The Thief

Chapter 32

Alice upon noticing my arrival perked her head up and met my eyes.

As if sensing my confusion Warren replied causing me to break eye contact.

"My beautiful lover over here will be joining us. We are to escort her to the capital where she will be monitored for the time being. She has been released after giving us the information we required however due to her current circumstances she is yet to be trusted." Warren then turned to face her," Don't worry my future wife, soon this will all be over and we can live happily ever after with all our beautiful children."

Alice did not even try hide her grimace and Jessie elbowed Warren in the ribs. Before the two could start fighting and bickering again, I made my way to one of the horses and hauled myself onto its back.

The horse horse moved slightly, inpatient and wanting to go. After quickly fixing the stirrups, I pulled the reins from Warren's grasp.

"Come on, let's get going."

Warren stared at me wide eyed like I had just stolen his favourite toy.

"But, but.. That is my horse. I wanted to ride him!"

"Shut up Fatty, just get on this one." Jessie said as he shoved another horses reins into his hands.

Warren grumbled some incoherent words and mounted the horse while sulking like a spoilt child. Jessie mounted right after and urged his steed next to Alice's signalling hers to move.

Soon we were off with Jessie leading the way with what had started with a casual canter that had now turned into a steady paced walk. Warren was behind us pouting and glaring at me every now and then. It was truly comical.

I had settled my steed next to Alice's who had been gazing into the distance for a while lost in thought. The sun was high in the blue light sky clear of clouds. I could feel the heat from the sun's harsh rays and was glad that the path we took was shaded by trees.

"You know, I never thought I would see the capital again." Alice's soft voice startled me.

I turned to face her.

"What?" I didn't mean it as a direct question.

"I left when I was a little girl... I ran away..." her eyes looked like they were clouded over with memories of her past.

"My father was part of the army, served under the great General Black. I idolized my father greatly. I wanted to be like him but unfortunately... He passed away during the infamous royal kidnapping of the prince..." She trailed off.

I did not say a thing for I did not know what to say.

"Nevertheless, my dream to join the army only drove me after that incident. My father had died an honourable death. I wanted to live on for him. The day I found out that girls could not join the army, I was absolutely shattered and heartbroken so I ran. I stole money and left my mother without so much as a goodbye... I wonder if she is still alive... She probably hates me if she is..."

I placed a hand on her shoulder in an awkward attempt at comforting her.

"I promise you that she doesn't hate you. What mother in their right mind would? She probably misses you dearly and worries about everyday."

Alice turned to look at me. A saddened expression covers her features. She smiles, a smile not quite meeting her eyes.

"I hope..."

I was about to speak when Jessie's horse came to a sudden halt and he quickly hushed us. He pointed to some thick bushy vegetation and quickly moved his horse behind it. An alert look crossed his features.

I looked behind at Warren only to see he that had similar look. He had unsheathed his sword and indicated that we were to follow Jessie. Alice became stiff and alert as well as we made our way behind the cover of the leafy branches.

Warren didn't move. Instead he turned his horse to face the direction of oncoming hooves which I had been slow to pick up. I was nervous. The last time something like this happened, we lost the Commander. A wound that is still very much raw.

I don't even remember holding my breath when two horses came into sight. Armoured horses. They wore enemy armour.

Shit.

"Well I will be damned. We have a lone enemy solider facing us. A fat one two." One of the soldiers snickered. Warren didn't react the slightest. He kept his tight grip on his sword and remained calm and alert.

"Be careful with that sword. It looks sharper than you." They both snickered this time. Childish pigs.

I watched as the one solider began to draw his sword.

"Don't move, your end will be over in a minute." The solider started charging forward towards Warren with the deafening thundering of hooves against the ground.

I was about to go after him when Alice grabbed my horses reins abruptly halting me much to my shock and dismay. I turned to face her, about to lash out that I was trying to save his life when I heard the swift sound of an arrow being shot.

The solider charging Warren fell off his mount plummeting straight to the hard ground in a clunk of heavy armour. I looked carefully and saw an arrow imbedded right through his neck. Jessie had shot him down.

The second solider slightly in shock of his comrade's death shook it off in a pit of fury and charged forward sword in hand with intent of killing. Unfortunately for us we failed to notice one key thing. These soldiers were only scouts, there were others behind them.

Jessie, Alice and I shot out from our cover in a feat to help Warren who was currently clashing swords with his opponent when another arrow was shot.

This time it wasn't Jessie's. The arrow was directed at Warren who failed to notice in time. There was a slight swift movement in the air.

It all happened so quickly.

Alice had lurched in front if it successfully blocking its path towards its intended target. The arrow imbedded itself deeply in her chest.

Warren who was momentarily shocked at what just occurred failed to keep an eye on his opponent. A crucial mistake on his behalf. That one split second opening gave his opponent the opportunity to cleanly slice off his right arm.

It fell to the ground clattering with his sword that it still gripped tightly. Warren looked wide eyed as blood gushed out his open wound like a river. He was defenceless. His opponents second strike went right through his neck.

Warren fell to the ground.

Dead.

Another arrow shot out if nowhere and pierced right through the one eye and out through the other of my steed. We fell to the ground in a split second with a thud. The air was knocked completely out of my lungs.

My heart was pounding and I was distraught at the current occurrences. Adrenaline started pumping as Warren's opponent made his way to me, killer intent clearly still evident in his dark eyes.

I started panicking. I managed to push the dead horse off of me in a boost of strength and was about to defend myself against him when all of a sudden Jessie's sword came out of nowhere and clashed against his.

Jessie looked raged. I noticed that he was slightly covered in blood splatters as he fought off his current opponent. He must have gone after the archer previously.

I diverted my gaze to Alice's horse. Alice was still mounted, blood gushed out from her wound down the animals strong neck but what was most shocking was that Alice was still alive. She was breathing heavily and coughing blood.

Without thinking I ran towards her. I threw myself onto her horse behind her and forced the frightened beast to flee to safety in a full on gallop.

"Run Jessie!" I screamed back.

Within seconds Jessie was behind me leading his opponent's horse that had its unconscious rider on its back as we fled. We both knew that there were more enemy soldiers not far behind the three we had just unfortunately encountered.

My blood was still pumping frantically.

I was scared.