Night Forest

Chapter 11

          Kylara was cleaned and dressed in her regular clothes when she set out to find Fanna. She searched through the rooms looking for her. It was odd how no one was around now. Kylara stopped in the kitchen to grab a bit of food since her stomach was crying for it.
          As she was finishing up her quick meal she spotted Allena, one of the servants. “Allena? Allena, have you seen my grandmother?”
          Allena looked up at Kylara with solemn eyes, “Yes, I have seen her. Please, come with me, I will take you to her.”
          Kylara wondered what was going on as they climbed stairs to one of the guest chambers of the castle. They entered one of the smaller ones chambers. It was dark except for a blazing fire. The room was amazingly hot and there was a figure lying on the bed, huddled beneath many blankets.
          When she realized that the figure was Fanna she rushed up to the bedside and clasped Fanna’s hand in hers. “Grandmother? Grandmother it’s me, it’s Kylara, I’m back.”
          “Kylara?” Fanna’s voice sounded so fragile and weak.
          “Yes grandmother, its Kylara.”
          Fanna open her eyes slightly and looked at her granddaughter, “It is you. I’ve been waiting…” Fanna’s eyes closed again and she slept.
          Kylara turned to Allena you was standing quietly behind her, “What’s wrong with her?”
          “She’s sick and old, I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do to make her better…Kylara…she’s going to part with us soon.”
          Tears sprang to Kylara’s eyes, “No, no she can’t!” Kylara knelt by the bed and held tightly to her grandmother’s hand, she whispered softly but anxiously, “You can’t die grandmother, not when I’ve just found you.”
          Kylara leaned her head against the bed and cried. She prayed with all that she had, that her grandmother would live.

          She only lasted a week. Fanna died with her granddaughter by her side and those that she had known the longest around her. The morning after she died, Fanna was buried in a small meadow near the castle. Kylara sat near the grave clutching a handful of flowers in her hand.
          “I’m sorry, Kylara,” Toric said from behind her.
          Kylara instantly stiffened, “Don’t you have something better to do than bug me?”
          Toric crossed in front of her to the opposite side of the grave, “I said I was sorry, I’m not bugging you. I understand that this must hurt you”
          Kylara looked up at him with hard cold eyes, “You don’t understand a thing. Fanna is the fourth family member I’ve had to bury in my life. You’ve never, never had to go through the pains I have. I had to watch my family starve to death. My brother died first, then my mother, then my father, now my grandmother has died. You, the only person you lost was your mother. I’ve heard Fanna and the others talking. You lost your mother when you were only two. You never got to know her, never had to bury her. I am nineteen and I’ve lost everything in this one year of my life.”
          “Listen, Kyl-” Toric tried to say.
          “No, you listen! I was sixteen when I had my heart broken by some dumb man like you. He cheated on me, I left him and never had another. Three years later I’m stuck in a town where everyone is dying. Every single person in the town, except me, died. I had to watch them starve and freeze to death. I almost die out in the snow trying to make something of my life. I come to your fathers war camp and get put to work as a servant. On my way to this damn castle I had to kill ten men myself and get a wound that is ten times worse than anything you ever had. I make a few friends because of what I did. I get a stallion and a pet hawk. I then go to this ball that is suppose to be the most wonderful thing ever, but instead I’m capture and taken off. I was beaten and touched in way that no woman should ever be touched unless it is by one she loves. The only thing that saved me from letting myself die was the fact that I still had a grandmother that loved me. I finally get back to find my grandmother on her deathbed. A week later she dies. I have nothing now Toric. Nothing, and you will never understand that because you can have whatever you want. I hope you have a wonderful life and I hope your wife can love you,” Kylara stood up and dropped the flowers on Fanna’s grave then she looked at Toric. Her eyes had soften a bit with her story, “Maybe she can love you like I had for awhile.”
          Kylara left running for the castle before Toric could say a thing. She ran to her room and grabbed her small bag and weapons. She stopped in Fanna’s old room and looked around. There was an old chest in the corner. She bent down and opened it. Inside she found a black cloak that would be useful. She also found a black mask and a small silver dragger. She grabbed both. She put the dagger on the side of her boot, then she put the mask and cloak on. The cloak had a hood, which she pulled low over her head. Kylara looked in the mirror. She looked as dark as she felt, which was what she wanted.
          Talon flew in the through the small window. Kylara looked at him and noticed that he had something in his beak. She walked up and took it from him. It was her great-great-grandmothers necklace.
          Kylara smiled slightly, “Thank you Talon,” she put it on, “Come along, we’re leaving.”
          Talon chirped and landed on her cloaked shoulder. With him in place she rushed up the stairs to the kitchen. Luckily no one was there. Kylara stuffed her bag with what food she could take then she slipped out the back door. She made her way around the castle to the back door of the stables. There was one stable boy here. She quietly walked to a Mystery. He recognized her smell and didn’t make a noise except a small whimper. Kylara ran a hand down his head as she hoped over and into his stall. The stallion’s reins were hanging on a peg near his stall, and his saddle was on the rail.
          This was at least a bit of luck for her, that and the fact that the stable boy was deaf or he couldn’t hear very well. Kylara slipped the saddle blanket on the stallion then the saddle. The stallion stood still and opened his mouth so the bridle and reins could be put on. Kylara flipped the latch on the gate and pushed it open. Then she quickly mounted.
          The squeak of the gate opening had the stable boy looking then diving for cover as Kylara raced out of the stables. Kylara urged her horse into a gallop and barely made it before the gates closed on them. She heard shouts from behind her but she didn’t care. She kept riding hard, her cloak flying behind her as they galloped into the forest.