Escape the Woods

by Gabriella Catherine

  ESCAPE THE WOODS

  Gabriella Catherine

  For my brothers:

  Christian, Jake, and Silas

  CONTENTS

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  CHAPTER 28

  CHAPTER 29

  CHAPTER 30

  CHAPTER 31

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  PROLOGUE

  I was yanked off my horse and chained to a tree in the middle of the woods. It was dark and cold, and the aching pain of metal chains digging into my skin only continued to grow worse.

  The tribe kept cheering and celebrating because they captured the princess of Darrenberg. Blood dripped down my neck and stained my dress. I hadn’t let them take me without putting up a fight.

  Endor, the leader of the tribe, came toward me with a large spear in his hand. “You left Darrenberg and all the protection your father has given you, and now you are all alone, with no one to protect you.”

  I looked him in the eye. My gaze didn’t waver. I’d rather die than give him the satisfaction of seeing fear in me. But even though I didn’t outwardly show it, fear consumed me. My death wasn’t the conclusion of Endor’s plan. After killing me, he would kill my father and slaughter everyone in the region of Darrenberg. And there was nothing I could do to stop him from killing the people I loved.

  If only I had obeyed my father and stayed at the castle, I wouldn’t be here. But it wasn’t like me to listen to my father. Or to anyone. Once again, my rebellious streak had kicked in and now I was facing the consequences.

  The worst thought of all was that the relationship between my brother Cordel and me remained the same — broken in two. I hadn’t been able to mend our relationship, and now it seemed I never would.

  The truth was, I had been living in fear of my brother since the day my mother died. Her death caused my whole life to change. When she was alive, my life was filled with laughter, family … joyful memories that become more and more vague each day. My family would sing, dance, and eat with each other. We would attend church together on Sunday mornings. My father was rarely angry or depressed, and I was an innocent little girl with a nearly perfect life, naïve enough to believe nothing could ever happen to ruin my happiness.

  But when I was nine years old, my mother caught a deadly sickness, and shortly after, she died. My family took her loss very hard, especially my oldest brother. Ever since her death, nothing in Darrenberg has been the same.

  Despite my fear, pain, and exhaustion, I looked Endor in the face and prepared for his spear to pierce through my heart. In my mind, I said goodbye to my brothers, my father, my friends. I’m sorry. I’ve failed you.

  Then I heard thunder in the distance.

  CHAPTER 1

  Several months earlier…Early summer, 1417.

  Darrenberg Castle, Saxony, Germany.

  The day had finally arrived. I stared into the mirror in front of me. Today my brother would come home, and I was terrified.

  “You know you’re not breathing, don’t you?” My friend Merida piled my thick, curly hair on top of my head and pinned it with embellished hair pins.

  I breathed deeply and willed my heart to stop racing. “I’m nervous. I know I shouldn’t be, but I am.” I bit my lip.

  She sighed. “Scarlett, he’s your brother.”

  I looked at her through the mirror. “Merida, I haven't seen him in over two years. What if he has changed?”

  “You shouldn’t get your hopes up.”

  “Why shouldn’t I? He has to have changed by now. Surely he’ll be happy to see me. Has he not missed me?”

  “I’m sure he has missed you, but he may not express his feelings in the way you expect.”

  She was right about one thing: Cordel didn’t express any emotion in a way that was expected. He was a mystery; trying to figure out how he was feeling was near impossible.

  Merida paused arranging my hair and looked out my chamber window, where the morning light poured in. “And, Scarlett, every time your brother returns from his training, you hope he might have changed, and every time you end up disappointed. I don’t want you to be hurt.” She finished playing with my long, curly hair. “There! Let me look at you.”

  I rose from the bench at my vanity and turned to face her.

  She stared at me. “No one will mistake that you are Duke William's daughter. You look so beautiful.”

  I smiled. “Thanks to you. I hope my maid isn't jealous I asked you to fix my hair instead of her.”

  She smiled and looked down at my dress. “Your dress is beautiful. Is it new?”

  “Yes. Britta just made it for me.”

  Merida looked into my vanity mirror and combed her fingers through her hair. “Well, I like it much better than that scarlet colored one you're always wearing.” I handed her one of my combs, which she used on her straight blonde hair.

  Merida was referring to the dress my mother left for me before she died. It was a dress she had made herself and worn often when she was my age. She never got to see me wear it, though — she died before it ever fit me.

  I looked into the mirror that hung on my bedchamber wall. The dress Britta, my maid, made for me was beautiful. The fabric was a delicate shade of yellow, like a spring flower. The sun pouring through the window reflected off the material, making it that much more vibrant. The bodice laced up the front and the fitted sleeves ended at the elbow, where a ruffle of white lace flared toward my wrists. Tiny silver beads lined the hem of the full skirt.

  The strands of my hair were pinned up in an intricate style, but not even Merida could tame my waist-length mane of curls completely, and several ringlets escaped the arrangement and framed my face.

  “You truly look like a princess,” said Merida.

