Through the Gates and to the Maze...

Red on the Horizon

Sharp bird calls from above pierced the warmth of dreams. Twigs poked my back, I sat up. The back of my dress was dank: all I wanted now was a solitary bathe in the stream, but that wasn't going to happen. He was splayed out under the trees shadow; head over one arm, knee curled up by his chest. For a moment the animal looked peaceful. Until his eyes flicked open. They squinted up towards me, then creased at the sides as those dimples came back to taunt me.

"What a fine morning. I slept like a lamb."

"How could you? No shelter or cover. I didn't sleep a wink."

"That's a great shame." He stood, ran a few fingers through his hair, a muddle of long loose black curls. He didn't look as frightening in the soft early light. "Especially since I gave you my bed." He took a few steps towards me and quickly extended a hand. Uncertain, I stood passive. He gently removed a leaf from my hair and let it float down to the grass.

The moment was awkward and strained. He could sense it and just as quickly retreated back to the riverbed to look out across the water.

Now it was morning I wanted to know why I was being held. It was time for answers.

"Will you tell me now what is going on?" His back continued to stare uninterestingly at me. "At least tell me something about yourself so I don't feel so alone. Maybe your name perhaps?" That caught his notice. He leant against the tree while I watched his expression. "Knox." Pride encircled him, the sternness replaced. "Yours?"

"Letitia." The two couldn't have been more different.

Satisfied, he turned back to his viewing point and I joined him. I hadn't noticed last night, but far downstream where there was a large expanse of open land, a congregation of tents had been set up - the Kings entourage.

"How does this," I motioned around "involve the King. And will you please explain what happened yesterday?"

His shoulders tensed.

I knew that I shouldn't have said anything! I walked back to the 'bed' to

BANG!

I fell to my knees. My ears screamed. My palms stung.

"Run" he whispered in my ear. "Quietly."

"Why? What happened? What did you do?"

He was already pulling me up to stand, tugging my arm to follow him. I obeyed, only to find the answers to the questions multiplying exponentially in my mind.

I was slow, lagging, and he was fast and impatient. Sticks, stones, rocks roots: there was no way to avoid the sharp tangle of the forest floor when barefoot.

I ran until I couldn't, and then I walked until the moon reappeared.

We were deep in the woods now. Everything was unfamiliar and the route home was a mystery I had no energy to unravel. This night I was thankful for any bed at all.

I remember him laying his jacket over me, and tucking my hair behind my ear before the dark woodland scene was just the darkness of my eyelid, and sleep was a friend.