It must have been a deep hole because I couldn’t feel the top of the dirt wall. I stretched as far as my fingertips could in my seated position. With my last inch of reach, I was able to feel the tickle of a blade of grass. At least my fall hadn’t been too terrible, but landing on an embedded rock certainly increased the damage.
With gritted teeth, I tested the mobility of my ankle. It bent in every direction I willed it to, but cried out in pain as I did so. After a final wiggle, I determined it wasn’t broken, and thank goodness for that.
In an awkward hobble, I managed to balance on a single foot, and grab the rocky dirt ledge. Even fully standing, the edge of the small cliff reached my torso. With limited strength, I tried to pull myself out of the hole using only my good foot. I successfully lifted my upper body above the height of the edge for a brief moment, however, before I could celebrate my victory, my foothold broke loose and I tumbled back into the darkness.
Shooting pains seared through my ankle as half of my weight landed upon it. I cried out from the shock, no longer caring if anyone heard me. There was no use in trying to escape the bounty hunter now. Even if I managed to escape the ditch, my swollen ankle wouldn’t let me get very far.
“Elias was right...” I sniffled to myself as I sat back against the rocky surface. “Perhaps I was never meant for this type of life.” A lone tear slid down my face as I recalled his initial warning. I was never meant to be anything more than a proper young woman. Why did I think I could be anything else?
Maybe my best option was just to wait here until Mr. Colburn found me. If all my attempts at breaking free ended this poorly, then perhaps it was never meant to be. I shut my eyes in defeat.
I remained alone in the dark for most of the night. A few chirping crickets kept me company as I dozed under the trees. My eyes flicked open at the occasional disturbance amongst the brush. I fully anticipated to be met with Mr. Colburn’s looming shadow, but he was never there—usually, it was just a distant squirrel or a falling leaf.
Hours passed, and I eventually fell into a deep slumber. My dreams came in flashes, ranging from running freely through the forest to being wrapped up in Elias’s cloak at his estate. I jolted my eyes open, snapping myself out of the bizarre dream. At the same time, an unusually loud stick could be heard snapping in the distance.
My hopes sank as I recognized the clear sounds of oncoming footsteps.This was it.It had to be Mr. Colburn following my tracks. My eyes itched again, threatening to release more tears, but I bit my lip to hold them in. I wasn’t about to be found sniveling in a hole. I had to maintain at least a sliver of my dignity.
I felt my heart grow heavier with each nearing step. I may have conceded to giving up, but a large part of me hated that I had to. If I had the capability, I would stand and run right now. I would climb a tree, hide in the forest, or do anything I could to avoid being sent home... but I could run no more. The only final act of rebellion I was capable of was simply remaining silent and hoping he didn’t find me.
As the paces grew louder, a soft amber glow radiated from an incoming lantern. It took my eyes a moment to adjust as the light brightened my surroundings. I shrouded my body within the black cloak as a last line of defense of concealment, but I wasn’t hoping for much. With the help of his lantern, he would easily spot me in the dark. I had nearly given up entirely when my pursuer’s voice finally sounded in the quiet air.
“Are we close, boy?”
A sudden shock spurred my mind at the familiar voice. Was that…? No, it couldn’t be… Could it?
I unveiled myself from the large cloak and observed the oncoming shadows. There were two —one was clearly of a man, and the other was of a large, four-legged animal.
chapter thirteen
“Elias, is that you?” I whispered. An immediate rush of footsteps followed my voice.
“Aurelia! Yes, it’s me! Where are you?”
The light danced frantically above me as I heard Elias scurry through the dark. The most amazing feeling of relief washed over me at the sound of his sweet voice. Emotions surged through me as I choked back more tears to form a reply.
“I’m over here, down in a trench of sorts.” My eyes misted over as a fuzzy black nose poked over the sharp edge. Bear wagged his tail furiously upon seeing me, then turned back to alert his master of his findings. I smiled broader than I ever had as Elias’s gentle eyes found mine.
“Aurelia!” He smiled in pure relief, but his face quickly twisted into worry as he caught sight of my seated position. “What happened? Are you hurt?”
He set the lantern at the top of the cliff, then slid down into the ditch with me. Before I could answer, he turned his attention to my cradled ankle. His shadowed eyes gleamed with something I couldn’t quite recognize.
“I lost my footing in the dark and fell,” I replied and his eyes never left my injury. “I believe it’s only sprained, but I cannot stand on it. I’ve been waiting for the hunter to find me ever since.”
Finally, he redirected his attention toward my face with an anguished look. “The hunter?” He lowered his voice as he frantically looked around, as if searching for the man. “He hasn’t been through here, has he?”
“No, at least, not yet.” I sighed in relief. “I let out a rather sharp yell when I initially fell, and I thought for certain he would have tracked me down by now. You can imagine my surprise when you and Bear showed up instead.” I looked to him in amazement, and he merely waved it off.
“Bear is the one who heard you.” He directed his gaze to our furry onlooker. The dog sat proudly at the top of the ledge with a gleeful tail wag. “He wouldn’t stop asking to go outside after that, and when I took him back out, I heard you cry out again.”
I thought back to my attempt at crawling out on my own. It must have been a louder cry than I initially thought if Elias was able to hear it at the estate.
“Elias?” I raised an eyebrow. “How did you find me before Mr. Colburn? He would have already been outside when I screamed the first time. Shouldn’t he have beaten you here?” I watched as his worried expression transformed into a boyish smirk.
“Probably...” He chuckled softly. “In fact, he would probably be here now if I hadn’t led him into town. Bear and I noticed a suspicious figure running down the road toward the village. It’s a pity he couldn’t join us this evening, though.” He laughed as I gave him an amused eye roll.
“You’re rather sneaky for a lord,” I said bemusedly. “Perhaps you could give me some lessons? Clearly, I need to work on my stealth and escape methods.” I gestured self-deprecatingly at my injury.
“I would be honored to take you on as my apprentice.” He smiled, while pulling me to my feet. I leaned my right side against his sturdy shoulders, and he held my weight with ease. “Regrettably, we shall have to wait until we are back at my home. I may have outwitted Mr. Colburn once, but I fear he still might find us.” He supported me against the wall of the ditch, then hoisted himself out ahead of me.