Night Forest

Chapter 10

          Kylara lost all sense of time. After the second day of torture, her mind and soul drifted above her body. Each touch, each sliver of pain, she hardly felt anymore. She knew that if this lasted much longer, her mind and soul would leave her body completely. She would only be an empty corpse.
          Tonight they had given her some length of rope so she could move her arms a bit, but she was still tied to the pole so she couldn’t run away. Not that she would even if she wasn’t tied, she didn’t have the strength anymore. Kylara carefully drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself. She was so cold, her body hurt even when she wasn’t moving, and she was hungry. They never fed her and only sometimes she would get something to drink.
          Something moved behind Kylara. If it was an animal she wished it would just tear her apart. But it wasn’t, something cut her bounds. It wasn’t an animal, it was a person. Kylara looked up and saw a man kneel in front of her.
          “Stay quiet Kylara, you’ll be alright,” Kylara recognized Anthony’s voice.
          Kylara moved forward and wrapped her arms around Anthony with out making a sound. Anthony carefully picked her up and took her into the cover of the forest to where the White Wolves waited. That was the signal for the others. A war cry went up and the White Wolves ambushed the dark warriors. The battle ended quickly, the dark warriors never knew what hit them.
          Anthony mounted his horse awkwardly, but none the less he got himself and Kylara up. She still had yet to let go of him or say a word. Anthony wrapped his cloak around Kylara. He waited patiently for the others to come back so he could get her back home.
          The others finally came back and mounted their horses. Toric rode his over to Anthony. He was covered in blood.
          “Is she alright Anthony?” Toric asked as softly as he could.
          “I don’t know my lord. She hasn’t said a word and I can not see her. But if I had to guess, I’d say they got her pretty bad. She won’t let go of me,” Anthony answered grimly.
          “Very well, lets get her back. Come on men, we’re going home,” Toric rode to the front and started for home. He was still worried about Kylara. He hoped she would be all right. Though secretly he wished it were him that she was clinging too, but then again, after the things he said, he might never have her respect again.

          Kylara shivered in Anthony’s arms. They’d been riding hard all morning, but Kylara didn’t care about that. All she cared about was that she would get to see Fanna again.
          “Anthony?” Kylara’s voice was hoarse. She hadn’t spoken in five or six days, she couldn’t remember.
          Anthony looked at her and smiled slightly. Now that it was daylight they could all see that Kylara had gone through a very bad time. She was covered in bruises and welts. He turned his eyes to the road again, “I thought you had lost your voice for some time angel.”
          Kylara shook her head, “No, it’s just hard to talk. Do you have anything I could drink? I haven’t had anything since they took me.”
          Anthony stopped his horse and pulled out a leather flask and handed it to her. Kylara took a couple careful sips. It felt glorious sliding down her dry throat.
          “Thank you,” Kylara’s voice wasn’t hoarse anymore, but it still sounded different that it had.
          “Your welcome angel. Now, since we’re stopped… would you like to talk about it?”
          Kylara’s lips trembled but she nodded slightly, “I’ll tell you what I can.”
          “Alright, that’s all I need.”
          “Can we get down first?”
          “It may be best if we keep going. But we’ll go at a walk, that alright?”
          Kylara nodded and Anthony nudged the horse into a walk.
          Kylara took a deep breath and told the story. First how Toric’s father had her taken away, but at this part she lied and said that she was taken away because she wasn’t suppose to be at the ball since she was a servant. Then she told Anthony of how they beat her and touched her where they shouldn’t. She smiled slightly when she told him of how she got Talon to fly for help. Which worried her since she had yet to see Talon.
          “Don’t worry angel, he lead us here. He’s probably waiting at the castle for ya.”
          Kylara nodded slightly, “I must ask. How can you call me angel now? I couldn’t protect myself, I didn’t get away, I’m filthy and dirty from them. None of that is like an angel.”
          Anthony smiled and squeezed her in a slight hug, “Because you will forever be an angel Kylara. You survived the worst things that most men can’t even imagine, and you survived them at a young age. You have great respect from everyone here, and you’ll have even more when we get back. Besides, one look at what had happened to you, I never thought you could have gotten away or protect yourself. Do not be ashamed of that, you will be…no, you are the most wonderful woman I have ever met. If I did not have a wife and kids of my own, and I was young enough, I’d take you and never let you go.”
          Kylara hugged Anthony as tightly as she could, even when pain shot up her arms. “Thank you Anthony, thank you for everything,” her voice was muffled against his chest as she hid her tears.
          Anthony patted her back and they emerged from the forest. A loud cheer went up. Kylara quickly wiped her eyes and turned to see what was going on. Her eyes widened at the sight. A huge crowd was standing in front of the gates, the other warriors were already inside the gates. Their horses were gone and they were waiting patiently.
          Anthony led them through the crowd and up to the castle doors. Anthony dismounted then help Kylara down. The stable took his horse away and Anthony led Kylara inside. Only the other warriors followed. They made a circle around Anthony and Kylara.
          Toric came forward first, he had a bag in his hand. “I was suppose to give this to you before, but you were in no shape to take it. So I give it to you now. It is your things.”
          Kylara nodded and took the bag. But when she looked at Toric in the eyes, he could see there was only flames of hate.
          A few other warriors came forward and shook her hand, then everyone went to the dining hall. Everyone except Toric. Kylara started to walk to the servants quarters. All she wanted to do was take a hot bath and get rid of as much of the filth as she could. She let out a heavy sigh when Toric started walking with her.
          “Kylara…I’m sorry for what I said. I was being stupid, but any man would try to impress such a beautiful woman that he would say anything. That’s what I did, and I am sorry for it, very sorry.”
          “You don’t have to apologize to me, my lord, I’m just a servant, remember?” Kylara kept her head bent down, as was respectable for a servant.
          “Stop it Kylara, you know I didn’t mean those things,” Toric’s own temper was starting to flare.
          Now Kylara couldn’t help but look him in the eye, “You meant every word. I’m just a servant, to low for you. Well I hope you have fun finding a wife. Oh and do remember to find a rich one, you father might have her taken away like he tried to with me.”
          Toric’s mouth dropped open, “My father? You’re lying! You could be punished for that you know!”
          Kylara’s eyes flared with more hate, “I have no reason to lie. Your father didn’t like the fact that you wanted to marry this beautiful woman with no money and no power. So what did he do to fix the problem? He had me taken away so you wouldn’t have a chance to marry me. If it weren’t for Fanna, my grandmother, I would leave! I don’t need some lord that has his head in the clouds. I don’t need people staring at me and talking behind my back. I don’t need a damn thing because you know what? I never grew up with them like you did. You could have anything you wanted, and I am sure you got it. The only thing I ever wanted was to grow up to be like my father and never get tangled up with a man. I have accomplished that.”
          Kylara walked into the women’s quarter and slammed the door in his face. Toric leapt back holding his nose.
          “Damn woman! Always thinking you’re better than everyone else!” Toric stormed off.
          Kylara shook her head and looked around. No one was around. Kylara was relieved to have a moment alone. She filled a bath with hot water and got in. She let everything just wash away. Especially the feeling she had secretly hidden for Toric, now it could wash away like the dirt.