Chapter Two

 

 

 

When I finally summoned the courage to venture outside my guesthouse, a sea of smiling faces was awaiting me. And in front of them, looking solemn as ever, was Elijah.

“Good morning,” he greeted me warily, and I blinked in surprise. How disorientating - was it really that early? I turned my head, eying the sun, which was low in the sky. It must be rising, instead of setting.

“Come,” Elijah said, nodding. So I stepped forward, lifting up my gown to do so. The seams were so torn that the loose fabric was dangling around my bare feet.

The villagers did not follow, but stared in open amazement as I joined Elijah at his side. He smiled, pleased.

"In order to celebrate the arrival of our new guest," he spoke, his voice ringing with authority, "we will hold a feast. Men, you are to hunt, and ladies, you are to cook. Younger children will clean the dining area and assist their mothers."

The villagers looked anxious, excited. As soon as Elijah was finished speaking they scampered about in different directions. The men disappeared beyond the trees, armed with crossbows, and the ladies headed east to the harvesting field, or west to the river, to catch fish. I hesitated, debating over harvesting or fishing. But the thought of killing an innocent animal, even a fish, was too much. I headed toward the crops.

But Elijah reached out and grabbed my shoulder, bringing me to a stop. "Ivy!" he shouted, beckoning to a woman nearby who carried a bag of potatoes over her shoulder. "Take care of our guest until the feast is ready."

I started to protest, but he left quickly, and Ivy approached looking rather friendly. "Hello," she said, smiling. I gave her a hesitant smile in return.

"Are you enjoying your stay?" she asked conversationally as she led me back in the direction of my guesthouse. However, she glanced at me with true curiousity - there was a gleam of worry in her eyes.

"Yes," I lied. And then, because I wanted to be honest, I added, "It's very beautiful here."

She relaxed. "Thank you, miss."

When we reached my guest house, Ivy led me inside. I was surprised to see that a large tub of warm water was already set up inside, along with a bar of soap and a sheet of white fabric to dry off with.

"I'll try my best to mend your gown..." Ivy said doubtfully as she eyed the torn fabric. "But for now, perhaps I should find you a new dress."

I felt suddenly uneasy. "But how am I to repay you? I have no money."

She hesitated. "We do not need money, miss. However, we fear that a drought is nearing, and our village is in need of better crops."

"Okay," I agreed slowly. "I'll do my best." If they got me back into town, I'd give them all the water and plants I could find.

Ivy beamed. "Thank you, miss! We are so grateful for your blessing." Then she noticed my filthy state, and looked sheepish. "My apologies, miss. The water will be getting cold..." She bowed once, then ducked out the door.

It took a while for me to wrestle out of the gown; I'd forgotten to ask Ivy to unbutton the back. But after I'd taken off my undergarments, I slipped into the tub and sighed in relief of the hot water. I scrubbed the soap bar vigorously against my skin, enjoying the smell and enjoying my clean skin even more. Without the dirt, I was rather pale.

After I'd scrubbed and rinsed my hair as well, I unwillingly stepped out and dried with the white sheet. The hot water felt wonderful, but my previous filth had stained the water to a dirt-brown color as well. It was disgusting to look at.

I made sure that I was completely covered in the sheet, and then I poked my head outside. A brand new dress was folded on the doorway, and I hastily snatched it and ducked back inside. Unlike my gown, it was a simple design made of cotton, but it was much more comfortable and the change of clothes felt nice. A new pair of shoes was also included, and although they were very stiff, the gesture was kind.

I used the remainder of the hour to dry my hair; once that was finished, I left my guesthouse and wandered the village in search of Elijah.

He was not hard to find. He was addressing a group of five or six men, and when he saw me approach he shooed them off and grinned in welcome.

"You look lovely," he complimented me, looking happy that I'd accepted their fashion of clothes.

"Thank you, sir." He smirked at the title I'd given him, as if it were amusing in some way. "Please, call me Elijah," he chuckled. "I am not an English general."

"Yes, s - Elijah." He chuckled again.

"You arrived just in time. I was about to summon you for the feast."

My stomach groaned in response, but Elijah seemed too distracted to notice. He started walking forward, and the six men he'd been talking to followed behind and eyed each other solemnly.

