[Mkguild] Life As We Know It XXVIII

[Jack Moore]

AN: This took forever, work has increased my work load but not my pay so I
am significantly more tired.  I would love some feedback.

Life As We Know It - XXVIII

Somewhere South of Metamor
Early 699
Sotto was gone.  I knew that.  I remember the fog.  And I remember running
for my life.
'Havetogohavetogohavetorunawayhavetoflee.' My legs burned but somehow they
kept moving.  My right hand held my knife so tight it felt as if my hand
had turned to stone.  Tree branches and brambles clung to me as I ran, but
they didn’t stop me.
The sky was chalk grey with the sun unable to pierce the wall of clouds.
The ground was so wet every thump of my feet sent globs of mud bouncing
into the air.  My left arm was cradling against my body, as if my life
depended on it.
No, it did depend on it.  In my left arm I held why I would be killed if I
slowed down.  I had to keep running.  If Umaro and Mirna caught me, I would
be dead.
I stumbled while running up an embankment, but somehow I caught myself with
my knife hand.  I wiped a wet leaf off my forehead and lept over the
gully.  I clear roots, branches and every hazard in my way like an athlete.
'Maybe I’m far enough away.' Yeah right.  When you know someone wants to
kill you, you never think you’re far enough away.  Still my legs were
starting to hurt, so I had to stop.
I stumbled again, this time almost face planting in the mud.  I pulled
myself into the hollow of an oak tree, taking a moment to check my body.
I was still in the clothes I had worn yesterday, only now they were stand
with crimson and ash.  My arms were shaking so hard, I thought they might
never stop.  I collapsed onto my knees.
'I didn’t do anything wrong.  Sotto, I’m so sorry.  I’m doing what I can.
'The cold air finally began to affect me and I could feel my heart again.
I swallowed. 'Umaro and Mirna won’t care about that. They’ll want to kill
me. I have what they want.' My panicked breath rose in little clouds.  I
stood up again. 'They killed Sotto. They’ll kill me. What did we do?'
No time to worry about that.  More running.  Every tree hid an enemy now.
When you’re trying to escape enemies in the woods, going straight as fast
as you can is counter intuitive.  No matter what you do, you will leave a
trail, Mr. Sotto taught me that.
So weave back and forth.  Never go straight, your footprints will act as a
marker leading right to you.  In the mud cross over your own steps, run
backwards on your own trail and run through water if you can.
Also broken branches are your friends.  In the Romances bards sing, a
broken branch always gives the fleeing man away.  So break as many as you
can, you will break them no matter what you do so use that to your
advantage.
I did all of those things.  Every stream I could run down I did, emerging
far enough away from my own tracks to break the line.  I snapped branches,
stopped on bushes and made sure my tracks went every which way.  Every time
I stumbled I had to avoid stabbing myself with my knife.
I had a weapon, but the two of them did as well.  They also had spirits,
more training, size and strength on me.  No way to fight Them.  Nothing to
do but hide.
My heart burned in my chest and my legs were turning to stone.  I had to
stop.  I  crossed back over a set of my tracks going one way, then leapt
onto a stone before leaping again onto an embankment.  I scooted to the
bottom and collapsed.

'I can’t I can’t I can’t', my labored breathing pretty much gave my
position away.  I closed my mouth and forced myself to breathe normal.  My
lungs burned for more air, causing me to almost black out in exhaustion.
'They’ll be coming by.  But they won’t look over here.' I lay my head
against the wet dirt.  Sweat rolled down my face and dripped off my hands.
My clothes are soaked.  I need to wash up.  I wrinkled my nose.  I smell
like blood and sweat.
The wooden handle of the knife cut my palm with its splinters.  My knuckles
had turned white.  Actually my skin looked blotchy, with patches in red and
others in pale cream. 'I need to get to safety. Did I sleep last night?'
In truth I couldn’t remember last night.  I could remember running though,
so I must have been running all night long.  That would explain why I was
in so much pain, though how I was able to force myself for so long is the
mystery.
“What do I do now?” I swallowed.  “Sotto is dead.  I-I know he’s dead.  I
have to-I have to get out of here or Umaro will kill me.”  My tongue felt
like sandpaper in my mouth.  “Forgot my canteen.  Figures.”  I closed my
eyes.
'I’m so…no Janelle. Focus.'  I forced my eyes open. 'I need to wait and see
what those two do. If they find me I’ll need to rest.' My left arm felt
like it had melted into my body, nestling the little objects I held against
me.  I need a plan…no I need somewhere to go…
“Like where?” I sighed. “I’m in the middle of the woods.  I don’t even know
what’s closest to me. Even if I did, where would I go.”  Except I did know
where to go.  It had been on the tip of my mind. 'I can return to Metamor
Keep.'
It had been five, or six really, years since I had been in the place of my
birth.  That wonderful fortress/city/valley that is Metamor Keep.  My
adopted parents still lived in the valley.  What few people I knew all
lived there.
'I could return to Metamor Keep in relative peace…and do what?' The idea of
returning there made me less then comfortable. 'My family would be there
for one thing, they had no problem of sending me off with Sotto.'
I scowled, 'And I’d still be one of the only Followers there. I’d know no
one.  I’d have nothing there…except I would.  I’d have a chance for
survival.' I nodded to myself and slowly started to stand. 'I’m an adult
now and on my own. What if....'
When most women are little girls, they dream of being a wife.  A mother.  A
princess.  Some other silly fantasy.  When I was a little girl, I had
dreamed about joining the Metamor Watch.  Becoming a Warden and putting bad
people in prison.
And right now I wanted that.  More than anything in the world I wanted to
put two very bad people in prison.  Or the executioner's block.
“She has to be around here!” My body collapsed flat against the embankment.
 “These are her footprints.  It can’t be that hard to find her.”
“I can’t even feel her thought right now Umaro!  What the hell do you want
me to do?”  Nothing is quite as hard as hiding from an enemy who can feel
your thoughts and emotions. Your mind will have to go blank. Your heart
must be completely calm. I closed my eyes.
“Find your balance Janelle.” I exhaled.  The forest was almost silent.  In
the distance I could hear Umaro and Mirna approaching.  I blocked them out
of my mind.  Instead I listened to the forest.
Above me were the birds, singing and fluttering between the branches.
Around me were the animals walking through the forest.  The insects chirped
as if alerting the world to all delicious they were.  And near me I could
hear the brook flowing over rocks.  I focused on that.  And I ceased to be.
“I can’t feel anything either.” Umaro grumbled.  “I can see her tracks
though; I see too many of her fucking tracks.  She’s been everywhere!  Do
you suppose?”  The two stopped beside my hiding place.
“That Sotto taught her to hide in the forestt?” Mirna asked.  “Yeah
dumbass.  But she’s still some street trash girl.  We got the experience,
we can find her.”
“Right.  Let’s keep walking then.”  They continued on, past me and over the
brook.  Soon I could hear them no more.  I opened my eyes.
“Thank you Eli.”  I stood up, taking time to brush the leaves off of my
body.  “Thank you Eli.”  I resumed my walk, much relieved now.  I’d have to
find the nearest city, from there directions to Metamor Keep.  As I walked
I loosened my grip on the knife.  I slid it into the hem of my pants.
My left hand held tight though.  I held Mr. Sotto’s three jars, each
holding a soul and each with a supposed unbreaking crystal.
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