Chapter 2

            Kristine topped off her beef dish with a delicate and zesty sauce while Addie sat at the table waiting for the sun to set so they could begin eating. While Kristine went outside to take the corn off the fire Addie began setting the table. As she set the plates, cups, forks, and knives down Addie prayed that no families would be killed tonight, that everyone would remain safe.

            The sun went down behind the mountains and Kristine and Addie turned off all the oil lamps and blew out all the candles except the one sitting in the middle of the table. Guards would soon be patrolling the woods and anyone with their lights on would immediately be searched and if found with a meal, executed.

            Addie took some beef and corn putting it on her plate. “This looks delicious Kristine.”

            “Thanks Addie. I’ve never tried this recipe before so let me know if you like it.”

            “Kristine,”

            “Yes?”

            “Thank you for doing this.”

            “Doing what?”

            “Putting your life on the line to honor my parents.”

            “Believe me I would be doing this to honor your parents whether you were here or not.”

            Addie picked up her fork and knife taking a bite of the beef. “Kristine this is indeed delicious.”

            “Thank you, I’m glad you like it.”

            They went through the remainder of the meal in complete silence. Addie thought about what happened while she was in the village today. She thought about how if her parents were still alive this wouldn’t be the life she was living, the life anyone was living. “How could Queen Zora be so evil as to murder someone like that? Did they take him to the dungeons or to be beheaded? He was so young too; he couldn’t have been more than fourteen-years old.” She thought these kinds of things to herself over the course of the meal. She was immediately snapped out of her train of thought when she heard Kristine shout in a whisper,

            “Addie!”

            “What?”

            “I hear guards.” She looked frightened; the guards hadn’t gotten to this area the last two years. Addie leaned forward and quickly blew out the candle.

            She looked at Kristine in alarm, “Don’t move a muscle.” Addie could see the lights of torches creeping its way up the trees in the forest. She felt like everything would be okay as long as they stay quiet and all the lights are out until,

            “Addie,” Kristine cried under her breath. “The window above the dish bucket.”

            Addie looked at the window above the dish bucket and saw that the curtains were wide open and there was no way if one guard had put a torch up to the window they couldn’t see them and their meal. Kristine began to cry as Addie crawled through the kitchen towards the dish bucket.

            She could hear voices approaching the tree, “’ey, Ben?”

            “What?”

            “Is ‘hat a cottage in a tree?”

            “Henry what are you even looking at?”

            “Over there!”

            “That’s just a tree Henry. What’s wrong with you?”

            “Look, it even has a window open.”

            “Keep quiet Henry or they might hear you.”

            “Don’t use ‘hat tone wit’ me Ben, I’m serious.”

            “It’s just your imagination, come on.”

            Relief began to set itself over Addie; they might just make it through tonight alive.

            “Henry!”

            “Ya Ben?”

            “I see a light over there, let’s go.”

            “Right behind ya.”

            Addie looked over at Kristine to see how she was doing. She let out a sigh of relief and a smile made its way through all her tears. Addie got up from under the dish bucket, closed the curtains tightly, and walked back over to the table. Kristine stood up and hugged her, “We did it.”

            “Not yet, we still have to finish and clean up this meal before anymore show up.” 

            No other guards disturbed them for the remainder of their supper. Addie put her dishes away with Kristine and then headed up to her room. She opened the wardrobe and put her white nightgown on. She climbed safely into bed and thought to herself one last time before trying to fall asleep, “We made it but, what about the light the guards saw that caused them to leave us?”

            She tossed and turned all night worried about the others and before finally falling asleep Addie had heard guards pass by a total of seven times.

           

Author's Note

Ignore the grammar, I haven't edited for that just yet. Let me know what you think of the chapter and how you felt as you read it. Feel free to include any additional comments. :)