Stained in red

Finding Amber

Ubunto

"Gone?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. My home was gone. I swallowed down the grief, there were more important things to focus on.

"Bombed. By the yellow bloods, Amber's okay, by the way, she left though, to find you."

"How did she know where I was?"

"A girl, a red blood, sent her a letter."

"Kassa."

Dean looked surprised, "you know her?"

"I know of her. My brother sent me a letter that mentioned her. Do you know where she is?" Dean shook his head,

"No, but Amber might." I nodded, now I had to go all the way back to find her. "When did she leave?"

"Yesterday. You can probably catch her easily on that horse." He gestured at my stallion, one of the fastest breeds in the world. I nodded, said goodbye to Dean and galloped back through the jungle.

///

Amber was easy to track. I'd taught her many things, but how to hide her trail was not one of them so it only took me three days to catch up to her.

I saw the flame that was her hair before anything else. I immediately bought my horse to a stop behind her, preparing myself to meet her again. She looked different, but not unrecognisable. Suddenly, she twirled to face me "who's there?" She demanded. I stepped out of the shadows to see my friend. "Ubunto?" She asked, her voice straining in shock. Then she slowly strode up to me, examined my face for injuries and then punched me.

I didn't have time to dodge so her fist connected with my left cheek with a crack, leaving the entire side of my face screaming in pain. Nevertheless I smiled, "Amber....I missed you."

Amber stared at me. An eternity passed and the she returned my smile, "I cant believe you're here! I thought I'd never see you again!" She wrapped her arms around me, and we just stayed like that for a while. When she drew back her smile had faded.

"You left me." She murmured, "you left without telling me, I had no idea where you were!" I'd never seen her show such emotion in my life.

"Sorry... but I have news. Good news."

"What?" She demanded, a note of anger still lingering in her tone,

"We have to go back to Kassa. The red blood."

"She's a red blood?" Amber's eyes showed hints of realisation, like she'd just finished a jigsaw. "What... what does this mean?" I shrugged,

"I don't know. But if anyone can help you, it's her." Amber nodded.

"Then let's go." She hopped onto her horse, "You have a lot of explaining to do on the way." She scowled at me, not in an unfriendly way but I could tell she wouldn't forgive me easily for leaving her. But the pit of my stomach felt lighter. I'd found her, at last.