Once in a Life-Year
Chapter Six
They rode on, through the trees. Cracked branches were hard ones to find, though there were some. Dead leaves lay on the ground, the trees were covered with live leaves, who would ever pay the dead leaves any mind? Rocks were fairly easy to come by in a long distance, but only small ones. Mainly pebbles. Andrew’s eyes drooped, he nodded off momentarily, and then she moved and he was awake again. He focused ahead of him, whereas she started to realize where she was. She took in a big breath; the sun had told her it was going to start its descent. She tried to stretch without extending too much, and realized she was riding with someone all at the same time. She turned her head, she would have said his name- but she never learned it. She wasn’t sure it was ever said, but if it was, she hadn’t remembered it.
“So. What is your name?” He laughed, he wasn’t sure if it was because he was tired, or because he had expected something else, but he laughed. She readjusted the sleeves she had stolen and remade to not require shoulders, more freedom for her, but also protection to her arms. They had been ripped and torn in places from her run in the night. A howl in the beginning of the evening was unlikely, but present. She lifted her leg over the horse’s head and was going to dismount, but Andrew’s arm had held her waist. She glanced in his direction; his eyes caught hers and he smiled.
“Thank you.” She turned her head away from him, she suddenly felt warm, and needless to say her face had flushed.
“I did not do a thing.” She pushed away from the horse and through his arm. The wolves began to howl closer, and more frequent. Luca turned and ran into the forest, so Anabella followed her. She heard a snap and a growl; then she saw them. Luca was in the middle of a fight. Four wolves, Luca had bitten the neck of one. The other three charged at the same time, one bit her leg, and a second snapped at her neck and the third her torso. She didn’t think about it, she just did it. She ran to the wolves. Her elbow collided with a ribcage, a crack and a whine could be heard but it sounded distant. Her foot hit another chest. Her face hit the floor and pain seared up her leg. She looked and saw one wolf down, and then a wolf was on her chest, she put her arm up to block her face, the wolf chomped down on her arm. She pushed upwards, disabling some of the power behind the bite, propping the mouth open ever so slightly. She struggled with the dog; it pawed at her chest until it decided it could bit hard enough. It shook its head, shredding some of her arm. She loud out a shout, and then the pain was gone. She couldn’t feel it. She could feel the warmth of blood on her chest, slipping to her shoulders… But not her arm. She didn’t seem to be able to think, instead her body seemed to do everything on its own, as if something inside of her was protecting her. Her left hand reached up and grabbed the wolf’s mouth, tearing it away from her arm she held it tight. She slipped her injured arm down to her waist and withdrew her sword. She tipped it upwards and thrust. The heavy weight fell on her and she shoved it aside. The wolves that were hiding in the shadows retreated. She stood, sword in hand. Her attention turned to the movement to her side.
The boys rode up on their horses. The sun had hidden behind the trees, but still allowed light through the moving leaves. Jack, Luke, and Andrew were stunned at what they had found. They stared on, unsure what to say, or do. Andrew and Luke seemed to be awed more than Jack, Jack seemed shocked whereas the other two were interested, aroused. A strong woman stood before them. A woman who glowed, maybe not completely- No- She completely glowed. They could see some sort of aura emanate off of her, it looked like it was pulled up into the air like a lava lamp. She glowed green, her eyes were the same neon green; the beautiful glow was startling. They did not know this girl. Her eyes seemed to be relieved to see them, but how did she know them? Their eyes ventured from her face to find more blood than any human could shed. Her shoulders and hair seemed to leak the gooey stuff. Red stained what was left of her fine cloth shirt, one sleeve was gone, whereas the other was imbedded into her arm, along with holes and that color. They could not tell if her chest bled or if her chest was bled on, but she had definitely been stained on. Her squared shoulders seemed to sag ever too slightly, her glow disappeared.
“Anabella?” It was Jack who asked, her eyes turned upon him; her sword fell into a nice puddle, the tip hitting grass with a thud and the hilt hitting the grass with a splush. Luca walked up to her, licking the blood off of her hand. Luke was the first off of his horse and to her, Andrew not far behind.
“Anabella, are you…?” She leant forward unsteadily, and then stepped back.
“I am fine.”
Do not trust him, young one. Her eyes widened and she looked around, Luca was looking at her with blue eyes. Had her eyes been blue before?
“What?”
Hush! They are not to know! It is me. I protect many secrets, and it has come time for you to hear them. Do not trust the one named Lucius. I will explain more in a more appropriate time. For now, you need rest, and to be healed.
“Did you really kill these wolves? I had no idea you were capable of that! No wonder the prophecy said you would be our leader!” Luke babbled on, she swayed, this time falling backwards, she felt cold, very very cold. She was unsure what to do with Luke. Andrew had been standing beside her and easily placed his hand on her shoulders to steady her.
