Chapter 2: Huh?
"Miss Juniper?" the Princess's personal servant called. She knocked on the door one last time. "Miss Juniper! Prince Calon is waiting. You can not be late!" the dark-skinned woman yelled. It was clear from her voice that she was from the desert kingdom to the south. She sighed, "That lazy girl has to get used to waking up early if she is ever to be queen." Her motherly voice was miss-matched with her big, strong appearance.
The servant paused and then reached for the doorknob. The door opened easily without a sound. It was impossible to see much in the dim room, lit only by the insubstantial moonlight. The curtains to the open window blew lightly in the soft, morning breeze. She walked across the room silently. Reaching out, she pulled back the blankets on Juniper's bed. It was empty. "Princess?" she asked in a curious voice.
The sudden, cold chill forced her to stand and close the nearby window. She began to pull them close when something caught her eye. She looked out into the fading darkness of earliest morning and made out two figures on the castle wall. "Oh, dear," she muttered as she hurried from the room. "What is she up to..?"
"Be careful, Juni," Fira said as she let herself down the castle wall slowly. She paused halfway down and looked up at Juniper, who had remained motionless on top. "Come on. Be brave," she urged.
Juniper was clearly scared. She had never been in the situation where she could actually get herself hurt. "Deal with it," she told herself. She began her way down the icy-cold wall. "If I fall.."
Fira, however, was nearly down. She came down fearlessly so far. Her boots made a soft thump on the ground beneath her. She looked around to make sure that nobody was near. After a moment she returned to the wall to Juniper, who was almost to the bottom. "A few more feet, then jump," Fira said to her in just above a whisper.
Juniper smiled to herself. She made it so far. Even if she did fall right then, she would not be too hurt.
Juniper gripped her hand around a piece of stone sticking out of the wall. She lowered her right leg next and nudged it into a cove. The wet stone that she was holding onto for support forced her hand to suddenly slip off.
The clumsy girl began to fall backwards. She flailed her arms and tried to force herself up. The attempt lasted a full two seconds. "Ah.. uh!" she cried before she fell. Her body hit the ground with a thud. "Uh." She sat up and muttered, "Ouch."
Fira walked over to the side where the backpacks had landed. She picked them both up and stood above the other girl. Juniper rubbed her lower back. She cringed when she felt the early dew that lined the outside of her shirt "It's wet!"
Fira laughed. "Yeah, that is what usually happens when a form of water is involved. She helped Juniper to her feet. She became serious again. "We have to hurry. There is not time for anything." She held out Juniper's backpack.
They began to walk away at a fast pace. "Hey you there!" someone yelled from the castle gate which was a sizeable distance away.
"Run!" Fira cried as she gripped onto Juniper. She started into a medium sprint, dragging Juniper behind her. Juniper tried her best to not slow her friend. Fira released her arm. "Keep up or your toast. I cannot afford for us both to be caught."
"Stop!" a guard yelled as he came closer. He was still too far to see their features. But even from his distance, he could somewhat recognize the princess's pink hair.
So far Fira counted four guards.
"I am not going to be caught this time," Fira said with determination. They turned a corner and stopped briefly to catch their breath. It wasn't exactly safe to do so, but Fira knew it was best to pace yourself. Not just run until you pass out.
Fira continued, "Hold onto my arm so we won't be separated." She held out her arm.
Just as Juniper took hold of Fira's arm, "There they are!"
Both girls took off running. "Give up!" Juniper cried softly as Fira lead her down an alley. Her voice could barely come out of her throat.
Fira pulled her arm from Juniper's grip and stopped. "Be quiet and still."
"Why? We have to get as far as possible," Juniper said, confused.
Fira tried to explain. "I know, but that isn't the case. No matter how far we go, they would not stop looking for the princess. But, if we actually allude them, we will be at an advantage."
Juniper still looked confused. "But, why here?"
Fira glanced over her shoulder. She watched as the guards ran past. "See?" she asked when she turned back to Juniper. She continued, "This was a hidden alley. I only saw it because we stopped. If they went past, they would keep going forward, correct? After awhile they probably will search here, yes. But at least it gives us time to think of a plan." She thought. "Maybe the Section of town to the east. For years, the guard have been afraid of that area. But I know that the stories of everyone there being evil is just wrong."
