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Chapter 2

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Surprisingly after their fight that eventful evening things had calmed down between the two of them and they had begun speaking civil towards one another again. Almost as if they had come to an unspoken agreement between each other to leave the matter and say no more about it. So things started to return to back to the way they had been, and life resumed it's quiet normalcy once again. Yet there seemed to be a cloud hanging over Avena's head preventing her from being truly happy, she laughed, talked and joked with the others still but everything, all her movements seemed hollow. She had been sent on a errand into town to pick up some, meat for dinner that night, though she didn't feel like listening to the crowds chatter and bargain with each other. She walked over to the meat stall and ordered a large lamb. Not even bothering to haggle the price down Avena gave the shop owner the amount of coins he had named and walked off without a second glance back, so she didn't see the surprised look on his face.

"Shouldn't be long now, they intend to present the burning council with the evidence tonight"

"That means if they accept it, will be burnt within 24 hours"

"Good riddance I say" Avena perked up to listen to the conversation going on beside her at the vegetable market.

"Oh yes, I dare say the soon she is burnt the better. I will be taking the whole family to see it, we haven't had a good night out in quiet a fair few months" if the women were correct that meant Ella had a day maybe less to live. Ideas and thoughts started to turn over in her head; she would make a backup plan and be there just in case Ella need her help, Leon and Brenna didn't have to know about it. She smiled; she would make sure that this woman didn't die.

When she made it home she quickly rushed inside and took the lamb over to her mama.

"Here we go mama, I bought the largest one we they had"

"Ah, it is a shame that they don't grow as large in winter, hopefully this one will have enough in it to go around though" she said smiling wistfully at her daughter. She, like many others, had noticed a change in Avena of late and was worried about her youngest child.

"Is something troubling you Avena?" she asked casually, looking up from her work Avena looked at her mother realising where this was heading.

"No mama, everything is fine," she said kissing her mother on the cheek before walking off to find some work that needed doing. She had been keeping a close eye on Matthew all day waiting for him to leave and go to the meeting that was due to take place sometime during the corse of the day. She knew he would have to go, as he would be the one presenting the evidence. He had only been living here just over a month and he had already been given the reputation of a witch hunter, or so to speak.

He finally made his move about 8pm that night, so after making a made dash across the grounds Avena finally reached the stable and stopped for a while to catch her breath and listen to see if anyone was inside. Not hearing anything she discreetly poked her head around the big double doors that were the entrance of the barn before creeping over to her horses stable.

"Shhh, we have to be quiet" she whispered not knowing if anyone was in the tacking room or not. She slowly led him out before mounting him gracefully and urging him into a walk. Just as she was at the entrance to the stales she heard voices, pulling her horse up she listened to where they were coming from.

"Well you know Ellen she will do anything to stay in that job," they laughed talking about the Head Maid in charge up in the house. She looked sharply across to the tacking room door, suddenly she realised that the voices belonged to Leon and Peter the person in charge of grooming the horses. Looking back at the doors of the stable and realised she wouldn't get out of hear in time unless she galloped out which would make a noise. She looked back at the tacking room door; they were on their way out. Making a quick decision she dug her heals into the sides of her horse and made a mad dash out just as the door was opened.

Leon was talking to peter as they were making there way up to the house for a late dinner. He was a nice enough guy, tall, almost gangly looking with red hair and a few absent freckles across his nose and cheeks, he must have been the same ages as Leon maybe even a year or so older. Leon had lost track of their conversation though now and was only nodding his head every so often to show he was listening.

"Well you know Ellen she will do anything to stay in that job," he said laughing. He opened the door just soon enough to see someone galloped quickly out of the stable, frowning he looked at peter.

"Who was that?" he shrugged tearing his eyes away from the door way with a frown on his face.

"I don't know, it couldn't have been the master because he left at least 10 minutes to go to a meeting" Leon's eyes widened hearing this scanned the other stables to see which horse had been taken. Pilgrim. Growling in frustration he all but ran to the main house throwing open the door he went to find his sister.

She galloped down the deserted streets to where the meeting was going to be held. She was really late; they had likely already decided the date of when Ella was going to be executed. She dismounted her horse and tied him up out of site and went around to the window she had listened from last time. Crawling over bushes scrambling to get there as fast as possible. Finally getting there she stopped and rest up against the wall breathing heavily and looking down at her cut and bruised hands.

"Well, that is certainly enough evidence for me and from the story you told us it is possible she has been around much longer than we think" she listened intently to what was being said

"I say we take a vote" an old voice said, he seemed to be the person conducting the meetings

"Alright, all those who agree that we have been shown enough evidence raise your hands" Matthew announced to the crowd. There was a pause while they tallied the votes.

