The Forgotten Prophecy

Chapter 23

Ines slowly opened her eyes to the steady patter of rain upon her window, waking up to the morning skies lit by the wintry sun. She happily welcomed the light of the new day and gave herself a few moments to shed the sleep from her eyes. As of late, Ines had been waking up with a smile on her face, feeling an excitement she never had before. At first, she couldn't explain it, but that morning she finally knew.

It might have been because of what had happened the day before, or the fact that she had no other choice than to admit it, that Ines realised the truth. She was looking forward to seeing him. 

The smile suddenly left her lips, a deep frown taking its place. That's impossible, she thought in fear. He was just a man, one of many. The more she tried to deny it, the more intense the feeling grew until it burst inside her.

Ines raised from the bed and put on some clean clothes. She headed downstairs, her empty stomach rumbling in protest. She sat down by the fireplace; it was her lucky day. No one had woken up yet, and Ines enjoyed the quiet of the room, devouring her breakfast in record time. After she had decided she was full, she fixed her boots, and took a step outside.

She stood at the door, admiring the rain, hearing the playful sounds of the falling droplets. There was a serenity in the view; the empty street, the shut doors and windows that kept out the dancing rain. She looked around but couldn't see Matthew anywhere.

'Hmm...Matthew should have come by now,' she said to herself. She began to go to the camp when someone suddenly bumped into her with force. 'Hey!' she barked.

Whoever crashed onto her didn't turn around and walked away in a hurry, their feet splashing in the puddles that had formed on the street. Something was off.

'Hey! I'm talking to you!'

They went off running, and Ines became suspicious. She focused her gaze on the running figure, and her vision filled with the same white glowing light she had seen in the forest during the elf attack.

'Stop right there!'

She took off after the person, the rain soaking her clothes. She shielded her face with one hand, while they ran through the city streets. They jumped over obstacles, they turned corners, and leaped over mud and rocks. It was true that Ines knew the streets better than her; every part of the city was a memory. She had to make use of her advantage.

Ines surveyed her surroundings, trying to orientate herself. If she turned left, maybe she could cut across a narrow alley and catch up with her. She pushed her legs to run faster. She turned the corner, and crossed the flooded passageway, careful not to slip, and made it just in time. She slid on the wet ground and tackled the figure down. Then, she rolled and grabbed their hands to prevent them from escaping. Ines pulled the person up, taking their mask off to see their face. 

They looked at each other in shock. Blue eyes stared back at her. They belonged to a young woman with light hair and freckled skin. Her thin lips were pressed into a hard line. The elf tried to escape, but Ines gruffly pulled her back.

'I thought you were smarter. I warned you,' she hissed at her.

'Let me go!' she said wiggling her body. Ines was furious with her; she wandered around the city unbothered by the possibility of her being seen.

'And leave you roaming around the city? Not a chance.'

'I was just doing my job!'

'What's that? Spying on us so that you can report back to your kind?'

'No!' the elf shook her head.

'Tell me!'

The woman was reluctant to reply, looking everywhere besides Ines. 'To keep track of you,' she stammered.