Chapter Fourteen
1218 Words
Where ever you go,
I can't help but follow,
Even if this kills me,
I will forever walk inside your footsteps.
*
"Oh shite! Ya scared the hell outta me!" Teyha lifted her head up and stared at the Clarence as he pushed himself through the wall. The Princess leaned against the stone bricks, her pulse running too quick, her head fuzzy with dizziness. What am I doing? Now she was outside of the castle, away from the screaming angry voice of her Uncle, she was doubting everything. Where will I go? I am the Princess. I can't just run away. Can I? She closed her eyes reminding herself that she had nothing to lose. She was dying anyway,
"Sorry Princess, I forgot ya were ill." The boy brushed off his old shirt and stared at her,
"It's alright Clarence, and there seems no point to call me Princess seeming as I'm fleeing the castle." She muttered. Where was Brooke? What was taking him so long?
"I would have ran long ago, if I was ya." He shrugged but gave no explanation to the words and leaned next to her on the stone bricks. Outside the castle walls, trees grew in thick clusters around the thick pebbled path. The woodland carried on for miles in one direction, in the other a glimpse of houses from the outsides of London could been seen. She wondered which way they would head. it didn't matter to her where they were going just as long as her Uncle never found them. Teyha let her grey eyes drift to the boy. He was young perhaps ten or eleven and had a hard face. The look of someone who had fought through life. So unlike herself who up until the death of her parents had, had such an easy life,
"Where the hell is he?" Clarence muttered,
"I have no idea. He should have returned by now."
*
Brooke held onto Gem as they pushed down through the trees. Behind them Fey and Sapphire followed, their shoes clomping down loudly on the woodland earth. He had to get back to Teyha and Clarence, before Mr Blairs called the guards to search outside the castle walls. He could already hear the shouts of men roaming the woodland searching for them. Brooke pushed the horse to go faster, and Gem grunted straining herself to the limit. The warm night air streamed in his face as they ran between the trees,
"OK. Whoa, whoa." Brooke mumbled pulling the mare to a quick stop. Behind him the two mares slowed down as well and he smiled at how clever the horses were, "OK ladies. You just wait here and I'll sort this out." Brooke slipped from the Gem and carefully stepped to the edge of the trees. Two guards stood by the gates glaring around the grounds in silence. Both of them had a gun and sword in their armour belts. They wore light blue leather tunics and black polished boots. A simple hat sat on both of their heads covering any hair they may have had. Brooke took a breath, bent down and grabbed a large pebble from the ground. He ignored the stabbing pain in his leg and threw the stone. Both of the guards face's turned to the sound as it hit the path loudly. Then he made his move, knowing it would have to be quick before other guards realised what was happening. He darted forward and slammed his fist into the temple of the guard making the man fall back and trip to the floor. Brooke lunged and grabbed the iron head sword from the man's belt. He needed to be silent and the gun would have screamed where he was. The blade sliced down into the guard's neck just as second guard pulled the trigger of his pistol. The gun shot shouted loudly in the air,
"Shite." Brooke hissed feeling the raging pain as the bullet wedged into his arm. The sword fell to the ground with a loud clatter and the guard saw his chance. He pulled up the pistol again but this time Brooke was ready. Ignoring the pain he jumped forward and kicked his leg up aiming for between the guards leg. The man stumbled back, a face filled with pain. Brooke let his eyes fall on the first guard, he was twitching on the floor in a puddle of blood but the cut wasn't too deep, the guard would live. With an effort Brooke grabbed the sword from the path. He stepped quickly over to the other guard,
"Open the gates." Brooke hissed. The guard shook his head and pulled his own pistol from his belt lifting it too Brooke's head,
"I will never betray the kingdom." The man snarled. It was as if the world slowed down, he watched the guard's finger slowly press down on the trigger, and with out another thought Brooke brought the sharp sword down deeply into the guard's chest. They met each others eyes for a dark moment as blood stained into the guards tunic. The loud shouts of men rang out in the cold air but Brooke hardly heard them. He pushed the guard's body away and started turning the lock chains to open the gates,
"There he is!" A shout called around the castle. Brooke looked up and saw the blaze of fire torch lights looming in the dark,
"Get him!!!" Mr Blairs roared out from the shadows just as the gate clicked open wide enough for him to slip through. Brooke darted back and grabbed Gem,
"Time to run ladies." He muttered and swung up on the grumpy white mare. Fey and Sapphire followed him through the gate and a sense of freedom washed over Brooke. He was out!
***
"Shhh, what was that?" Clarence hissed in the dark. The clomps of heavy footsteps rushed towards them. Teyha opened her eyes and stared into the darkness. They'd heard the loud shot of a pistol ringing in the air. It had almost made Teyha fall to the ground in worry,
"Teyha? Clarence?" A voice hissed,
"Thank ya god. You're alive. I was almost pis..."
"We have to hurry. Teyha? You'll be OK to ride?" Brooke broke into the servants words and jumped off Gem. Behind him the two other horses were waiting. The Princess raised her eyes and stared at him. His face was pale, red smudged his cheeks. Her insides clenched,
"What happened?" Her voice was a mere whisper,
"Nothing. Come on, we have to go." He pulled Gem over and Teyha scrambled on to the horse. She felt so tired it took longer than it ever should have, "Clarence, ride Fey. We have to be quick." Brooke was sweating his face was pale. He limped up and climbed onto Fey sitting just behind the Princess. She felt the heat of his body rush into her own. A wave of warmth swam down her,
"What about the other horse?" Clarence stared at the black mare who blinked from the trees,
"She'll probably follow anyway." Brooke dug his feet into Gem and the mare lunged forward just as the shouts of guards echoed out around them,
"Brooke?" Teyha whispered behind him in worry,
"Don't worry Princess. We're running free now."
- Writer
