Will to Live

Iris

Then, one day, the gates creaked open and a cart rolled in. The girls ran towards them from the field. The soldiers had no prisoner.

"Fraulein Adelaide. You will come with us."

Adelaide looked nervously to Evonna and Emnilda. Her mouth felt suddenly dry. "May—I grab my things?" she said lamely.

"Quickly."

Adelaide ran to the hut. Evonna and Emnilda followed.

Adelaide sank to her knees and sobbed.

"It's going to be okay," Evonna wrapped her arms around Adelaide's shoulders.

"It's our chance," Emnilda squared her shoulders.

"What?" Adelaide and Evonna looked up at her.

"Don't you see? Adelaide, you make a big fuss and me and Emnilda will sneak up under the wagon and then we'll jump off at a village and get Evonna to a healer."

Adelaide wiped her eyes. "It just might work."

"Are you coming, Madchen, or do I have to fetch you?" a soldier called.

"Have you guys talked about this or something?" Evonna looked from Emnilda to Adelaide.

"Alright, let's do it," Adelaide ignored her and grabbed her blue gown, pattens and veil that she had been wearing when she had first arrived. She had harldy worn it since. The girls had just made another dress out of her pelicon.

"Where's your coronet?" Evonna asked.

"Stolen ." Adelaide ducked out. She looked back at Evonna and Emnilda, then took off toward the field.

"Hey!" two soldiers ran after her, leaving only one at the wagon. When he wasn't looking, Evonna and Emnilda crawled up underneath. The metal underbelly had come away from the wooden floorboards and made excellent handholds. Emnilda tied Evonna to it so that she didn't fall and clung to it herself. The soldiers soon dragged Adelaide to the cart. She climbed up willingly and sat cross-legged in the middle. She watched the two old men left sitting at the fire, as usual. The cart started to move. The gate creaked closed. The journey back had begun.

The two days through the woods was hard for Evonna and Emnilda, but they made it. The wolf pack was following the little party. They didn't dare to stop. Finally, They came out of the woods and entered a little village. The soldiers stopped in the market to look around, again leaving only one guard with Adelaide. Evonna and Emnilda took their chance. They rolled out from under the wagon and ran into the crowd.

"Hey! Hey!" The soldier called angrily. The other two came running and were quickly dispatched to look for the two girls. They came back about an hour later, empty-handed. The sisters had made good their escape.

Now Adelaide was left to wonder about her own future. Why had the soldiers suddenly come to fetch her? Why was she returning to the castle? Perhaps, perhaps, her father had been able to recapture his castle. It wasn't likely. He would have provided her many more comforts for her trip if he had. So, Herzog Reikhoff wanted her back. Why? What more could he possibly take from her? He had taken her father, her home, and everything she had held dear. Now, he was taking her new home and her friends. What more was there left to take? Nothing. She had nothing left. Why then?