  I wrapped my arms around her. “I only hope today goes better than my brother’s previous arrivals.” Having her there would help. I took her hand and hurried toward the door.

  “Wait.” Merida stopped me. “Remember what your father told you?”

  I looked at her blankly, unable to remember.

  “He said to wait here for Sir Malachi to escort you to the village.”

  Of course. I let out a frustrated breath. My father had assigned Sir Malachi to be my personal bodyguard several years ago, and he insisted I not go anywhere without him.

  “What's wrong with Sir Malachi?” Merida asked.

  “Nothing's wrong with Sir Malachi.” I sat on the edge of my bed, and so did my dearest friend. “In fact, he’s a kind and respectful man — I can’t deny that. It’s just that I'm fifteen now. I think I should be able to walk around Darrenberg, the place I've lived since birth, without a bodyguard.”

  “Your father wants to protect you. You're his only daughter, and he loves you.”

  “But does he need to be so overprotective? So controlling? Your mother and father let you go anywhere in town you want … and I can never go anywhere without Malachi.” I said his name like it was a deadly disease.

  “Yes, but you’re the daughter of
a very wealthy duke. I'm only a stonemason’s daughter. You can’t live life the same way I do. Someday you will become the wife of a wealthy merchant or lord or duke, whereas I'll probably marry a middle-class townsman.”

  She was right, but part of me didn't want to be Lady Scarlett, Duke William Valesteine's daughter. I wanted to be free to do whatever I wanted to do — hike up trails in the woods, climb trees, and practice archery with my brothers — without having to worry so much about what people thought and what was considered proper and improper for a lady. And without always having Sir Malachi by my side, treating me like a child.

  But I was never allowed to go anywhere without Malachi, who was said to have been trained in combat by an experienced warrior, though I found it hard to believe. I had never seen him draw his sword from its sheath, and he was so serious and reserved, I nearly had to force him to talk.

  Sometimes I wished I could run away with my brother Cordel to the southwest, where he once trained with the same warrior Malachi trained with several years ago. The only difference was, Malachi ended his training and returned to Darrenberg when he turned twenty, but Cordel lingered at the camp and had been training his own army of warriors ever since.

  Cordel once told my father his army was strong enough to defeat the tribe of someone called Endor. I could never figure out who Endor was, but whenever someone brought him up, Father or Cordel would tell me to leave the room. This mysterious Endor had shown up in several of my father’s conversations with Cordel and Sir Malachi, always in hushed tones. It was all very strange.

  Finally, there was a knock on my chamber door. I called, “Come in.”

  Sir Malachi, a young, strapping man opened the door and entered. He gave me a humble bow. “Lady Scarlett.”

  I nodded toward him. “Thank you for coming, Sir Malachi.”

  Then he turned to Merida and bowed again. “Miss Pierce.”

  “Hello, Sir Malachi.” She gave him a quick curtsy.

  “Are you ladies ready?” Malachi turned to the door.

  We walked down the corridor and out into the large, circular castle courtyard. The sun was vibrant today, and the weather was warm. We crossed the courtyard and went through the gate, heading toward the village.

  Merida’s brother, Jonas Pierce, met us in the market. He was a very funny young man, unlike my brother, who had barely cracked a smile since our mother died. Every time Cordel returned from training, I hoped he would be different and pay more attention to me. But Merida was right…I set myself up for disappointment every time.

  But this time was different. Cordel would see I was mature. He would talk to me again. He’d love me again. Everything would be like it was before my mother died, when my older brothers — Cordel and Jack — and I would do everything together. We were all happy, and Cordel would smile and playfully tease Jack and me.

  But since our mother died, he’d become serious and had barely said a word to either me or Jack. Being treated this way by my older brother hurt me, but Jack handled it much better than I. He accepted Cordel’s change as permanent and forced a blank expression, as though he didn’t care. But Jack was a sensitive boy, and I knew Cordel’s resentment hurt him, like it hurt me.

  Many people gathered in the cobblestone streets of Darrenberg village, some going about their business and others, I assumed, were doing the same as I — waiting for Lord Erguston to return.

  I spotted Jack standing within the crowd. A group of ladies stood around him and smiled and giggled, but he pretended not to notice. When he saw me, he raised his eyebrows and offered a small smile. Behind his relaxed expression, I could tell he was excited to see our brother.

  A group of little street children ran over and threw their arms around me – some at my waist, and some at my knees. “Lady Scarlett!” they all cried. I bent and hugged them all back.

  Silas, my favorite of all the village children, stood on his bare toes while I bent to kiss his cheek. Then he reached up to touch a curl that hung and rested on my shoulder. On a normal day I would let him play with my hair, but because Merida had taken so long to make it look perfect, I carefully pulled the strand out of his grasp.

  Silas was four years old and lived with his parents on the poorest street in the village. Darrenberg was a wealthy region. My father was a wise ruler, and he did everything he could to ensure his people didn’t go hungry. Silas wasn’t considered impoverished when compared to the peasants in other, smaller regions. But in Darrenberg, his family was not seen as fortunate.

