CHAPTER 9. WHAT WRONG DID I DO?

She woke up sitting on the hard ground her back on the stiff wall. She moved her head and her neck ached. She moved he right hand and pushed a cloth that was on her. She stared on the empty darkness as she tried recalling the events of the past hours. she remembered hazily as they were on the horse when he picked a piece a shawl from the market. She sat up and remembered that she was an escapee. She had freed a criminal who was to be executed. She felt some warmth knowing she had saved him. She let his name slip from her lips as she smiled. She stood up as if remembering something important as she stumbled on the rocks. Where was he? Did he just dump her in a cave? She saw a shallow light at the entrance as she rushed towards it. She walked out of the cave as the light blinded her. She stood there waiting to adjust as to where they were. The surrounding came into life as she stared at the barren rocks. Then there was an endless sky and she could see nothing else. She walked forward as she stepped on the rock pebbles and reached the edge and looked around. She was at the top of a mountain and the cave was at an edge. She stared at the horizon and the green forest greeted her. It was morning and the sun was rising. Though slightly she could smell the morning sweetness of nature. She took a deep breath in and closed her eyes. A group of birds flew right above her from the bottom in group of two. The sun shone her as the wind blew her hair. She blinked severally as the wind teared her eyes up. She blinked severally as her eyes shone. It was such a beautiful day and a new beautiful start.

Her complexion changed as she suddenly remembered that she was alone. She held arms in her chest looked at the ground. Then she felt someone behind him. She reached the dagger on her thighs and held it tightly hidden by the long sleeves of her blouse. She turned around as she came face to face with him. She pushed the dagger higher into the sleeves and held her hands behind her back. she stared at him and her eyes landed on his silver eyes. Something seemed to just pull her to the. She squinted her eyes as she stared as if she was looking for something inside them. He stared unblinkingly and he winked at her bringing her to her senses realizing how close she had gotten her face to his. She stepped back a few feets and looked straight at him. She tried to maintain a serious look but she could not help but smile. His face was just like humor to her. She then started laughing as she watched him rub his face.

"What," he asked. She laughed covering her moth as she pointed at him.

"You really need to wash your eyes when you wake up early and disappear," she said. He smiled and walked away. He then walked to the horse which was tied at the entrance. She reprimanded herself for acting so immature. How could she just make such ridiculous comment to a guy she even didn't know about. She hid the dagger and walked towards to him. He looked at her and he seemed offended.

"Where were you?" she finally asked as if it was in her concerns to know about his whereabouts. He looked at her sand smiled.

"Just covering our trail and making sure we weren't followed." he said and proceeded to giving the horse an apple. Hearing the munching of the horse as it chewed the apple made her hungry. The horse it happily as he patted its fur. She felt her stomach growl as she placed hands on it and looked away, " Not hungry she said as her cheeks flushed." She saw him remove another apple and give it to the horse. Was he doing this on purpose? She watched as the horse fed on the apple and she swallowed saliva. She watched him remove another apple and she could not bare anymore. She snatched from his hand but it was stuck on his fingers. She tried pulling it but it was stuck. He pulled her to himself and under his body she was intimated her head on his chest. She could feel no heartbeat and she could hear none. She released the apple and for a brief moment she had her arms on his chest. He looked at her and she pulled away. She went to the edge of the cliff and stood there holding two apples in her hands. She heard him scoff and curse as she smiled happily having conned him. She took a bite and looked at him a smile engulfed on her lips. She saw him look away anger on his face having being played. She continued to stare at the rising sun as she took another bite. She held the apples tightly on her chest.

A deep horror cut through her chest as she felt the apples almost slip from her hand. She felt like someone passed a sword through her chest. She felt like her world ended as her body was slanting on the cliff too shocked that she did not feel the two strong hands on her biceps. She could hear her heartbeat and could barely breath. She now felt the two arms and she looked around and saw Slain holding her. This guy almost gave her a heart attack. She smiled to show she was not scared of his prank but she could not hold it anymore. Her chest burned with anger and her mind was racing.

"Do you know that you could have killed me of heart attack? What if you dropped me?" she asked and hated herself for doing it.