“She can listen to you babble later, right now she needs the be taken care of. Grab her sword.” Andrew moved to her left side, he slipped his arm under her legs and picked her up. Her arm slid around his shoulders and he walked back to the clearing they had left. She felt a strange need, she needed to do something. What was it? She needed to do something now. She needed… What did she need? Did she need something? Her eyes upturned to the sky, the sky was still a light blue; the sun wasn’t even beyond the trees where they stood. The sun was bright, it tried to warm her and it was not able to. It was so pretty, she could just be where she was… but what did she need?
“So. What is your name?” He laughed, he wasn’t sure if it was because he was tired, or because he had expected something else, but he laughed. She readjusted the sleeves she had stolen and remade to not require shoulders, more freedom for her, but also protection to her arms. They had been ripped and torn in places from her run in the night. A howl in the beginning of the evening was unlikely, but present. She lifted her leg over the horse’s head and was going to dismount, but Andrew’s arm had held her waist. She glanced in his direction; his eyes caught hers and he smiled.
“Thank you.” She turned her head away from him, she suddenly felt warm, and needless to say her face had flushed.
“I did not do a thing.” She pushed away from the horse and through his arm. The wolves began to howl closer, and more frequent. Luca turned and ran into the forest, so Anabella followed her. She heard a snap and a growl; then she saw them. Luca was in the middle of a fight. Four wolves, Luca had bitten the neck of one. The other three charged at the same time, one bit her leg, and a second snapped at her neck and the third her torso. She didn’t think about it, she just did it. She ran to the wolves. Her elbow collided with a ribcage, a crack and a whine could be heard but it sounded distant. Her foot hit another chest. Her face hit the floor and pain seared up her leg. She looked and saw one wolf down, and then a wolf was on her chest, she put her arm up to block her face, the wolf chomped down on her arm. She pushed upwards, disabling some of the power behind the bite, propping the mouth open ever so slightly. She struggled with the dog; it pawed at her chest until it decided it could bit hard enough. It shook its head, shredding some of her arm. She loud out a shout, and then the pain was gone. She couldn’t feel it. She could feel the warmth of blood on her chest, slipping to her shoulders… But not her arm. She didn’t seem to be able to think, instead her body seemed to do everything on its own, as if something inside of her was protecting her. Her left hand reached up and grabbed the wolf’s mouth, tearing it away from her arm she held it tight. She slipped her injured arm down to her waist and withdrew her sword. She tipped it upwards and thrust. The heavy weight fell on her and she shoved it aside. The wolves that were hiding in the shadows retreated. She stood, sword in hand. Her attention turned to the movement to her side.
The boys rode up on their horses. The sun had hidden behind the trees, but still allowed light through the moving leaves. Jack, Luke, and Andrew were stunned at what they had found. They stared on, unsure what to say, or do. Andrew and Luke seemed to be awed more than Jack, Jack seemed shocked whereas the other two were interested, aroused. A strong woman stood before them. A woman who glowed, maybe not completely- No- She completely glowed. They could see some sort of aura emanate off of her, it looked like it was pulled up into the air like a lava lamp. She glowed green, her eyes were the same neon green; the beautiful glow was startling. They did not know this girl. Her eyes seemed to be relieved to see them, but how did she know them? Their eyes ventured from her face to find more blood than any human could shed. Her shoulders and hair seemed to leak the gooey stuff. Red stained what was left of her fine cloth shirt, one sleeve was gone, whereas the other was imbedded into her arm, along with holes and that color. They could not tell if her chest bled or if her chest was bled on, but she had definitely been stained on. Her squared shoulders seemed to sag ever too slightly, her glow disappeared.
“Anabella?” It was Jack who asked, her eyes turned upon him; her sword fell into a nice puddle, the tip hitting grass with a thud and the hilt hitting the grass with a splush. Luca walked up to her, licking the blood off of her hand. Luke was the first off of his horse and to her, Andrew not far behind.
“Anabella, are you…?” She leant forward unsteadily, and then stepped back.
“I am fine.”
Do not trust him, young one. Her eyes widened and she looked around, Luca was looking at her with blue eyes. Had her eyes been blue before?
“What?”
Hush! They are not to know! It is me. I protect many secrets, and it has come time for you to hear them. Do not trust the one named Lucius. I will explain more in a more appropriate time. For now, you need rest, and to be healed.
“Did you really kill these wolves? I had no idea you were capable of that! No wonder the prophecy said you would be our leader!” Luke babbled on, she swayed, this time falling backwards, she felt cold, very very cold. She was unsure what to do with Luke. Andrew had been standing beside her and easily placed his hand on her shoulders to steady her.
“She can listen to you babble later, right now she needs the be taken care of. Grab her sword.” Andrew moved to her left side, he slipped his arm under her legs and picked her up. Her arm slid around his shoulders and he walked back to the clearing they had left. She felt a strange need, she needed to do something. What was it? She needed to do something now. She needed… What did she need? Did she need something? Her eyes upturned to the sky, the sky was still a light blue; the sun wasn’t even beyond the trees where they stood. The sun was bright, it tried to warm her and it was not able to. It was so pretty, she could just be where she was… but what did she need?