The Markings

THE MARKINGS: Chapter 3

Chapter 3

When I awake I rocket up into a sitting position. I look around, confused. I'm in the middle of the woods and it is probably about mid-morning. In front of me is the guard who brought me here, he sits with his back to me and is wearing a thin white t-shirt. He has a strong build to his body. His dirty blonde hair is slightly shorter than the common shoulder length.

There is a sword on his belt, two water bottles, his navy jacket, and a ragged backpack lying next to him. In the dirt by my hip is the sword I got from the castle. My hand moves to my head where there is a piece of wet cloth. Tied around my right forearm is the rest of the stained red fabric. Quietly, I grab my sword with both hands and point it at the guard.

"What do you want with me?" I ask, causing the guard to turn around. My blood runs cold as I see his face for the first time. There's something familiar about him, and my mind races to remember where I know him.

"Whoa," he says when his eyes catch the blade in my hands. "I'm trying to help you."

"Drop your sword," I say, my mind still wondering as to who he is. I watch him slowly unclip his sword and it falls to the ground by his feet.

"Adaline," he begins, "It's me. It's Alexander." My mind connects his name to the memories it had been searching for.

"Alexander?" my shaking voice questions. Before I was thrown in prison I used to be close friends with Alexander. He's my age, and he was my only neighbor out in the valleys that surround our town.

His physical appearance is close to what I remember, except now he's not a ten-year-old boy. He's tall, tan with green eyes. His dirty blonde hair just long enough to cover the scar over his left eye that he got one day when we were out on an adventure, as we had called it. Climbing trees, running through the creeks in the forest, and exploring the different antique shops in town.

"I didn't know you were a guard at the castle," I say, still not believing it's really him. Slowly I lower the sword back to the ground, but I keep my left hand on the grip.

"My father was assigned after you were taken and I followed five years later when I was fifteen." He clears his throat, "Passed the test on the first try. Probably because I could find my way around the castle blindfolded. I basically grew up there."

"Guess we still have something in common," I say even though it's a poor joke. "So, why'd you do it?"

"Do what?" his eyes narrow in confusion.

"Save me. It's your job to kill any escaping prisoners. What do you want with me?" I ask again, returning to my original question.

"You think I would kill you?" Alexander asks, shocked.

"Well we haven't seen each other in almost seven years," I say, shrugging my shoulders, even though I know it's an impossible thought. Alexander and I always felt like we had a connection from the very first moment I met him. I actually can't even remember not knowing him, he was just always there. I think our parents already had our wedding planned out if I'm being honest.

"Well maybe we haven't seen each other, but there wasn't a day that went by I didn't think about you. I mean, you've always been seconds away from me, how could I ever just forget you? There wasn't any way I was going to lose my second in command again," Alexander responds, using the titles we had given ourselves when we were little. He was the leader and I was his second. I let him humor himself with the idea of being in command when we both knew I was the real leader.

"Adaline," he says gentler when he sees my face is still processing. "I was on duty outside of the maze last night. I heard a crash and found you unconscious."