Death's Dance

Chapter 1: I'm Alive

      The sound of hoof beats coming thundering from the east through the woods. I hide in the rubble, still shaking from shock.

      Someone must have heard the explosion. I can't let them find me or more people will die because of me. No, no, no, don't look around just call for survivors a little and leave. Don't come closer, please don't come near me. No, they found me.

      "Your Majesty, I believe that I found a survivor."

      It's a man's voice. If I keep my eyes closed and don't move maybe he'll just leave me alone.

      "Hurry bring them here. Then, get your horse and ride for a medic and get a room if you can. The rest of you keep looking. If you find any more survivors bring them here."

      "You were luck we were near by," the one who found me says as he helps me to my feet.

      "You won't find anyone else."

      "You can't have looked very hard surly someone at the edge of the blast survived. You did after all," the one who found me tries to assure me, but I know better.

      "You won't find anyone. All that's left of them are shadows. It's my fault and living is my punishment."

      They look confused. I can't blame them I would be too. Although I'm surprised that their not terrified.

      "Are you physically hurt," 'Your Majesty' asks.

      "No, I don't think so."

      He knows what it's like. To be responsible for so much death. I can see it in his eyes now. So that's why he's not afraid.

      "Islwyn it would be best if you got the doctor anyway. We will meet you in Cir."

      This Islwyn must be close with'Your Majesty' if 'Your Majesty' calls him by his first name.

      "Yes, Your Majesty."

      I wonder if they come by here often. They seem to know the area, but I can't remember ever seeing them before.

      "The rest of you keep looking and meet us in the next town over."

      He got on his horse and pulling his foot out of the strip he lowers a hand for me to take.

      I shouldn't take it but what other choice do I have. If I stay here then I will more than likely die here before the year is done. Then, the memory of, my family, my people will die with me.

      I take his hand and mount a strange horse with a strange young man and head toward a village I have never been to. Leaving the ruins of a kingdom that was, merely an hour or so ago, everyone and everything I knew.

*   *   *

    We rode at a walk in what to others might be called silence. However, I figured he must also be talking out scenarios in his mind and trying to come to terms with what has just happened.

      He must be a lesser prince if they let him ride by himself with a strange girl they found who claims responsibly for the decimation of an entire kingdom. Although if he is a lesser prince then why would he have so many guards with him? That is if they are guards. They could be nobles themselves. A hunting party perhaps. They could be a search party from a near by kingdom. If they are just a search party then why did they bring a royal.

      It is starting to get dark.

      These woods are larger down here than they are from my old room's balcony.

      Suddenly I can sense the horse tense then almost immediately we take off into an all out sprint and turn into the woods in hope of loosing whatever sacred the horse. Only, once we stop and turn around to I realize how tightly I was holding on. I loosen my grip.

      "I thought it must be something worth trying to run from because I have never seen her bolt like that," he explained to me, likely noticing my grip swiftly tighten and relax.

      He seems to know where we are going because we made it back to the road without doubling back on ourselves. I wonder if he hunts in these woods. Just ahead I can see the village we were looking for.

      It is a good sized village with a water mill and grain fields surrounding thirty or so houses some with shops underneath. We dismount in front of a pub called the Black Swan.

      "Islwyn should be inside with the doctor. I would have gotten an inn for you to stay at for the night but there aren't any." So, he does know this area.

      Strange, it is just now dark out, but there is no one else in the Black Swan other than the Bar Maid, Islwyn, and the doctor.

      We sit down and the doctor checks to see if I am hurt, decides that I am not, asks for pay, and leaves as soon as he gets it. Before the door is even shut the Bar Maid asks if we need a room for the night, sets us up for one, and leaves just as quickly as the doctor did.

      Islwyn must have noticed the suspicion on my face because he explains that they knew that the kingdom they boarded had a princess with a death curse and that about half the citizens here were immigrants from that country trying to escape the curse, but they died anyway. Islwyn continued saying that when he asked for the doctor they probably got scared and locked them selves in their homes.

      So, even those who fled were lambs slaughtered in exchange for my life. I cannot let them die in vain. I must make my life worthy of their sacrifice.

      As we climb the stairs to the attic there is a single door with barely more than a landing after you step off the last stair. My room is minuscule with only a small, cold bed, a chair with one leg shorter than the rest, and a tiny window that looks out above the entrance of the pub. I stand gazing out the window any day before today you would be able to see the balcony of my old room from here. Now not only my room, not only my castle, my entire kingdom is rubble.

      "I will go to find the others," Islwyn says turning to the prince.

      "No, I will find them. You guard," the prince turns to me.

      "Thana," I respond quickly after I realized that he wanted my name.

      "Islwyn I am trusting Thana to you. I should be back before morning," the prince says sternly, then he turns to me and continues jokingly,"don't wait up for me."

      After that he heads back down stairs, out the door, mounts his horse, waves goodbye, and disappears into the night.

      "Well Thana I will be just outside the door if you need me, sleep well." Islwyn informs me as he grabs the chair that was against the wall and leaves.

      How can I sleep knowing how many people I have killed today? Why should I sleep when I know that it is my cowardice that is responsible?