F r e e ~ Chapter Five

-Commenting Open-

They passed many rioting men, but ignored them until they got to the forest on the other side. Still they ran, but less worried. Finally, they came to a stopping point, and Raylen collapsed on the grassy floor. The fawn nudged her.
''What should I name you?'' she panted. Suddenly, the name struck her. Elouise! ''Elouise...'' she pondered, ''how do you like that?'' The fawn lay down. Suddenly, there was rustling behind her in a bunch of bushed. Raylen jumped up and backed up, warning her fawn to stay behind her. The bushed stopped moving. All of a sudden, a figure came out with a bow.

She and the fawn ran off and through the village at top speed.

The man was gone. The rest shouted, and tried to cross, but with the same result. Only one was left, and he ran back to get help. Raylen had to move fast. She grabbed a rope from the workers and through it to the other side, wrapping it around the fence on the side. Then she tied it to the fence next to her, and started to cross. She had learned to cross ropes like this, but in this danger, she shook.
The fawn just jumped across, her jumping skills great. Finally, Raylen crossed, but she had to hurry.

''I just wanna pass through your village!'' she said, backing up to the hole. The men laughed evilly.
''It's gonna take way more than just walking through to pass US!'' they laughed again, and stepped onto the bridge. What could she do? Suddenly, the woman she had meet in the garden's words flashed to her mind.

''The river that rushes high, will be a weapon even to cry. ''

That was the key. Raylen hopped back over the hole and then started to tear the bridge apart. Workers attempted to stop her, but the fawn beat them off. Soon the hole was seven feet wide, but the men kept coming.
''Think we can't jump that?'' he asked.
''These men have too much pride,'' she thought to herself. He got ready to jump, and did. HIs hand hit the other side, but slipped off into the rushing water.

''The bridge-?'' she suggested.
''It's still in progress,'' he said, ''we cant.'' Raylen thought for a moment, and then grabbing the fawns neck, ran ahead to the bridge. ''WAIT!'' he shouted, obviously annoyed. Raylen and the fawn stopped short. There was a four foot gap in the middle of the bride, and below, deadly water.
''WE have to do it,'' she whispered, ''there's not much time.'' So she jumped, barely landing on the other side. The fawn followed, and landed gracefully. They were about to go to the other shore, when suddenly, ten bulky men approached it.
''What are YOU doing crossing this bridge?'' one asked angrily. Raylen shivered. He had a large fresh gash straight across his cheek.

He told her to come with him and exited the room. They left to building, and soon a man came with the fawn. She hugged it happily, and then went with the man to the river. The water rushed strongly against the rocks, but Raylen spotted a bridge, which was still in progress.

The man spoke again.
''We will let you go, and your stupid fawn, but next time you come here, there will be a punishment.''
''Thank you!'' she exclaimed, ''May I have help crossing tha river? What's on the other side?''
''Young lady! The other side? Why would you go there? I have a feeling your not from around here! The other side contains the most brutal men in the world! What's your bisnuss there?'' She pulled out the map.
''I need to go there,'' she said, pointing to the castle on the far side. The man wrinkled his nose.
''First you want to go across the river, and now you want to go to the dark castle? What your task is I don't know, but I'll help you!''

Raylen woke up in a dark room. She shot up. It was a jail. The walls were stone, and rats scampered across the floor. Suddenly, someone unlocked the door and shoved her out, dragging her along the hall.
''What'dya want?'' she shouted, ''I was just passing thro!'' he shoved a cloth into her mouth, shutting her up. Soon they came to a door. He opened it and pushed her onto a chair in front of another man. He left and locked the door.
''What were you doing in our forest?'' he asked.
''YOUR forest?'' she wondered, ''I was just passing thro! I didn't know it was any crime!''
''Where are you from?''
''The Kels.''
''The Kels!?'' he exclaimed, ''Ha! You mad or something?'' Raylen sighed
''No one knows what the Kels are here,'' she thought.