Light of the Unexpected Adventure

Chapter 23 What Next?

Gabriella's POV

As he is getting closer, I can hear the scratching and clinking of the armor on top of the rocks. I cover my eyes from the consuming dust and flying pebbles as I look up, squinting them just enough to block the dust from entering my orbs, but still being able to see the guard. I can see that he is sliding down the rocky hill with ease, as if he knows the area. But I would bet that is not the case, and he just saw me fall, so he was able to brace himself for the hill to come. That is smart, and I wish I had seen the edge to be able to brace myself as well, so I wouldn't have gotten hurt, but I shouldn't let what I cannot control get to me, no matter how easily he is making his insight look.

This man and his actions are entirely too surprising, with how far we are from the village and how difficult I am making things on him. I really thought he would have given up already, not wanting to deal with the insistent fight I have been putting up.. but he seems to be relentless, stubborn or just straight determined. Maybe all of the above or just maybe he must really want to be in the castle, getting close to the King as he said before. I am not sure of the true motivation, but all of those are bad for me, since either way, he is not stopping and heading back to the village as I had wanted him to do.

I see him getting closer as I try to stand, but it hurts too much to do so. The pain instantly flows through my injured limb, so I groan out, but knowing I have to keep trying. When I use the little bit of strength within my injured leg muscles just to keep pushing myself up and help me stand, I feel my leg automatically collapse under me, causing the rest of my body to do the same by collapsing back to the ground. I groan out, before breathing heavily, as if I am trying to motivate myself to do this again, and in a way it is because I don't want to, since I know the pain that will come from it, but I know I need to try anyway.

I pushed myself up as I held my breath, squealing out in a grunt. I know that is not helping, but for whatever reason, it feels like it is helping just to grunt out as I push. These actions get me to stand, but I am only on my feet for a very short moment before the pain is hitting me like a rock, right before consuming me completely, making me feel dizzier than I ever have. Maybe I stood up too fast for my body's liking, but I am not sure. I quickly fell onto the soft ground under my feet. Within that same instant, I tried to put weight on it again. And like before, I am not doing too well this time around.

My arms give up as I huff out, flopping back down to the ground again, which is making running much harder than it ever needs to be. I try to grab anything to crutch my movements or at least defend them. But all I can feel in my reaching grip is tiny minerals of sand that escape my hands because of how small they are. I frantically pushed my hands all around me to search, glancing down quickly only to look back at the threat at hand. But I don't find anything bigger than a clump of sand that easily fits within my palm. There is nothing big to grab from around me, in defense or in my escape.

With nothing around to help me but my injured self, I can feel the fear taking over. I start to panic with my heart racing as fast as my breathing, making me feel dizzy once again, but luckily this time around I have the ground underneath me and don't have to worry about falling again. Once he comes to the bottom of the hill, he starts stomping in each step towards me. I feel like it shows how frustrated or maybe exhausted that he is after all of this chaos.

My head shakes automatically while staring at him, observing that he is getting closer than I ever wanted, while also knowing that there is not much more I can do before he has me and is dragging me back to the village to meet my horrid fate. I use the little bit of strength I have left to push myself backward across the dirt. That doesn't work as well as I would have hoped, so I flip onto my stomach to drag myself through it. This makes me feel like I am going faster, but I don't get to have my eyes on him though, and for me, that is unnerving.

I glance back over my shoulder, watching as he looks over at me, automatically letting his orbs connect with mine. He sees me, and it doesn't look like he is going to stop until he gets me. I panic looking forward frantically pulling myself through the soft but thick dirt. When he gets by my feet, I can hear his hand swipe by as he tries to grab them, but I just continue to push and crawl, keeping myself just barely out of reach.

All of this is overwhelming, so the tears start streaming down my face, covering my cheeks, but I know that I have to keep going. "Stop the fighting.. You're hurt.. You will hurt yourself worse." he demands as I shake my head while feeling him wrapping his hand around my ankle and pulling me back. "I will never stop fighting." I spat back, feeling him flip me over on my bottom to face him as he nods. "That is good," he says dropping my ankle, trying to get closer, but I keep scooting away from him. His long arm reaches out, swiping my ankle into his tight hold, bringing me closer.