"It's unanimous then, she will be executed tonight" a chorus of icy chills ran down her spine as the shock settled over her, they had just voted on someone's life.

"Go assemble the mayor, executioner and anyone else needed. I will get the woman. We will meet in the town square in an hour" snapping out of her shock she gathered her wits, though it was quickly replaced by anger. Sitting there wasn't going to do anything she slowly made her way back down though the bushes and wait till everyone had left before she made her way over to her horse. She needed to think.

It was a 15-minute ride back to the property she did it in 5. Slamming open the doors she rushed though the house to her sleeping quarters and threw open her trunk at the end of her bed and went though all her clothing at warp like speed.

"Avena! Where did you go?"

"What?" she asked not taking her eyes from the trunk her head was buried in.

"I asked-oh never mind, what are you looking for?"

"Ha-ha! Found it! Sorry Brenna I really can't talk now" she said walking past her quickly and out of the room without closing her trunk.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I just…. I have to do something I will talk to you when I get back, ok?" with that she rushed off, to the stables. Bursting in though the doors she made her way straight to the back where all the tools for the horses were along with some knifes and ropes. Opening up the cupboards she took down to sharp knifes.

"God damn it!" she said realising she had no where to put them, she quickly put them down and rushed into the tacking room looking around at the few people sitting in there

"Avena!" Leon called as she continued walking straight into her brother's room.

"Zack!" she called "Zack!" She went to his trunk and opened it up searching though it as much like she had with her own only moments before hand.

"Where did you go?" Leon asked coming into the room as well.

"Into town" she said nonchalantly as she continued to wreck havoc in her brother's room. "Where is it!" she screamed in frustration, Leon frowned something was obviously wrong. She looked around the room her eyes coming to rest on so pegs behind the door walking over she closed the door slightly so she could see them.

"Yes!" She said grabbing a belt off the hook and walking out of the room again with Leon right behind her. She walked over to the table and fastened it around her waist before picking up the knives from the table and slipping it in between the belt. She looked up and Leon was frowning at her.

"Were did you go Avena?"

"Like I said, into town"

"What at 8pm at night? You went to another one of those witch meetings didn't you?"

"And what if I did?"

"Why are you acting like this? And what are you up to?" he said confused at the icy tone of voice she was using compared to her usual warm one. She just looked away from him before walking over to Pilgrim again.

"Where are you going now?" he said again still worried about her.

"I am going to help Ella and make sure she doesn't get Burnt!" she mounted her horse and looked back at him. She would have laughed at the expression on his face if the situation hadn't been so serious.

"You are not! You'll be killed, Avena don't you realise you are putting your self in danger? Is Brenna going with you?" he said talking quickly to make sure he got it all out

"No of corse she isn't, do you think I would put her in that danger? She is my best friend! She like a sister to me!"

"I won't let you go"

"Won't you? Leon nothing you do or say is going to stop me, I am not letting that woman die!"

"Think of Brenna, you mother, me and your friends, what will happen to us if you're killed? Brenna would go crazy she would be so upset, so would you mama" she didn't answer but her eyes softened a bit as she listened to what he was saying, it was true they would go crazy with grief if she was killed. She turned her horse away from him.

"That's why I won't," she said more to herself than him she threw the black cloak she had retrieved from her trunk earlier around her shoulders and urged her horse forward.

"Avena!" Leon called after her, not looking back she pushed on a little faster. "Just think about what you are doing! You are only one person! Avena! God damn it!" he called just then another voice joined his

"Avena!" it was Brenna she turned and looked back then, Brenna was running after her and crying, trying to catch up to her. She slowed slightly and as Brenna came running up to her "thank god!" she said sobbing as she ran faster.

"Brenna, I'm sorry but I have to go"

"What?" she almost screamed

"They are burning her tonight and I can't let it happen"

"I'm coming with you!"

"You can't, I need you to stay here and make sure Leon doesn't tell anyone where I have gone, I'll be back in the morning I promise" she said before turning and galloping off down the drive way. Brenna turned slightly and walked back over to her brother, he was turned away from her she touched him lightly on the shoulder and turned him around to face her, tears were streaming down his cheeks as he cried silently. Whether they were tears of frustration or worry she didn't know, maybe it was a bit of both.

