Chapter Text
Thud Thud Thud
Trees sweep past me at a gushing pace. My vision faded the only thing I can hear is blood rushing through my ears. 4 or 40 men at my back, I have no time to check. I feel around my pants, “It’s still here”.
Light rain making the terrain challenging, Running, Ducking, Jumping, I cannot keep this up for much longer. Arrows sweep past me, and I see a small clearing, small enough for someone like me and not someone with heavy armour.
I squeeze in, crawl a little and place my body against the wall. I focus all my energy on listening to sounds outside, not really paying attention to my surroundings.
Thud Thud Thud
I finally let out an exhale. Looking around, I appear to be at an entrance of a cave. Small light bearing in through the entrance, but covered with enough vines that I can stay sheltered for now.
I examine my body, A small gash across my legs. Nothing I have ever not dealt with; I disinfect the wound and bandage it. Growing up as an orphan with health conditions, I learnt to take care of myself quick.
I am not usually a thief, I have never been one to steal, never been one to lie. Motherless and Fatherless, yet I believed in myself. I had mentors that pitied me, taught me, I worked hard. If they couldn’t give me coin, they believed knowledge would be enough. If I was an ordinary person knowledge would have been enough.
Unfortunately, I am gravely ill; I don’t know if mother and father knew of my illness and decided I was too much of a hassle. I have wondered a lot over these years, fantasizing an old couple suddenly stops me one day saying how I look just like their lost runaway child. Details matching exactly, in truth or in lie, and they hug me and bring me to their warm cottage, maybe with a sibling or two. Sometimes I wish to fall a sleep to such a dream and never awake.
I sigh and turn my attention to the item in my pocket; I bring out the necklace and examine it. A single scale, light pink and blue. Maybe a little purple too. I bring it to the light and I have to give credit where its due, its simply stunning. Never have I ever seen such a material with such a mesmerising glow.
Apparently its one of a kind; found from the sunken ruins of Romirro , this simple piece of jewellery is worth more than everyone from my kingdom. It’s funny; we were found in the same area; the princess and the pauper.
A sound wakes me out of my thoughts, every noise keeping me on my edge. I can not lose this, it’s my only chance. What is morality, when it comes at the price of my life. I need to hide a bit longer, they need to be off my trail.
Someone who is not a skilled fighter, making this happen, its unimaginable. No mistake is allowed, I will survive.
I hear the sound of approaching footsteps and I step deeper inside the cave, sticking to the walls in the darkest corners, feeling the moisture touch my skin. Hoping they wouldn’t have torches, praying for my gamble. No God has ever been on my side, but just this once I keep wishing.
I notice the rain has stopped, yet the pitter patter still lasts. There was a narrow and tall waterfall in here, with sunshine peering from a small opening above. The source of water, presenting me with one more sign, one more hope for survival.
The sounds near the cave opening keep getting louder and with every second that passes I tense up. Bracing to fight who or what’s out there, if I am gone, I will go with a fight.
The light shifts and vines move, and I stay incredibly still. The sounds are light; it looks like just one person with no armour.
I watch this small figure, covered in a hood and what looks like women’s clothing approaches the base of the waterfall. She glances above at the top of the waterfall and speaks.
“Rafayel, Let down your hair”.