210 Bk 2: chapter two (15)

Helen sat in a makeshift bed their host had kindly given them, her feet hurting from walking. She wanted to curse at Lady Wickshire, but immediately realised how weak she had become. She was a descendant of the Ligrel clan. From birth, she had been grilled by strong masters as the only daughter of Blood King Jin Ke. Before her father died, she was trained to improve her physical constitution and after he died, she was returned to the clan to be raised as his heir and instilled with their clan's martial arts. If she had not left the clan, her martial arts would have been one of the strongest in her clan. But years had passed since she turned her back on the arts and never looked back. Now she could not even wall a mile without worrying for her feet.

Lizzy made herself busy, arranging the makeshift room their host had given them. After they had walked till they thought they would pass out, they came across workers returning from the field as the sun started to down from the sky. Her lady had been right about a village being nearby. One of the workers offered them a room to stay. 

Lizzy looked back at her lady's stiff figure as she looked out blankly and felt sad. Her lady went out with His Lordship and later left her in the care of another only to have her be thrown away. She suddenly felt a rush of anger overwhelm her. They had to find their way back. When they do, His Lordship would know of what was done to her lady and that little girl will pay!

"My lady, don't worry. We will find a way to return home and wait for the lord to return. When His Lordship hears of what was done to you..," Lizzy started to say.

"Return? That is exactly what that girl wants," Helen said and the room seemed to descend into darkness. The look on her face made the wind outside seem even colder.

"My Lady, we can't stay here. We were lucky to bring some money, but what happens when it finishes? We should go back home. When His Lordship...,"

"Why should I return? My Husband is here. A wife must stay where her husband is," Helen's soft voice sounded dark, leaving Lizzy unable to utter a word. Just when the silence could not get any deeper, a frantic knock startled the two out of their skin.

Lizzy hurriedly opened the door and was met with the frantic voice of their host.

"Run! It's a raid, run!" she whispered frantically and hurried away.

"What are you..," Lizzy began to say. Only to be dragged mouth shut by Helen out of the room.

"Shut up and hurry!" Helen said. They tried to follow their host as fast as they could. The little woman ran fast for her size. She dashed under a trap door that led under the house. Helen and a confused Lizzy followed her actions and they crawled through silently. Helen looked sideways and saw shadows of others crawling under their houses. It seemed the raids were normal in the village. But, why was there no noise of killing during the raid? No shouting or screaming.

She could hear the sounds of people running or being chased; either way, the sounds of footsteps and the sight of torched houses from where they crawled were a confirmation that a raid was happening. So why were both parties; whether the ones raiding and those raided, so silent?

They dashed from under the house into the nearby bushes running as fast as their legs could take them.

"M.," Lizzy started to say, but Helen clapsed shut her mouth and shook her head, trying to tell Lizzy to not speak as she feared what might happen if they did. Whether Lizzy understood her or not, she dragged the girl and tried to keep track of the villagers running away, so as not to be left behind.

From the sounds of swords behind them, it was sure that raiders had followed them into the bushes. They made their way into a marshland where many had their figures revealed by the night's moon, but they did not stop. At this moment behind Helen, Lizzy slipped and fell into the mud and let loose a blinding screech and everyone froze; both raiders and raided alike.