Chapter (56): Stifled

Natasha ceased her pace as she saw the board, it was Written Phola on it. The roars of rejoicing and footing could be heard from the distance. These villagers used to sing epic songs and dance around the fire. Everything here was incredibly different than the lavish exposure in the towns.

"Were you here before?" Asked Ryan, because the girl directly brought them here without any clue.

Natasha nodded, "I joined the knights at the age of fifteen, and here was my first mission. I know some people here if they are still alive."

Elizabeth's mouth dropped at the fact that just left Natasha's mouth. She couldn't understand why Ryan was treating her cold but as she assumed, Natasha had a delightful heart. She had volunteered to aid her sister.

"I can't believe that the imp was this much close to them. They were lucky that we arrived earlier than the imp!"

Natasha noted and yanked the horse's hips with her feet, leading the horse to the road of the village. They rode to the village, and guards came to view. The walls of the village were made of lumber, thick and resistant.

The guard above the watchtower turned the lantern light to the gateway.

"Who are you?"

He shouted, the light cast on his face and expanded his shadow on the woods on the left side of him.

"I am Natasha Bolingtone, I came here to see the moon reader."

The gate grew wide and the watchman laughed, "Natasha! Are you truly here for the moon reader?" He shouted, then continued, "Long time no see," the man knew her very well.

"How come he recognized her?"

Elizabeth murmured to herself but Natasha heard it.

"The time we came here, the village was under attack by vampires."

She answered, riding her horse to the wooden gate.

Entering the village, the heat made by the great fire of torches warmed their faces. The drizzling cold under their skin just disclosed itself.

The villagers had wooden houses. They were small but sounded warm. As the noises divulged, inside the village people were gathered, the tents of shops were hoisted and among them, some faeries could be seen. They were tall, had long straight white hairs, that were glowing under the moonlit. Wearing gray cloaks. Precious jewels were on their foreheads and all of them had the silver tattoos of the crescent moon on the place of the third eye.

"Are they allowed to wander around in our lands?"

"Only moon readers but not the others."

Natasha declared, dismounting her horse before they join the folk.

"Natasha?"

An old but exciting voice said from behind.

"Maria!"

It was the first warm smile that Elizabeth saw landing on the knight's face. As if she came home, the home that craved her after a long time.

She turned to the left and saw the old lady who held a basket in her hand, filled with pomegranates.

"Oh, Gods! My darling." The woman with white hair and brown eyes seemed to be nice, the watchman fashed beside her. She handed him the basket of the fruit.

Elizabeth beamed at them as they rushed and hugged each other.

Natasha couldn't describe her feelings as she saw them being alive. For a month she lived with this woman and her son and as it came across they could survive the dark days and this village got bigger. She closed her eyes and led her body to the peace that Maria's embrace used to inject her. Her ears followed the laughter of the children that were listening to the narrator as if the little angels' song in heaves it was to her. Life was fluxing to her veins again.

"Daughter, I missed you so much. What bale came to you, young folk? What are these wounds?"

Maria scanned their feature.

"I missed you too, Maria! Nothing, we met a disturber on our path, you tell me, they said many people died. But I see you all fine, this is pleasing my heart."

The old short woman released Natasha who was now a grown woman.

"Eagle troop arrived a day after you left. They rode to us from the east and saved the village."

"They locked me to the cells not allowing me to come back."

Natasha barely held her tears back. She was soft toward those she loved but against her enemy, it was entirely different, it was red all she could see and no one could stop her blades.

Her eyes drifted on Eliot, the eleven years old child now had become a handsome masculine man and only eight years had passed. His brown eyes glinted as he saw Natasha.

"Eliot, no wonder to see you carry a sword."

Natasha remembered how brave he was.

"You look amazing too!"

He complimented but she knew she wasn't, the scratches on their bodies already dragged many eyes caught upon them.

"Ah, who are these beautiful younglings?"

Maria asked, walking to Elizabeth whose eyes were on the pomegranates. They looked delicious. How could they keep those for winter?

"I am Elizabeth James,"

She grabbed the woman's hand and kissed her knuckles.

"Wow, are you daughter of Miguel James? The commander of Eagle knights?"

Elizabeth's eyes grew wide as she mentioned that! Her uncle was working in the court! But what was that knight position? Was he truly a knight? Their commander? Her brain drove blank until she glanced back at Ryan, he wasn't surprised. Her head was clicking on a whistle the same as the one that the locomotive used to let out.

"Yes, milady! I am his son, Ryan and she is my cousin."

Ryan kept his eyes on Elizabeth as he approached the woman and left a kiss on her hand. Stifled his curiosity about this folk and added, "we are here to see the moon reader."

The woman smiled, all those youths that inquired of a meeting with that faerie were seeking marriage and these people were at that age already.

"Yes, she is my guest," she blinked at Natasha.