Leaving

Lia lifted her head. The night was cool, still dark with stars dancing above. How long until dawn? Silence lay on the field like the dew soaking her clothes, and she pulled her cloak more tightly about her.

Nothing moved. A touch of breeze caressed her neck, and stilled.

She listened. Were there no pursuers? She could not believe the Prince would let her go as easily at that. And his son would also come searching, full of anger, even if no soldiers were sent to find her.

But then a sound, like a man walking slowly through the field. A man brushing the grass with a stick. Several men.

They came closer, slowly working their way across the field, none of them speaking, each one probing the ground as they walked.

One came directly towards her, as others passed to each side, ten paces apart. He came, and paused as he was almost over her. His stick rested on her back for a moment, ever so gently, just a touch, and then he moved on, sweeping back and forth across the ground.

As they moved out of hearing, something cold touched her hand, and a startled gasp escaped before she could help it. The tiny mole pulled back, equally surprised at the reaction.

“Oh, sweet Heaven! It’s you! I’m sorry.”

She lay her head back down, and the creature in pale grey fur came nose to nose with her. They breathed together, calming the fright. A touch of morning began lifting the black veil of night, where the forest around the clearing held up the sky.

“It’s enough, I can see.” She stood, shook the hair out of her face, and brushed grass from her cloak. Reton Castle behind her, the men somewhere up ahead… she turned to the left and ran to the forest, quickly disappearing among the trees.