I could smell the feast before I could see it. The wonderful aroma of food made my stomach whine again, but it was drowned out by the bustle of the villagers who surrounded the group of tables. I looked at Elijah, wondering where I should sit, and he gestured to the tallest and grandest table that overlooked the others. He pointed to the seat in the middle - the place of honor. I blushed.

Elijah made a brief announcement before we ate, with long and confusing phrases that I could not comprehend. My attention was averted to the food, and when he finally finished speaking, I was too ravenous to remember ettiquite.

The food was delicious; potatoes, corn, beans, turkey, deer meat, and fried vegetables, plus other foods that I didn’t recognize, that I didn’t have the courage to try. It wasn’t long before I had a massive stomach ache, and as I sank lower in my chair I became more aware of my surroundings.

People were staring at me again, but with a sense of affection, as though I were a friend instead of a lone stranger. I wondered why they had begun to trust me so quickly, but as a second variety of food arrived, my hunger drove away the curiousity again.

When the last of the meal was polished off, Elijah rose to his feet, gesturing at me, and I instantly followed. The others stayed put - I remembered Micah, and searched the crowd to find him sitting at the far end of the tables. He looked confused as he glanced between Elijah and me, and a faint kind of horror locked into place.

I waved, grinning, but he did not wave back. He was speaking to an older man at his side, looking panic-stricken. I frowned, but Elijah gently took hold of my arm and led me away. I followed slowly, admiring the twilit beauty of the place.

"Where are we going?" I asked. "It's getting dark out." This was true; goose bumps were raised on my pale, skinny arms, and I longed to be back in my guesthouse with a blazing fire to keep me warm and Micah to keep me company.

"Trust me," Elijah answered with an odd smile. He held a lantern in one hand and a small, jagged rock in the other; I suspected that he kept it as a precaution against wild woodland animals. I hated the thought of causing harm to any of them; just the soft glow of the lantern made me feel safe for now.

He said nothing else as we continued to wander seemingly aimlessly through the trail. Just as my legs were beginning to sore, Elijah brought us to a sudden stop, and gestured north toward an opening in the trees. It was a sort of clearing, I could see, very open and very wide. He guided me slowly toward the center of the clearing, and we both became very still as we gazed upward at the dim sky. Waiting.

And then, less than ten seconds later, I found out what we were waiting for. The setting sun became visible through a gap in the trees, sending a brilliant light to emanate around us. Everything was bright, so peaceful. It was beautiful.

Elijah's soft expression hardened when he turned away from the view. He glared at me for a long moment, and then gave a surprisingly low bow. He then preceded to lift me into his arms and carry me toward a bed of flowers in the center of the clearing. I was confused; was this a sort of superstitious ritual? I remained silent, waiting for Elijah to elaborate, but he did not.

Instead, he murmured quietly to himself. His eyes were closed, yet his expression looked haunting. I shivered again - not so much from the cold.

His eyes opened, and as they did, the last remnants of the sunlight disappeared. His pupils dilated, and I stared, transfixed, as he revealed the jagged rock in his hand. He raised it high above his head in a clenched fist, and there was no sympathy in his eyes for what he was about to do.

In one long release of breath, I finally let out my scream. It pierced the air with a force so violent that I doubted my own death could match it. And yet, that moment never came.

As I finally dared to meet Elijah's gaze, I could see pain. I could see shock. But mostly pain. He let out a strangled groan, and it took my eyes a moment to search in the blank darkness. There was an arrow stuck in his arm, the same arm that held the potential weapon. He stared at the arrow for a long moment, aghast. And then he fell.

"Elijah!" I cried, in fear and concern. A wave of adrenaline pulsed through my veins, and my head spun. What was happening? I crawled beside his body, struggling to lift his weight under my frail arms. I had to get help!

A figure rushed out from the shadows, and as the starlight revealed his face, I gasped in relief.

“Micah!” I choked. “Something happened to - ”

“I know,” he interrupted, pulling me to my feet. “We’ve got to run.”

 

 

 

 

My throat choked painfully. “You killed him!”

