Page 3 of Bearly Free (The Emerald Realm 2)

But I wouldn’t be free. I may never get a say in my own choices or have a chance to build my own dreams. I turned back toward the window and dropped the skirts from my clutches. Comfort wasn’t worth the cost of my entire life.

Having made up my mind, I rushed back to my closet and adorned my most basic dress. Unfortunately, even my plainest outfit was still a pale-yellow gingham dress. My mother never let anything enter my closet unless it was ridiculously over-embellished. The yellow dress I wore now had been hidden in my closet for years. I bought it during a solo trip into town once and have kept it well hidden ever since. At the time I had appreciated the simplicity of the garment, but I never had an opportunity to wear it.

Despite never trying it on, the garment fit my petite frame almost perfectly. The yellow pattern was faded from lack of care and the skirt had lost a lot of its flounce, but it was comfortable. After tying my hair back into a low braid, I decided I was ready. I may not have been the most inconspicuous civilian, but at least I wasn’t recognizable as a proper lady.

The shorter skirt made it far easier to maneuver. Slinging the satchel over my shoulder, I took a deep breath and turned to the window. After fully hoisting myself up onto the windowsill, I sat with my legs dangling as I took in the fresh air.

“You can do this,” I assured myself in a soft whisper. This was what I wanted; this was what I needed. Something inside me knew that my life would always come to this.

The time had come to run away.

chapter two

I stretched my arms across the creeping vine and gripped with all my might as I tested my weight against the holds. Thankfully, the roots held my weight with only slight tearing from the wall—however, my feet were an entirely different challenge.

As I clumsily swung my right leg out of the window, I found myself scrambling to find a foothold. It took me a few tries of desperately digging my boot into the wall, but I finally found a rock that caught. With a deep breath, I released my left foot and repeated the struggle until both feet were firmly planted.

Adrenaline flooded through my body as I focused on keeping my eyes on the wall in front of me. A fall from this height could provide a number of injuries, and I didn’t want to experience any of them. With another rush of courage, I slowly lowered my right foot in search of another protruding rock. I found one much quicker this time, but the ledge was so narrow that my legs slightly shook from the strength it required. Ex-ladies didn’t exactly engage in mountain climbing on their days off, so I was well out of my comfort zone already.

Sweat beaded across my forehead as the warm spring sun suddenly felt far too hot. Aside from my heavy breathing, the entire garden was quiet since all the servants were inside preparing for the party. The ivy in my right hand was starting to come loose, so I quickly moved my grip to a lower position. I tightly grasped the stalks of the plants as a spider skittered across my hand. Stifling a small shriek, I gulped and continued in silence.

After an agonizingly long climb, my boot finally pressed onto solid ground. I would have cheered if I hadn’t been so exhausted. My gaze darted back up toward the window I had started at, and I mentally congratulated myself on my accomplishment.

“Alright, now what?” I asked myself quietly as I tried to determine my next plan of action. I could try to steal a horse, but that would make me easier to find. Plus, there would be groups of nobles traveling in our direction soon, and they would surely notice the runaway lady if I took the main roads. I would need to travel on foot until I could purchase my own ride.

I muttered an unladylike word as I realized my predicament. Our estate was nestled in a desolate part of the woods, so it was likely to be a long walk before I came across any towns.

Without wasting any more time, I cut through the garden and climbed over the exterior wall as quickly as I could. The wall was a piece of cake compared to the two story climb I had just accomplished, so it didn’t take much time to scale the short stone blockade.

The cool spring breeze fluttered through my hair as I dashed into the forest. It felt so freeing to be outside the estate without any carriage or escort. My mind felt completely at ease with my decision as I cheerfully ran across the forest floor. I laughed and cheered to myself once I was far enough from home. Nothing could stop me from living my life now. I could do whatever I wanted! Now the question was, what did I want to do?

I pondered the thought as I slowed my speed to a chipper trot.What did I want to do?I certainly wanted to be around people. The days when my parents left me alone in the massive estate were some of the worst of my life. It wasn’t until I was old enough to leave the house on my own that I began to cherish those times. Usually, I would sneak into town and befriend the employees of the local businesses. Nothing had made me happier than developing my first real friendships that weren’t based on status or how much money your parents had.

I hopped over a babbling creek as a few ideas crossed my mind. Perhaps I could become a baker? Or a tavern maid? Or maybe even a seamstress? I thought back to my endless hours of forced embroidery work and quickly shivered at the thought.Alright, so maybe not a seamstress, but maybe I could work in a shop! My mind flashed to all the bustling shops that filled the capital.Oh how wonderful it would be to see so many people each day!My thoughts trailed off as I came across a clearing.

My legs were already aching after my climb and full walk, so I decided now was a good time to rest. I sat on the soft grass, then tossed my satchel to the side before proceeding to lie back. I took in the vivid blue sky that had last visited me from my window. The fluffy clouds looked so real now, as if they had only been a dream before. I reached out my hand, imagining what it would feel like if I touched one of them, and in an instant, I got my wish.

A raindrop fell directly into my palm, and I sat up with a start. I redirected my gaze toward the sky and realized that it hadn’t been as blue as I thought. The clouds were growing denser, and a few light sprinkles were beginning to fall. A quick spike of worry filled my veins as I stood to my feet, and moved briskly through the forest.

This wasn’t good. I hadn’t planned to get caught in the rain—not to mention that I didn’t even know where I was going yet. My feet moved faster as my predicament dawned on me.Maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea after all...

The skies opened up within minutes and rain began to pour down upon the thirsting ground. I shivered from the lack of sunshine and continued to push through the brush blindly. As long as I kept going straight, I was bound to reach a road at some point, right? But had I even been going straight?

I looked around my surroundings in a daze, no longer certain of which direction I had come from. The rain had completely skewed my sense of direction, which was already flimsy from the start. A quick flood of panic threatened to overtake me, but I quickly pushed it aside.

This wasn’t the time to give up. If I wanted a real chance at controlling my life, then I had to put up with the rainy days, too.

With my confidence restored, I continued forward, making certain that I kept my feet on a straight route. The rain forced me to keep my head down, which made it rather difficult to keep my internal compass on route.

Rumbles of thunder echoed through the trees, causing me to jump with fright each time. In my own defense, thunder usually came partnered with lightning, and I wasn’t prepared to die from such unseemly means. My poor body would look terrible in a coffin if it had been charred beforehand. Shuddering at the idea, I quickened my pace with a new source of inspiration not to die in the woods.

It took hours before I came across any semblance of a road. The rain had lightened, but never fully stopped. I was utterly sopping and in desperate need of a warm fire. After an eternity of walking, my feet crunched onto the rough pebble path of an unmarked road. I felt like I could scream for joy.

The overcast sky made it impossible to tell what time it was, but my aching body claimed it was time to sleep. I hurried along the new path, hoping to come across a town with a desolate inn. My jewelry should serve as a decent payment until I could sell off the rest. Hopefully, I could bribe a shady innkeeper to let me stay unaccompanied for a few extra golden trinkets.

My mind flittered over the prospects of a warm bed when the road came to an abrupt stop. Tall, cast-iron gates loomed above me with a family crest resting at the peak. I stared at it as intently as the persisting rain would let me, but I couldn’t make out whose family emblem it was. The crest was in the shape of a shield, with a ferocious-looking bear’s head positioned in the center.

It wasn’t the most inviting symbol, and I briefly considered turning back down the road for a moment. However, exhaustion was beginning to set in, and I couldn’t imagine wandering aimlessly for even another second.

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