"You should have seen your scared little face, it seems like it would fall off," he said casually. She felt embarrassed but relieved at the same time. "What if I released you stubborn girl?" He asked and loosened his grip on her and then let go of one arm. he then pulled her from the cliff and she stood behind him.

"You should learn to control your grip or else one day you will crush my bones," she said.

"Hopefully we are about to part ways now that you are awake and well. May we never see each other again," Slain said and handed her another apple. He was already dumping her? She felt angry and tried to speak but he cut her shot. "Our debt has been paid off for we have saved each others life." He then shoved her and walked to the horse untying it. He climbed and she ran in front of him and stopped him.

"There was no way you saved my life just to come and dump in this deserted mountain, if so you will have to run over me," she said as he stopped.

"If its your choice," he said and pulled the reins as the horse stood on its hind legs. She heard galloping and she closed her eyes as she waited for him to run her over. She suddenly felt something strong on her stomach and her feet were no longer on the ground. She waited for her fall but it never came. She opened her eyes slowly and looked and she saw his hand on her stomach and he was carrying her. They rode for a while and the he threw her on the ground as she rolled on the dry leaves in the forest. She stood and watched him disappear. She cursed at him loudly calling him and idiot as she was left stranded in the woods. How did he expect her to survive in the woods alone? But she was glad she got to meet him. "Such a cruel bastard," she cursed

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Immediately he was out of vicinity she took out her dagger and went to tree nearby. She scratched a mark on it and performed some signs with some recitations. There was a slight shake and an opening formed. She stepped inside and disappeared. A while later the entrance disappeared and she was in he motherland. She walked happily as she hummed on her way through the streets. She greeted almost everyone she came across to and helped an old woman carry a jerry can of water from a well to her home.

"You are such a pure hearted girl. May the man of your future always follow you," the old woman said.

"Its very sweet of you grandma," She said and kissed her cheeks as she walked away smiling. She wished the old woman's words could be true. She although knew she had no man to follow her. She went on greeting the kids on the way and finally she approached her home. She was the chief's daughter and her parents were the masters of divination in the village. She was about to get through the gates when two guards came and surrounded her. Well it was yet another day when she had been in trouble but this time it was a bigger trouble and her parents were going to be severe. She shook as the father stepped out of the house. He made big strides as he hurried towards her. He looked more scary from all the past times. He was also angry and he was not acting like he used to in the other cases. Then her mother stepped out and the anger in her face was twice her father's. Her mother never tolerated any action against the way of light though her father was always lenient but today they were all angry. What is it that she had done that she made them this angry. they stood infront of her and her mother slapped her. That was odd and the slap rang in her ears.

"Do you have any idea on what you have done?" They both asked in unison. "You never should have left this place. It is supposed to remain secret and because of you we might be compromised." her mother added.

"What wrong di I do?" she asked. Still burning from her mother's slap.

"You tampered with destiny. Do you know what that means? It means a whole new era we are not aware of. Doing such thing is not easily acceptable. Soon you will come to see what you did. The death toll will increase. Beware." her father said.

"But why?" she asked.

"You might have just saved a monster." Her mother said. She stood firm and looked at them.

"I do not know what is wrong with you but let me tell you that this is my destiny. You prophet saw it all wrong. He is a good man," she said looking away.

"Is that the reason you brought him here?" her father asked.

"I brought no one with me," she said shocked. She pushed the guards away and ran outside the gate.

"I sense pure evil energy lurking in this place. Do you think that it is a mistake she saved him?" the woman asked her husband.

"We never know what destiny holds for our child" the man said as he patted his wife's hair who had her head on her shoulder.

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They called for an urgent meeting for there was a change in destiny. There was also a rumor among the seers that there was dark energy brought by the savior. Escaping death always had its own consequences. Now he had dark energy in him and they had to find him and fulfil destiny but a change in destiny was inevitable and they could not tamper with it anymore for they had failed. They blamed her for leaving secretly and doing something so out pf order. She too was to be punished after they found him.

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She ran through the streets unaware of what she was looking for. Was he really here? How did he find his way here? She had to find him as soon as possible for she felt the urge to see him. She bit the apple and on the way gave it to a child.