by Kelly Napoli
CHAPTER 20
DISAPPOINTMENT
“Nat—” she started to cry in surprise, but his hand clamped over her mouth.
“Shh!” he hissed at her. “Follow me, but quickly.”
She nodded and his hand disappeared from her mouth as she pulled herself up. It was far too dark to see; all she had to guide her was her memory. Needless to say, she could not see Natal, but she could hear him treading carefully in front of her. Again, she felt immensely vulnerable with no sight to help her. What if Natal was leading her into some sort of trap? What if there was a knife waiting for her just a step away? The thought made her stomach drop.
Kiethara’s trepidation was interrupted when her shins made contact with the bottom step of the stairs. Using the cool stone wall to keep her balance, she pulled herself up one step at a time.
Once she had pulled herself up the stairs, which had seemed longer than she remembered, the door opened in front of her. Light poured out of the crack, hurting her eyes but illuminating her path. Natal’s figure loomed as a shadow in the light, and he silently beckoned for her to follow.
He himself then slipped through the crack. She was impressed that someone of his stature could fit through such a small opening. She let go off the wall and pushed herself through the crack, silently closing the door behind her.
Kiethara blinked rapidly at the increase in light; it took her eyes a long moment to adjust. She was in the same room she had been brought to before, and it was still just as menacing as it had appeared when it was full of those awful men. A fire was crackling in its hearth while the chairs and rugs tried vainly to beautify the room. She looked over at Natal, questions on her lips and hope budding in her chest.
“This way,” Natal whispered. He was already hurrying towards the door to the left. Kiethara padded after him silently.
Again, they slipped through the smallest opening as possible. It led to a narrow hallway, but it, at least, had windows. It surprised her how much of a relief it was to finally see the sky again. Outside, it was just getting dark. The sun was in the process of setting, casting everything under it into an orange glow. From where she had been held, she would have sworn it was the dead of night.
Natal urged her on, towards the door at the end of the hall. They slipped through it. She was disappointed to see that it only led to another hallway; however, this one not only had windows but many doors, all of which were already opened. They tiptoed past the first one, which led to an empty room. Luck seemed to be on their side.
Ahead of her, Natal let out a soft gasp.
Kiethara raised her head to see him taking hurried steps back. Reaching behind him, he grabbed her arm and flung her back into the empty room they had just passed. She stumbled, but quickly caught herself on the wall. There she froze, not letting one muscle in her body move.
Loud, thudding footsteps echoed from the hall.
Luck, it seemed, was not on their side after all.
Even in its different language, there was still no mistaking Krit’s voice. His tone was obnoxious as ever, yet suspicious. She pressed her back up against the wall and mashed her lips together. Her heart thudded in her chest so loudly that she swore Krit could hear it through the wall, which only separated them by inches.
Natal’s voice answered. How sure and calm he sounded! If the situation had been reversed, she doubted that she would have been able to utter even one convincing word.
The voices outside quieted, and then the sound of Krit’s footsteps echoed out. Kiethara held her breath as she watched his shadow cross through the room while his figure walked past the doorway. He didn’t pause; the sound of the door slamming at the end of the hall was the most welcome sound she had ever heard. She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath.
Something warm touched her arm.
Kiethara jumped, but it was only Natal, beckoning her from the room. Her heart was still throbbing painfully, so she followed him slowly, still expecting Krit to walk in on them at any second. She shuddered at the thought of what Krit would do if he caught them…
They made their way through the rest of the hallway without another incident. The door squeaked when they opened it, causing the two of them to flinch, but nobody came to investigate. To anyone else, the noise might have been inconsequential, but to her, it was a blaring alarm that screamed out their position. Even in the silence, she could hear her heart drumming in her ears much too loudly.
The entered the biggest room she had seen yet. Long couches backed up against the wall, thick rugs covered the floor, and golden decorations were scattered about. Despite its apparent grandeur, the room was just as musty as the rest of them were. None of this really caught her attention, anyway. She was done looking at these awe-inspiring, alien sights; she was more interested in the double doors that lay directly before her. It was simply a very lavishly decorated entrance to freedom, and nothing more.
This time, she went first. She pushed her legs forward with as much strength as she could muster, but quietly. It took all her self-control not to sprint out of the building, but she knew she could not risk it, for they were too close to let everything go.
Natal caught up to her a few feet from the door and put a restraining hand on her arm. A faint, amused smile touched his lips as he took in her eager desperation, but at the moment, she did not care for what he thought of her. She pointed to the door, impatient, and his smile, which was usually so reserved, became more pronounced than ever. He opened the door.
The outside was chilly still, reminding her that winter was not far off. Just another reason for her to get back to the forest as quickly as she could—she needed to prepare.
Kiethara turned to Natal and found she could not speak.
