and Taisiya off her. Taisiya had to scramble
and grab Zara’s sides to stop from falling. Zara then guided her
further away from the forest; Dee trotted on happily. Whenever he
would motion for her to turn around, she would get spooked.
“This is strange,” Zara said. “let’s get off
her.”
The two hopped off Dee’s back, and Zara began
looking over her coat to see if she had any injuries. He scratched
his chin. “I don’t see anything that would make her act so upset
whenever I push on her side to turn around.”
While Zara was examining Dee, Taisiya looked
up at the trees and the sky over the forest. Something unusual was
going on. She sniffed the air, taking in a strange smell. Looking
back up at the sky, she saw it. “Zara,” she said, hoping her eyes
were playing tricks on her.
Zara looked up at her, but she didn’t need to
say a word to get the message across. Taisiya was pointing up at
the sky. When Zara looked, they both instantly saw it. Billowing up
and out from the trees deep within the forest was smoke. Taisiya
knew in her heart that it was coming from around the glen.
Zara’s eyes widened, “Where there’s
smoke...there’s…”
“Fire.” Taisiya finished for him. They looked
at each other apprehensively.
“Maybe,” Zara said, trying to rationalize the
situation, “your parents have found some food and are cooking
it?”
The sky was getting more and more black with
smoke every second. Before Taisiya could even respond, Dee bolted
in fright and took off running. Zara turned and looked at the horse
as it galloped away, but Taisiya turned the other way to see what
Dee had been looking at before she was spooked. A burning red fire
was dancing its way through the forest, devouring everything in its
path. Trees were burning; brush was igniting everywhere.
Taisiya panicked and grabbed Zara’s hand.
They ran to follow Dee to safety. “It’s the queen!” Zara shouted.
“They’ve probably found your parents and are now setting the whole
forest on fire to bait us. What are we going to do?!”
Taisiya let out a frustrated scream. “We’re
going to hide!” she said, and the two then ran further into
Solames.
As they came closer to the houses, Taisiya
and Zara slowed down to be on the lookout for any patrolmen the
queen may have set up after the fight in the town center earlier.
Sure enough, guards were patrolling every major street in town.
“Where are we going?” Zara whispered as he watched them.
“To the only place that I know for certain is
safe,” Taisiya whispered back. “Follow me.”
Taisiya hadn’t known until just seconds
before Zara asked where they were going. They had been coming to
the town center once more, and the houses that dotted the landscape
among the official buildings were unfamiliar and unlikely to harbor
two fugitives. Right after he asked, she laid eyes on a little
shack that blended in with the other buildings and realized exactly
who they needed to pay a visit to: Ammon.
The only problem with this plan was the fact
that Ammon’s home was in the thick of the town center, and guards
were swarming all around it. Taisiya led Zara behind someone’s
house and then pondered what to do next.
“You blend in pretty well with the queen’s
henchmen, but I stick out like a sore thumb,” she said as she
looked him up and down.
He shook his head, “No, they could spot me a
mile away. You may think we’re all the same, but I’m nothing like
them. Besides,” he stuck his head around the corner, and she
followed suit, “they’re dressed in all black, and I’m in
white.”
Taisiya groaned. “There’s a little shack
along the way there, and if we can get to it, I know we’ll be safe.
By the looks of it, we won’t be able to get there, though.”
Zara cocked his head in thought. “What if…”
his voice trailed off. “What if…we fight fire with fire?”
“Hmm?” Taisiya replied.
“Stay here,” Zara said. “I’m going to go
create a
and grab Zara’s sides to stop from falling. Zara then guided her
further away from the forest; Dee trotted on happily. Whenever he
would motion for her to turn around, she would get spooked.
“This is strange,” Zara said. “let’s get off
her.”
The two hopped off Dee’s back, and Zara began
looking over her coat to see if she had any injuries. He scratched
his chin. “I don’t see anything that would make her act so upset
whenever I push on her side to turn around.”
While Zara was examining Dee, Taisiya looked
up at the trees and the sky over the forest. Something unusual was
going on. She sniffed the air, taking in a strange smell. Looking
back up at the sky, she saw it. “Zara,” she said, hoping her eyes
were playing tricks on her.
Zara looked up at her, but she didn’t need to
say a word to get the message across. Taisiya was pointing up at
the sky. When Zara looked, they both instantly saw it. Billowing up
and out from the trees deep within the forest was smoke. Taisiya
knew in her heart that it was coming from around the glen.
Zara’s eyes widened, “Where there’s
smoke...there’s…”
“Fire.” Taisiya finished for him. They looked
at each other apprehensively.
“Maybe,” Zara said, trying to rationalize the
situation, “your parents have found some food and are cooking
it?”
The sky was getting more and more black with
smoke every second. Before Taisiya could even respond, Dee bolted
in fright and took off running. Zara turned and looked at the horse
as it galloped away, but Taisiya turned the other way to see what
Dee had been looking at before she was spooked. A burning red fire
was dancing its way through the forest, devouring everything in its
path. Trees were burning; brush was igniting everywhere.
Taisiya panicked and grabbed Zara’s hand.
They ran to follow Dee to safety. “It’s the queen!” Zara shouted.
“They’ve probably found your parents and are now setting the whole
forest on fire to bait us. What are we going to do?!”
Taisiya let out a frustrated scream. “We’re
going to hide!” she said, and the two then ran further into
Solames.
As they came closer to the houses, Taisiya
and Zara slowed down to be on the lookout for any patrolmen the
queen may have set up after the fight in the town center earlier.
Sure enough, guards were patrolling every major street in town.
“Where are we going?” Zara whispered as he watched them.
“To the only place that I know for certain is
safe,” Taisiya whispered back. “Follow me.”
Taisiya hadn’t known until just seconds
before Zara asked where they were going. They had been coming to
the town center once more, and the houses that dotted the landscape
among the official buildings were unfamiliar and unlikely to harbor
two fugitives. Right after he asked, she laid eyes on a little
shack that blended in with the other buildings and realized exactly
who they needed to pay a visit to: Ammon.
The only problem with this plan was the fact
that Ammon’s home was in the thick of the town center, and guards
were swarming all around it. Taisiya led Zara behind someone’s
house and then pondered what to do next.
“You blend in pretty well with the queen’s
henchmen, but I stick out like a sore thumb,” she said as she
looked him up and down.
He shook his head, “No, they could spot me a
mile away. You may think we’re all the same, but I’m nothing like
them. Besides,” he stuck his head around the corner, and she
followed suit, “they’re dressed in all black, and I’m in
white.”
Taisiya groaned. “There’s a little shack
along the way there, and if we can get to it, I know we’ll be safe.
By the looks of it, we won’t be able to get there, though.”
Zara cocked his head in thought. “What if…”
his voice trailed off. “What if…we fight fire with fire?”
“Hmm?” Taisiya replied.
“Stay here,” Zara said. “I’m going to go
create a
Similar Books
