Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ the Necklace of four Elements ❯ Chapter four ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4

`Mendes?' she asked, when the house was empty. Aithne walked over to the back of the house and yelled. `Mendes!' nothing. “where's that man?” she thought and then another thing came up. “did he leave without me?” she jumped when the door suddenly went open and the grey man stepped in. `did you miss me?' he asked grinning while the girl calmed down again. `where were you?' she asked and the man shrugged. `horses need food too. Looks good' he commented and the girl only reacted by giving him the purse back. She sat down at the table and filled a cup with water. Mendes sat down opposite of her. `Aithne, have you ever handed a weapon of some sort?' he asked almost nonchalant. Aithne was about to take a sip but stopped, her eyes wide. She set the cup down and her eyes narrowed when she watched the man. `no, why?' she asked. `well, it could be a dangerous trip and then a weapon could come in handy you know.' He said rubbing his chin. `can't I use the elements?' the girl asked almost mocking. `forget it! That Amulet is not a toy Aithne and Sullivan knows that.' The man said irritated and the girl looked down at her cup. `he will come and hunt us down won't he?' she asked and Mendes nodded. `yes, and believe me, he isn't the person you want after your skin.' He said and then there was a pressing silence. Aithne took another sip and looked out the window, seeing that the sun was starting to set. Suddenly they could hear a sharp whistle and Mendes slowly stood up. `why don't you get some rest girl?' he said while putting on his cloak. `where're you going?' asked the girl curiously. `I'll be in the village, taking care of things… and you won't leave this house under no circumstances.' The man answered. It was an order, not a request, he walked out and closed the door behind him, leaving a lightly irritated girl behind. “and he shouldn't think I'm just going to close my eyes now, alone and vulnerable.” She thought pouting. Aithne did feel save in her grandmothers house, but the situation was strange, and she still hadn't forgot about the blond farmer. The girl stood up, shaking the cold feeling of her skin. She would wait for the man to return and in the meantime she could discover more of the house. Ebesa with the red hair had been a intelligent woman, who could read and write and knew a lot of herbs. Aithne found the small attic where the ceiling hang full with dry plants and there where books with curly writing and pictures in them. The girl signed, she couldn't write, her mother had learned her reading, but the curly handwriting of Ebesa was hard to decipher. Outside it became dark and the girl felt her hungry stomach. She climbed down and searched in the kitchen drawers for bread ore something. She found nothing edible and wondered where Mendes had gotten the food from. She thought about leaving the house and finding saddlebags when a sound came up from the dark night. A howl, a howl that made Aithne's hair stand up and she shivered. She walked towards the window and saw the half moon, it was clear but it wasn't enough to howl for was it? Roughly the door slammed open and the girl turned towards it. `we have to go, now!' said Mendes with harsh voice and the girl fetched her cloak. `what's wrong?' she asked frightened. `we think Sullivan's demons might have our trail.' The man answered and pushed the girl outside before going back himself again. Aithne swallowed, she was standing in front of a big, dark horse with mighty hoofs. `um M… Mendes?' her voice was small. `that's my horse Sappel, he doesn't bite.' Called the man. `often.' He softly added and the girl took a step back. She was pushed aside by Mendes who came back out of the house with saddlebags, which he strapped on his horse, then he walked inside again. On the little road hoofs could be heard and out of the shadows came a second horse with it's rider. Mendes came out of the house, which was dark now, and closed the door. `Aithne, Liam. Liam, Aithne. Nice doing business.' The man said like a quick introduce. Aithne watched with surprised eyes to the young man on the black horse. “old hermit?” she thought. Liam looked down at her for a moment, his face showing clear disdain, before he looked at Mendes. `the Western Gate is unguarded.' He said with a monotone voice. The old man nodded and Aithne suddenly felt strong hands on her side, in one movement Mendes set her on the horse behind Liam. The girl was amazed by the mans strength and she made a mental note not to underestimate him. The man