The Rosewood Prophecy

Chapter 59

Katherine

It was the first time I saw Lionel lose control of his emotions. I felt so bad for him, and so helpless that I couldn't help him. I stood at the entrance of the cave and watched as Lionel screamed profanities into the roaring blizzard and sliced through sheets of swirling snow with his sword.

"Lionel, you're going to get hypothermia if you keep this up!" I shouted at him.

"$!@%#?&*!" was his reply.

"Lionel, you need to be in top shape if you're going to rescue Indigo! You can't help her if you hurt yourself!" I shouted back.

Aaron appeared beside me. "Why is he so upset? He's going to die from the cold if he doesn't come back in."

"Aaron, he loves Indigo. Can't you tell? Indigo means a lot to him, and knowing that she is in Lord Victor's grasp while he can't do anything is killing him." I sighed.

"Hey, Lionel! Why don't we discuss what to do instead of screaming?" Aaron called out. A few seconds, and Lionel stumbled through the snow towards us. He caught sight of Aaron and sped up into a sprint, his sword still in hand.

"Woah!" Aaron and I dove out of the way as Lionel's sword struck the stone wall behind us. "Lionel, what are you doing?!"

"Aaron! Why didn't you protect her?! Why didn't you keep her safe?!" Lionel retracted his sword and leapt at Aaron again. I stared in disbelief. "I didn't want Indigo to go back, but you promised nothing bad would happen. I expected you to protect her! But where is she now, huh?!"

"It's not my fault!" Aaron's anger flared up too. He pulled out his sword. "This blizzard is so damn strong; I couldn't even see three feet in front of me. I was knocked down, and by the time I got to my feet Indigo was already gone. She was kidnapped in an instant! How was I supposed to fight against someone I can't even see, especially when that someone is Lord Victor?"

"I don't understand why Indigo would like someone like you. You can't keep her safe, you can't protect her, and you don't even care that she's gone!" Lionel shouted at Aaron as he stabbed. "If it was me who was with her, I would never have let Indigo out of my sight!"

Clang! The two swords clashed, and Aaron skidded backwards from the force. Lionel was superior to Aaron in terms of swordsmanship, and if this went on, Aaron will get hurt.

"Lionel, Aaron, stop it! Stop fighting!" I yelled at them, but both boys ignored me. They clashed again and again in the midst of a blizzard, seemingly unaware of the cold winds. I gritted my teeth and pulled out my own sword.

The next time Lionel brought his sword down on Aaron, I darted in between them and blocked the blow. "Lionel, stop it! Fighting isn't going to solve anything!"

"Katherine! This doesn't concern you; get out of my way!" Lionel pulled back his sword and tried to strike Aaron again. I blocked him.

"Lionel, listen to me. Fighting isn't going to bring Indigo back. We need to figure out what we're going to do next and how we're going to rescue her, not fight amongst ourselves!" I held Lionel's intense gaze as I held my ground against him. Our swords trembled in midair, locked together. "This is what Lord Victor wants, don't you see? He wants us to fall apart before we even reach him. You're a commander, Lionel. Think about all the men you brought with you and all the people who put their faith in you. You can't let your emotions cloud your judgment. So, stop fighting and go back inside. Don't make me force you."

Lionel glared at me for a few seconds longer and then yanked back his sword. Slamming it into his sheath, he stalked back towards the cave. Aaron stuck out his tongue at Lionel's back. I shoved Aaron on the shoulder.