Sinking

I was happy. Pearson had let me out as I had hoped and I had gotten away as fast as I could. On a horse, almost no one could catch me. I had learned to ride when I was five and taken to it like a fish in water. I let the cool night air blow my braided hair around. I had dressed in almost all black, finding the blackest and simplest dress I could, knowing riding would be hard, because I was going to find adventure. I was going to go into the deepest darkest part of the woods and hunt. I was forbidden there, so it meant something had to be there.  And who would stop me?  I reasoned. Nobody except Pearson even knew I had left at all.

The woods seemed to be cast in a blue glow as I passed through them, trotting as silently as I could. I slipped off my horse, deciding I’d have to go from foot here. The forest thickened with trees as I kept walking, obscuring anything more than two feet away.

I walked slowly and slightly nervously. But, as I kept walking, I grew more and more confident. I was good with a bow and arrow, which I had strapped to my back. I wanted something to attack. If I’m a good hunter, father will have to realize that I could serve, I decided. It put a determination in my step.

I hit the ground with force. At first I thought there must have been a root I had tripped over. As I looked back, I saw nothing. I felt where I had tripped. There was a small thin wire across the only real path. I realized with horror that I hadn’t been really quiet. Not only had I scared off any prey, I could have aroused the predators, such as the Kahule.

The Kahule were a rebel force that was rumored to be near this end of Sanjua. It was a classic rebel-dictator story. The king, Sester, was not the greatest king. He was a bit like my dad. If it didn’t concern military and conquering, it could wait. Sanjua had been waiting for five decades. It’s not surprising that a rebel group was created. They opposed Sester’s conquests and attacked his conquered country, mostly military encampments, but others as well. They were a thorn in his side, always stopping his greatest conquests. At the moment, Sester could go no farther. He had control over the whole continent. From ocean to ocean. There was no more. But, with mountains and giant forests, the Kahule were everywhere he couldn’t be.

At that moment, I realized who this had to be. In the deep of woods, where no one is supposed to venture because hardly anyone ever returns. I remembered the tales of people coming out of the forests and how the soldiers were banned from there. I had thought of it as a lot of suspicious mumbo jumbo. No, I realized that it wasn’t a joke.

And, I was sinking.