Chapter2: The Rebel's path
952 Words
Chapter Two: The Rebel’s Path
Kaela’s legs ached as they ran, weaving through thick stands of ash and pine. The calls of the king’s hunters rang behind them, growing closer with every breath. Aedan moved ahead, surefooted even in the gloom, pausing to check over his shoulder every few strides.
“Stay with me,” he called softly.
Kaela clutched the Whispering Blade as if it was the only thing keeping her alive. It seemed to hum in her grasp, guiding her feet, lending her strength even as exhaustion threatened to pull her down.
Finally, they ducked beneath a fallen oak, its trunk hollowed by rot. Aedan drew Kaela in after him, pressing a finger to his lips. They waited, breathless, as the sounds of pursuit drew nearer — boots crunching on frost-hardened leaves, a clash of steel against shield.
Aedan shifted closer. “We can’t stay here long,” he whispered. “They’ll bring hounds.”
Kaela tried to steady her breathing. “Where will we go?”
He met her gaze with steady calm. “There is a safe house in Hollowmere. It’s two days from here, across the Frostwater. Rebels shelter there.”
“Rebels?” she repeated.
He nodded. “Not everyone bows to the king. Some of us remember the old ways — magic, freedom. They will help you.”
Kaela’s fingers trembled on the sword. “Why would they help me?”
“Because you are the last hope,” Aedan said simply.
Kaela flinched at the weight of his words, but before she could argue, the howling of hounds rolled across the clearing, closer now. Aedan’s jaw tightened.
“No more time,” he said. “Stay low.”
They slipped from the log’s shelter, moving like shadows through the trees. Kaela’s heart beat so loudly she feared the hunters might hear it. Once, a soldier passed within arm’s reach, lantern held high, blade drawn. But Aedan was like smoke, pulling her behind a thornbush, silent until the man passed.
Hours blurred together as they fled through the night. Kaela’s legs threatened to buckle, her breath rasping in her throat. Still she went on. The Whispering Blade seemed to pour a strange calm into her, pushing away the worst of her fear.
By dawn, they reached the edge of the Frostwater. Mist curled off the river in soft tendrils, hiding the far bank.
Aedan scanned the water. “There.”
Half-sunken in the reeds was a skiff, tied with fraying rope. He moved to free it, but Kaela stopped him, eyes wide.
“What if they catch us on the river?”
His mouth twisted grimly. “Then we fight.”
She looked down at the blade in her hands. Its crystal glimmered in the pale light. Could she fight? She had never even held a real sword before tonight.
Sensing her fear, Aedan reached out, gently closing his hand around hers.
“The sword chose you,” he said. “That means it believes in you. I do too.”
She swallowed. “Why?”
“Because,” Aedan said, voice steady, “I served your mother.”
Kaela froze. The world seemed to tilt around her.
“My mother? You knew her?”
Aedan nodded. “Queen Elira was a good ruler. When the tyrant came, she hid you away and gave her life to protect you. I swore then I would guard you, if you were ever found.”
Kaela shook her head, dizzy. “I’m no queen’s daughter.”
He studied her with sad eyes. “You are. And soon the kingdom will know it, too.”
Before she could protest, a horn blared behind them — the soldiers had reached the riverbank.
Aedan gripped her shoulder. “In the boat. Now.”
They shoved the skiff free of the mud, clambering in as arrows began to fall like deadly rain. One struck the hull, splintering wood, but the boat held. Aedan threw himself against the current with the oars, and the skiff leapt forward, cutting through the dark water.
Kaela crouched low, shielding her head as arrows hissed past. Magic tingled along her skin, drawn by the sword. Her heart beat with a wild rhythm, strange words echoing in her mind:
Shield and protect, shield and protect…
Instinctively, she raised the Whispering Blade. A soft blue light spilled from its tip, flaring into a barrier that shimmered around the boat like a bubble of moonlight. Arrows struck the shield and bounced harmlessly away.
Aedan gaped at her. “You’re already channeling it?”
Kaela shook, the effort immense, but she held the barrier until they passed out of bow range. When she let go, the light faded, leaving her dizzy and cold.
Aedan’s eyes were filled with something close to wonder. “Your mother could never have done that, not without years of study.”
Kaela’s head spun. “I don’t know how I did it.”
“The blade knows,” Aedan said. “It teaches its wielder. That is its gift.”
They reached the far bank, pulling the skiff into reeds thick with dragonfly-laced mist. Kaela stumbled out, numb and half-frozen.
Aedan steadied her. “Hollowmere is just over those hills,” he said. “We rest for a moment, then move on.”
Kaela nodded, though her hands still shook. She looked down at the Whispering Blade, its crystal pulsing gently, a reminder of the power within.
She had no choice now. The king wanted her dead, and the prophecy marked her for something far greater than a starving village girl’s life.
Kaela clenched her jaw. If destiny had chosen her, then she would face it.
- Writer
