Tired and hungry, Kai and I carried on walking. We had emerged from the forest a few hours ago, and we hadn't stopped walking all night. Now we were trudging through yet another grassy plain, though this one wasn't anywhere near as pretty as the plains near Broken Edge. Instead, the soft green grass had been replaced by dry, prickly tufts, and weeds dotted the area. We were following a dirt path that wound through the plains.
The sun shone down on our backs, bringing with it the heat of the day. I had already taken off my thick cloak.
After the attack last night we had agreed to continue walking until we reached the village. I hadn't yet told Kai exactly what had happened last night, and the whole situation kept replaying in my mind. Something was still bugging me. The way the stone on my necklace had glowed when the man touched it, the way a big welt formed on the palm of his hand. I was certain that wasn't normal.
"Kai?" I asked quietly. He looked at me expectantly.
"Last night when the man attacked me..." I trailed off. The memory was still so clear, and it scared me. A lot.
I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Hey," said Kai "It's okay. He's not going to attack anybody ever again." I knew he wouldn't. He was frozen, and when the ice thawed out he would probably be dead.
"It's not that." I told him quietly. Kai tilted his head to the side and looked at me, urging me on.
"The man pinned me up against a tree and tried to take my necklace." I placed my hand on the swallow and took a deep breath. "He jerked back as soon as he touched it, and when I looked down at my necklace again the wings of the swallow were glowing." Kai's eyes widened. Then he started laughing.
"What's so funny?" I asked, suddenly irritated.
"It was probably just a trick of the light." He said still chuckling. I frowned, but said nothing.
I wanted to tell him about the burn on the man's hand, but something told me that this wasn't the right time.
I looked around me and tried to calm my annoyance. The dry plains seemed to stretch on forever, and there was a strange dark shape in the distance. Squinting, I tried to make out the object. It looked like a sign on the side of the path. Yes, it was a sign. Maybe it means we are close to the village. I started running towards the sign, the prospect of finally reaching the village making me overexcited. I didn't even stop to wait for Kai, who was now frantically calling my name.
I reached the sign and stopped abruptly, gasping for breath. The sign was obviously old. The wood had faded from many years in the sun and possibly from being exposed to harsh weather. The bottom of the sign was rough, as if there had once been another piece attached to it. Oh well. It had probably been broken off ages ago. I leaned forward to read the carved words on the sign.
TARLOCK VILLAGE it read. I let out a small squeal of happiness. I spun around to where Kai was crouched down, still panting from running after me. He grinned. Before he could even muster the energy to get up, I grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet, before sprinting past the sign and down the path, dragging Kai behind me.
"Ashley!" He groaned, before laughing at my excited energy. Neither of us noticed the other half of the broken sign lying in the dirt, covered by weeds and grass. And neither of us noticed the horrible words carved into the old wood.
DANGER AHEAD
YOU ARE READING
Lost Magic
Fantasy"I always believed in you Ashley...." Ever since she was little, Ashley believed in magic. Eventually her belief faded away and became a childhood dream. But when she learns of a secret that links up to the stories she heard as a child, she can't r...
