Isn't It Enchanting? - Chapters 6 and 7

Chapter 6

I soon fell asleep with those relaxing, happy thoughts of freedom floating through my mind. However, it wasn't long before I woke up to James shaking me softly and whispering, "Rosalyn, wake up. Come on, we need to get going again."

Although my body was begging for rest, I stood up, ready to move. I hoped onto Lady, this time without James' assistance, and he followed quickly. He snapped the reins and we headed off, further into the mysterious night.

We had been riding for around an hour and a half's time when I noticed the orange-colored light of the sunrise emerging from behind the trees and mountains ahead of us.

We continued riding for another ten minutes or so and as we started moving alongside a small brook, we came across a peculiar cave.

James brought Lady to a stop and we both hopped off. I walked cautiously toward the cave and went inside. Looking around in the dark space, James and I agreed that this would be a good temporary hideout. We removed the saddle from Lady's back and went inside.

Because of the inability to see inside due to the darkness, I pulled out a candle, lit it and placed it on the ground of the cave. We sat down and relaxed. Neither of us talked for a while. We were both thinking and were obviously exhausted from the lack of sleep.

I thought about that night. About how nervous I was that we would get caught and the last look at my bedroom. I looked down at my dress. I had originally planned to where a certain dress on the day of our runaway. However, due to our sudden change in plans, I had to wear a dress that Sierra had given me for my twentieth birthday. This fact was the only reason I actually wore it. It was a very uncomfortable fabric that was really itchy. On top of that, it was a very odd orange color that I didn't like at all.

For these reasons, I ordered James to leave the cave so that I could change into the other dress that I had luckily grabbed from my wardrobe last second. It was a blueish-grey color with a very plain design. It had long sleeves and a square neck. I also changed from the uncomfortable high heels to black boots.

I brought James back inside and we sat back down on the cool, moist ground. The cave was very cramped. It was only about fifteen feet from one wall to the other and Lady's head was barely two inches from the ceiling.

The two of us began talking about everything that had happened that night until I heard a loud growling sound come from my stomach. I took out a small breakfast from one of my bags that consisted of cheese and strawberries.

We enjoyed our food and after a few minutes, I swallowed the last strawberry and looked at James. He was finishing his last bite about a foot away from me.

"How long are we going to be staying here?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, but probably not too long. We don't want the guards to catch up with us if they've headed our way," James answered. He looked at Lady who was half out of the cave. Something in his eyes told me he was concerned about something.

"Something is bothering you. What is it?" I asked with concern and curiosity.

He turned he looked at the ground and hesitated. He then said, "I'm just not sure if we're doing the right thing. I'm so worried about my little sisters. I'm sure Ma and Pa will suspect them of knowing where I've gone. And you do not want my parents to think you're lying to them. It's not fun."

"Oh. Well what do you think will happen?" I asked with compassion.

"To my sisters? I'm not sure, but they'll most likely end up with whip marks across their bodies. Then they'll probably have double housework and it's possible they'll even end up doing all of my work."

I sat there for a short moment, shocked. This would all be my fault. "I'm so sorry. If I had known I -"

"Hey, look, don't worry about it. It's done."

I felt like crying of guilt. I told James, "I love how you care so much about your sisters." I picked up his hand from the floor of the cave and held it in mine.

"Thanks," James whispered. He began leaning in toward me.

I looked into his bright eyes, but looked away again when I saw them looking at me. I felt his soft, but strong hand turn my face toward him and bring it closer to his. I closed my eyes and felt his lips touch my neck. They slowly moved up to my lips. After a second, I kissed him back. As James scooted closer to me and his other hand moved to my waist, I placed both of my hands on either side of his neck. Within seconds after this small transition, we were interrupted by Lady's loud whinny.

The two of us stood up and ran out of the cave. My heart began beating rapidly. I looked around frantically, trying to figure out what Lady had seen. Then, all of a sudden, I saw something fly savagely past me out of the corner of my eye. When I heard a small thud on the forest floor, I looked to find an arrow a few yards away.

I turned back and saw James taking the sword from the saddle and running into a large patch of trees. I followed and watched as a man came into view. James rushed at him with his sword and the other man drew his own.

