I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Total boredom. Complete torture. I could come up with so many ways to describe my life. Desertion. Desolation. Bitter anguish. Dismal days. Hollow life.
My whole life seemed to be a failure. People tried and tried to explain why this was for my own good. But how could being locked up be good for a person?
Days dragged as never before. When father came in, I asked him if he could have a young chambermaid, like my age, stay in my room with me at all times. For a birthday present, since I did not even get a ball.
"That is not an option," He refused. Of course not. Not if it would make me happy. As he gallantly strode out of the room, tears grated through my eyelashes. The cruelest thoughts entered my mind. I pushed them out. I had to be strong, no matter what. This was a time of crisis in my life. But would it ever end?
Noises from outside awakened me with a start. Noises that sounded too harsh for an ordinary day. I heard the whinnies of horses and the clanking of armor. Armor? Oblivious, I quickly got up and flew to my window. I set my hands on the window sill and leaned over, looking out. Father's whole army was in a mob by the drawbridge. This early? What a time for a drill. Then I saw Sir Berthel fall off his horse. A stick was implanted in his chest. But it wasn't a stick.
It was an arrow.
I ran, got my robe, and tugged it on. Then I went back to the window. What was going on? Just then Brye burst in. His chest was rising and falling quickly from running hurriedly up the stairs.
"Layla," he said. "It's not a drill. We're under siege."
I brimmed with questions. Who? Who would attack us? Then my hand flew to my throat.
"What is it?" Brye asked.
I knew. The soldiers. The ones I had heard on the way to Medalia. The ones that I had outrun more than once with a twisted ankle. I explained it quickly to Brye.
"It's Aduhlajh," I whispered. "What do we do?"
"Nothing I guess." We both sighed heavily. There was nothing we could do.
At first I was angry at myself for not heeding the soldiers' jokes and not warning Father. But then my mind went elsewhere. "Wade!" I cried. "Wade had just joined father's militia the night of my last ball!" I choked on fear. "Oh, no." I could see from the window that soldiers were moving out. But I didn't see Wade.
Brye didn't seem too worried. That irritated me to no end. "You have to help me! I have to go see him one last time! He's my friend, just as you are. A friend. Wouldn't you want to see me one last time if you were in his situation?"
My last words startled him.
"Wade would let me come see you one last time," I said, determined.
"Oh, all right." His hands fell to his sides. "We'll go."
I got a mischievous smile. I was ready for some long anticipated action. "I'll be right out!" I shooed him so I could get dressed. Right before he was about to leave, a manservant knocked on the door.
"What," I droned wearily. The man handed me a letter tied with a dark green ribbon. I pulled the ribbon off and unfurled the letter. Tears pricked my eyelids. It was from Wade.
It told me not to worry about him, and that he would come back. It also told me to wear the ribbon in my hair. I sniffled, but I wouldn't let tears fall. There was no time for that.
I hastily shooed Brye for the second time and pulled a brown shift over my head. I wished I had had it on my quest, instead of my frivolous gowns. Then I tied the dark green ribbon in my hair on the highest braid.
I knocked on the door so that Brye would open it.
"Come on!" I said.
"Hold on a second!" He chuckled, grabbing my arm. "That way and you'll get put back in the dungeon." He pointed down the stairs. "This way and you'll be free." He pulled me towards a stone wall.
I looked at him, slightly confused, slightly amused. He wanted us to go through a stone wall!
"Look," he said letting go of my arm. He pulled out one of the stones. Through the hole flooded sunshine. But through a grating.
"I'm not that skinny," I said.
"No, keep watching." He got up in the hole, that lead down inside the wall. I leaned over and looked down inside. It was a slide! A trap slide!
"Whoa," I breathed. Brye got back out and helped me in.
"I'll be along shortly. Meet me at the stables." He took a kerchief, put it over my head and tied it under my chin. "So they don't know who you are."
He winked at me, then shoved me down into the hole. I bit my tongue so I didn't scream. The tunnel was dark. Moldy dampness rubbed all over me. I closed my eyes. I did not desire to see what I was passing through. I jostled up and down. But I was accustomed to fear. I could endure this. But it wasn't as if I had a choice. I couldn't climb back up. That would be even worse.
Suddenly, a dot of light appeared. It got bigger and bigger. Finally I shot right through it. I landed in a horses' trough. My nostrils filled with water. I sputtered for breath. I coughed as I got out of the manger. Several servants tending the horses stared at me.
"Sometimes I just get the urge to get wet, since I don't get no baths or nothin'," I said. I rung out my skirts and ran through the dirt to the stables.
I found Brye with our two horses. He had some armor, bits and pieces.
"Here!" He handed me a breastplate, a dark leather belt and my sword. "I'll take the helmet. You wouldn't want to cover up your pretty face," he smiled.
I blinked. Right. I put on the breastplate and stuck the scabbard on the belt around my waist. When I mounted Clupint, I felt like a real-life warrior again. And it felt good.
"Yah!" We started at a gallop, not even bothering to start slowly. This was war!
"Layla, I need to tell you something."
I didn't say anything. I kept my eyes in front of me.
"My parents are coming down tomorrow."
That jolted me. "Don't they know we are at war?"
He shook his head. "And they wouldn't get a letter in time."
For a second, I was solemn. Then I busted with laughter. "Won't they be surprised? And they only visit every four years!"
"Let's hope this isn't their last visit."
I caught his meaning. They could easily get killed trying to cross the border right now.
"We'll stop this. I know we will."
