Young Writers Society

This is the fourth chapter to the novel I am writing. Hope you like it!


My eyes opened to a faint fire glowing in the dim dawn light. My head was pounding and the sound of yelling soldiers didn’t help sooth it. Pain still twisted in my leg, which was bandaged, surprisingly. A chain was latched around my neck and the other end was locked to the tree I was leaning against. There was no way to escape. But I wouldn’t have run, even if I could have. I needed information, and this was the only way to get it. I managed to hoist myself upright, and then I looked around. There were only seven soldiers that surrounded the fire. 
“Armon,” one of them said. “She’s awake.” He had a low voice but a slim body. He wore silver armer that had Lord Gregor’s symbol engraved on the chest and helmet: two crossed swords on top of a shield of fire. 
“Thank you, Neotos,” replied Armon as he walked out of behind a group of trees. “Have a good nap,” he said with a snort. I just grunted and looked at the ground. He approached me and brushed his hand on my cheek. I quickly jerked my face away, and he replied to my gustier with a smile. 
“Why are you so joyful? Happy you managed to beat up a girl again?” I asked in a mocking voice.
“Oh, you and I both know that you are no ordinary girl. You have a,” - he paused for a moment as if thinking of a particular word - “special characteristic about you. You are not considered a girl to me. More like, oh let’s say, a young dragon.” I looked at him terrified. How does he know?
“And where did you get that silly idea,” I said with not as much confidence as I wished.
“Oh, you don’t know? Lord Gregor was looking at some odd scrolls and he happened to run across one written by Amira herself. You know her, the ruler of the Ancient Dragons. She wrote about a prophecy that stated one day, one of her descendants would overthrow the Lord of Fulturia. She spoke of a girl with great powers and surging strength. And guess who that girl happens to be?” He stared straight at me.
“Me,” I whispered in astonishment. I had never heard that prophecy before, but it made sense. Why father had told me I was so special; why Lord Gregor wants me.
“Very good.” He looked at me with a smile. “Your sister know it as well. It’s a shame we didn’t catch her, for then we wouldn’t need you. Then again, it’s been a lot easier tracking you.”
My head was spinning. Eve was alive. I was suppose to kill Lord Gregor. He knows my secret. They will never stop looking for me. Shasta! I yelled. We need your help, now! I’ve heard what I need, and it’s not what I was hoping to hear.
There was no reply, but I could feel that she was on her way. I had to do something, and fast. In an instant I was down on all fours, though keeping my weight off my injured leg. My wrist no longer bothering me as much, for I was used to the pain it brought. Everyone but Armon stared with amazement at the wolf that now stood in my place. I was careful to stay close to the tree so that I had chain to spare.
All the soldiers surrounded me, their weapons drawn. I growled a long, deep growl as I shifted my gaze back on forth from soldier to soldier. They crowded closer, trying to pin me up against the tree. They were doing just what I had hoped. Once they got close enough, I lunged at the nearest soldier, knocking him to the ground. I gnawed at his arm, disliking the taste of blood in my mouth, and dodged multiple swords.
When I was smacked with the flat of a sword, I skid back a couple feet and whirled around to face the soldier that had hit me. From the corner of my eye I could see a soldier about to bring his sword down on my neck. An instant before the blade hit me I stepped back and let the chain take the blow. A loud clang of metal on metal resulted in sparks and pieces of chain flying through the air, splitting the chain in half.
Amazing! I hadn’t thought that would actually work. Instead of staying to fight, I took off running in the opposite direction of the soldiers ignoring the shear pain that entered my leg. I didn’t look back to see the the soldiers follow me. Instead I switched my form from a wolf to an eagle, instantly gaining altitude and soaring into the sky.
I flew high enough above the trees so that it would be too hard for the men to place me against other creatures in flight. It was hard to stay in the air because my focus would either shift to the blood that dripped down my leg or the chain that dangled from my neck. Apparently it altered to fit what ever form I took. That was definitely the work of Lord Gregor.
Shasta, I huff in exhaustion.
Andrea, she replies. What’s wrong? Where are you?
Change of plans, I explain. Go back to the cave. I’ll meet you there. She questioned me further, but I ignore her for fear of losing my concentration while flying. I could feel that it angered her, but she understood. Certainly she would be able to sense my weariness.
After what seemed like forever in the air, I slowly begin to descend towards the ground. The sound of the waterfall could be heard as I neared the entrance. I saw the expressions on my friends faces light up when they saw me flutter through the canopy. I tried my best to stay upright when I landed, but once I was back in human form, I fell to the ground. The pain had not subsided but better yet increased. I just laid on my back for a few moments, my eyes closed. Shasta nudged my head and I reach up and hug her around the neck. I’m sorry, I tell her. All she did in reply was nuzzle up to me.
I felt Andrew gently touch the area around my wound. I flinched, but didn’t resist. He knew what he was doing. “Let’s get you inside the cave,” he told me. I open my eyes as he came around to my side and helped me get to my feet, eyeing the chain, but not asking questions. My leg denied any attempt to walk on it, so I slowly inch toward the entrance to the cave, leaning on Andrew for support.
