# Grey gaurdian. Part 1. Chapter 3.1

Аноним Akili

Escape from Highever. Duncan stops Alice and treats her wound.

Chapter 3.1 On the road

Elissa was rushing through the forest as if she was being chased by a wild animal. She pushed through branches, jumped over roots, bumped her shoulders against trunks, and clung to branches with the strap of her bag. The forest, well-tended and beautiful during the day, now resembled a gloomy crypt through which the light of the moon did not penetrate. The cold air was saturated with the smell of fallen leaves and damp earth. Elissa kept slipping and almost falling, but she kept pushing forward. Where to? She didn't know. Just go ahead. Into the darkness. Into the abyss, if you like, but don't stop.

Duncan ran after her and did not lag behind. He hoped that Elissa knew these woods and would lead them both out, but in the end, he realized that she was just running to nowhere. He didn't mind. The most important thing right now was to get away from the fortress. Mabari Chase had caught up with them and was now running behind the hostess along the path she had trodden. He didn't mind. The most important thing right now was to get away from the fortress. Mabari Chase had caught up with them and was now running behind the hostess along the path she had trodden. Any hunter would have tracked them down through the deep tracks, but Duncan hoped they would get out of the woods before anyone started looking for them here.

Elissa ran deeper into the thicket, sharp branches whipping at her face, scratching her palms, clinging to her clothes. It was getting harder to distinguish the road. The local forests and most of the Highlands are hilly, and any turn could be followed by an ascent or descent. Because of this, it was difficult to determine how far the fugitives had managed to get away from the castle and whether their pursuers were chasing them. Elissa hadn't thought about it. All she could hear in the silence was the crunching of nearby branches, the rustle of leaves, Mabari's light running, her and Duncan's footsteps. His armor was clanking a bit, but there was no one there to hear them, even the wild beasts were hiding.

But there were other dangers. In the dark, with roots sticking out of the ground here and there, the rolling thicket was treacherous. No one came here on horseback, only on foot. Elissa knew these woods, knew the ways and paths, but not now. Now she was tearing through like an animal struggling in a trap, slipping and bumping. Her thoughts were racing and couldn't focus on one thing.

Her mother's word "Run!" burned in her memory and whipped her forward, while the word "Goodbye" tried to stop them, bring them back, protect them, not abandon them. Elissa fought with him, ran on. Each blow of a branch in the face sobered, freed from the temptation to go back. She kept running.

In the dark, Elissa did not notice the root, tripped and rolled down the wet slope of a low hill, fell into a hole and hit her knee on a stone. Only then did I feel my legs, cheeks, and palms burning. The pain was throbbing. I only had enough strength to sit down. Duncan slid down after her and landed neatly beside her.

"Are you hurt?" he asked sympathetically.

Elissa didn't answer. She stared down. Her long, disheveled hair fell over her face, and her fingers dug into the soft earth. The blood on them hadn't had time to wear off yet. Father's blood. He could already be dead, and the blood was still fresh.

A single sob escaped Elissa's lips at the same time as a tear. She didn't make another sound, but her shoulders were shaking, betraying her sobs. Elissa bit her lip. Everything hurt, tears choked and scratched her throat. Duncan looked on sympathetically, not knowing how to help. Mabari whined next to her and tried to nuzzle her face, but she turned away.

Out of the corner of her eye, Elissa noticed three trees overhead, their slender trunks woven together like a rope. A piece of the starry sky could be seen behind them. She recognized the place. She realized where her feet had taken her. She loved it, it has a beautiful view.

Elissa got up slowly, enduring the pain and fatigue, and trudged up the slope with a heavy gait. She slipped on the wet leaves again and fell to one knee. Duncan tried to pick her up and help her up, but she made a hand sign not to touch her. The guardian left Elissa alone. No one can help her now. Falling and rising, she climbed up herself and limped out from behind the trees to the cliff.