Juniper shivered at the thought of the slums. "I don't think so, Fira. Many of the people my father sent there never returned. That place is too dangerous."
Fira sweatdropped. "Whatever. Look, if you want your freedom enough, you will come with me. I'm going there, end of discussion." She tugged on Juniper's wrist. "Come on," she said.
Fira walked slowly towards the East side with Juniper at her side. "I think we are safe for now. Just let me talk to anyone we meet," she finally said. "And we need a disguise for you, Princess. I will have to leave you somewhere safe while I get it. You know that there are a lot of people who would just love to kidnap the princesss."
Fira yawned. "As soon as possible, I am going to sleep," she said as she slowed her pace. Fira let herself calm down, but she still was watching their backs.
An old, dirty man suddenly aappeared from seemingly nowhere. "Got any drugs?" he asked in a deep, raspy voice that could only belong to a homeless and dangerous man.
Startled, Fira ran off without thinking about it. That left Juniper alone with him. She bit her bottom lip as she thought, "Some friend." She tried to remain outwardly calm.
"Miss?" the old man asked. He looked at her like she was a tuna sandwich and he had not eaten in weeks.
Juniper lost hert control. She jumped backwards nervously. "Ack! Get away!" she cried. She ran in the dirrection Fira had gone. "Fira!! Wait up!" She turned her head to the man as she ran away. "Sorry, citizen." She sweatdropped.
Fira stopped on the left side of an empty road. She rested her hands on her knees and panted. "You've lost it," she told herself, "He was just a homeless guy. He was harmless." She looked up at Juniper who had stopped right before the road. "How could you leave her like that?" Fira asked herself as she studied Juniper's blank face.
Fira was forced to turn her attention behind her.The sudden white light blinded her. She froze. From the sound of it, it was a motorcycle.
The driver of the vehicle was a guy in his late teens. He glanced behind himself repeatedly. "Stop chasing me!" he said out loud, although no one would hear it. When he turned forward again he noticed then girl who was dangeroiusly close to his bike. His eyes widened. "Damn."
Fira stood, staring blankly at the scene in front of her, as if she was only an observer. She was terrified, yet the scream never left her. Instead it screached inside of her.
The driver took a sharp turn. "Move!" he yelled. He knew that no matter how sharply he turned, he would hit her.
Without much thought, Fira lept up. The side of the motorcycle hit the air where she had once been standing. She flipped and landed on the otherside of the road. Her feat hit the ground at an angle, which caused her to topple over. At first she had tried to stay up, but her bottom hit the pavement hard. "Uh," she simply muttered.
The guy jumped off his motorcycle. "Stupid girl," he said as he knelt next to her. Fira looked at him. He glared at her. "I nearly wrecked my bike."
"You care more about a dumb bike than a life?!" Juniper cried. "Fira was scared, and we have been through a lot today. What would you have done?" she asked. She got down onto the ground and rubbed Fira's shoulder.
"Well, first of all I would have moved," he replied in an angry tone.
Fira forced herself up. "We have no time for this," she said as another vehicle approached. She doubted that they had good intent by the way they were swerving across the road. She yanked Juniper up and then grabbed onto the guy. She demanded, "Give us a ride. Don't you recongize the Princess?!"
The guy glanced at Juniper and then at the nearby vehicle. "Come on," he muttered as he sat on his motorcycle. He took Fira's hand and pulled her up. Then Juniper. He started the motorcycle and took off. "They are after me. So, if I get caught, you will be in trouble also."
"I don't care!" Juniper yelled. "Just hurry."
Excitement built up in Fira. The current situation thrilled her. "It will all have a good ending," she told herself. The cold, crisp morning air chilled her skin as the sun began to rise. Fira loved sunrises, but this was not the time to think about their beauty.
The extreamly loud noise that was coming from the two vehicles gave Fira a headache, which brought her back to reality. "How is he going to pull this off?" she thought, "They are so close."
"Hold on," the guy said before he took a drastic turn. Juniper screamed; Fira remained silent. Fira turned her kneck to see behind them. The other motorcycle attempted the same turn but tumbled over. It soon burst into flames. Fira faced forward and sighed. "Wow, that was cool," she commented.
"What is your name anyway?"
"Faleron."