Jackia's Point Of View
Even in the cold of the night, sweat was dripping down my body and I was exhaling and inhaling so hard that my chest was rising and falling so dramatically, but all of this paled in the satisfaction of seeing the border so close.
My freedom...
I have struggled far too much to just be a baby maker, I had no idea what kind of Life waited for me outside of this kingdom's borders but anything was better than being treated like an object instead of a person.
So even as I was being strained by tiredness I still dragged my feet until I was running again and then just as I reached the border with stretched out my hand as if I could physically grasp my freedom, then in that split moment there was a bolt of lightning that struck from the sky and materialized across my surroundings moving in the shape of a doom high above my head but the suddenness of the bolt of lightning had been so intense that it flung my body back like a ragdoll.
Then the next thing I knew the side of my head was struck by something hard probably a rock and my vision was covered with black dots until there was nothing and I passed out.
My consciousness came back slowly but steadily like the curtains of a theatre being gradually opened and has it did the first thing I noticed was that there was this strong aroma of soup wafting into my nostrils and my stomach growled intensely and embarrassingly, despite all the luxurious food that had been given to me in the palace I gave most of it to the maids, then I ate very little for myself just to keep my body pushing.
Slowly my eyes began to roam my surroundings, it was a small cabin bare of much furniture as it seem to focus on the essentials I was about to go and investigate the source of the smell when it became stronger and I heard the scraping of feet informing me that somebody was entering the room that I was in, I stiffened on the bed for a second clenching my fist tight in case I had to attack.
"Ah you're finally awake..."I heard a soft and tender voice reach out to me and gently I raised my head.
It was a woman that appeared to be well aged, she wrapped her shawl around herself and in her hand was the bowl of the strong aromatic soup.
The fist that I had under my blanket melted considerably but I still had my guard up in case of anything as I start up on the bed.
"Hello...where am I?"
With a soft smile on her face the woman introduced herself as Penelope, she told me that she had stayed in this cabin for several years and when she noticed what happened outside at the border she came and she found me unconscious so she brought me inside for me to regain myself, I thanked her gratefully and then rubbed the aching side on my head regretting it as a wincing pain came through that spot and I put my hand down.
She offered me the soup and even though I was grateful to her I was a little skeptic about accepting food from a stranger.
"... It's not poisoned, don't worry,"
She said as if reading my thoughts and I lifted my eyes to meet her as a feeling of guilt of flashing through them as she was still holding the bowl of soup and I still held my hands to myself.
"I don't mean to offend you or anything but I don't even have time to sit on drink soup I have to..." I paused wondering how safe it was to divulge my plans, if the alpha King came to this place searching for me and he founded this cabin he would be able to find me easier from any information I gave her.
"I have to be returning home to my mother now, she's not feeling quite well and I came to gather some herbs for her... Thank you again," I said but as I made my way to the door her voice made me stop and stand still like a statue.
"You won't be able to get through the border..."
I stiffened how has she been able to realize that was exactly what I was trying to do? I guess she didn't buy my story at all.
I turned around and still lied that I wasn't planning to go through the border, she looked at me with a kind and knowing look.
"Yes, you were... That is why you provoked it but unfortunately you won't be able to run away from your destiny as a chosen by the moon goddess..."
I guess the cat was already out of the bag so there was no need to keep lying somehow she had already figured out exactly what I was.
"Well so am I just supposed to accept that everything I've done in my entire life was completely futile? And become some kind of glorified slave to the Alpha King?"
I said the agitation beginning to rise in my voice as I fought to control it but the emotions that were reaching through me made it almost impossible for me to do so the woman dropped the bowl of soup aside and then she lifted the candle that's had been placed on a far side of the room so much so that I could barely have seen her face until she brought it up and it was close enough and when I saw her face completely I became more than just a little bit breathless as shock overwhelmed me and run through my entire system.
"You probably weren't expecting this..."
She said with her voice still sounding kind.
"... But as you can understand I know exactly how you feel,"
She said as her Crescent mark came to view in the candle light.