My Wonderful Second Life

Chapter 32- Duty Bound

For once, Fanny was happy with her dainty frame. The oppressive walls of the hidden cave were hard to walk through and not for the faint of heart. Being small helped ease the stuffy feeling of the bleak and wet passage. She, leading the way, touched the rough stone, knowing by heart the markings she and others had left to signal the right path. Their, hers and Lord Fridh's synchronized steps were the only noise that broke the silence of those walls.

He was himself a calm fellow, his breaths unheard, most of the time, by Fanny. Exactly like how lady Lucreatia had described him so many times, the perfect companion for a silent mission.

At the thought of her lady, her heart ached, thinking of how she was suffering at the hands of such abominable people. Fanny's fist closed on a bell that hanged in her apron pocket, reminding herself of Lady Jennifer's words.

If you ever pass a Temple, ring this bell. Is a warning, a call for help that Aunt gave father some time ago. Ring it and she will come.

Pronounced before his highness had arrived, these words were the hope of both her and Lady Jennifer. And of Lady Lucreatia, even if she was unaware of it. With a heavy heart, she pushed herself through the path, determined to succeed.

In a moment of weakness, Fanny glanced back, past Lord Fridh, to her where home was. To where her friends suffered and her colleagues got beaten. To where her ladies were in danger. Where lady Lucreatia was...

She would fight to death for her lady... she would. It was her duty.

The light shone over her features, and she knew that the end of the path was near. Some more steps and she stopped, peering outside through some skinny branches that covered the dugout exit from the stone. In front of her was the woodland that crept the young maids during the night. Haunting and full of dark greenery, it was the perfect place for hiding. However reaching it would be the problem, has between them and the trees, was a flat land watched over by two Templars, mounted in the scariest horses Fanny had ever seen.

"I can try to get one of them." said Lord Fridh, gathering stones from behind him.

Fanny herself, collect the branches in quietness, trying not to steer awake the senses of the knights of light. 

"We will have to be quick." she turned at him, who nodded in agreement. "My lord, you guarantee that they are guards close by?"

"His highness ordered his guards to position themselves in strategic places around the Mountnero property. If not right by our exit, some would be close by." his confidence and assured self, made her feel a little more comforted. "When we have an opening, miss, you need to run and never look back, no matter what sounds you hear." with that clear she turned to see the dry plain. It was almost time...

A commotion formed from afar, making the Templars look to their right side, where the manor was at. One, hearing a worn, left running to where the sound came, the other, distracted by the birds that circled the clouds stood where he was. Lord Fridh pushed forward, passing Fanny through the small exited.  In position, he prepared himself to throw the pebbles he had gathered.

"Run" he whispered as he hit the black horse's torso of the Templar.

And she did, passing an uncontrolled horse who jumped each time Fridh hit him with a rock on his lanky body. The smell of fresh green soon greeted her senses, her eyes never leaving the robust frame of the manifold pine trees that grew before her.  Not when she heard a loud sound behind her, or when a scream chilled her soul. Her focus was on those unmoving trees, even if tears ran rampant from her eyes.

Fanny ran faster than she had ever done before and breath began to escape her, yet she couldn't stop. The cool breeze of the forest embraced her, refreshing her body.  The sun hidden from view made her wary of the ground and any traps nature prepared. There were eyes that seemed to follow her through the shadows, rushed ruffles that echoed all over. Fanny, peering from one side to another worried that the older maids may have been right and that a man-eater lived on those woods.

Then became louder, as a gasp got caught on her throat as she looked behind, only to realise it had been Lord Fridh who had made the noise.  Fanny was thankful for his presence and for the darkness that surrounded him, which obscured his clothes and most of his features.

Her body wanted to rest in the shade, eat some of the blueberries that grew wild around there, but she couldn't. Those holy hooligans were bound to find out what happened to the Templar and many more would come rush over the woodlands, trying to capture them.

Fanny jumped through old tree roots and was careful of what hid below the fallen leaves. More often than not she would have to rip, from some wild branches, small bits of her blue work dress. When she found a path of crooked oaks, forsaken by leaves, her heart leapt, they were near the end.

Then she heard from afar the dogs and went for a last run, finally reaching the outside world. It was nothing more than a dirt path, that belonged to the family, yet was of free use for some. Lord Fridh now took the lead, looking both sides. Seeing no one he whistled a tune, high pitched yet pleasant. He received a reply in the form of a different whistle and a thundering noise of horses coming their way. While they waited she noticed the blood and mud from, the once perfect cared for, emerald green jacket, and a shiver travelled through her body.

It went away when a pair of Royal guards came to them, wearing the insignia of the Sun Empire, in their bright armour. The happiness of seeing help made her forgot her precarious situation, something Lord Fridh did not. He pushed Fanny, by her arm, to one of the white and exquisite horses. The guard seeing the prince's insignia on Lord Fridh's hand, dismounted and gave the bright silver reins to him, standing back and unseething his sword. The royal guards prepared as the noices from the woodland grew.

Lord Fridh's then turned to Fanny and pick her up, putting her on the horse, following by sitting behind her. Without a moment to lose, the aide instigated the horse to gallop at full speed.

Her head started to spin at the speed, she couldn't see or hear anything, only indistinguishable blurs and a high pitch whistle. With time her vision adjusted, and she was able to see what laid before her. Fanny began to notice the hand of Lord Fridh securing her trembling body, and his hot breath right on top of her ear. His breath was rough and sparse, the first time she detected any emotion from him during all this ordeal.

In time she saw a big, oak building and a blinding light, that belonged to a small armada. Their warriors were in full shining regalia. The banners, having the Inglourious red moon of the Moon Empire, made tears return to her eyes. Behind the armada, on a hill, she saw a Temple.

" Goddess... with your help we will be saved!" her heart yelled.

She wanted to reach for the golden bell, she wanted to scream but her apron was caught in Lord Fridh's embrace and her voice was falling. Thankfully Lord Fridh took the last role, and as the armada gave way to his presence, he screamed to a figure in the centre, prince Cedric, who was pushing the leash of his dark horse. It was only him that she saw in the middle of so many voices, and it was only Lord Fridh that she heard.

"Your highness, Prince Cedric! This is an emergency! Lady Lucreatia is in danger!!"

As she saw those scarlet, rare eyes, Fanny knew, deep in her soul that they would get help and she would be able to save her lady.

So, what do you think??? Were expecting you Fanny's point of view?

I hope I surprised you XD

And hope even more that you have liked it. This is a favourite of mine. I loved writing Fanny and I loved showing her determined personality.

Today I was having really awful back pain, so forgive me if my editing on the chapter is not the best... 

Anyway, see you Sunday! Guesses for which point of view is gonna come? XD