Close to five paces away from the streaming flow of water that poured over the cliff, there was a small crack in the rocks. No one would be able to tell much other than that, but if you walked to it from the side, there was an opening big enough for a person to walk through. All of us stepped through the opening and descended into the labyrinth of tunnels. The sound of the roaring falls became a distant hum as we slowly continued forward. Finally, we emerged into a cave the size of a house. In one corner was a pile of bandages, bed rolls, and other unimportant supplies.
Shasta trotted over to the pile and drug over one of the bed rolls. As it unrolled, she pulled it up against the carven wall and then looked up at us. Sorry, but it’s all we have, she told me.
It’s fine, I reply. Thank you. Andrew helped me over to the blankets, and I gently laid back against the wall, my legs extended. As he walked over and dug through the pile, I said, “I know why he wants me.” Andrew turned his head to look at me, but I was focused on Shasta. “He knows.”
Astonishment over took her face. Her growl echoed through the cave.
“He knows what?” asked Andrew, concern on his face. I look up and caught his gaze.
“Before I tell you, I think you have the right to know what happened the day I left the farm.” I pause to see if he would say anything, but he only nods to tell me to go on.
“I used to live on a farm with my parents and my older sister, as you know. For fifteen years we lived there in peace. I knew nothing of my powers. But one day Eve, my sister, came running home from the market looking scared to death. I was out in the fields while Eve, Mother, and Father were talking. I heard none of what they said, but Eve looked very worried when Mother sent her outside with me.
“After dinner, Father asked to talk to me. Mother and Eve left while the two of us talked. Father explained to me all about my powers and how to use them. I spent all of the that night with Father, him trying to teach me to use my powers, which was easy for him since he was a shape shifter as well.
“Little after noon two days later, I finally mastered my powers. It was a long and exhausting few days. I was excited yet outraged. How could they not have told me. I spent fifteen years believing I was a normal girl, and that all changed in an instant.
“I asked Father why he didn’t tell me. His reply was that he wanted to keep me safe, but I didn’t believe him. Then he explained about Lord Gregor finally learning were I was and him trying to capture me. Once I was born, he learned of my powers and tried to hunt me down so he could raise me as his own. My parents did everything they could to keep me safe, including hiding my powers from even me. And it worked.
“They thought it was best for me that I had no idea of my powers. I asked him why he was telling me this now. Eve walked in and replied to the question. ‘Because the evil lord has come back to claim you,’ she answered. I stared at Father in disbelief. He only nodded.
“We were on alert all that night and the next day.” I paused for a moment, neither him nor Shasta taking their eyes off me. Andrew quietly came over and began bandaging my leg. He gave me a look that said go on. “But that next night, they attacked us under the light of the moon. Eve and I tried to protect the farm, but that was a mistake on my part.
“Once I was seen, that was it. They wouldn’t give up. After a bloody battle, Armon showed up and took my parents hostage. I had lost sight of Eve a short while before, but my head spun once I saw Armon holding daggers against Mother and Father’s throats.
“‘Stop,’ Armon called. All the soldiers that were closing in on me halted, and I twirled to face him.
“‘Let them go,’ I called with fright. ‘Leave them be.’
“‘They won’t be harmed if you come with us,’ he told me. Once I resisted, he...” I couldn’t speak anymore. The words hung in my throat and refused to become vocalized. I felt a chilled tear run down my cheek. Andrew finished tying my bandages and slowly moved over to my side. Still in silence, he began to replace the split that was now in scraps. He did so with out saying a word.
When he finished, I looked up at him. A tear rolled down my face, and he caught it with his thumb and wiped it away. He held my face in his hand for another moment before dropping his arm around my shoulders. Shasta came up to my opposite side and curled up against me.
Finally, Andrew said, “You are the bravest girl I’ve even know, Andrea. Not many people can endure what you have.” I rested my head down on his shoulder.
“So what’s our next move?” I asked. I looked up at Andrew, and he smiled at me.
“Always thinking ahead, aren’t you?” He said this humorously, and I sat up straight and looked him in the eye.
“How do you think I’ve stayed alive this long?” My expression what a soft one, but it showed a hint of pride.
He laughed and replied, “The best thing for you is to take is easy for a while. We could just stay here for a couple days, maybe a week, and then figure out what to do then.”
“That just gives them more time to find us. I won’t risk putting you both in danger again.” I looked at him with a hard expression so that he would know that I wasn’t joking. The smile melted off his face and a soft glare took it’s place.
“You always put yourself before others, even when you are in the most danger. That’s what I have never understood about you.” Shasta barked in agreement.
You can’t always forget your own well being for us, she stated.
Apparently she spoke to Andrew as well, because he said, “You should listen to her.” I looked up at him and sighed.
“Alright,” I told them. “We’ll take it easy for a few days. But we have to move to a different location.” I turned my head and grinned at Shasta. “It’s time to see an old friend.”