He had done something so incredible—he could have turned his back to her situation; perhaps he would have even kept some of the profit they would have made off her. He hadn’t, however; he had done something righteous.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“You’re welcome,” Natal said. Emotion flickered deep in his eyes. “I know you think of me badly, no? But I understand you. I know, too, what it feels like to be torn away from those you love. That is the only reason I am here. Taking you was not right.”
Kiethara felt her throat close in sorrow and disbelief as Natal’s angry tears shone in his eyes; she could tell that he spoke from experience, that he was sharing in the pain she felt as well. She reached up and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“I am sorry. Sorry for causing you trouble and sorry for making you risk your life now. You…cannot fathom how much I admire your courage. I wish I could be that brave,” Kiethara looked away from him, towards the setting sun. “The people who hold a place in your heart are very lucky. I will always remember you, Natal.”
“As I will you, forest-girl,” Natal replied with a grin. A farewell.
Kiethara attempted one last smile, failed, and then turned away. She did not know what lay before her, but she knew what lay behind her. She was all too eager to be parted from it.
The dirt road she began to jog down was lined with small houses. Several people were still out and they all stared at her as she passed them by. She couldn’t tell why, for she didn’t think she looked that different…Was it her crystals, maybe?
The thought brought her up short. She froze in the middle of the road, eyes wide, nothing but hope coursing through her veins. She was far away from that jewel now, and everyone who had touched it…
Looking down, she saw nothing but dead, dull crystals that did naught but mock her.
Disappointment.
Oh, it was such a crushing thing. It seemed to crush her chest, her stomach, even her thoughts. Her eyes pricked angrily as she realized she was still powerless.
She really, really hated hope. It was almost an inevitable thing, for hope to be disappointed. Time and time again, when she most expected things to go right, they steered in the opposite direction, abandoning her! There was love, which, when it was true, could
never be diminished. There was faith, which brought with it a loyalty that could not be broken. But then there was hope, and hope was only a mere shadow, an echo, of what was faith and what was love. A shadow that came out when the sun did and disappeared at the first sign of darkness.
Hope could not be trusted.
Kiethara folded her arms across her chest. She didn’t want to look at the cold, heavy, golden bracelets that permanently clung to her arms.
She rounded a corner and froze in surprise. It was much more crowded here, and much louder. Different colored tents were crowded with people on the wide path, displaying flowers, fruits, vegetables, livestock, clothes, and jewelry. Most were women, and most had an analogous look—all of them had on long, slimming dresses that fell to their ankles, each with their hair pulled back into a tight bun; only the small toddlers had their hair loose. That made Kiethara very self-conscious about her own hair, which hung long and loose down to her waist, tangled and dirty.
She didn’t look anything like them and, as she continued down the dirt path, the market place got quieter and quieter after each passing moment. Kiethara had a horrible suspicion that it was her who was causing this. She looked down, her cheeks flaring red, and quickened her pace.
By the time she made it to the center of the road, not a single person could be heard. Only the sound of animals vibrated off the walls.
She quickened her pace even further. It was only when she got the end of the road did the noises pick back up again.
“Who was that?!”
“Did you see how short her dress was?”
“She looked like a beggar, but those bracelets…”
“When was the last time she washed?”
Question after question was exclaimed, and Kiethara winced at each one until the voices began to blend back together. She rounded the corner with overwhelming relief. Too afraid to look behind her, she sprinted down the road.
Luckily, she seemed to have finally wandered into the less populated area of Nikkoi. It wasn’t a very rich section, either, judging by the degradation of the small houses. Not that she had any right to judge—she didn’t even live in a house.
The great stone wall rose steadily from behind the houses as she got closer. It seemed…a bit terrifying, to tell the truth. Intimidating. She stared at it with wide eyes as she dragged her beaten body towards it. Somewhere in that stone wall was the next step in her plan to escape. All she had to do was follow it.
The stone wall, however, was further away than she had originally thought. By the time the houses thinned and she could see the wall from top to bottom, she was panting and moaning in exertion. Why was she so weak?! The men really hadn’t done all that much to her, at least, nothing as bad as what Gandador had done to her in the forest.
Then again, Gandador had never managed to drain every drip of magic she had from her body.
The sun had finally set now, casting everything around her into darker and richer hues. Behind her, torches were lit. The sight of that lifted her spirits by a diminutive amount; at least the darkness would not be a problem for her tonight.
Kiethara reached a hand out and placed it on the massive stone structure before her. It was very cool to the touch, almost freezing. The heat of the torches certainly did not reach this far. With a sigh, she turned to her left and began walking alongside it.
She had never been too lonely in the forest. Most of the time, she had not minded the quiet that the forest gave her, the time she had to herself. It seemed strange that it bothered her now, surrounded by people. But the more and more she watched the happy families and couples walking by, the more and more she was struck down by self-pity. Self-pity did her no good; it was true, and she had been wallowing ever since she had left Natal. She tried to shake off the bitterness, but the taste remained inside her mouth.
