At that moment, the wagon turned sharply, and through the darkness, I caught sight of a castle illuminated by flickering light.
We moved forward slowly, and fear began to settle deeper and deeper inside me — I had no idea what awaited me. Most of the soldiers had turned away down other paths, leaving only a few to escort the wagon. Eventually, it slowed and came to a stop. One of the guards stepped up to the barred door, pulled a key from his belt, and unlocked it. The gate creaked open with a long, grating sound.
"Up!" he barked. Several people opened their eyes at the command, though some didn't even stir. "Out!"
The impatient guard climbed into the wagon and began dragging people up one by one, even those too weak to stand. Before he could grab me, I clutched the bars and forced myself onto my feet. The pain that shot through me was unbearable; my eyes filled with tears, and I almost cried out — but I somehow held it back.
The prisoners were taken out one by one and herded toward a smaller, separate building. When my turn came, I limped slowly toward the door, trying to step down carefully — but I wasn't fast enough. The guard gave me a hard shove, and I hit the solid ground with a painful thud. A groan escaped my lips as tears spilled down my cheeks.
"Piet, pull something like that again and I'll make sure you meet the Lord himself," said another voice — calm, low, but commanding. Unlike the others, he didn't need to shout to make people obey. His tone alone carried authority.
As our eyes met, I realized instantly — he was the first man here who seemed to possess even a trace of humanity. Somehow, that small realization was enough to make me feel a bit calmer.
I recognized that voice — and now I could finally match it to a face. Sharp features, a thick black beard, hair tied back at the nape of his neck. He was leaner than most of the soldiers I'd seen, but his attire marked him as someone of higher rank — a commander, perhaps.
"On your feet, girl! We don't have all day!" The gruff voice behind me made my stomach twist.
The man towering over me didn't touch me again, but his presence was still intimidating. I braced my hands against the damp ground and pushed myself up as fast as I could. Only then did I realize ours wasn't the only wagon — on the other side, dozens more people were being led toward the building. There were older and younger ones, men and women alike. I had no idea what was happening to us, but I decided to move along quietly before I gave anyone another reason to be angry with me.
Inside, we were herded down a narrow corridor, then packed — fifteen or twenty at a time — into small rooms. Apart from a few threadbare rugs and blankets, there was nothing else inside. Still, everyone seemed grateful for even that. One of the guards unlocked our shackles, and soon after, a few servant girls entered carrying trays of water and small cheese pastries.
The crowd went wild at the sight of food. People shoved and clawed at each other, desperate for a piece, until the guards had to step in and break them apart.
I managed to get hold of a cup of water and downed it in a few quick gulps. A middle-aged woman sat beside me, holding a girl who looked no older than fifteen. When I glanced around, I noticed three unfamiliar men on the far side of the room staring intently at me. My throat tightened. I swallowed hard, edged closer to the wall, and turned my gaze to the window instead. Resting my head against the cool glass, I closed my eyes, hoping I might manage a few moments of sleep.
A few minutes later, the soldiers locked the door and left us alone. From then on, no one bothered to keep quiet — voices filled the room as people began talking to one another. Most weren't alone, and those who were quickly joined others. Everyone seemed to find someone to cling to… except me.
I'd never been much of a social person, and now that I finally had the chance to find company, I couldn't bring myself to speak. I just sat quietly, trying to make myself invisible, hoping no one would notice me.
I was running as fast as I could, but eventually my lungs and legs gave out, and I slowed down despite myself. A moment later, a hand brushed my shoulder, and an arm slipped around my waist, stopping me mid-step.
"Tag — you're it," he whispered sweetly, laughing as he darted past me.
I just stared after him, breathing hard, but didn't give chase — there was no point. A year ago, I might have outrun him, but I had to admit that the boy was growing up. He was faster, stronger now.
Ignoring the dirt on my dress, I dropped onto the grass in the middle of the courtyard and closed my eyes, basking in the warmth of the sun.
"Carina!" he shouted suddenly. I didn't move, only listened as his footsteps drew closer. Then he stopped beside me, blocking the sunlight. "Why do you always do this?" His tone was half-annoyed, half-hurt — it made me smile.
"Because I can't catch you anymore," I said softly.
He grumbled in protest and flopped down beside me in the grass.
"So what, we're never going to play again?" he asked, disappointed.
I opened my eyes, letting my gaze travel through his sun-bleached blond hair before meeting his ocean-blue eyes — eyes that now shimmered with quiet sadness. I pushed myself up to sit and leaned closer to him. His eyes followed my every movement.
I brushed my hand gently across his sun-warmed cheek and felt him freeze under my touch. Lately, things like this had been happening more often — little moments where our friendship seemed to be shifting into something I couldn't quite name.
"You're it, Daniel," I said with a mischievous smile, then leapt to my feet and bolted across the courtyard.
"Hey! That's cheating!" he shouted after me — but I only laughed, running faster.