She galloped into the town square and dismounted her and tapped it bottom making it gallop of, as it knew the way back home. She drew her cloak around her and pulled the hood up over her head at any other time she would have been worried that she would stick out in a crowd wearing what she had one but lots of people wore black cloaks to hide their identities at these things for different reasons. Her hand instinctively went to her belt as she thought things over making sure they were still there and they were still hidden. Happy that everything looked ok she walk off into the crowd, she was surprised so many people turned up at such late noticed, she made her way though the crowd pushing past people who were yelling obscenities at her and children who watched on with interest. She shook her head slightly, horrified that people would bring such small children to see such horrific things, but then not every one though of witch burning as a bad thing like she did, take Matthew for example witch hunting for him was almost like a sport. As she walked though the crowed a sudden memory crossed her mind of the first time she had every seen such a large crowed as this, they had all come to see someone burnt as well but she hadn't known it at the time. Their mothers had just kept their hands on the back weaving though the crowd. The sudden though of Brenna and her as a little girl made her think back to how she had seen her best friend just a few minuets ago. A wave of guilt hit her at the thought, but she squashed it down and focused on the task ahead of her. What ever it took she was going to save this woman, Ella Harring. She didn't know why she had to, she was a stranger who had rejected their offer of help, yet for some reason Avena just couldn't take no for an answer.

They had been sitting in Leon's room thinking, not talking just thinking. Brenna's sobs had slowly quietened down and were now jus shuddering breaths.

"That's it," he said standing up quickly

"Where are you going?" Brenna said so meekly she didn't think he had heard it.

"To go tell someone what is going on"

"No!" she said jumping to her feet and blocking the door way "you can't I promised her I would make sure you didn't tell anyone what was going on.

"That's just like her! Well we can't just sit here while she is out there attempting the impossible!"

"Well what do you suggest we do Leon?" she said somewhat angry at her brother's erratic behaviour lately with things concerning Avena. He stood up and pushed past her

"Where are you going?"

"Into town" she stared at her brother in shock, he really was a box of surprises. He started saddling up his horse. She walked into her own horses stable and started to saddle up her horse as well. Stopping he looked across at her.

"That do you think you are doing?"

"Coming with you"

"Oh no your not it's to dangerous"

"Don't you dare say that to me, my best friend is out there and I will be damned if you tell me I can't go" he frowned as if he was about to say no but gave up in the end, she would only follow him anyway.

"Fine I'll saddle up you go and find to black cloaks"

More and more people were arriving every minute and the crowd was getting harder to see through she saw a gap in the crowed and pushed her way through. She was starting to doubt her chances of a quick escape. Plus she had no horse to ride on, cursing herself for not thinking ahead she continued ti struggle her way through the crowd getting shoved in this direction and that. One particularly large shove in the back dislodge her hood as she was pushed to the ground.

"Sorry miss I didn't…." he trailed off looking at her in shock, he turned slowly to the woman beside him nudging her to get her attention. She looked down at her for a second before her eyes went wide as well.

"She's got the Mark She's a witch! A witch! We have found another witch!" she screeched, Avena looked around fearfully. She was no witch, and what mark did she bear that made her one. Suddenly she felt a heavy hand descended upon her shoulder turning around she came face to face with Matthew who had crouched down beside her so he was eye level. Roughly he picked her he up so she was on her feet and tied her hands behind her back. And pushed her though the crowed to a little area away from the crowd.

"Sit witch," he told her roughly he took of her cloak and threw it onto a chair on the other side of the room. "Avena wasn't it? I wouldn't have though you the witch type personally"

"I'm not sir" he looked down at the belt she had on around he waist with the to knives still safely tucked in to it, he gave her a questioning look as he took the belt of and threw it onto the chair along with the cloak, the knives followed soon after.

"Probably not" he said casually pulling her up he pushed her to walk out to where the stake was lifting her up and tied her to the opposite side behind Ella who was weak from blood loss. The priest, well who she assumed was a priest, emerged from the shadows in his black cloak and walked over to the stake, walking up on the platform he came over to her and took hold of her wrist and held it out, then he swiftly brought down a heavy metalled knife running it over her wrist, cutting a deep gash into my arm, then he did the same to the other. Her wrists were on fire but she refused to scream out in pain, out of the little dignity she had left. The priest stood in front of her muttering something under her breath before walking away. She looked up at the sky, she need to think but the searing pain in her wrists was all she could think about. Already there were pools of blood around her feet, she wouldn't hold out much longer she needed to think now.

They were surprised there were so many people there at this time of night; luckily the burning hadn't started yet so Avena would be around here somewhere.

"There are so many people!" Brenna said breathlessly "We will never find Avena in all this, there are so many people wearing black cloaks it will be impossible!"

