Tales Of Corinthia

The pacing really went to shit at this point but its a first draft! I will improve.

---

We rushed down the stairs taking two steps at a time as we sprinted toward the caravan. The guards were getting irate at the doctor screaming and waving swords at him. The doctor however would not stand down keeping a white-knuckle grip on his sword. As we rushed to them, we saw one of the guards approaching him with his sword drawn.

Lauren sped up as we saw the sword being lifted to strike him. No one had noticed us in the panic, and we used that to our advantage. The moment the sword came down Lauren was there her sword wedged between them before she knocked the guard back. The entire camp fell into silence as we stood there panting.

My chest heaved as I glared at the queens as they approached me. I tried to ignore the burning in my calves the sudden exertion really taking it out of me. The queens didn’t say anything about my state as thoughts ran rampant through my head. Why would they do this. They seemed so calm when I saw them had they changed their mind.

My panic turned to anger as I looked at the scene around me my home and my family being picked apart under their command. I tensed up as they finally stood before me, but I refused to bow.

“What are you doing!” I asked barely able to hide my anger as I stared at them. My hands trembled by my sides as I stared up at the two.

The terrifying looking woman who accompanied them rushed to their side her sword drawn. She glared at me shielding the queens from me as she stood tall.

Queen Arabelle stared at me her eyebrows furrowed and mouth tugged into a frown, “Where is my daughter!” She demanded yelling in my face as she did.  

I stumbled back startled by the yelling, “I don’t know! I haven’t seen her since we had that argument!” I replied trying to remain calm as I saw everyone staring at me.

The queen sighed and her wife pulled her into a side hug, “Are you certain? She said she was coming to see you a few days ago then didn’t return home.” Queen Celestia asked a bit calmer that her wife had been.

I just shook my head looking down my hands shaking, “I haven’t seen her at all. As far as I’m aware she hasn’t been here. I’m sorry.”

One of the queens approached me and then feel a hand under my chin guiding me to look up. Queen Celestia stared into my eyes for a moment before relaxing and waving her free hand. Every guard in the area began to move freeing the people they had restrained and cleaning the mess they made, “My apologies for the mess we caused we couldn’t rule out that you would do something.”

Slowly everything around, us started to calm down as they continued to question me. They were trying to figure out if I knew anything that might help them find her. Eventually Lauren came and stood beside me her hand gripping my shoulder and she stared at the queens, “Are you quite done interrogating my ward?”

“Unfortunately, we do have to make sure she doesn’t know anything before we can leave, would you mind keeping an eye out for Alexis?” Queen Celestia asked her wife having stayed silent throughout this.

Lauren quickly agreed and promised to ask the elders the same. She knew from experience how hard it is to have a child go missing. It wasn’t uncommon travelling with the caravan for kids to wander off.

The interrogation continued for a while the royal guard being ordered to tidy up. I was eventually left alone with the queens and our conversation became a lot less formal. They were rightly worried and I tried to be sympathetic despite my own fears. I wanted to help find Alexis but they refused I was specifically ordered not to. However that didn’t really scare me.

As soon as they were gone Lauren sent me to bed knowing that I was exhausted from my day. She asked Kat and Raine to stay with me for the night and we ended up spending the next few hours reading. Well Kat was reading; Raine and I laid in the tent listening to her quietly.

###

Later that night I laid tossing and turning in the tent thoughts of where Alexis might be, eating me alive. Eventually a lantern was lit behind me and Raine loomed over me with a worried but determined look. Kat was just getting out of her hammock and started to dress immediately into training gear.

“We’re going hunting.” Raine stated calmly and grabbing me a change of clothes throwing them to me before moving to start packing a bag.

I sighed getting dressed quickly making sure I had the dagger on me, “How are we getting out the city is under curfew,” I asked as I secured the last of my weaponry and grabbed a cloak.

Kat just smiled and pay me on the shoulder, “Don’t worry about it. You want to try find her, right?”

Shocked couldn’t even begin to describe how I felt at that moment. Kat of all people was scheming, and I was here for it, “What’s the plan?” I asked taking a moment to grab the pendant the queen had given me. At least that way if things went south, we might get some leniency.

Kat shrugged and Raine just laughed, “Since when did we need a plan? We’re going hunting.” I watched as he closed the bag he had and put it under his cloak.

“The night guards aren’t very attentive so we’re just going to walk out.” Kat said as she put down a note, I hadn’t noticed her writing. It just said we went hunting and would be back soon. I guess it was for if Lauren or the doctor came in during the night.

 Then soon enough we were on our way out. We snuck around camp making sure not to make any noise in case someone caught us. Honestly the sneaking around made me feel like a criminal. Would I be a criminal for this? Is this how my life of petty crime starts with breaking curfew.

It was way too easy to sneak out past the night guard who for some reason hadn’t even dropped the portcullis. We silently celebrated our luck as we made our way into the treeline then started on the hunt. It was decided we’d stay together and just look for any signs of struggle out here.

So that’s what we did the three of us wandered the forest aimlessly looking for any signs of Alexis. The moon was clouded over making the forest pitch black in every direction. Raine had a lantern to help us see the orange glow of the fire guiding our way. We struggled to traverse the forest in the mud occasionally having to stop ourselves falling.

For hours we traversed the forest in the dark with nothing but lantern light to guide us. We didn’t realise how long it had been until the first hues of sunrise lit up the sky. A deep orange lighting up the entire area. Raine soon snuffed out the lantern and we made our way over to the sound of running water.

We were hoping to find some grazing animals knowing we couldn’t return empty handed. How would we even explain that to Lauren

However, the water we ended up at wasn’t the river we had expected instead we stood before a massive waterfall. I stared up at the familiar site for a moment taking in the glow of the sunrise against the water. Any other day I would want to capture it in a painting. Maybe one day I’ll come here for sunrise with Alexis. Instead of the joy I wanted to feel I felt nothing but pain tears pricking my eyes as I stared up at the beautiful sight.

I tore my eyes away from the waterfall and started looking around. Almost immediately noticing the hammock torn in half on the trees an arrow sticking into the tree above. Alexis had been here. She had to have been here. 

“I can’t go back.” I said quietly getting Kat and Raine’s attention as they looked at the scene ahead of me, “She brought me here if theres a chance she’s out here I can’t turn back.”

Neither of them said anything at first just staring at me then Raine laughed a genuine laugh, “We didn’t think you would.”

That’s all that had to be said we sat for a moment to eat and refill our waterskins then looked around. It was unlikely there would be tracks since she’d been missing a few days, but we still had to check. Kat found a scrap of blue cloth and immediately handed it to me with a smile.