The Rosewood Prophecy

Chapter 42

Katherine

We didn't even make it past the forest before Lord Victor discovered that we had disappeared. We heard shouts coming from behind us, carried by the wind. My heart dropped.

"It's not even noon," Aaron murmured, looking around for places to hide. "We've only been walking for a couple of hours."

"I know. What did we do to give ourselves away? Did we not close the doors to the treasury? Did a guard see us?" I sped up from a fast walk to a jog, trying to put more distance between us and our pursuers.

"No matter what it was, they know we're gone." Aaron jogged alongside me, listening to something on the wind. "It seems like a group of soldiers have been sent to capture us, perhaps around fifty people."

"Fifty people?" I gasped. "We can't fight off that many. We need to hide."

"Forest or mountain?" Aaron asked.

"Mountain. It's easier to defend." Aaron and I swerved off the road and headed towards the small mountain range on our left, hoping to find a hiding spot.

We hurried up a small trail that winded up a grassy slope, following it up, up, up. Whenever the trail branched off, we went down another side path, often picking the one that ascended higher. Soon, we were high enough that I could see the pursuing soldiers on the road below, about half a mile away. Aaron and I walked briskly on the mountain path, keeping to the left so the soldiers below wouldn't see us.

It was a dusty dirt path that had smaller trails diverging from it every now and then, often going higher. On our left was the dirt-and-rock mountain wall, with grasses and small brushes growing on it. On our right was a steep drop down to the road below, which increased in height as we climbed higher.

Soon, Aaron and I had reached the top of the hill that we were on. We stopped for a moment to catch our breaths. The bleak autumn sun hung in the cloudy sky above, barely providing any warmth. The mountains dipped and soared, stretching far into the distance. Some mountains were so high we couldn't see what was on the other side, but others were low enough for us to see the green slopes of another hill behind it. Shrubs and grasses dominated the landscape, while a few hardy trees stretched its roots deep into the eroding soil. Rocks jutted out here and there, crumbling at the edges. Chasms and valleys were sprinkled in between the hills and mountains, some filled with boulders, and some filled with shrubs.

"Let's keep going on this path," Aaron suggested. "Once Lord Victor's soldiers give up we can find a way down the mountain to get back on the road."

"Sounds good," I agreed. "It is easier to delay them on a windy, rocky mountain path than the open road."

We continued on our way, sometimes having to hack at dry bushes to get through. A cool autumn wind blew clouds across the sun every now and then, making the temperature on the mountain drop. Turning around a bend, I could no longer see the soldiers chasing after us in the distance. Even the road down below was hidden by the sides of the mountain. I began to relax, hoping that we had either lost them or they had given up on the chase.

"There they are!" A loud shout startled me so much I almost fell off the mountain. "Don't let them get away!"

"How did they get up here so quickly?" Aaron spun around in shock. "Oh my gosh, I see them—they're so close—Kath, we have to run!"

I burst into a sprint, running down the mountain path as fast as I could. As if to hinder our progress, the trail dipped and then began to rise steadily, so that we had to run up the slope of the mountain. The shouts behind us gradually increased in volume, and I pushed my aching legs to carry me further.