"Lets just wander through the crowds and see what we can do" Leon said quietly. The managed to get close enough to the front of the crowd to see what was going on. If Avena was going to save this woman she would need to be somewhere so that she could get to her quickly. The looked up at the woman on the stake, her wrists had been slit and blood pooled at her feet yet it looked as if she were just conscious.

"Oh my god!" Brenna said grabbing hold of Leon's top he turned and looked in the direction that she was looking, and he started trembling. Matthew was leading Avena out to where the other woman was tied to the stake with her wrists bound behind her back.

"This was her plan?" He said in a voice that clearly said that he though she was crazy. He stopped Brenna from running forward to help her.

"If we are going to help her we will need to come in at the right time to do so, lets go get the horses" Brenna stare helplessly at Avena as she was tied to the stake until Leon pulled her away forcing her to look somewhere else. The went and got there horses moving them around so that they were in the right position to see everything.

"Ok, heres what we are going to do" Leon said telling Brenna exactly what to do in order to save them. The both sat and waited for their que to save them. Brenna was trembling so hard she though she would fall of the horse. She saw the priest slit both of her wrists and watched her face convulse in pain but not cry out. She was crying again, by now she would think that there would be no more tears left to cry by they kept streaming down her face. The more she looked at Avena the more cuts and bruises she seemed to see all over her. She wiped her at her eyes furiously, she needed to concentrate now was not the time to fall to pieces.

"Are you ready?" Leon asked her as the watched Matthew and another older man come out with to lit torches. "Go!" the spurred there horses making them run full pelt through the crowd and straight at the to men holding the torches the black hoods covering their faces.

She kept trying to think, but her mind stubbornly kept returning to the pain in her wrists. And her eyes were getting heavy, her head having long since fell forward. Her vision was blurry and slow; she saw something bright enter her vision but something black quickly streaked in front of it confused she shut her eyes and suddenly she was falling.

They had galloped straight though the crowd to and at the two people who had been lighting the fire, Leon at Matthew, Brenna at the other man knocking the brutally out of the way, seeing them down the rode back to Ella and Avena. Cutting the down and catching the on the horse.

"Ok go!" Leon yelled, "They are bound to follow!" he wait for Brenna to gallop on ahead of him before he followed, he had been lucky that she was an accomplished rider or else saving them would have been harder that it already had been. Once they were a fair way from the town square he rode up beside her.

"Head for the outskirts of the village and then for the mountains, whatever we do we can't take them home" she nod her head and looked at Avena who was lying limply against him. She turned away, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Come on, we don't have time to slow down. This is far from over"

She had fallen into sweet oblivion, a river filled with silver water that was slightly thick to touch but softer than silk. She swam though it happily, content just to stay where she was forever. She looked down at her wrists and grimaced, they were still sliced and open like they had just been freshly cut, she touched once softly surprised when she didn't feel any pain. Again she prodded the laceration feeling no pain. A happy bubble of laughter escaped her mouth as she swam though the stream.

"I wonder how I got here?" she wondered aloud looking all round her. The last thing she remembered was being tied to a stake and having her wrists slit. The world around her gave a sudden jolt at the memory and she was almost torn from the stream.

"Ok, not more yucky memories" she said regaining her balance once more.

Suddenly everything around her jolted violently again and started to shake, she had the feeling she was being ripped from the stream, almost as if she was being dragged upwards. She looked around for something to grasp on to but there was nothing. The pain in her wrists was beginning to return.

"No! I don't want to go back! Stop it!"

Leon was broken from his concentration as he heard Avena moaning with pain at the bumpy ride. Her wrists had started bleeding again. They needed to find some place to stop soon or else they might loose her, and Ella. He didn't care much for her though, she was the one who had gotten Avena into this danger in the first place, scowling slightly he looked ahead of him to where his sister was riding.

"Bren!" he called out to her and watched as she slowed before ridding up beside her "We need to find somewhere to stop Avena's wrists have started bleeding again"

"I think I can see an old barn up ahead, it looks pretty run down though" he looked ahead in the directing of the barn.

"It might be our only choice, it will have to do," he spurred his horse forward and glanced down at Avena. Her face was so white from the blood lose it looked as if she had never seen the sun before in her entire life, it didn't look good. He shuddered to think what would happen to her if they didn't reach the barn in time to tend to her wounds. Damn that woman, there would be all hell to pay if Avena didn't make it though this.

They reached the barn about 5 mins later and hurried inside, it had obviously been abandoned a while ago. They smell from the stale hay, filled there nostrils making them want to gag.

