Annador, Chapter four

With a sigh, Willow opened her eyes, taking in the dull light glinting down on her from the grate above her head. For a moment, she almost smiled, forgetting where she was. Then, a second later, realization dawned upon her. Sitting straight up, Willow winced, pain searing down her spine. Next to the door, a small tray of food sat on the floor, glinting desolately against the pale wall. Groaning, she dragged herself over to it, and peered over its meager offerings. A small, red apple sat in one corner, next to a piece of bread, carrots, and a tiny bowl of broth.

Tentatively, Willow grabbed the bread, sniffed it, and broke off a piece. She dipped it in the broth, twisting it a little, trying to soak in as much of the watery liquid as she could. Holding her hand underneath the bread to catch the drips, she lifted it to her mouth, and bit off the part soaked in broth. It was relatively cold, so she guessed she had been asleep for at least an hour. The oily broth was not altogether vile, but it was certainly substandard compared to the broth she had been given in Annador. She ate ravenously, suddenly realizing how hungry she was. Soon, the broth was gone, and she shoved it aside. She picked up the small red apple, and cupped it in her fingers, which were once clean and as neat as a piano player’s, but were now dusted with ash and grime. A thin layer of dirt rimmed the inside of her nails, but at the moment, Willow didn’t care. She bit into the apple, embracing the tart juices that saturated her mouth. About three minutes later, she moved onto the carrots, gnawing through one after the other. Soon, she had finished, and she propelled the light tray against the the rough floor with a shove. Though she was not fully satisfied, she leaned back against the granular wall, and let her thoughts drift back to Daniel.

Willow ran through the tall grass, her beautiful sea-green dress fluttering above her knees. Daniel ran ahead of her, looking back every so often, his beautiful brown eyes sparkling with laughter. Soon, they reached the huge, willow tree in the corner of the field. It was beautiful, with sweeping bows draped with vines. Originally, Willow had been drawn to it just because of her name, and often sat in it’s shade. Now, she chased Daniel towards it, laughing happily. They ran around the tree, and nearly collided with a low hanging branch. Daniel ducked just in time, and Willow followed, crashing into him, with too much momentum to stop before plowing Daniel to the ground. She tumbled on top of him, and landed awkwardly on top of him, one of his broad shoulders jutting into her spine.

She turned her head to look up at him. A stray piece of grass stuck in his short hair. Willow grinned at him, and he smiled back, then reached a hand towards her and brushed a strand of copper hair from her face. His slim, perfect fingers lingered on her cheek.

“Willow…” Daniel began, catching her gaze. Willow rolled off his shoulder, and lay facing him. She flicked her eyebrows teasingly, and looked into his eyes.

“Yes, Daniel?” Daniel opened his mouth, then closed it again. In a swift movement, he leapt to his feet, and grinned down at her,

“Catch me if you can!” He ran off, and Willow quickly leapt to her feet, racing after him. The two raced back into the field, laughing.

Willow opened her eyes, staring mournfully at the barren cell. She was sure that if she spent much longer in there, she would risk lunacy. Though she dreaded seeing the king again, it would be a relief to be free of her dull, companionless alcove. Grumbling, Willow began running her fingers through her hair, trying to free the tangles from the coppery strands. She smiled, remembering how gently Daniel had brushed her hair aside.

“Oh Daniel. Where are you?” She whispered. Since the invasion there had been no word of Daniel. But, then again, how could there be? She would hardly be the first to know about anything going on outside her cell. Willow scowled. She wished she could be in Annador, helping her people. Instead she was stuck in a concrete cell, completely sealed off from the world. Why was she even in this cell? What did the King want from her? Apparently, she knew where it was. If only she knew what it was. With nothing to do, Willow sat against the wall, drifting quietly in and out of sleep for hours.

Willow woke with a gasp.

“Fire, Ice and Storm.” Willow murmured, “Fire? Ice, and Storm? Three… Fire, Ice, Storm. One, Two three. Three will come.” Willow looked around her. When she saw that the cell was empty, she sighed. “Just a dream.” Willow slowly rose to her feet. Though her legs ached miserably, she began to pace slowly around the room. “Fire.” Willow muttered. For seem reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling that her dream had been important. “Fire, Ice and Storm. Three will come.” She kept glancing at the far corner of her cell, as if waiting for something to appear from the shadows. Suddenly, she paused. “Willow, you’re going insane. That’s what’s happening. Look at you. You’re talking to yourself for Endria’s sake.”

This story will be continued of chapter five of Annador. Thanks for reading!