mounted Sappel when another deep howl could be heard, it sounded closer. Aithne shivered and was forced to hold Liam's sides when the horses galloped down the road, if she didn't wanted to fall of. Behind her she heard a cracking noise and she looked around, she gasped for air when she saw the little house burning down. `Mendes! The house!' she yelled. `I'm sorry Aithne.' Answered the gray man. Aithne watched how the house of her grandmother, with all it's belongings, fell to ashes and she remembered her own house. Unconsciously she tightened her grip around the fabric of Liam's tunic, she could feel the tears burn. They crossed half the village and made a turn to the right, in front of them they could see the closed gate. Mendes started to gallop in front of them and he began to mumble. The girl could feel the skin just under her collarbone warm up and with wide eyes she watched how the big gate doors opened, when they passed them the gates closed again like it was happening all day. They got of the road, bending to the north and galloping over hills of grass. In the distance Aithne could make out a forest, the half moon was their only light. Mendes came riding next to them. `I think we should split up, I'll see you at the ruins.' He said and Liam nodded. The old man galloped to the left and disappeared in the darkness. `hold on.' Liam said and inadvertently the girl wrapped her arms around his waist. The young man bend forward a bit and whispered something to the horse. suddenly their speed increased and the girl could just suppress a yelp. They where galloping unnaturally fast and Aithne grew very scared. They had almost reached the forest and slowed down a little. When they entered the woods the horse was forced to slow down into a trot and the girl felt how little twigs scratched her skin and pulled at her hair. Finally they slowed into a steady step and reached an open spot in the forest. The horse stopped in front of some old, grown ruins, it was breathing hard and so was the girl. She let herself slip of the horse and immediately took some steppes away. She hadn't liked it at all to be that close to a horse and a strange man at once, her hands where shaking. She looked at the ruins and tried to calm herself, this place was feeling odd to her. She sat down and watched how Liam got of the horse, petted it's neck and started gathering some wood to make a fire going. The girl got the twigs and leaves out of her hair and tried to think. “how did they find us? The warmth I felt, what was that, the pendant? And Ebesa's house burning down, was that the work of Sullivan's demons?” she was scared alright and for more than one thing. Out of the bushes stepped a white she-wolf and Aithne brightened a bit. `It was you that howled wasn't it? You warned us?' the wolf sat down next to the girl who petted her ones. `her name's Morri.' Liam said softly and the girl looked up to his face, he was trying to hide his surprise. `Morri? You know this wolf?' she asked. `she's with us, to guard you on the journey.' He answered blankly and looked away again. Out of the silence forest suddenly came noises and the girl shivered again. They heard bristling and the breaking of wood and Morri stood up growling softly but deep. The sound came closer and then Mendes appeared, trotting towards them, followed by something. Aithne watched and grew cold. The creature she saw looked like a big, raffled wolf and was black and gaunt. It's limbs where strangely long and it's head thin. In his face stood two pupil less red eyes that seemed to burn right into the girls soul, he showed his fangs and came running her way now. Mendes reached the ruins, he yelled something towards the girl, but she didn't understand him. She couldn't move and couldn't look away from the red glowing eyes. Finally the contact was broken because someone stepped in front of her and the girl quickly closed her eyes. She heard a sad whine and she opened her eyes, in front of her stood Liam, he was facing the demon who now stood on two legs. When the creature tried to strike the boy he hit a shield of some kind and whined again. The demon looked her way one more time and then turned around and ran away into the darkness. `the ruins will protect us, we can relax for now.' Mendes said and got of Sappel. Aithne's breathing was quick and with wide eyes she stared at the place where the demon had just been, she felt awful. Liam turned around and kneeled in front of her. He watched her shake and now saw that she had a small cut on her right cheek, made by some twig. `Aithne.' He said, but the girl suddenly stood up, tears started to form in her fury filled eyes. She