Inside the Beast's Castle

Chapter 3--What Happens in the Woods

"Into the woods, it's time to go, I hate to leave, I have to go." --Into the Woods
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The half-lie I told Vadik worked to get his crowd out of the tavern. I had felt a little guilty about making him leave, but only a little. I just hadn't wanted him around. The only problem was, the man who had grabbed my arm earlier in the night had noticed Vadik's absence and tried to do whatever to me again. In which I proceeded to break his arm.

Yawning, I waved goodbye to Margaret, who worked with me. My shift had just finished. The ground crunched against my feet, the only noise I could hear for miles. Silence. I smiled inwardly. The sound of nothing was peaceful, calming even. I didn't have to worry about being told to move, or even being polite and greeting a neighbor as they walked by. With silence, I could hear what was going on around me. This was the time of day I enjoyed the most.

I strolled a little bit further, headed toward the river again. The birds above my head were singing, alerting everyone of the sun that was slowly rising over the horizon.

Sitting down in the dirt, I leaned over to the water and put my hands in it. I let the cool water run in between my fingers and circle my wrist, getting all the dirt and grime off of my hands. As I sat back, I saw a bed of roses to my right, the buds on each plant half open. I slowly got up and walked over to them, then bent down and breathed in their scent. Although they were not my favorite flower, it was still nice to smell something good after smelling beer and stinky people all night.

Something got my attention. Well, more like lack of something. The birds, which were singing happily when I got to the river had become silent. Not the nice silence. The creepy one, the one that makes all the hairs on the back of your neck stand straight up. I got up quickly, my heart racing. I scanned the trees, trying to find out what made them stop. I saw nothing. A split second decision crossed my mind, and I turned and walked quickly into the trees, trying to keep my breaths even. Instead of sleepy, like I had been a few seconds before, I was alert and looking everywhere to see what made all the animals go quiet.

Pausing at a tree, I listened again. The birds had started back up. I let out a sigh of relief.

You're just imagining things, Zara. Chill out. Now, home or river?

Home would mean a chance of seeing my father again.

River it is.

More like river it would be. As soon as my I started to walk to the water, a rough something latched hold to my shoulder.

I jumped, scrambling to get as far away from whatever touched me as I could possibly get. When I got a good distance away, I turned around. It was a guard from the pub. How I hadn't heard his horse come up was beyond me. Still a little uneasy, I took another step back.

"What do you want?"

It wasn't normal for a guard to patrol the forest for thieves. They normally stuck to the middle of the lower kingdom where the few semi-wealthy people lived. The king was far more interested in protecting them, not those who were barely able to get along. The main difference was that they could pay their taxes.

The guard pulled out a roll of paper from a satchel hanging off the side of his saddle. Opening the top end and then the bottom carefully, as though not to tear the paper, he held it out in front of him and squinted his eyes to read it in the morning light.

He spoke in a very loud, noble voice. "Lizaveta Zara Tribeka, you are now ordered by his highness, King Regol, to be escorted to the palace on this date. There is a matter concerning your family that he wishes to discuss with you. If you go against this order, the guards have been informed to use as much force as needed."

I stood in my spot, confused. I hadn't done anything wrong. Well, unless you count hitting a sicko wrong.

"Okay, number one, what guards? And number two..." I paused, then took off running as fast as I could. My question of 'what guards' was answered quickly as one darted out from behind a tree in front of me. I changed my direction and went to the left, and there was another one blocking my path. I slowed my pace. I was surrounded.

"Zara, stop running," a voice spoke softly next to me. The guard I stood next to was Vadik. Of course it was Vadik. This was why I didn't trust people easily. I looked up at him, hurt.

"I take it that the bar was just a watching place? You needed my name for this?" I pointed to the scroll the other guard carried.

He didn't meet my eyes. He stood firmly on the ground, all illusions of intoxication gone.

He was never drunk. It was all an act.

I looked back at the guard that read the scroll. "What do you want with me?" While I was trying to appear calm, my voice betrayed me. I heard anger and fear laced through it. "I haven't done anything wrong. Why do you need me?"

When he didn't answer, I looked back to Vadik. His face was a blank slate, devoid of emotion.

What should I have expected? He is only doing his job.

"Lizaveta--"

I cut the guard who read the order off before he can finish."No. I'm not coming." I paused, then added as an afterthought, "My name is Zara."

I began to walk away, leaving the guards all in a circle. I think I must have surprised a few of them. They must not be told 'no' very often. Then someone shouted four words that I never thought I'd hear again.

"We have your brother!"

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