Lament of Innocence

Aris

I glanced at the impressive weapons and nodded. "Thats why it's going to be better having three people," I said. Kale nodded.

"The only crappy thing," he said, "Is the fact that Tig's gonna struggle. I know you weren't here, Sel, but he freaked out. Told us to leave him there. Ouch. So anyway, he might go against us."

The great thing about Kale- he gets all the loopholes. But Sel was ready for this one.

"Once we're there, we won't let him protest." It was actually quite brilliant and easy to remember.

"Let's do it at night, that'll be easier," I said. "But for now, let's eat and rest. Get our strength up, you know."

Roasted rabbit was all that Kale could come up with, but I was so famished I wouldn't have cared if it was roasted snake. Then we rested and practiced battle moves. Eventually night fell. "Ready?" I asked them both.

I smirked and Kale nodded "Definetly." I said still smirking. I lended Aris and Kale a hand building the fire then climbed a tree before they set it on fire so I could shoot the remaining soldiers with no problem.

Kale

We set the ground on fire. Then we went into the trees. It took a while but eventually the guards noticed. They left two guys back with Tig, though- I had known this wasn't going to be easy.

But Sel got them down easily. Tig looked furious. "You weren't supposed to-"

"Oh, shut up," Aris muttered as she quickly looked him over. "Chains?! Are you kidding me?!" she cursed.

"We have no time, just take him along with the chains!" I said hurriedly. I grabbed his feet and she grabbed his arms. I felt ridiculous, carrying him like this. But what else were we supposed to do?

By now the guards had figured out what was going on. Shouting, they ran towards us. Sel took out at least three, but then the last one left took out his bow and shot her. She slumped against the tree and he ran towards us.

TARRION

I shot up and immediately regretted it. A cold sweat snaked its way down my neck and forehead and I was breathing heavily. Everybody's heads shot in my direction. The same boy who had informed me of Selene's departure helped me drink from the jug in the corner.

I was trembling. I had a dream...only it didn't feel like a dream at all. It felt like I had been there. I was scared spitless. Selene had been sitting in a tree with fire flaming around the ground. A bow and arrow had shot her. Aris and Kale had been unchaining Tigger from a tree...

"He's alive!" A female voice shouted.

Kale's father turned to face me. "Impossible! He stopped breathing nearly fifteen minutes ago!" His face went white.

"What?!" I shouted. "I was dead for fifteen minutes?!" That didn't make any sense.

Kale's father shook his head and turned his attention back to the reins. Maybe it hadn't been a dream after all....

Selene
I felt a sharp pierce of pain in my back and slumped against a tree slightly in shock as the guard passed me I sliced his ankle causing him to fall head first into the fire. "Tig are you ok?" I called shakily. "Yeah." He replied. "That's good." I said standing up and walking towards them. "What about you?" Aris demanded. I coughed racking hacking coughs. "I-i-i'll be fine lets get out of here." I said breathing slow shallow breaths.

Aris

I flashed out of reality for a moment. There was Tarrion... someone yelling, "He's alive!" and then blackness-

"Aris! Aris!" the voice sounded distant. "Ari! There's no time! Backup is coming!"

Well, that made me snap out of it real quick. "What?!" Kale had helped Selene down and was staring at me in worry.

"Well, I had to say something. We've put out the fire. You've been out for a while." He looked at me anxiously. I didn't tell them about the dream. I wasn't even sure what it meant.

TARRION

"Could you slow down?!" I shouted at Kale's dad. The bumps we went over were painful and I was afraid that the others wouldn't catch up at this rate.

"You crazy? I want to get out of here! I'm not even supposed to be in this mess!" He shot back.

I couldn't believe what I was doing. I crawled to the far side of the wagon, snatching the sword from the nearest person's belt. "Fine! Then I'm going after them!" I was insane...

I jumped out the back of the moving wagon. Hitting the ground was the most painful thing I had ever done other than the beating itself. I shook it off and rose shakily to my feet. The other prisoners were screaming my name, but I didn't listen. Not much mattered anymore.

All that I could think about was that dream-encounter-whatever it was...I had to go after Selene. I took a step forward, wincing as pain coursed up my leg. I ignored it the best I could and stumbled around, listening for voices.

I heard them. Tigger's voice yelling at the others about coming to his aid. Aris and Kale arguing. Selene moaning... I stumbled towards the voices, praying that I wasn't hallucinating.

I wasn't. My whole body grew tense as I stared at the scene infront of me. Tigger was still in chains, Aris and Kale were helping Selene. Blood was dripping from her back and onto the ground. They saw me and froze.

"Tar, what the hell do you think you're doing!?" Kale demanded.

"Shut up Kale! What happened to Selene?" I shot back. I wasn't in the mood.

"She got hit by an arrow. She's okay though, it's not too deep we don't think. We'll get Kale's dad to look at it....but what are are you doing here? You can hardly walk for crying out loud!" Aris broke in.

Tigger just gawked, for once he was speechless.