I watch as he gets down on his knees beside me and then takes his heavy, metal helmet off, placing it on the ground beside him. He reaches out, grabbing for my legs again as I kick his hands away with my good foot. Keeping him from touching me, over and over, trying to make his attempts stop, but they never do, they just keep going. "Gabriella, stop.. You do need to fight until your last breath. This is a harsh world. I know that. But you don't need to fight me. I am not your enemy. So stop fighting me." He says this to me, taking my hand into his to grab all of my attention.

"Are you listening to me?" he asks leaning in, exposing his beautiful eyes, which puts me in a different kind of shock. I just wasn't expecting him to expose himself, showing a vulnerability by letting me see his face, while taking the only means of protection that his head had right off. Especially after what happened between us the last time. But I slowly nod my head, because I am listening. I'm also staring deep into his concerned orbs, noticing that they match the shine of his armor as his auburn hair drifts down and over his forehead.

That same forehead is covered in sweat and dirt, probably from the fight that I had put up. Even his prominent jawline holds the dirt on it as well, or maybe that is hair. It is hard to tell from almost no light around us, except the moon above. But I know that the filth put on him now is my fault, and for that, I could care less. Mostly because I know that I will keep fighting for as long as I can, just in hopes that I will make it out of this alive and finally complete the one task that I have been given. I have never been entrusted with anything such as this, and I won't let that trust and desperation for help be a mistake made in vein.

I don't want to fail at this, and with every bone in my body, I will try to make sure that my task doesn't fail. Even if that means that I have to continue to fight him. I am desperate now and want to get out of his clutches at any cost, since all he wants to do that I know of is take me back to the King. So I use my good leg to push myself back, giving me some distance from him since he is on his knees and not moving as fast as when he was walking over to me. The irritation is evident as he starts swiping at my foot, but he misses, and his hands land into the dirt, making little puffs of dirt swirl around his handsome face.

I watch his jaw clench as he attempts to grab me again and again, missing each time, showing the frustration building quickly. He reaches up and pushes his wet, sweaty hair out of his face, looking as if he has been through some sort of battle. "I don't want to hurt you. Let me help you, Gabriella." His effortless words wrapped up with his soothing tone is mystifying, making me want to just give into what he is saying. I watch his lips move as the words fall from them so easily. His facial features are moving with every word he says showing his concern and determination for this situation.

His eyes glance up into mine, making me realize that I have not been listening and don't know what he is even talking about since he put me in this trance. But I'm sure the lecture had to do with him trying to convince me to go back to the village with him. The horrendous thought of going back to that place terrifies me, but for some odd reason, he does not. Even when I know he should. I try not to let myself be entrapped by his stunning features and hypnotizing gaze, but that is almost easier said than done. He is handsome in every sense of the word. I watch the hair flutter around as he shakes his head looking as if he is lecturing me, but who knows.

I watched his eyes bounce around us before locking back with mine. I swallow the lump in my throat, not realizing what he is doing or plans to do next, until I feel his leathered hand gently touch over my cold skin from my ankle to the bottom of my calf while he lifts the bottom of my layered tunic. I gasped in shock, slamming my hands down on my dress and swiping it out of his hands. "What do you think you're doing? What? You think that just because you're a King's guard and have me out here where there is no one else around, that you think you can just get what you want from me and I won't fight back?" I declare in disgust of what he may be trying to do with me.

Shock takes over his features as he starts vigorously shaking his head, which is something curious to me, I wasn't expecting that response. He looks as if he didn't mean to do that when I know he did. So, the confusion is evident for both of us. "I wasn't trying.. To.. do that, I swear.. I am just trying to help.. Would you please stop being so stubborn." He declares with frustration as I try to use my good foot to push me back further from him, but this time he takes that foot into his hand and pulls me through the dirt and closer to him. Which ends up pushing the bottom of my dress up, exposing my legs to him.

I try to push him away once more, but he just keeps his grip on my leg while keeping me there until I feel him gently pushing just part of my tunic up. Not enough to see anything personal of me that he shouldn't, but enough to see just below the knee. I get nervous as I feel him gently grabbing my injured leg into his hands. He caresses his hands over my leg, looking as if he is inspecting what has happened to it, but I hardly doubt he cares about me or wants to really help me. I don't know why he would. I am just a runaway prisoner to him.