Brye smirked. "I believe you can do anything you set your mind to." His face expression didn't seem to share the same beliefs as his voice.
I changed the subject from me. "Who's in command?"
"Sir Perkrite."
"What happened to father?"
"He's sitting in his office right now. After the first arrow, he fled."
That didn't surprise me. "Where is the militia at now?"
"Just south of Bellow Hill." He leaned over and spat. "It isn't that far. We should be there soon."
As soon as I saw a mound of earth rising in the distance, I sped up.
"Probably a mile past here-" Brye stopped. I stopped.
Time stopped.
On and over the hill, men and horses were strewn in a horrifyingly bloody and lifeless mess. A lump rose in my throat. I could hear the cries of delirious soldiers, and could see helpless hands rising in the air only to fall again. The darkness of death loomed.
I jumped off Clupint. Frantically I leapt over dead bodies. The most horrifying part was seeing people I knew. When they reached out to me, I shuddered. I couldn't find Wade. Hysterically I turned over blonde haired bodies. One looked exactly like him from the back. I turned him over, and found cold, empty eyes staring back into mine. It wasn't Wade, but the soldier was dead. I helplessly started crying. Then I heard, "Princess?" I froze. It was Wade. I couldn't will my legs to move. I saw him, lying on the ground. An arrow punctured his stomach. Blood was pouring out. He was going to die.
I forced myself over to him, only to weep up a storm. But it wasn't just Wade that was making me cry. It was the whole scene, the whole setting: a male graveyard.
"It's? It's?" I wiped my face off with my wet sleeve. "I
t's okay, Wade. It's okay!"
He reached his hand up and fingered the ribbon in my hair. I winced as I watched him struggle.
"You wore it," He whispered hoarsely. Then he started coughing. I caught his hand in mid air. When he stopped, he looked at me with piercing blue eyes. It made me scared. And what about Adda? What would she do without a big brother?
"Of course I wore it. And?" I pulled out the crystal-twine necklace from beneath my shift. "And I wore this."
He laughed weakly. "Now you can remember me."
My lip started trembling. "I'll remember you? because you'll?"
He started breathing hard, too hard. He was almost vibrating.
"Hold on," I cried softly as I squeezed his hand. "Hold on?" I held on to his hand, unwilling to let go, as if he would die if I did. I leaned over him, getting his precious blood on my shift. Suddenly I heard war cries, whoops and hollers. We were being attacked again. I was in the middle of an active battle field. And I wasn't moving.
He continued gasping for air. "You know, you are so?" He coughed again. It sucked the last bit of life from him.
"No, just hold on!" I breathed, making barely a sound. He smiled, then his hand fell from mine. In slow motion. It hit the ground with a thud. And he was gone. I sat there, tears falling like shards of glass. I didn't know what to do!
Then I knew. I stood up. My jaw was set, making me look determined. And I was. I watched the enemy, who were practically on top of us now. I gave a cry back to them, screaming with all my might, my arms straight. I ran back, jumped on Clupint and rushed to the retreated soldiers.
"Don't you see all those dead men out there? They have just valiantly died for their country! And now all of you are hiding like cowards!" I cried. "Follow me! We will simply use determination to slaughter Aduhlajh!" Everybody's attention had turned towards me. "Who's with me?"
Swords were held up in the air, along with war cries. Everybody was ready to follow me into battle. Me. I nearly laughed with relief, and joy. We all got on our horses and ran off into the field, forming a line across from the Aduhlajhen soldiers. Words could not have explained my feelings. Here I was a sixteen year old princess, leading a battle against the enemy! We were out-numbered in people, but in spirit, we had already won. With thunderous screams, we charged full-force. The sounds of swords clashing filled my ears. I swung, not exactly sure what to do. I just followed my hands. Men fell off horses. Arrows buzzed past my head. Someone tossed me a rucksack of arrows.
I pulled back and let go forcefully. I watched as my arrows spun into the enemy's necks. When I turned back around, an arrow was spinning towards me. There was no time for me to think. It pierced my right shoulder, and I shrieked in anguish. I broke the arrow off close to my skin, but I did not pull it out, because it would have caused excessive blood flow. I threw down the arrow fragment in disgust. With a horrid temper I hurled many arrows. The smell of dirty bodies and blood inflamed my nose. Suddenly I fell off my horse. I looked up, dizzy. I saw horses galloping near me. Luckily I wasn't stepped on. Looking over to my left, I saw an arrow standing out of my shoulder. Both shoulders wounded, I was beginning to get weak. Would I die? I was not sure if I cared. When I got home I would go back in the dungeon. Or would I? Realizing that this whole experience was bound to change my life (actually, it already had), I jumped. But I fell back down. A little slower I eased myself up. Then someone grabbed me by my left arrow. I yelped, then screamed. The pain was so unbearable that it was blurring my vision. I looked up and saw who was dragging me.
It was Aduhlajh. Himself.
Terrified, I began to panic. Then I realized that someone like him wouldn't expect anything from a soldier like me- a girl like me. I struggled to pull out my sword, swung it and cut off his arm, releasing his grip on my shoulder. Before I dropped, I saw the expression on his face: Surprise, anger, and pain. Lots of pain.
Suddenly I was pulled up again. This time it wasn't the enemy. Sir Perkrite's younger brother, Conrad, was helping me onto his horse. He sat me backwards and I struggled to shoot arrows at whoever threatened from the rear. I was getting dizzy from loss of blood. Everything started going black. Then I was gone.