Of Winds And Quakes

22. The Mare

Year of the Lilies
Torrid Season
The Streamlet
Altsas

Mavli

I LAY SPRAWLED BENEATH HIM. Totally vulnerable to attack, he stands staring down at me like the angel of death. His lips are curled into something crooked and twisted.

The plead escapes my lips before I can help it. "Cirok. Please."

He surprises me, throws the dagger beside me. It's blade is still coated with blood - his blood. "Rise, Mavy. I have not come to hurt you."

My blood is pounding in my ears, my heart is galloping like wild stallions. But I rise shakily like a young calf, his eyes don't leave mine, they gleam like a dark jewel, like onyx. Like the promise that burns my skin.
"I'm so sorry, Cirok." I taste something salty. Tears. My tears. I take a step closer to him and his strong arms envelope me, crushing me to his hard frame.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Mavy. I'm so sorry I'm useless. I wasn't there when you needed me the most." His shirt becomes damp with my tears. I grab a fistful of it and let the tears fall down.

Crying makes it better, doesn't it?   Absolutely.

"I love you so much, Mavy. I couldn't live with myself with the thought of you gone. Seeing you in the plantation was the best thing that has ever happened to me, I'm so relieved that you're alive. I'm glad you didn't... Do what you had in mind."

Guilt eats me up from the inside. "How's your hand?"

He chuckles. Cirok is always strong in the face of extreme pain. "I've had worse and how are you? Are you, you know, hurt?"

"No," sniff,"not anymore." And I wrap my hands around his slim waist and rest my head on his chest. His heartbeat thumps with the same rhythm as mine, echoing into my ears. For the first time in a long time, I feel safe. I feel at home.

"Won't they come looking for us?" I ask him, suddenly worried I'll be forced to live without him again.

"No. Not till daybreak." His voice is rich and thick with emotion. He strokes my tangled hair with the most softest touch. A strong wave of nostalgia comes upon me as I remember my father.

A thought comes to me, my heart falters as I consider it. "Cirok?"

"Yes, Mavy."

"I-I want... To kiss you." My voice is a raspy whisper against the broad plane of his chest but he hears me. My fear of rejection disappears in the frigid air of the night as he cups my face lovingly in his hands and covers my lips with his.

The moment he claims my lips, fury and anger as hot as the sun consumed me whole. Growling, my hands press firm on his chest and the force sends him stumbling backwards.

"Mavy?!"

"Just stay away from me!" I begin marching away from him, far away from him as possible. His steps are not silent in the eerie mum night.

"Just wait, Mavy. I have something to tell you." His voice is hushed and anxious.

I turn but stand where I am. "I'm listening."

He covers the distance and grabs my hands in his, his blood staining my hand. "I know a way. I know how we can escape."

His face is serious, no hint of humour in it.

"Are you sure?" I don't trust myself not to stutter and thankfully, I don't.

"Positive,"he nods. "But we have to leave tonight. We are getting branded tomorrow." He licks his lips and glances over his shoulders as he talks.

"How do you know?" I wiggle my hands out of his, " how am I not sure you are just lying?"

He seems very shock and insulted by my question. "You don't trust me?"

"How can I?" It's a cry.

"Well, I'm going to prove myself to you. As we speak, a few of us are leaving, escaping back to Kintil." He says it with smugness, he had a hand in it.

"How is that possible?" I can't believe a word of what he has said.

"It is. I can't go into details but I'll tell you enough for you to believe me. Two of us were assigned to the stables, they sneaked out five horses for our escape, one of us who was a traveller and had seen almost all the parts of this Kingdom showed us a path through the woods." He says it all in one breath,"please come with me. I have a mare tied up for us."

"All right." I can't not believe him. His eyes are practically begging me to give him a chance.

Not allowing me a moment to reconsider, he grabs me and before I can recollect myself, we are dodging trees and running like the wind. We come to a wide clearing and there stands the mare. It's hard to make out her features in the moonlight but she looks really sturdy.

Cirok lifts me off the ground and places me on the mare, he grunts in pain and unties the horse. Then, he mounts the horse. Not allowing me to get used to the feel of the snorting mammal underneath me, he slaps the rump and the mare starts cantering into the woods.

"Grab onto her mane!" The wind pushes Cirok's words into my ears and I grip the bushy mane of the powerful creature. Cirok's arms curl around my waist, I like the feel of it there.

I close my eyes against the tumbling of my hair and the howling of the wind. My thighs and butt are already beginning to feel very sore but I don't mind it. I've suffered worst pain. Pain reminds me that I'm human.

I can not believe I'm riding a mare to my freedom with the love of my life behind me. I can't believe it! In no time, the raid and the plantation will just be a bad memory. Cirok's hard breaths against my nape proves to me that it is real, he is real, this mare and the woods are real. I'm really going to be free.

The sound is strangely familiar; the sharp slicing of the air, WHOOSH. Cirok mutters a profane word and his grip tightens around my waist.

"... Taskmaster... Arrow..."

My ears perk up, my happy countenance vanishes and is replaced with panic. Suddenly, the mare seems to be very slow, I wish she can go faster. The whoosh is heard again and an arrow hits the bark of a tree just ahead of us.

"Duck!" Cirok screams out.

I lower my head just in time, the arrow missed us and sank into the ground.

I pray we make it. I hope-

"Cirok!" His hands have fallen off my waist, I can't feel his breath against my nape. He has fallen!

I turn and watch his still body on the ground, the familiar silhouette of the taskmaster stands looming over him, a horse stands whooshing it's tail in the air. An the image of them fades off until I can see nothing.

I'm the traitor. I have forsaken him just like his brother did.

I weep.

Hey there. I'm delighted to see that y'all are still reading, yay! Keep turning the page for more compelling drama.

All votes, comments and follows are appreciated.

I don't mind CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.

Feel free to PM me.

If you would like to make banners or art for 'the way of the Wind', don't be shy to send it to me through PM or my email address( pm me for my email).

Cheers.
Your delighted author, Lixxie.