staregazer by sammantha lewis (good e books to read .TXT) 📕

I was out of breath. There he stood in the middle of the woods; he stood there silently looking forward. I ran beside him
“What are you doing? We need to go to the river,” Tried to ask him under my breath. Joshua looked up at me with his bright blue eyes.
“I saw men on horse but I wasn’t sure so I….” Joshua had trailed of and stared at the ground. I Looked forward and saw that we were standing in a narrow cattle path. I stared into the distance. A wave of worry and discomfort swept over me. Joshua also felt uncomfortable; he gripped my skirt like a small child. I smiled at him and put my hand on his shoulder. We again began to follow the sound of running water. I looked over my shoulder to the cattle path with a blank expression on my face.
It was now noon and we have just reached the river. Joshua smiled and rushed to the water. He quickly ran into the shallow water that came to his knees. I bundled my skirt up and reached down into the water, and filled the two buckets with water . I relaxed for a few minutes under the sun with my feet in the cool water as Joshua attempted to catch the passing fish. Joshua suddenly whipped his head up and looked around, while still holding a small river fish in his hands. He threw the fish back into the river, ran to my side, and knelled down behind me. I chuckled at him quietly,
“What are you doing now?” I said calmly smiling. Joshua stood up and pulled the sleeve of my dress.
“I want to leave.” He said nothing more; I did not understand what he was so worried about. I sighed and got up. We took our four half filled pales and began to walk back to our camp. Joshua looked frantic, he constantly looked thru the trees acting like he saw something. I asked him what he was doing but he only looked at me and told me not to worry. We continued walking to the camp with our four buckets in hands. Joshua stopped in front of me and looked around. We both heard rustling in the bushes, I looked over to Joshua whose face was pale white. He began to walk faster, and then his walking pace turned in to a sprint. Before I knew it… he was gone. There I was left alone in the silent woods. For a moment, I was petrified with confusion and fear but then a loud shriek woke me from my shock. I then realized that the voice came from Joshua. I set the water down and ran as fast as I could. I followed Joshua’s pleas for help. I came to a small meadow with a fallen tree, and there in the middle of the field were to men standing over a small boy who was Joshua. They had beaten him and were now robbing him. Joshua did not fight back instead, he lay on the ground weeping, only hoping that his life will be spared. I hide behind a tree; I then reached into my quiver, and loaded my bow. I quietly stepped out from behind the tree. I made my way over to the two thieves who had their backs to me. I pulled the sting of my bow back with my thumb and aimed at them.
“I suggest that you stop that now.” I hissed at them, they turned around and began to stand up. I tried not showing any fear but instead I showed anger.
“Don’t take another step or I’ll shoot you both.” I warned them but they did not believe me. The taller on laughed.
“Oh you’ll shoot use, will you? I never imagined seeing a woman threatening me.” The two men laughed at me they took another steep towards me. I pulled my arrow back farther. They jerked back at my reaction, but then continued to laugh.
“And where might have you come from?” the fat one said.
“Same place as him.” I answered. The two men smiled at me with amusement
“And where might that be?” the tall one asked
“As if I’d tell you.”I refused to become distracted by them. The fat looked at me from head to toe and his look of amusement turned to lust. What a disgusting fat pig he is!
“Oh please don’t be like that.” The fat one took another step towards me and without a second thought I pulled, my arrow and it flew from my fingertips, and pierced the fat brute’s foot. He collapsed with agony, the other one knelt down to comfort him. They both looked up at me with pure hatred. The tall one began to draw his sword.
“If you do that I’ll shoot you as well” He stopped and placed his sword back in its sheath.
“Now leave all your weapons and go. If I am to ever cross paths with you two I will kill you.” The two thieves set their swords on the ground and arm –in-arm the limped off. I did not lower my bow until they were no longer in view. After they were gone, I ran to Joshua and sat down next to him. He was covered in bruises, and his lag had been slashed, while tiers ran from his sapphire eyes.
“My god! What did they do to you?” I was horrified that anyone would do something so cruel to a small boy who has lost everything. I whipped the tears from his checks and tried to give him a reassuring smile.
“Thank god I found you.” I said. Joshua struggled to stand. I carried Joshua on my back, as I managed to carry the two remaining buckets, which were still full, on my elbows, while Joshua held my bow and quiver on his back. Joshua’s blood ran down my side, but he did not notice. Instead, He laughed at my actions
“Did you see the fat ones face when you shoot him? He dissevered it! Didn’t he?” I laughed lightly at Joshua’s ignorance.
“Yes, he did deserve it, and you will never be harmed by anyone like him as long as I have my bow.” I could feel Joshua’s eyes light up.
“Really? Then that will never happen because you will always have a bow at hand! I wonder if you sleep with it near you bed.” He said I laughed at his innocence once more.
“Vera, will you always be with us?”
“Now what type of question is that? You know very well I could never leave.”
“Yes, but what if you had to?”
“Then I hope that I could choose to stay.”I said after awhile Joshua’s bleeding had stopped and he had fallen asleep on my back.
PRAYERS AND BLESSINGS

As the camp came into view, I could see Liam sitting on a log with his head cupped in his hands. As I approached the camp, the crunching of the leaves grew louder. Liam’s head quickly shot up, and he raced towards Joshua and I.
“You two were gone for hours. Are you okay?” He was frantic and barely stopped to breath. Then again, he has probably seen too many of his men go and never come back, so he had every right to worry. I sighed and looked up at him.
“Yes, I’m fine but Joshua could use medical treatment.” I turned the upper part of my body to show Liam Joshua’s condition. Liam’s eyes widened and he tried to process what he was seeing.
“Homer, Bring your brother! We need to treat him fast.” Homer yanked Henry up and the two brothers attempted to make their way over. Homer mouthed to Henry what we needed him to do. At first, I thought that he did not understand, but then I realized he understood the situation perfectly when he pulled Joshua off my shoulders and hailed him into the tent. I followed behind and watch quietly at the tent entrance. Henry treated his wounds swiftly yet gently. He cautiously wrapped the cotton cloth around his leg. He took his hand to his forehead. Henry turned and looked at me
“Vera, bring me the water.” I rushed to Henry’s side with the two buckets of water. Henry biped a cloth in the water and placed it on Joshua’s forehead.
“He’ll have to stay bedridden until his leg heals. “ I walked out of the tent and clenched my fist I walked into the kitchen. Jake jumped up when I entered the tent.
“How is Joshua? Will he be alright?”
“He’ll be alright.” I said I helped Jack prepare lunch by chopping sausage, potatoes, onion, green beans, and cilantro, while Jack prepared the base of the soup. I carefully diced the meat and slid it in to the large caldron.
“Vera, how old are you?” Jack suddenly asked me most likely to avoid silence.
“I’m fifteen. Why do you ask?” after I had said this Jake’s eyes shot up at me in shock.
“Fifteen? Why you are not married yet? Most girls have children by your age!”
“My parents had arranged for me to go to Oxford to live with one of their close friends who owns an Inn, and then marry their son. Unfortunately, my plans changed when I was kidnapped, but I plan to go to Oxford and decline their offer. Jake, what about you? Why are you here?”I explained briefly to him my circumstances, and then asked