Hope's Resting--Part 1

A quick note.  This is not about Hope, one of the writers on the blog. :)  Now, enjoy this first installment.

             “I’m cold,” Essie’s voice quavered.

             “Here,” Adonica could feel the raggedy folds of the blanket as she tucked it around her sister.  “Is that better?”

             Essie cuddled in closer and barely nodded.  Adonica sighed and gently patted her head.  Waiting in the cold and dark could not have been her brother’s plan for them.  They had been waiting by the stream for hours.  While thirst had been easy to appease, hunger was different.  They had not had any food all day, and only a few berries the day before. 

             Essie’s breathing deepened as she fell asleep.  At least she was asleep and not awake to suffer. 

             “Adonica!”

             Adonica started “Seline?”  She frowned, his voice was coming from across stream.  What was he doing over there?

             “Come here.”

             “But Essie’s asleep.”

             “Leave her and come here for a moment,” his voice sounded anxious. 

             Adonica hesitated, then laid Essie gently on the ground and waded through the water, its cold quickly seeping through her bones.  “What?”

             “Ha!”  Hands roughly grabbed her and threw her to the ground.  Lanterns appeared as pieces of cloth were slid off them.  Her arms were wrenched behind her back and ropes were pulled around them burning her skin.

             “Seline!” Nearby he stood, head hung low, his hands also bound. 

             “Паехаnі!” a gravelly voice shouted.  She was jerked to her feet and thrown over the back of a horse. 

             “No!  Essie!” she screamed.  “Essie!”

¨   

              

             “Adonica, wake up,” a hand pushed her shoulder.  “Come on, Addie, wake up.”

             The pet name urged her eyes to open.  “Essie . . .” she sniffed.

             Seline leaned closer trying to comfort her.

             “Quiet over there!”

             Addie shrunk back.  The man’s large frame towered over them as a sneer formed on his lips.  “You two will fetch a good price at the market.”  He laughed, the sound grating at her ears.

             Seline stiffened but said nothing as the man turned back to the fire.

             Her stomach rolled over.  They would be sold and Essie would die out there in the forest all alone.  Tears streamed down her cheeks.