Fortunately, her destination was not as far as she had feared. She was first notified when the throngs of carefree people slowly transformed into lines of armored men. She paused in the shadows and watched them. The paced back and forth in front of the gate, some carrying torches and others armed with swords. There expressions were harsh, as harsh as the stone wall behind them, and Kiethara had no idea how she was supposed to get past them. She doubted they would let her walk through the gate unmolested. They would stop her and they would question her and, right now, that was too much attention than she cared for. She was a fifteen year old girl adorned in nothing but a dress and two pieces of finery, with a story that none of them would believe.
I’m a guardian, see, and I need to get back to the forest before my sadistic father burns it down. The only reason I’m here is because I was kidnapped by four men who used a necklace to sap me of all my strength and power…Now do you mind if I go through?
There was a battle lost before it started.
She needed them to leave. She needed a distraction—one big enough to make all seven guards leave their post.
A few ideas ran quickly through her head.
One of them stuck, and Kiethara knew she would have to do it.
First, she needed some hay. Step one was too easy, all she had to do was backtrack a couple of steps and grab a handful from one of the numerous piles that littered the streets of Nikkoi. As soon as she had an adequate amount, she walked as casually as she could back down the road she had come from.
The only way this would work was if she remembered the exact path she was taking now. If she got lost, everything she was doing now would be for nothing. Luckily, life in the forest had given her a wonderful sense of direction, since the only landmarks she had ever had were about a thousand trees, all of which looked nearly the same.
At the end of the road, a lit torch was latched against the wall. Kiethara reached up on her toes and held the tip of the hay against the flames. It caught instantly, just as she had hoped it would. Now she only had moments. She hurried forward, praying with all of her might that no one would round the corner.
With a deep breath, she pulled her arm back and threw her burning bundle on the red tent by the corner.
It immediately caught fire. That was all she needed to see before she wheeled around and began walking back the way she had come. Screams started from behind her, and numerous people ran by her in pursuit of the commotion. To her delight, four armored men ran by.
She opened her stride to the limit and pushed her legs as far and as hard as she could without breaking into a run that might attract attention. She reached the stone wall and turned left, towards the gate. There was only one man left at the gate, but he was several paces away, craning his neck in attempt to get a view of the uproar. Kiethara smiled a grim smile and set forth silently.
She reached the gate without incident, but her heart was pounding at an incredible velocity. The man with the torch did not turn. He continued to stare, transfixed, at the flames that were now building. Kiethara reached the gate at last, and then paused, with one hand on the wooden doors. Could she open it and slip off without him seeing? Most likely not. But she could not just stand there for the rest of her life, waiting to see if the guard would ever notice her.
So with a deep breath she threw off the latch and flung the doors open. A startled cry from behind her told her the man had seen her.
“Stop!” he cried, but his words had the opposite effect. She sprinted out of Nikkoi without a backwards glance and, then, she was flying.
Not literally, but it was almost the same glorious sensation. Her legs threw her forward as they pushed off the ground and her arms pumped readily at her sides. Her dirty hair was whipped out of her face, her dress flattened against her front.
Kiethara let out a peel of delicious laughter as she ran up the hill. She was free! Free! She wanted to run on forever, until she reached the forest and saw that every tree was safe from harm.
Her body had other ideas.
After a while she collapsed, tumbling into the grassy ground. She laid there for a moment, with her face pressed into the dirt until t
he need to inhale made her roll onto her back. Her breathing came in quick gasps tuned to throbs of pain. She couldn’t go on; she couldn’t even move. All she wanted to do was close her eyes and die.
No!
That was not allowed; no, it was certainly out of the question. After all she had endured, it would be plain foolishness to let it slip away for nothing.
It took many more encouraging thoughts before Kiethara could make herself sit up. She lifted her head to the sky, to the stars, and allowed a single tear to roll down her cheek. A cool breeze whisked around her and she focused on that until her emotions calmed and quieted themselves. Aaron. He was counting on her, and she never disappointed him. She knew what disappointment felt like and she did not want Aaron to be brought to that by her.
Well, first, she needed another plan. How in the world was she supposed to get to the forest? She could be running in the opposite direction, for all she knew. She needed directions to start with…perhaps a traveler might know the way. She looked around her, as though expecting to see one appear out of the darkness. Mm, it would be best to wait for morning, for first light, when she could see and when more people would be out. Tomorrow, that’s when she would ask.
Now, all she had to do was wait.
No matter how hard she tried, however, she could not force herself to sleep. It wasn’t the chilly temperatures, or the hard ground beneath her. Those conditions were almost welcome, because they resembled the environment she experienced in the forest and she knew how to survive them. She could not close her eyes. In the quiet, in the peace and safety, her mind finally had the chance to catch up with everything she had experienced since her capture. She finally had the chance to become overwhelmed by it. All the sights, all the sounds, and all the new information buzzed around inside her head like a swarm of angry bees. Sleep would have been a nice antidote to this sensory overload, but it wouldn’t come, and the lonely night wore on.