I heard a huge clash from the swords hitting on another. I stood there nervously, watching them fight. I made sure I paid close attention, mentally noting their every move. James made a move to stab them man, but the man's sword stopped James' before it reached him and moved it in a fluid, circular motion. With a sharp movement that was difficult to see, the man had forced James' sword from his hands and sliced his leg. James slid to the ground in pain and I ran over to him, kneeling down.

"James! Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," he said through the short breaths he was taking.

I looked up at the man and then at the sword on the ground a few feet away. I stood up slowly, keeping my eyes on the man, then suddenly bolted toward the sword. I picked it up and pointed it at them man. He seemed surprised and almost amused by this.

Chuckling, he said, "I don't want to hurt you, miss."

"Trust me, you do not need to be worried about hurting me," I said, hopefully sounding strong and brave.

"I don't, do I?" he said in the same entertained voice. I shook my head 'no' and he asked, "Who are you two, anyway?"

I looked down at James, then back at them man, sword still pointed at him. "I'm Rosalyn and that's James," I answered.

"Well it is nice to meet you. And why, may I ask, are you here in the middle of the forest? Last I knew, I was the only who lived around here," he said.

"We ran away from our home in a village several miles away," I said.
"I see."

"And who are you?" I asked.

"I am William," he answered.

"And what are you doing here?"

"I live in a little cottage about a mile west from here. I like to come here to hunt," he said. I nodded and there was a moment of silence. Then William said, "Why don't we go and I can make you some tea or something?"

I was shocked he would ask this after what had happened. "You attacked us!"

"Well mostly because I thought you were animals. No people ever come out here. And when James, here, came running at me with a sword, I was only defending myself."

"Well, that's really nice of you and everything, but -" I began, but was interrupted by James.

"Rosalyn," I looked over at him, "It's okay."

"Great! Let's get going then," William said, putting his sword back in his hilt.

I walked over to James and helped him stand up, placing my arm around him for support. William came over and took his other side and we returned to the cave.

We set James back onto the ground and I placed the saddle back onto Lady along with our other things. I then told William to get down on his hands and knees. He surprisingly obeyed without question or hesitation. I assisted James as he climbed on top of William then onto Lady.

I took Lady's reins into my hands and guided her along to the cottage with William walking at my side.

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Chapter 7

After about twenty minutes of walking through the forest, we arrived there. William's cottage was surrounded by a marvelous garden. There was a stable with a horse, a huge stack of fire wood, and a bridge that crossed over a river about thirty feet from the front of the cottage.

This was exactly how I had imagined James' and my house to look like if we ever got the chance to build it.

William led us across the bridge and to the front door of the house. We helped James hop off Lady and walk inside.

When I entered the house, I noticed that it was much neater and bigger than I had expected. It had only one large, rectangular room, but you could easily tell that the room had been divided into sections.

In one corner, a kitchen was placed with a small tub, some counter space and a table with four chairs. On the other side of the cottage, there was a mattress and a wooden chest. In the corner closest to the entrance, there was a large stone fireplace with three chairs all facing toward it.

I helped James hop over to the chair directly in front of the fireplace and knelt down at his feet. I rolled his pant leg up with caution and examined the wound. His leg was drenched in blood that had slid down to his foot. I couldn't quite see the actual cut because of this.

I pulled my handkerchief that I always kept in my pocket and brought it over to the tub in the kitchen. Dumping it in the water, I made sure it was completely soaked and then walked back over to James.

I dabbed his leg clean until I could clearly see the cut on his leg and my handkerchief was a deep crimson color. His wound was about three inches long and was placed nearly horizontally about halfway between his foot and his knee. It had stopped bleeding now, but still seemed rather painful.

William walked in and said, "Your horse is in the stable and I've fed her. So how about that tea?"

We accepted and after waiting a while for the water to heat up over the fire, I brought James to the table. The three of us sat there with our cups in silence. I looked at William who seemed to be in a very thinking pensively about something. I wondered what it could be.