“He’s not dead,” Micah panted. “Better him than you, anyway.” He tugged my arm, dragging me after him. Everything felt surreal; I looked back to where Elijah lay unmoving on the ground. His arm was covered in a pool of red, and my face paled at the sight.

“Why, Micah?” I whispered. “Why would you do that?”

He disregarded my question. “Run, Azalea!” he hissed. “Come on!”

I shook my head, trying to clear it from the dizzy, faint sensation gripping me so tightly. Dread coursed through my spine, stiffening my legs, and my hasty movements were not enough to keep up with Micah’s long strides.

“Run, Azalea, please!” he begged, releasing me. I stumbled, and then pain shot up my calves as I forced my legs into an unsteady motion.

“Why?” I pleaded. “Where are we going? What happened to Elijah?”

“I’ll explain later,” he panted. “Trust me.”

And I did. I followed him straight through the heart of the forest, looping around trees and bushes and leaping over rocks and fallen branches. I could hear movement far behind us, and my ears pounded when I heard the screams of shock that followed.

It felt like my whole body was aching with the effort to even stand upright, let alone force myself to keep running. But suddenly Micah threw himself onto the ground, snatching my arm to pull me beside him. Together we hid underneath a gnarled thorn bush, darting anxious glances for any signs of being followed.

“We’re safe,” he gasped in relief, looking amazed. “We made it.”

His relief only brought more horror. “Why, Micah?” My gaze became blurred with watery tears, and the sight made him falter. “Why did you do that?”

His face turned cold, expressionless. “He was going to hurt you.” Somehow, the word ‘hurt’ lingered in the air, and I didn’t want to believe its alternate meaning.

Micah sighed, flipping onto his back so that he could pull his knees against his chest. He hesitated, and I struggled to remain calm while he gathered his thoughts.

“Our village…” he paused. “We’re very superstitious. There are so many legends, silly stories that Elijah expects us to believe.” His lips pressed into a hard line. “After you were found, he gathered a council meeting.”

I nodded. “I remember.”

“You don’t remember much,” he contradicted. “And that’s the problem.”

I waited with baited breath, but Micah said nothing else. “Please,” I begged. “Tell me.”

“I want to,” he promised. “But it’s nonsense. It’d only upset you.”

“I’d be more upset if you kept it a secret.”

He sighed again. “Don’t get afraid, or angry. For too long Elijah has fed us lies from his ridiculous stories.”

“Okay,” I said soothingly. “Please, tell me.”

Under the canopy of stars, Micah’s eyes flashed.

“Out of all the ludicrous tales he’s sworn from centuries ago, death is Elijah’s best subject. Creatures of the undead, seeking vengeance on damned souls; lands of vast emptiness, reserved for men with ignorant minds; demons of fire, gods of vengeance…angels of innocence.”

His husky voice broke off at the end of the sentence, and he concentrated on his leather bootstraps while he continued. “Men are among the most sinful of all creatures. They are liars, betrayers, and every day the world becomes more bleak in their presence. Elijah told us that peace can be stored, but only by the sacrifice of the innocent.

“By casting innocence onto the land of the sinful, a sort of magic takes place. The sky softens, and the land is blessed. There is grace, there is beauty. And when such an innocence has fallen, it rises an opportunity for the people of the land. If they restore the offer, and thus return the being to its proper place, they, in turn, will be blessed.

However, sometimes the innocence is not acted upon as a sacrifice, but as a punishment. If their goodness spoils, they are sent onto man’s land. And when the men restore the offer, the being may not return to its land of goodness, but to a far worse place.”

He paused to take a deep breath. I tried to flash him an encouraging smile, but a dry grimace was all I could muster.

“And that’s what Elijah was trying to do.” Despite the serious tone of the story, Micah gave a weak chuckle. “The idiot was trying to restore you.”

I felt confused. “Restore me?”

He nodded. “By killing you, and ending your sentence to man’s land, he was hoping to send you back to your place of innocence and goodness.”

“Sort of like heaven?”

“Yes…” he said slowly. “But less holy, and more superstitious.”

I stared off blankly into the dark trees. “I don’t understand.”

Micah leaned forward slightly, and I stared into his dark eyes. They gave nothing away, no sense of understanding or meaning. It was a riddle.

