CHAPTER FIVE

THE TRAIN

The air smelled like rain and the wind had picked up speed. After much struggle Xavier had managed to kill a rabbit. He slowly made his way back to their camp.

A piercing scream filled the night air and Xavier raced back to their camp leaving the rabbit he caught on the floor.

Vanessa struggled to think. Her hands were tied behind her also her feet and Lord Fletcher had been talking nonstop which only added to her annoyance. 

Where was Xavier when she finally needed him? 

She was too weak from the effects of the poison she had earlier ingested. Wasn’t this guy even tired of chasing her? What was wrong with taking a break? A fat rain drop landed on her cheek, she shivered in the cold. 

Xavier quietly accessed the situation, charging in won’t be any good. Lord Fletcher looked like he was alone but he knew someone like him wouldn’t go anywhere without his guards, the must be waiting for him to show up. He looked at Vanessa to make sure she was okay, her eyes looked drowsy. She was still weak from earlier, probably too weak to fight.

“Where is your little bodyguard?” Lord Fletcher asked her

“How am I supposed to know where he is when you tied me up here?” she sneered in response

“Go and search for the man. He wouldn’t leave her alone and go far?”

The bushes rustled and footsteps spread out and faded.

Xavier tried to come up with a plan, if he could get to her within the next hour they should be able to get to the passing train and escape. 

Two men on Lord Fletcher’s instructions carried a squirming and cursing Vanessa and placed her on the back of a horse and they got moving Xavier followed at a distance weighing his options. They stopped at the mouth of a cave, a fire was lit and Vanessa was carried inside, then Lord Fletcher went in with the remaining two guards standing outside the mouth of the cave.

It seemed they were only two men left, if only Xavier could get her out of there and moving before the other men who were sent to look for him returned then they had a chance. His stomach growled.

“Not the right time.” He mumbled to himself.

He snuck stealthily to the side of the cave and approached the guard whose back he was facing, he unsheathed his small dagger, a few feet away from his target he stepped on a twig. He glanced at his feet and back at the guard. As the man turned to react Xavier quickly plunged the dagger into his lower abdomen and pulled out the dagger. The guard clutching his wound stumbled away.

The other guard seeing the turmoil rushed to his friend’s side and turned to face Xavier.

Lord Fletcher smiled at Vanessa, she was the key to all his dreams. He walked toward her, ignoring her glare he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and gripped her chin forcefully.

“You my dear Vanessa, you’re going to make me a very powerful man. You’re going to make me king. I will take you back home and we’ll get married.”

“I will marry you over my dead body.” Vanessa replied and spat in his eye.

He brought out a handkerchief and wiped the spit from his eye, he smiled at her and slapped her hard. Vanessa’s eyes watered.

“That kind of behaviour is unacceptable from my future wife and queen.” He grabbed her chin again

“You might have lived a cushioned life where everyone worshipped you, but my dear I’ll make it my aim to break you.” Lord Fletcher let go and softly stroked her cheek. Vanessa etched away from his touch.

She licked her lips and tasted something metallic, it was blood. She turned to look at him.

“I am going to kill you.” She said with a smile.

Lord Fletcher opened his mouth to say something to her but was interrupted by some noise coming from outside the cave. Vanessa felt relief wash over her knowing it was Xavier, wind blew through and the flames danced. He left her and moved towards the noise to find out what was happening.

Lord Fletcher stepped out the cave but he couldn’t see any of the guards he posted outside the ones he sent to locate Xavier were nowhere I sight. It started drizzling. Turning around to head into the cave, he saw Xavier’s bloody dagger aimed at his throat. He eyed the weapon and the blood.

“Don’t worry I didn’t kill them.” Xavier said 

He gestured for Lord Fletcher to head into the cave, he pointed the dagger at his back and occasionally pocked him to urge him to move faster. They stopped in front of Vanessa, he nodded at her and noticed her red cheek and averting his eyes he turned his attention back to Lord Fletcher.

“Untie her.”

Reluctantly Lord Fletcher bent down and started loosening the rope binding Vanessa, he tried to slow down and buy some time for the rest of his men but as he slowed Xavier pierced his dagger into him. After loosening the rope Vanessa quickly hurried away from Lord Fletcher and stumbled to her feet. She stretched her muscles a little.

“Take this” Xavier addressed her never taking his eyes off Lord Fletcher and handed her the dagger.

Xavier quickly tied Lord Fletcher up and they both hurried out of the cave. The drizzle of earlier had practically turned into a violent downpour, the wind controlling the downpour taking it this way and that. Xavier held Vanessa’s hand and led them both, after running for a while he could hear the sound of the train. It was starting to gain speed but if they continued with their current pace they would make it in time.

Vanessa heard voices coming from behind them, they were already coming. They stumbled out of the trees into a field of knee length grasses. The train was in sight. They kept running harder and faster, the rain getting in their eyes and messing up their vision.

Xavier used his free hand to push his wet hair backwards, stretching out his palm to hold a part of the train. The baggage car door was slightly open, as he gripped the handle and felt a sense of relief he heard the piercing sound of a bullet. He felt Vanessa’s hand slip from his hold.

Vanessa felt a sharp pain in her back, dangerously close to her spinal cord. She stumbled on her feet and crashed to the floor. The train was gaining speed and so were Lord Fletcher and his men. 

The pain was spreading throughout her. She could hear Xavier’s voice yelling her name but her body was refusing to respond. She couldn’t even get to her knees.

Xavier watched her fall and struggle to get up.

“Fuck. Vanessa get up!” 

At some point the train would start moving at a pace that it won’t be humanly capable for anyone to catch up. Vanessa managed to will herself up and running the rain slamming itself on her body. Xavier stretched out his hand to hers, their fingertips brushing each other.

“Come on!” Xavier encouraged her

Another shot was fired, Vanessa winced and shut her eyes as the bullet hit the back of her right thigh. She could feel nothing but the pain, her body was healing slowly with the bullet still lodged in her, tears filled her eyes and she nearly collapsed. She pushed her feet a little more and Xavier grabbed her hand and pulled her off the ground onto him and they both crashed on each other. The fall knocking the breath out of her.

Vanessa rolled off Xavier and laid there breathing heavily; Xavier stood up and closed the baggage car door shutting out the wind, the rain, the gunshots and the voices.