His brown hair was about the same length as James', but the slight wave helped it to stay clear of his eyes. His body seemed extremely muscular as a result of all the work he had to do around the cottage completely alone. His lips, at the moment, were tilted slightly toward the ground. However, as I observed the details of his features, I was reminded of the smile he had that lit up his whole face. I looked closely at his eyes which were a beautiful hazel color.

As I watched the eyes staring off toward the fire with an occasional blink, I felt something that was nearly completely alien to me. It was a feeling way deep down that must have been either my stomach or my heart. William's gracious eyes gave me a very strong sense of trust. I felt as though, even though I had only just met him, I could trust him with anything and everything.

"Anyone want more tea?" William said, interrupting my thoughts. Both James and myself shook out heads, 'no'. After another moment's silence, William began the conversation by saying, "So, are you going to tell me why you ran away?"

With the new found trust in William, I had complete confidence that if I told him our story, he would guard it with his life. So without much hesitation and without looking at James, I told him everything. He sat that there and listened attentively, nodding in comprehension and asking questions when confused.

"So you've been riding on that poor horse for hours? Well the good news is I have no clue which kingdom you speak of," William said, leaning back in his chair and putting his hands behind his head," I'm only aware of two others, which means your kingdom must be miles away."

"Well that's a relief," I responded. This was followed by a short silence.

"So what about you? What's your story?" James asked.

I looked from James to William. William brought his arms back down to the table and began playing with his cup. I noticed that he was avoiding eye contact by staring at the cup with a grievous expression on his face.

Clearing his throat, he began, "I was four when my parents decided to come out to the forest and build their own house. They were frustrated with the way society worked in the Kingdom of Concordia, where we lived. The slaves, the tyrants...everything. So they found this beautiful area where they could be free and independent. There was no one to please but themselves." He paused a moment, then in a sadder sounding mood, continued.

"Then, when I was seven, my father and I went out hunting. I remember like it was yesterday. We had killed a huge male moose and had to carry it all the way back home. I remember running into the cottage to get Mother to come see, then not finding her. The house was empty; she wasn't in the barn or the garden or by the pond. I ran out into the woods near my cottage, calling out for her."

"I remember seeing this huge pine tree, wildflowers everywhere. I saw her lying there, blood surrounding her. Tears filled my eyes as I knelt down beside her and lifted her back and head. I called her name, hoping, by some miracle, she could still be alive."

"I remember how my dad found me and Ma and knelt down with me. He kissed her face and hugged her tightly, tears running down his face, too."

"We brought her back home and laid her on the bed. My father told me to wait at home until he returned. He wanted to try to find who would do such a thing. I waited there a week until I finally decided to bury Ma. Then I waited there another month until I decided to give up the hope that Father would return. I've been living hereby myself ever since."

I was in complete shock. "I'm so sorry, William," I said in a sympathetic tone. I was not expecting a story like that.

"That's awful. I'm sorry you had to go through that," James said with the same tone.

"Yes, well, there's nothing I can do about it now. What's done is done and i've moved on with my life," William said in a lighter, slightly happier voice.

After a small silence, William asked, changing the topic, "So will you be spending the night here?"
"Well that's truly up to you," James said.

"In that case, I'll figure out some sleeping arrangements," William responded, standing up and bringing our cups to the counter in the kitchen.

"Thank you, William," I said, watching him.

"Oh, it's nothing. I never get visitors," William explained. He walked over to the middle of the building, looking toward the bed and the chairs. After a silent moment of thought, he continued, "Why don't I lay down some hay and lay a blanket over it for James and I? Rosalyn, you can take my bed."

"Are you sure? I don't mind hay. James, why don't you take the bed for the night. After all, you are wounded," I suggested.

"Whatever works best," William said.

"Thank you, Rosalyn," James commented.

"No problem. William, do you need help getting the hay?" I asked.

"I'll be fine, I think," William answered.

"Well too bad, because I'm going to help anyway," I said, smiling.

"Thank you," William said, chuckling.

The two of us walked out to the barn and carried hay to the house. James sat by the fire, resting his leg and watching us and we eventually got the beds set up in the middle of the cottage.

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Comments

Marie - Lol. thank you :D

Beth - Thanks beth! :D

Becky - Thank you so much!

Linda - Thank you! I'm really happy you like it alright, and I really hope you like how it ends :D