  His parents let him roam wild in the street with his friends, which made me question their sanity. Whenever I could convince Malachi to let me, I brought Silas food and clothes. I knew if I didn’t he might starve. His parents selfishly spent what little money they had on useless things and alcohol.

  The children ran off, laughing and shrieking with joy. I smiled and watched them scamper away.

  Merida and Jonas talked and laughed beside Sir Malachi and me. I envied the good relationship they had. They were always spending time together, always laughing, and Jonas was always saying the funniest things. And although Jack and I were good friends, and I shouldn’t complain because I had him, I longed for love and acceptance from my oldest brother.

  A few gasps sounded from the crowd.

  I heard hooves up ahead, but I wasn’t tall, and I couldn't see much over the heads of the large crowd. A few men standing in front of me bowed and stepped aside when they saw me, and I walked toward Jack, craning my neck to try and look over the crowd.

  Finally, I saw him. Cordel rode slowly through the crowd on his big black horse. Seven knights followed behind him. His dark brown hair was longer than when he left Darrenberg, and it nearly touched his shoulders. Dark stubble grew along his jaw, giving him an intensely fierce look. His green leather doublet lit up his piercing green eyes, and his expression was carved from stone, serious as always.

  Jack and I stepped out from the massive crowd, and Jack called out, “Cordel!”

  Cordel halted his horse and looked down at Jack. His intense features softened slightly as he leaned over to grab Jack's hand and clap him on the back. “My brother.” He gave a slight half smile, one I rarely ever saw. He looked happy, though not too happy — not as happy as one would have thought.

  “Cordel!” I called, stepping out from behind Jack.

  Then his gaze fell on me.

  CHAPTER 2

  I looked up at my brother sitting atop his black warrior horse. A smile spread across my face. He was home.

  Without thinking, I placed my foot in the stirrup of his saddle, my hands on the pommel, and pulled myself up. Aware of the villagers staring at me, but beyond caring about what they thought, I embraced my brother.

  Cordel put his hand on my back and said quietly against my hair, “Scarlett.” He laughed softly, embarrassed.

  His broad, strong shoulders were familiar and comforting. Even the way he smelled brought a rush of joyful memories to my mind. I began to lose my balance with only one foot in the stirrup, so I let go of Cordel and jumped down. Then I looked up at him. “I have missed you so much, Cordel!”

  But instead of smiling kindly like I thought he would, Cordel simply nodded and said, rather quietly, “I have missed everyone here in Darrenberg as well.” His statement held no emotion or feeling, like he didn’t realize I was his sister who had missed him terribly.

  Like he was bored with me.

  Cordel looked up toward Darrenberg Castle. His jaw hardened, and his expression sobered. He urged his horse on, never looking back at me or Jack.

  My heart ached as my brother rode away. Why didn’t he look happy to see me? I was his little sister — his only sister. How could he be so unaffected, so unmoved, after not seeing me in over two years? Someone he loved!

  Well, at least I thought he loved me.

  Those horrible thoughts made tears prick my eyes. I should have known better than to think he would have changed. Merida was right.

  “Where did you g
o?” Malachi grabbed my arm. “I thought you were standing right beside me!”

  I turned to face him. “I'm sorry, Sir Malachi.”

  “I’ve told you before not to wander off without me. You must learn to listen.”

  “It’s all right, Sir Malachi.” Jack stepped forward. “She was with me.” He gave me a reassuring glance.

  Malachi nodded, but he didn’t look satisfied. “Let’s get back to the castle, my lady.”

  I didn’t argue because all I wanted right now was to be alone. We began walking back, and when we passed Merida, she promised to visit me later.

  I finally made it back to my chamber. Malachi left me and went to do other business, so I was alone. I lay on my bed and looked up at the wooden boards above my head.

  A sob burned in the back of my throat, but I didn’t let it out.

  He’s not worth it, Scarlett.

  Jack had said that to me once. I only wished I was strong enough to believe it.

  I didn’t want to have bitter feelings toward Cordel, but I couldn’t understand why he treated me this way. And the way he had looked at me before he rode off — it was a look of disgust. Like he despised me.

  Someone knocked then. Britta, my maid, called through my closed door, “It's me, my lady.”

  “Come in.” I sat up, trying to smile so she wouldn’t notice I was sad.

  Britta came in and began tidying my room. “What is the matter, dear?” She could always tell when I was upset.

  “It’s nothing.”

  “Lord Erguston has returned. Are you not excited to see him?”

  “I'm happy to see him, but I'm not sure he is happy to see me.”

  “Of course he is. You know how Lord Erguston is. He is not one to show his emotions in public.”

  “He hasn't always been that way.” He used to be happy, and loving. He wasn’t harsh or angry, and he would have rushed to comfort me if he saw tears in my eyes.

  Britta walked over and touched my arm. “I came here to tell you something that may cheer you up. Your father has just announced that he will be holding a ball in one week in honor of Lord Erguston’s arrival.”