I clutched my hands into tight fists. "Selene I can't believe you did that! Especially without telling me! What is wrong with you?!" I shouted. I hardly noticed the fact that they were all staring at the blood on my shirt. I just kept lecturing. "You got hit with an arrow for pete's sake! I still can't believe you did that to me!" I paused to take a breath.

Selene
"DO YOU KNOW WHY I DID IT!!" I screamed at him all to aware of the fact tears were oozing down my cheeks. "THESE PEOPLE ARE LIKE MY FAMILY I CAN"T STAND TO LOSE ANYONE ELSE I CAN'T I JUST CAN"T!!!!!!!" I shrieked pointing at Kale,Aris and tigger. I stopped and looked at him.

Aris

I backed away for a moment. It was their argument.

"Wow," Kale said, "I can see Tarrion being angry if she was fatally hurt, but honestly-"

"Oh, shut up, Kale," I said, annoyed now. "He has a right to be angry. I'd be furious if you were all bloodied up and you had come after me-"

"So I'm your Tarrion?" He asked teasingly. I nudged him in the ribs a little too hard, and not exactly playfully.

"Oh, shut up," I repeated, feeling my face heat up. "I was just talking hypothetically."

"So you wouldn't care if I was shot by an arrow?"

"Thats now what I mean- for crying out loud!" I said, exasperated.

TARRION

I swallowed. I had been a little harsh... No, I hadn't been. She cared about them, but she had left without telling me. She had scared me half to death! At least I knew that Aris and Kale were going after Tigger... I glanced at Tigger. He was chuckling. I glared at him before reaturning my attention back to the argument.

"Selene, you left without telling me! You couldn't have waited until I woke up at least?! You have no idea how scared I was! I know you love them like family, but really?!" I didn't know what else to say, so I just clenched and unclenched my fists, glaring at her. If she only knew how I felt when I woke up to find her missing.... I don't think I had been more afraid in my life. Not even in the cell.

Selene
I felt my anger fade I knew exactly how he felt. I walked up to him and knelt in front of him. "I'm sorry." I said kissing him on the lips.

Kale

I could hear Selene and Tarrion arguing in the background, but I was caught up in the argument now. Tigger just looked bemused.

"Honestly, Aris, sometimes you really, really can't take a joke," I said, slightly pissed.

She looked for a moment kind of sorry, but then quickly put up an angry face. "If I can't take a joke, you can't make one," she said, sarcasm clear in her voice. "And for your information, I would die if you got hurt like that," she added, quieter, her voice quivering slightly.

Oh. Great. Now I had made her feel like I thought she wanted me to get hurt. Nicely done, Kale, I thought sarcastically.

"And I don't want you to think I don't... care about you," she said, seeming to struggle with finding the right words. "I- I really do."

"No, you care about Tarrion," I said. Why was I saying this?! Telling her everything I had been feeling?! "He's the only one you want, you've ever wanted."

"Don't say that!" Aris said, her eyes flashing.

"Then who else is there?" Tigger? She had been really excited to save Tigger. There were other guys I didn't know, too.

"It's shouldn't be that hard," said Aris, her voice low with embarrasement. "And no, it's not Tigger, for your information, Kale."

"Then who?"

"Like I'd tell you!" she scoffed.

"Why not?" I asked quickly. I can keep a secret.

She looked at me uncertainly.

TARRION

She kissed me on the lips. It didn't matter how hard I tried to stay angry, I just couldn't. I put my arms around her shoulders and pulled her closer, kissing her back. I felt guilty for yelling at her.

I heard Tigger start laughing his fool head off, but I ignored him. He wouldn't ruin this moment for me. I pulled away and brushed a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. "And I'm sorry for yelling. Just please, next time at least let me know before you do something completely insane," I whispered.

"Promise," she muttered.

"Sorry to break up the little party here, but we should get going," Tigger muttered.

I sighed and nodded. We needed to find Kale's dad again. No way was I letting myself die now.

Aris

Oh, so he had to make this hard, didn't he? He was acting idiotic on purpose. He had to be. No one was so dense they couldn't see that I had fallen head over heels for him.

And yet I couldn't tell him. No way. Sure, I really, really liked him. But telling him? I thought to myself, Yeah, let him know, 'cause that worked just great with Tarrion.

"Seriously, Aris, do you not trust me?"

"Don't even try to pull that one out," I said threateningly. "You know very well I trust you." More than you know.

Tigger:
Okay. Barf. Gag. Throw me back in my cell. This was getting...well...
"I agree with myself," I spoke up, struggling in my chains. "We should get going, but, I also disagree with myself. Something more important must be taken care of at the moment." I cocked my head to the side and turned around, waddling into the barricade of trees.
"Tigger? Where are you going? We have to get moving," Tarrion yelled after me.
"I'm sleepy," I yelled back, laughing a bit, "I've not a wink of sleep since well, forever." They fell into step behind me.
"It is getting pretty late," Selene said. I nodded and fell down beside a nice tree.
"And, please," I muttered, "can someone cut this? My knife is in my pocket."