I once was a Duchess

Page 9

Deep panic rises in my throat as a sense of panic lays restless above my eyebrows. " Atticus!" I said picking my dress up running towards whichever direction he could have been taking off to.

" Atticus! You Mustn't play such foolish games now is not the time!" I yelled.

" Now you hush Tilia. You have to pay attention to your surroundings something has to be left to lead me to him." I whispered out loud to myself. I quickly turned around heading back to the place the wagon was once at.

I looked down at the ground as dirt covered the hidden scarf that lay piled on dirt. I observed even closer seeing footprints all covering the dirt letting me know someone was struggling. It must've been Atticus.

I leaned down picking up the scarf with the small embroidery of a familiar pattern. The small embroidery pattern had a dagger with a blood red moon in the back. With small vines trailing up and down the dagger with thorns poking out.

It was such a beautiful and well kept embroidery such delicate cloths could not just simply be obtained such fine silk was only available to those of high ranks. Such as a Duke and a Duchess or the highest status of nobles. As well as a Queen or King.

The small embroidery had an initial at the bottom right corner that had been cut out. Now only leaving a cut off letter that resembled an I. What made matters worse is that the blood moon was only used to resemble what happened on the day of the massacre as well as the dagger that belonged to me.

I quickly killed the small lingering thoughts of the Duke soon temporary forgetting that day in order to focus on finding Atticus. I could not remind myself of that day for the only thing that would linger is Despair and a long built rage.

I quickly placed the cloth into my pocket looking at the foot prints once again seeing small foot prints leading down a small path heading to the woods.

By counting the foot prints I was able to see how many men there was also by sizing there feet I could assume how tall they were. Along with the deep footprints signaling how much the men could perhaps weigh.

There was one foot print that stood out as the bottom of his boot had a small print at the bottom that only the Knights Of Welz wears. This man was quite heavy considering his foot print was the clearest one to see. The rest of the men was perhaps only a few inches taller then me.

Clouds began to roll in as the clouds thundered and small signs of rain came more and more clearer as the smell of water began to drown out my senses.

" I must hurry." I whispered

Grasping my dress in my hands I ran down the old dirt road heading towards the old road. Seeing small weeds and the out grown path that covered the bricks that once laid.

Rain began to fall slowly dipping on the dirt covering the foot prints in small specks of water and mud quickly soon pouring down covering the distant paths with mud.

" Atticus!" I yelled becoming more restless as the seconds went on.

Searching and searching to find no sign as the footprints had now continued to fade faster and faster being covered by a muddy path. " Atticus!" I yelled once again pausing on the path looking all around me trying to paying close attention to the sound. To the smells. To the feeling

Just to hear to feel something that would lead me to him.

I kept running deeper and deeper down the path. All to end up at a dead end.

Where the grass was slowly dying and the river of mez continued to roar. Dragging anything off if you even dipped a finger in.

A panic raised in my eyes and tears fell as despair once again was placed in my heart for at the end of this outgrown path was something of Atticus.

A few steps ahead of me I could see something glimmer slightly buried in the mud, As the rain continued to pour down and the river kept flushing forward.
I picked up the glimmering item while wiping away the mud. And it was my brooch slightly scratched and drenched in mud. The same brooch I had kept in Atticus's pocket to keep it safe and sound with him.

My chest caved in and my body grew hot and worrisome as each endless thought began to consume and drown out all rationality. 

In a hurried panic I wandered the edges of the river, I held onto the branches to have some balance with myself but nothing ever helped. With the rain soaking the mud each step becomes more slippery and eventually all balance is lost.