"It smells awful in here!" Brenna complained scrunching her nose at the smells as she put the horses into their stables.

"Come help me with them" Leon said softly gesturing to the two unconscious forms of Ella and Avena who now had their wrists bandaged safely. Picking Ella up the moved her awkwardly over to a soft spot in the hay. Then doing the same for Avena. They lowered her slowly down next to Ella.

"Argh" she moaned as the put her down, Brenna looked up a Leon with fearful eyes, a look that he returned her equally as fearful.

"Bren?" their heads snapped back to look at Avena who had no opened her eyes and was looking around groggily.

"Thank god!" Brenna whispered softly looking upwards.

"Leon? What are you doing here? Where am I?" she said trying to sit up, the sudden pressure she put on her wrist ad her flinch in pain and cry out tumbling back towards the floor, suddenly it all came back to her. The meeting, the fight she had with Leon, Brenna crying, and the throng of people there to watch Ella burn, Matthew, her wrists. Somehow she just knew it had been both Brenna and Leon who had rescued her from being burnt. Tears started leaking out of the corners of her eyes. She turned her head and looked at Ella who was lying next to her unmoving and as white as a ghost, she had suffered from more blood lost than her; she had been tied to the stake longer.

"I'm so sorry" she said as the tears streamed unheeded down her face, sniffing and wiping furiously at her eyes. "I told you not to come," she said looking back at Brenna and then at Leon.

"I think," he said pausing to think of what he really wanted to say, finally sighing and getting up "I think it's lucky we did"

"And were stubborn" Brenna was smiling; she couldn't wipe it off her face and she didn't want to. So many tears had been cried tonight so she was glad to finally be smiling again.

They couldn't stay there long, there was sure to be a search for them and they would be found if they didn't keep moving. So only a few hours after they had stopped they got back on the horses again and continued moving heading for the mountains. It would be a hard journey but at least they would be able to take shelter there for a while. It was almost dawn out, Avena sat in front of Leon so that she would not fall off if she fell asleep or unconscious again and Ella rode in front of Brenna. The woman had been out cold for god knows how long now and if they didn't fins a place to stop soon it's possible that they wouldn't be able to help her. No, they would let that happen not after all they had been though to help her so far.

"Do we have any food?" Brenna asked over her shoulder

"No we will have to look for some when we make it into the forest it shouldn't be long now we are almost there, maybe another half an hour" she only nodded in reply and picked up pace a little trying to get there quicker. They hadn't discussed what they were going to do once they were safely in there either obviously they would have to set up some sort of camp and it will need to be near running water.

It had only been just under half and hour when she opened her eyes, she had been jolted awake by the horses sudden change in movements. Thy were going uphill Leon and Brenna had gotten off and were leading there horses by foot.

"Do you want me to get off? It will make it easier" Brenna just shook her head and kept walking. It might have just been her but she was detecting some iciness in her attitude, then again as far as she knew Brenna hadn't slept all night. Maybe only another hour of walking and the forest and thickened and then thinned again and they came to and opening just beside a stream away from prying eyes. It was perfect; there was crystal clear water, which was not to cold due to the heat from the sun and a large grassy patch where they could set up a base.

"This is perfect," she said sliding down off the horse "thankyou so much" she said turning to both of them, Brenna smiled at her. "So, when will you be going back?"

"We can't now, they would have out two and two together and come up with four" Leon said grumpily

"Not necessarily" she said slowly "we are going to need supplies, I mean we are going to have to live up here now" she said referring to Ella "So you could go back and say that last night when Brenna came to find me after I had been missing for a while you noticed I was gone, and so you went out looking for me and spent all night doing it. Say you looked around the outskirts of town so that way it will draw away from the fact that you could have been at the burning, they will question you just make sure you don't give anything away about what happened, you two can make up some story that your going to stick to together then if one of you say something wrong you can tell them that you split up to look for a while meeting back at a check point every 2 hours"

"Wow!" Brenna said admiringly looking across at her brother who had a similar look on his face.

"You know it might just work"

The worked out the final details together her and agrees that they would be back in 3 days with some supplies and whatever they could find. Mean while Avena was to stay here with Ella and set up a rough camp that they could live with until Leon came back and they would be able to build something more permanent. Saying goodbye she watched her two best friends walk back off though the forest before she set off to find some wood in the area. It was dusk when she finally finished building a makeshift tent for her and Ella to sleep under for cover, it was small cramped, and a little drafty to say the least but that was all she had for now it would have to do.

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So let me know what you think so far! thankx

lyra