“Heaven,” I repeated thoughtfully. “But…if he was sending me back to heaven, that’d mean…I’d be an…”

“Angel.” He spoke the word for me, perhaps to spare my embarrassment. For a moment, I had the insane desire to laugh.

“But why?” I gasped. “Why would he think that?”

Micah rolled his eyes. “Calm down. It’s just a silly story.”

“Why?” I demanded, growing frantic.

He rested his hands on my shoulders, but they felt more like a restraint than a gesture of comfort. “You have to think logically,” he reminded me. “You were laying out in the middle of the forest, wearing an ivory gown, and you had no memory of anything that had happened. Not to mention, you are incredibly innocent. You fit the part.” He bit back a smile and waited for my reaction first.

I just shook my head. This was too much to bear - for now, the image of Elijah’s crumpled body was the only thing I could think about.

“Micah,” I whispered. “Your arrow…Elijah was bleeding so much…I really think he’s dead.” I brushed at the tears in my eyes.

 

“I had to stop him. I couldn’t let you get hurt.” His expression was grave. I longed to reach out and comfort him, but I didn’t know how. So I made do with patting his shoulder.

“It’ll be okay,” he mumbled. “We can start over.”

I became aware of a fresh set of tears rolling down my cheeks, and I wiped them away with the back of my hand. He was giving away everything just for me. It didn’t seem like a good enough reason.

“You can go back,” I said, the suggestion stinging my throat even as I suggested it. “They don‘t know it was you. Don’t do this for me, Micah.”

But his mind was already made up. “They’re not worth it. I was planning to leave soon anyway, remember?” His smile was so fake that it hurt to watch. “And besides, it’s not like I can leave you to fend for yourself.”

There was so much tension binding us together, and I only had about a million other questions racking my brain, but already I felt light-headed with sleepiness. The last hour had passed in such a quick time, all this new information was overwhelming. I'd have to think it over - later, when I wasn't so tired.

Eyelids drooping, I stretched my legs out behind me and propped my head on my arms. Micah copied me, worry creasing his forehead.

“Tomorrow things will be better,” he murmured. The daylight sky blurred from my gaze, and as my eyes drew shut, my mind was drifting from the cold forest floor.

His smile died. “I only got his arm. If I'd gotten his neck, or his chest, well, that would be a certain death." He pressed his lips together. "Most likely, he'll lose a lot of blood, and Ivy will be able to bandage him up. Nothing too serious." But it was his eyes that gave him away.

 

Reviews

[Str8jacket]

Once again this story ceases to amaze me. And see I was right not to trust Elijah. I can understand his thinking to a certain exstent but I still side with Micah.

[Dianne]

Hey, I'm really going to harp on the blank line between paragraphs, because this is a really good story and you deserve to have more than just a handful of readers and reviews. I'm serious now, it's not difficult to go in and edit it just for the line breaks and the sooner you do the sooner you will get more readers for it.

Also there is a spot in the middle where it looks like you might have had a cut and past problem and are missing a few lines of the story. If you look at where the blank line is in the middle of this chapter you will find what I"m talking about.

[Aspiring Angel]

Your story telling ability is outstanding! I am so hooked on this story and I will be back really soon to read the next chapter.

Hugs,
Lesa

[Kena Dawn Augustine]

vivid, very descriptive, esp when describing her running through the forest. Believalbe characters. I liked how you described the food, i love food! lol.

only thing? the font is too small, it was hard to read. only giving critcism bec you are very good writer, and I want to let you knmow that.

[HPsGurl1]

Micah and Azalea . . . together, somehow that is what I am getting when I think of those two. This will make a great book, can't stop reading!!!!!

[These Haunted Hallways]

I cant stop reading it, it's so awesome!! Very well written!! This was definitley shocking. Why would the Chief and his followers do that to an innocent girl?? Jeez, i cant imagine what the Mayans did back then; ooo, goosebumps. I also can see that these two characters definitely have a crush on each other lol! WoW, what a cliffhanger- let me know when ya have the other chapters lined up. Send 'em over when u finish :) Great job hun- really great stuff ;)

B.A.