of your bodyguard first Lady Catriona. Such a shame. If you just didn‘t fight back this could be so painless.” the assassin said, this time directly addressing me. It made me feel sick to my stomach to even hear his voice again.

    “Stop hiding like a coward!” Aiden shouted. He took up his bow and notched it with an arrow.

    Could he really take on this assassin? Someone so used to killing? I sensed fear from him but he didn’t freeze up like I did, nor did he show any signs of backing down.

    Our attacker stepped out from the shadows and the both of us tensed up. I tried to bite back the fear and ready myself to do… something. But what could I do?! I had only fallen victim to this man despite any effort I made to fight last time.

    “Who’s hiding?” The assassin said, standing in the moonlight. “I suppose you want to go down like a noble warrior?”

    I could see more of him now that I could before. He wasn’t quite like I had expected or imagined. I had always linked his voice to someone who look physically more imposing. While tall he was more slender than muscular and had short, wild silver hair.

    He was also pale, except for a mark that ran up his neck and onto his face. It looked like a burn, a rather recent injury from what I could tell.

    His eyes were what I found terrifying. They were an electrifying color green but the look in them showed no sign of fear or regret at what he was about to do. Instead they nearly showed joy. Coming out and standing in plain sight like that; he was confident. He was toying with us and he would enjoy every second.

    Aiden immediately took aim at him.

    “All worked up and I don’t even have a weapon aimed at you.” The assassin mocked. He didn’t raise his weapon. Instead he held the crossbow down by his side.

    “Lady Catriona.” Aiden said, keeping his voice low and never taking his eyes off the wing elf in front of him.

    “What? What are you going to do?” I questioned.

    “I need you to run. I’ll hold him off but you need to keep flying to the north and don’t stop until you reach a town where you can get help.”

    “But--”

    “The elder, the leader of our people told me to keep you safe I have to honor that order.”

    “Even if it means your life?”

    “Things at home will never be right again if you don‘t make it to Arch. So when I fire you get out of here.”

    I clenched my fists. Things at home? How much did he know that I didn’t? Why hadn’t he told me? I wanted to demand the answers but now wasn’t the time.

    Aiden had his full attention on our attacker now. “Put down your weapon.” he ordered, pulling the sting on his bow back even further. I could sense a small bit of magic and the tip of the arrow seemed to light up a bit. A stun arrow?

    “Make me.” the man retorted.

    That was all the prompting Aiden needed. He let go of the bowstring and the arrow streaked towards his target. “Now!” he shouted at me. “Go!”

    I didn’t hesitate to take off. My wings ached with the strain I put on them to fly fast, even after all the flying we had done earlier in the day. Fear made the pain tolerable.

    Aiden! Please hang on! I’ll get help I promise!