Mira

I opened my eyes slowly to let the morning sunlight adjust my pupils. It was a big shock when I realized that the sun was higher than I had suspected. I jumped up from my lying position and surveyed the area around me, but soon after I nearly fell to the ground from light headedness. I steadied myself and then turned my immediate thoughts to the noble’s supply group. I grabbed my pack and ran to where they had made camp the previous night. I felt awful for sleeping so long. I could only imagine what Shilon would have said if he had seen me.

I wonder if he would have punished me. I know if it were any other shadow he would have severely disciplined them, but he has always been gentler whenever I did not complete a task correctly. In a way I hate it. Does he feel like I am just a girl? Does he think that I cannot bear with the same burdens as the rest of them? Is he disappointed? I wonder if this mission is truly as crucial as he makes it sound, or if it is just something to distract me with while he gets things done without my hindrance. Am I a burden?

When I got within fifty yards of the camp I slowed and began to move more stealthily. I peered from behind a bush at the camp. “It’s still there,” I whispered as feelings of relief washed my panicked mind free of anxiety. Surprisingly, everyone seemed to still be asleep. I waited five minutes without moving a muscle.

While I waited, I noticed that I smelt rather putrid. My clothes were muddy, and my skin glistened with oil and sweat. My hair, which luckily is shorter, is frizzled and matted, being covered in dirt and mud. I could smell my own body odor without moving my head down to check. Though, I shouldn’t have cared, all I could think about was how happy I would be when we passed by the next stream.

My mind stopped wandering when a brilliant blue object, about six yards ahead of me, caught my eye. I looked at the camp again, and then crept to the object. It was a pressed blue flower, much like the one I had placed in my book of secrets, about five weeks ago. I observed the flower for a moment and then sharp feelings of anxiety flew back into my stomach. I threw down my pack and tore my book out of it. I turned the pages repeatedly to find the blue flower in my book, but I couldn’t find it. I did find the page where I had pressed it though. There was a small blue pedal and sticky residue on the interior of the page. I knelt, staring at the page for a little over a minute. I then placed the pressed flower from the ground on the page. It matched the residue mark like a puzzle piece. I felt like I was about to throw up, though that wouldn’t have happened because I hadn’t eaten since the day before. I slowly, with shaking hands, placed the book back in my pack.

They may have read my book. What do I do? What can I do? I felt completely naked, as I knelt staring at the ground. They have read my thoughts… or did they? Of course they did, why else would a flower from my book be on the ground? What if the order finds out? What if Shilon finds out? Does this have any advantages? Who am I kidding? If the order finds out about anything I have written in the book, I will most likely be reconverted(put through a brainwashing program). Why am I so careless? Why am I so weak?

A stir came from the box of the carriage and I scurried behind the bush I had hid behind earlier. I watched as the noble, Dinli, jumped out of his carriage and ran in my direction. My heart pounded hard in my chest. He came to a quick stop near a tree that shadowed the area I had found the blue flower. I clicked my single blade from its hilt, preparing for anything that might occur. Because the tree was in my way, I could only see his shoulder and a part of his shoe, so I could not view exactly what he was doing. After a minute he started to move again. He turned back from the tree and headed back to the carriage, walking slowly and relaxed.

I waited for a minute after he clicked closed the door to his carriage before investigating further. I crept silently to where he had been standing. It took me a second for my mind to register what I was seeing and smelling before I rushed back into the bush where I stood gagging for a minute or two. I then proceeded to seize my pack and find another place to watch the group.

(I edited my original post. It seemed no one was really thrilled about it so I thought I'd throw in my Sherbet Twist... Yum.)