turned towards Mendes who just got a fire going. `was that a demon of Sullivan?' she asked with thick voice and the man looked up. `no, apparently low demons are attracted to the pendant too.' He answered. `so Ebesa's house, the only home I had left, the only thing I had left from my family, you set on fire?' the girls voice betrayed how angry she was, but Mendes didn't look away. `yes, I had to erase any trail we had left.' He answered calmly while standing up. Aithne tried not to scream. `they already have our trail! it was a useless act, you only destroyed…' she stopped speaking and tightened her fists. `demons can also follow a trail by death.' The man said and raised his voice a bit. `you have met Morri on your way to Hill village haven't you? Tell my Aithne, what has really happened? Your dress wasn't ruined by some dog was it?' the gray man asked and obviously hit a spot. The girls eyes watered and the wolf pressed her nose into her hand. `it was an accident, Morri just wanted to save me, she didn't mean to….' She whispered but Mendes didn't have enough patience. `didn't mean to do what? Where did she save you from?' he asked and the girl looked down. `she just wanted to help me…' her voice ran out, she didn't want to remember. `dam it Aithne! What happened? Morri doesn't just kill everyone she comes by, you know.' The man became irritated and Morri began to growl softly. `nothing happened alright!? He… he… Morri saved me! She didn't mean to kill him, he fell on a rock.' The girl yelled, more tears came down. `you act like a little kid Aithne, you're supposed to protect the Elements, that's your duty, your privilege. You can't afford to make such mistakes. You have to…' but the man was cut off when Aithne exploded. `you don't think of anything else do you!? I hate you! You only see your little plan and the pendant, I'm just a whore that carries it for you, isn't that what you think? You don't give nothing about me, you take away everything I have and tell me to smile, you're using me and I have to stay put and think it my honor full duty to walk after you! It makes me sick! Well you've done it now, I have nothing left to fight for Mendes, I don't care if the world sees it's end tomorrow, I don't care!!' all the girl's swallowed tears and emotions from the past days came out now and the girl spoke her heart. She fell on her knees and cried in her hands, next to her sat the she-wolf. Mendes was confused and didn't know what to say, when he looked at Morri she lifted her lip and showed her fangs. Finally the old man shook his head, but he didn't say anything. He looked at Liam who glanced back but then ignored him as he began to rub his horse dry with some long grass. The fact that Mendes didn't do ore said anything in his defense made the girl even more sad, for then it was the truth she had spoken. Suddenly she felt so tired and sat back on her legs, she slowly caressed the neck of Morri who didn't leave her side. The tears stopped falling and a numb feeling came over the girl, she realized it really did mean nothing to her if the world would end, she felt so lonely and cold. Her head began to bounce so she laid down. She was so tired of everything, she rolled herself up as best as she could in her cloak and fell asleep. `what are you going to do about it?' Liam asked. Mendes didn't look up. `do about what?' he asked back while staring into the fire. The boy sat down on the other side. `she can't fight like this Mendes. If Sullivan finds her now she will just hand the pendant over to him.' He said, but the gray man did not respond. `she can only be strong when she has something to fight for, she's only human, don't forget that.' Liam said and now the man looked up. `I know, that's probably where I made my mistake, I thought she was only a human girl, I didn't think she would be so…' he poked the fire. `resistible.' He finished. And the young man watched him. `you've been there too long.' He said and Mendes nodded slowly. `the things have changed and I'll have to think.' He said and then he laid down too to get his rest. They where perfectly save where they were so they didn't need to stand on guard. Liam was about to lay back too when Morri made a noise and he looked her way. She was laying next to the curled up girl and looked back at him with her hazel eyes. `I know, I made my mistake too.' He whispered and Morri laid her head down again. The young man had thought the girl would be stupid and following like Mendes had thought, ore that she would feel herself the queen because she gardened the Elements, that she was The Chosen One ore something. He had been wrong but was very glad about that.