The Forgotten Rogue

Chapter 2

Emeric stayed in a crouched position for a few more minutes, mind whirling.  What were his options?  The men were heading in a direction that would bring them very close to his home, to his father.

His father...he suddenly realized that his father was waiting for him and had no idea if the approaching danger.

Emeric hastily sprang to his feet and ran full pelt in the direction of their cabin.  Although he was sprinting he made sure to avoid areas with dry leaves or twigs that might give him away. He kept an eye on his surroundings, searching for the men while he ran.

What if he was too late?  What would they do to his father?  The questions rang painfully through his head.  He pushed them back and forced his legs to move faster.

The trees were left behind in a blur as he expertly weaved his way through the dense woods that was looking more like a barrier separating him from his father.

Emeric slowed down when his nose caught a stench that made his blood run cold. 

Smoke.

He broke into a run again, "Please, no..." He muttered as he ran on. 

Emeric crouched behind a thick bush as their cabin came into view, or what was left if it. 

The cabin was alight with giant flames consuming it.  A huge dark cloud of smoke suffocated the surrounding trees.  The cabin walls, usually a light brown color of the wood it was built out of, were pitch black. Emeric watched in horror as his home burnt down.  The roof collapsed, causing the remaining structure to creak and groan.  The sight assaulted Emeric with a sudden flash of blood and fear.  He gritted his teeth aa he pushed the memory away, but the sight of his mother's dead, staring eyes would not leave him.

Emeric forced his gaze off of the burning cabin and for the first time he noticed the men standing around it.  There were nearly a dozen of them.  They all wore the uniforms that marked them as Elites.  Emeric felt anger grow inside him and it took all his will power to keep himself from charging the men who had destroyed everything. 

He shut his eyes and took a deep breath.  When his heart stopped racing he opened his eyes again.  He had to find his father...He thought that perhaps his father might have escaped into the thicker trees on the Elites' arrival, but Emeric was wrong. 

His eyes fell on a kneeling figure between the men.  His wrists were bound behind his back. A trickle if blood ran down the side of the man's face where he had been struck over the head.  Emeric immediatly recognised him.  He was tempted to yell out, but that would lead the men right towards him...and if he was caught, no one would be able to save him or his father.

Emeric mimicked a bird call. It was a signal he and his father both knew well.  The call belonged to a bird foreign to this area of the forest, which made the call reliable to Emeric and his father.  The men wouldn't be familiar with the bird calls in the forest and would dismiss this one just as they had all the others.  But Emeric's father recognised it immediately.  He slowly raised his head and searched the surrounding forest.  Emeric made the call once more helping his father find him.

Rayhan turned pale when he saw Emeric...'Run' he mouthed to his son.  Emeric shook his head making it clear that he had no intention of leaving his father.  'GO!' His father mouthed more urgently. Emeric couldn't...He couldn't bring himself to leave his father behind to save his own skin. 

"Who you talkin' to?"  A skruffy, thick accented voice asked.  Emeric watched as one of the Elites loomed over his father, who had immediately diverted his gaze to the ground when he heard footsteps behind him.