She knew she had to run. She didn't know how the guards came on their tail so fast, but right now, that was not important.
'Shit!'
'Bye, little girl!' The guy after his stall grinned and waved at her when Cinderella ran away. The guards were on horses, so it wouldn't be a fair run. Luckily, there were enough stalls to hide behind and a lot of side roads she could take. She ran as fast as she could and silently thanked The Boss for all her stamina training. Cinderella zigzagged between the stalls but could hear how the guards got up to her.
'You! Stop right there!'
She heard the guards screaming but wasn't planning on stopping any time soon. People yelled, and little kids cried, not knowing what was going on. She had to make sure she got off the market. This only got her into more trouble and chaos.
The market had settled down beside an ongoing road. If Cinderella ran straight ahead, it would give her more space. But if she were to do that, the guards would catch up with her in no time. The sweat was on her forehead, and her legs also began to weaken. Her heart was pounding way too fast for it to be healthy, and Cinderella wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer.
'Run! You foolish girl!' The Boss seemed to appear out of nowhere. She grabbed Cinderella's hands and made sure they ran even faster than they were running. Cinderella felt a little spark between their hands and looked down. There was a light blue hue over it. Was this the magic The Boss was talking about? It was beautiful. It helped them run faster, and with a little bit of help, they outran the guards. Not much, but just a little.
The moment they got into a less crowded area, The Boss suddenly went into a stall. The salesperson looked shocked, but with a flick of her wrist, he went down, sleeping. The Boss used the same trick she used on the guards back in the palace.
'Stay here. Don't look and stay hidden until I get you, got it?' The Boss eyes were big, and even she seemed a little nervous. Then when I nodded, she got up, out, and stood in the middle of the road. All though, I said, I was going to stay hidden, I wasn't planning on doing that. From the ground I was sitting on, I peeked below the cloth.
She just stood there. Her hair in the wind, and waiting for the guard to show. And they did. Their horses were pitch black, and their manes danced in the wind. From a hidden pocket, Cinderella never found at from where, The Boss took her wand out. It was already glowing blue at the tip, and it seemed the wind had changed.
Cinderella first thought it was her imagination, but the wind definitely changed direction. It swirled around The Boss like a tornado, but The Boss didn't seem to care. The guards' horses did. They slowed down and then stopped all at once. The guard didn't notice the blue glow at first and saw it when it was already too late.
The wind got stronger and picked up little sticks and branches that were laying beside the road. The ground started shaking, and the guards looked concerned. At first, nothing else happened. Then, the ground split in two. Cracks were formed everywhere, and seemingly without any effort, The Boss swirled the forming tornado towards the guards and their horses.
Cinderella watched this all with her mouth open and couldn't believe her eyes. Sticks were flying, guards were screaming, and in the middle of all the chaos, The Boss was smiling. Not smiling like a psychopath, but like someone who knew what she was doing. Someone who was proud, and not afraid to show her powers. The Boss stomped her heel into the ground, and the crack spread out towards the guards. They screamed, and their leader urged his horse to go back. The other guards were long gone. The tornado slowed down, but the crack stayed.
Cinderella finally came out of her hiding place and walked towards The Boss.
'Haven't I told you to stay hidden until I call for you?' Her voice sounded steady, but Cinderella could see her hands shaking.
'I know, but I really wanted to say that you looked like a real badass out there.'
The Boss stifled a giggle and put her wand away. 'Let's get ourselves a nice place to rest, and tomorrow we'll see where to go next.'
That reminded Cinderella of something the salesman had said. He said The Boss belonged to a group. She wasn't alone like she had always said to Cinderella. Suddenly, the doubts about The Boss her identity crept in and before Cinderella could stop herself, she blurted out: 'Do you have a tattoo?'
The Boss, who already started walking, looked back. 'A tattoo? Why would I have that? I'm not someone who has another person's name on me. Come on. I know someone who can give us a place to sleep.'
And with that, the conversation was over. 'Alright, wait for me!' Cinderella caught up with The Boss and went over the short conversation in her head. She sounded genuine. And why would she have a tattoo? She had known The Boss longer than that salesman, so why would she believe what the salesman had said? Why would she indeed? She wondered over this the whole walk back to a little shed. The way was longer than Cinderella thought, and it was already twilight when they arrived.
The Boss didn't talk to anyone when they came to the shed and just went in. Cinderella followed.
It wasn't cold but cozy. Hay was on the floor, and a little fire was already lit to keep the cold and wetness away. The shed was small but good enough for one night. Outside, the sun had set completely, and the only light came from the fire.
'Boss, did you know the salesman at the market?' Again, Cinderella asked without thinking twice.
The Boss, who had unbundled some bread, sighed. 'No. I don't know my sellers. Why?'
Cinderella took the bread, The Boss handed to her and raised her shoulders. 'I don't know. He said he knew you.'
Her hands stopped cutting bread for a split second but then continued. 'Well, the salesman was wrong. I don't know the guy.'
'He also said you had a tattoo...' It was almost a whispered question, but The Boss heard.
'What do you want me to say, Cinderella?' The Boss put the bread away and tried to look Cinderella in the eyes. 'I don't know what you're implying here, but I just told you that I don't know the guy. I also said that I don't have a tattoo. Would you like to confirm for yourself?' She started to lose her belt that held her ropes together, but Cinderella stopped her.
'No, I believe you. Please stay dressed.'
'Thank you, or this gets really awkward, really fast.' She fastened her belt again and sighed. 'I know we don't know each other for a long time, but I had hoped you would trust me by now.'
'I get that, but I want to know who you really are. I've received training from you, you helped me out whenever I needed help, and you're literally my partner in crime. I want to know who that is.' Cinderella met The Boss's gaze and didn't look down until The Boss did. 'I've been raised among snakes. The last thing I want is to find out that the person who is helping me is a snake as well.'
Neither of them said a word until The Boss did. 'You're right. I'm sorry. I know you had a hard time when you were little and a long time after that. I promise you, I'm not going to betray you. I wouldn't do that. Ever.'
Cinderella looked up and what she saw in her eyes was the truth. She wasn't lying. The Boss looked relieved when Cinderella smiled slightly. 'Let's eat up our lovely meal, and then go to sleep. Tomorrow awaits us.'
They did. Or at least The Boss did. Cinderella still didn't feel right about her conversation. She sat up and went outside. She didn't make a sound when she opened the door.
It was chilly outside. Cinderella looked up at the stars and the moon. She didn't need a light to lead her away from the shed and sat down somewhere she could still see it. She was hidden, just like The Boss had taught her.
Something felt off. Cinderella's surroundings were too quiet. Almost as if nature held its breath. Cinderella didn't immediately look around, like anyone else would do, but used her other senses instead. Her ears didn't pick up on anything weird besides the wind. She heard what made her uncomfortable.
Breathing.
Someone was breathing, other than herself. To check, Cinderella held her breath. It didn't stop, and her heart pounded in her chest. If it was close enough for her to hear, it was close enough the hurt her. She subtly bent forwards and felt in her boot. A small knife was hidden, in case she needed it. She touched it and slowed down her pulse. Cinderella was ready to use it. She hoped the person was ready to defend themselves.