The night was beautiful and clear. The moon shone softly, but faded before the huge conflagration. Highever Castle, surrounded by a black forest, burned like a torch in the distance. A dark column of smoke was disappearing into the night sky. Her house, her life, her family were burning-everything was turning into dead coals. It took so much to build it, and so little to destroy it all.

"Goodbye." Elissa stood on the edge of the cliff. "Goodbye." "Goodbye." "Goodbye." "Goodbye." "Goodbye"... no. "Run!", "Find your brother", "Run!", "I'll do everything." She swore, swore...

Ellisa swore, whispering it inaudibly.

She sat down heavily on the ground and let go of her tears. Her faithful mabari whined next to her and rested his head on her shoulder. Alice hugged him, buried her face in his fur and sobbed loudly. For the last time. She won't cry anymore, won't shed a single tear, until she finds her brother, until she takes revenge on Hou, until she becomes the Gray Guardian her father would be proud of. For the last time.

***

They walked for hours. There was no pursuit, and the morning forest looked friendly and quiet again, as if nothing had happened that night. According to Duncan's calculations, they should have bypassed the city long ago. It really wasn't worth going there, for sure Hou soldiers are already in charge there or will start very soon. Elissa was silent the whole way. She was still walking ahead. Duncan tried to ask if she knew where to go, but she didn't answer, just continued to slowly and stubbornly put her feet together. In the end, Duncan got tired of it.

"No one is chasing us. It's worth taking a break while you can, and then walking to the nearest village." Duncan stopped, but Elissa didn't. "Do you hear me?"

Elissa hadn't heard. She took one step after another and saw nothing else in front of her except the need to move her foot again. Her vision blurred, and it seemed to her that it was still night. There was no pain, but my body felt heavier with every step, and her couldn't get enough air. She wanted to take off her heavy chain mail, take a sip of water, fall down and fall asleep, but Elissa was walking. After Duncan called out to her, it continued for several more long moments, until consciousness finally left her, and Elissa, unable to take the last step, collapsed forward.

Chase darted restlessly around his mistress, barking piteously. Duncan rushed to her.

"What's wrong with you? Hey!"

Elissa was breathing heavily, and her forehead was covered with perspiration. Duncan tried to turn her over on her back, but when he touched her shoulder, he felt sticky moisture on his palm and felt the fragment of an arrow.

"Save the Creator..."

Duncan lifted the girl onto his shoulder and began to look for at least some flat, dry place, but everywhere there were hills, bumps and holes.

"You're going to have to help me," he said to Mabari. "I need to put your mistress somewhere."

The dog didn't have to be told twice. The Mabari understood human speech perfectly and were renowned for their intelligence. Chase ran forward and soon started barking somewhere to the side. He found a small cave that looked more like a huge burrow, but fortunately, no wild animal had yet chosen it. The ground and fallen leaves in it were dry, and there was even a circle strewn with ashes. Most likely, this place was used for hunters to rest, and it was perfect for camping.

Duncan laid the girl on a bed of leaves and opened her travel bag. Bandages, a bunch of medicinal herbs, an empty water skin, a knife, a bag of dried fruits, some silver, a shirt and a thin woolen cloak - one. Teyrna took care of everything, as if she knew. There was also a medallion with a family portrait and a signet ring, which Elissa had hurriedly thrown here.

The guard spread his cloak on the ground and laid Elissa down, somehow pulled off her chain mail and began to unbutton her shirt, which was completely torn and stained with blood. The dog growled a warning.

"Calm down, faithful friend. I won't hurt her," Duncan smiled.

Chase, as if taking his word for it, stopped grinning and sat down next to him, watching the Guardian's concentrated actions. Duncan soaked a handkerchief with water from his wineskin, washed the wound with it, picked up a short fragment of an arrow-Elissa's body twitched-and carefully pulled it out. He rubbed the medicinal herbs in his palms and applied them. He bandaged it tightly. Then he took out a bottle of some ruby liquid from his bag and gave it to the girl. Then he laid her on her stomach again and covered her with the raincoat in his bag.

"This will help," he muttered, either to himself or to the dog.