67

67
Princess Aeloria Starfire.

I dreamed about her.
I saw my sister’s face, she seemed to be through a mirror of water. The surrounding light was an intense white, a bright, warm white light... so different from this place where I am. Where the cold freezes my skin and the darkness frightens me almost every time I close my eyes.
In my dream, I reached out my hand, trying to touch hers.
“Elowen...” I whispered. ''Listen to me... please...”
I wanted her to know that I was alive, through that dream, I wanted to tell her that I needed her, that I didn’t know where I was, that I didn’t know how they took me there. But I wanted to inform her that I really believed she would come and get me out of there. Because she was always with me, always protected me. She was like that, since I was very young, she was a mother to me.
Elowen saw beyond that.
She saw who I was.
But then the image faded, the water darkened, and the reflection disappeared.
And I woke up.
I opened my eyes wide, scared. I sat up and leaned my back against the cold, dark wall.
My heart beat hard, and I breathed with difficulty, as if I was getting rid of death, something like that. The stone floor was cold under my body, a cruel reminder that it wasn’t a dream. I was back in the real nightmare. That place... was cramped; it smelled of rot and old blood.
The walls were covered by a greenish goo that shone in some places, and the ceiling was low, which made it look like it was in a toy box.
I kept looking into the void because I had nowhere to look, it was all so dark and scary. I let my shoulders down and my face became sad and lonely.
I haven’t slept right here, sometimes I nap for a few minutes, and then I wake up with some noise: hurried steps, muffled screams. Sinister laughter. Never was that place silent. Not a quiet place, ever. The dream had barely disappeared when a metallic sound made me shudder. I crouched in the corner of the cell, my knees against my chest, my eyes wide, trying to see beyond the darkness.
Who was it? What did he want? Would he hurt me? Make fun of me?
My heart was racing faster than before.
Footsteps. I heard footsteps.
Then he appeared.
A human warrior.
He was tall, with eyes too small for his wide face, he had a crooked smile that made me shiver. His hair was short and dirty, and he smelled a mixture of smoke, sweat and something else that I could not identify but made me want to vomit.
I tried not to face it too much, but it was hard.
He looked at me funny, as if I were a broken toy.
"Ah, the little princess woke up," he said, laughing softly, with a strong accent, as if chewing on words before spitting them out.
I tried to back up and press my back further into the corner of the cell, but he opened the door with force and came towards me.
My heart almost stopped at that moment.
"Come on," he growled.
I didn’t move; I could barely breathe. I thought I was going to die now.
He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me brutally. I tried to resist, but he was too strong. When I backed away from him, I just saw his hand move quickly, I felt the burning when his hand hit my face. A strong and hard slap that threw me on the stone floor. The pain was throbbing, my vision was blurred by tears, but I swallowed them.
I wouldn’t cry, not in front of him.
“If you don't behave, princess, you'll suffer at my hands; I guarantee it,” he said, bending down to grab me again. ''Do you want to keep both your hands? Then obey me.”
I swallowed hard, tasting blood forming in my mouth. I nodded, trembling, and let him pull me by the collar of my dress. He dragged me down the narrow, dirty corridor, where the light was dim, coming from sooty torches attached to the walls. He sat me on an old, dark wooden chair and tied my hands and feet with rough ropes.
In the middle of that damp space were several orcs and other human warriors. In the back, I saw someone familiar.
The boy who had given me water.
He was motionless, but his eyes searched at me, not with malice but with something close to regret.
One of the older men approached, his face covered in scars, his eyes like stones: cold and merciless.
“Do you know why you're here, princess?” he asked, in an almost gentle tone.
I shook my head, my body trembling.
“Well, you'll find out soon enough. I want to see if your sister is really capable of finding you. I wish to know how far her power goes. If she is truly what we hope she is, we will release you and take your sister.”
Elowen...
She was the one they wanted all along. And I... I was just bait.
I tried to say something, but no sound came out. The sobs started before I even realized it. Everyone laughed.
One of the orcs raised his hand, anger in his eyes.
“Shut up, brat!”
But before he could hit me, the boy's voice echoed, firm:
“If she's badly hurt, your plan won't work.” He said it firmly.
Everyone fell silent for a moment, staring at him angrily, but they knew he was right.
“That's true,” said one of the orcs, smiling slyly. ''Let's not play with her... for now.”
They laughed, whispered among themselves, and then began to leave.
The oldest looked at the boy and ordered,
“Take her back to the cell.”
He approached me silently, putting his finger to his lips. My eyes were swollen, but I stared at him, not knowing who he was, but he seemed... different.
When all the orcs and human warriors had left, I could only hear my breathing and the boy's. Their heartbeats were so... calm, too calm, and that made me curious.
When the boy crouched down, he began to slowly untie the ropes, speaking softly:
“I want to help you, princess, but you have to trust me. I disagree with what they're doing.” His eyes met mine; they were kind, and at the same time, he seemed to be in pain, in my opinion, in that state.
Was it a pity? Something like that? But why did he feel that way?
I nodded; I had no other choice.
He stepped back a little, and then I got up, slowly, still feeling my face burn. I brought my hand to my face and then looked up at him.
I was still shaking. The enemies were far away, but I could still hear their voices in the distance. The boy then approached me, standing in front of me, blocking my view of the enemies.
His hand touched my arm, and then his other hand tilted slightly and placed something small in my hand. A blade.
My eyes flashed with surprise as I looked at the object and then at the boy. He stepped back a little.
“Hide this somewhere safe. It's just for your protection,” he said, shaking his head slowly.
I closed my fingers around the cold metal and nodded again.
I thanked him with a short smile.
He led me back to the cell, and we walked in silence. Upon entering, he locked me in the cell. He looked at me one more time before leaving.
I sat down on the cold floor and prayed that this would pass quickly, that Elowen would arrive, and that they wouldn't hurt her. I wanted to be able to protect her, but I was trapped here.