White Rose

Flowers laid across an open plain with trees surrounding them, the sun high in the sky, giving the plants their energy.

Then a sudden disturbance ran through the flowers. Two kids catching one another, and they fell and laughed.

„Venetia, look!" The girl named Leyla said and picked a rose of white.

„It's beautiful," she responded softly.

„It's a rose, they come in other colorful colors." She handed over the rose. „Be careful, they have sharp needles on their side."

Venetia gently took the rose, carefully putting her fingers between the sharp thorns.

„It fits you, it's the same color as your hair," Leyla said and smiled. „You should keep it."

Venetia spun the rose around, the sun reflected from it showing small grains of pollen. Her eyes shone with glee. She has never seen such a rose before. She did see red ones though, and a lot of other flowers in various different shades. She took her long hair, comparing it and the rose. And sure enough, the colors were quite similar.

She glanced around and saw a flower that was yellow. She plucked it from the ground and gave it to Leyla.

„This one is like your hair."

Venetia hovered the flower over Leyla blonde hair, which was cut below the ears.

„It's a lily," Leyla said. „Not exactly the same, but it's close."

Venetia handed over the lily, she took it with a smile.

Venetia held the rose close to her nose, smelling the scent. And also. The smell of blood.

She suddenly stood up, startling Leyla in the progress.

„What's wrong?" she asked.

Venetia saw it in the distance, smoke billowing behind the tall trees. It came from a small village.

Leyla noticed it as well. She immediately went on her feet, dropping the lily, and started to run.

Venetia followed, rose still in hand. The scent of blood grew stronger, but she was managing to ignore it.

As the trees cleared, they stood up on a hill that outlooked the village. Houses burned, farms destroyed, the cattle ran. Bandits of many different species yelled at the villagers, grouping them up and putting on chains. The ones who tried fighting back only fell by swords and spears.

Leyla saw them in the distance, and tears started showing.

„Mom! Dad!" She yelled.

She started to run down the hill, Venetia tried to grab her arm to stop her but was to slow. She called to her, her words never reaching. Then she followed.

They ran into the village, Venetia halted as the scent grew stronger. She held her nose, trying not to inhale the smell. She looked up, and her friend was gone from view. Surrounded by houses, she couldn't see her.

„Leyla!" She yelled, hoped that she would have been heard. And she was, but an unfamiliar face appeared.

„Oh looky here, we still have a young one running about boys!" A feline man shouted.

Venetia took a step back, fear rose as the feline came close.

„Come on now, don't be scared little one," he said, voice soft but full of lies. „Come, we won't hur... HEY!"

She turned and ran, but only to stop in front of a different man. She ran to the side and jumped over a broken window of a house. Fire lit the building and smoke almost blinded the girl.

She knew she would get caught if she went outside the window she climbed, so she ran between the flames and opened the door of the opposite side of the house. She left with flames on her clothes, she managed to extinguish the small fire with her hand. She caught sight of more bandits coming after her, she continued running between buildings, then up a hill where the forest waited for her.

„Don't let her escape!" One yelled, calling his friends for aid.

Venetia is familiar with these trees, she can run around with no fear of getting lost. She spent most of her life in these woods, playing with her friend Leyla or just strolling around like what she always does.

She passed a tree that she once climbed while racing with Leyla, then passed a second tree which she used for hide and seek. She ran between giant boulders that she jumps over all the time, then the plains of flowers were beyond her.

„Use the crossbow, goddammit!"

Venetia turned to see one of the men halting, then aimed a crossbow right at her. She sidestepped, just managing to avoid a net that shot from the weapon.

She knew the way she was going would be a dead end, but she ran nonetheless. She scraped a prickly bush, tattering her clothes. She winced as she tripped over tree roots, but quickly got up and continued running, rose still in hand.

Then the sound of a waterfall was getting close. And she knew that she needed to stop. Passing the last lines of trees, she took her last step, just before the cliff beyond. She turned to see the men coming her way. Decisions were flooding into her. Decisions of jumping, risking her very life, or to try and continue running, knowing that the bad people would be right next to her. Her mind raised, all the while they were getting closer. She breathed heavily, her arms outstretched, and let herself fall.

The wind blew around her. Eyes closed and wincing. She readied herself for the impact of the water. But that never arrived. Then the sudden feel of fabric touched her all over, surrounding herself of a net.

She opened her eyes to see that she was caught, then the fall ended as she was held by a rope over the water.

„Here! Help me with this!"

The bandit who shot the net grimaced as he was starting to slide towards the edge, there was nothing in his surrounding that could help him not fall. An ally of his ran towards him and held the rope with him. More came, and they pulled the rope up. Venetia couldn't escape.

Venetia was held over a man's shoulder, still stuck in the net. She struggled, trying to get out, trying to run free, but the bad people made the fabric so strong.

„She was the hardest one to get, you guys owe me for making me risk falling to my doom like that."

„All you will get is some booze, and maybe you can play with that one," one man said and pointed towards Venetia.

Venetia tried yelling and calling for help, but she was only heard by the men carrying her.

„Hah? We came here to sell them to some slavers, not to become perverts like you and the others. And can you please shut your damn mouth you brat!"

She went silent. Her world went silent. She was taken to the burnt village, and she saw the villagers getting inside carriages.

The men got rid of the net and chained her hands. She saw Leyla at the carriage she was being brought too. She wanted to call to her but was too afraid to make a sound. They linked up the chain of Venetia to Leyla's, along with other villagers. Then she was sat down in a carriage next to Leyla. They closed the door, locking it. There was no handle on the inside.

„Leyla," Venetia said with a whimper.

„Venetia, my father. . ." She couldn't hold her tears, and she wept.

Venetia raised her hand, clearing the tears from her friend. But she didn't say a word, she didn't smile to try and comfort her.

„Alright men!" A shout came from the outside. ��You know where to go, split up the carriages once we arrive at the point!"

The carriages started moving, and the chains clanked about.

„I'm scared," Leyla said.

Venetia knew that she was scared, everyone inside the carriage had faces of fear. Venetia was also scared, but she didn't cry. She could still feel the fresh smell of blood that stained the dirt and pathways from the village, but that smell was getting further away.

Rattling of chains, whimpers from people, bad men laughing. She knew that these sounds will linger in her brain for a while. She held the white rose that she still held, staring deep into it. And she hoped there were any saviors out there to help her and her friend out.

As she held the rose tightly, she could feel one of the pricks pierce her. Blood dripped from her finger. She licked her blood, and it tasted sweet.