Twin's Luck by Kelsey Hunsdon (best management books of all time .TXT) 📖

his arms and starred down at us, a few other men stood behind him looking on menicingly.
" I am here to see Armes." The man looked down at him for a moment and then burst out laughing making us both jump.
" You think I'm just going to let you in, pay up bub." His friends pulled out weapons of diffrent kinds and Ash unshealthed his weapon. The man held up his hand and swtopped his friends in their tracks.
" Of course you could always leave the lady here." I saw Ash stiffen and the man stretched his neck around Ash to meet my gaze. He froze immediatly and I felt myself loose all fear. I stepped forward around Ash and stood a foot from the giant. I starred up at his shocked face and then he seemed to shock him self and he looked back at Ash. He nodded and then walked away. The others followed slowly looking dumbfounded. I felt Ash grab my wrist as he dragged me towards the building.
" We don't have much time." He didn't knock on the door but instead burst inside and closed it quickly behind us. I lookeda round the room and found a small thing crouched behind a table. It was covered in robes and Ash walked over and whispered in it's ear. It raised it's covered head and met my gaze. It made a noise and then Ash gestured for me to sit across from it. He stood behind me.
" My dear." It was a male, old maybe. The voice was cracked and hoarse. "I have waited a long time to meet you." What I said next was dumb but I was already freaked out and my brain doesn't work super great under stress.
" I'm only 16." The creature laughed quietly.
" Your prophecy has been around for a thousand years young one." This seemed to shock me, how could something like this be true if my mother wasen't even born then. "You are the one that will save us all." Then the thing burst into a spasm of coughing. I glanced back at Ash but his face was cold as ice. The thing was clutching his chest now but the couching had stopped.
" We need to find Shujii." I said quietly.
" Yes, but she is not one to be easily found." He stopped and tried to catch his breath. "She is in her swamp, you will find her if that is the destiny." He seemed to be gasping now. " You must go." He waved and Ash nodded.
" I'm sorry if we've put you in danger Armes. I wouldn't have come if it wasen't crutial." I was standing now.
" Don't fret young ones, this is the fun part of eternity." There was a laugh and then it disappeared in dust. Ash burst out the door and a sea of people were there. Ash drew his sword and burst through. I ran behind him but hands were grabbing at me and ripping my hair out. I cried out and I felt him grip my wrist. I was airborn and then I landed on the horse's back clasping it's mane. It screeched in protest and I dug my heels into it's sides instinctively. It ran over some of the zombie like people and headed straight for Ash I met his gaze and I studk my arm out just as we passed him. He caught my forearm and I pulled him from a sea of people as his arms circled around my waist. I kicked the horse again and he plowed over more as they chased us. We shot into the woods and my knuckles were white from holding onto the horse. When all of the people were out of sight the horse slowed slightly and I straightened up. Ash's arms left my waist and gripped the reins around me.
" What were they?" I asked quietly.
" They are the fey that belong to no place, they have no destinies." This sunk in and I remembered their emtpy faces.
" That's horrible." I said mostly to myself.
" It's inevitable." I didn't know what he meant but something else popped in my head.
" The man he recognized me?" Ash nodded. "Why did he tell?" He sighed.
" There is a bounty on your head from both sides, you are an important pawn in the game of life." He seemed so sure of this that I didn't question it and I didn't have the heart to keep up much of a conversation. I closed my eyes and tried to rid the bad images from it but it seemed somehow impossible. When I opened them I realized the ground underneath us had become covered with a sheet of ice. I looked at Ash but his expression was cold as ever. He pulled the horse to a stop and that's when I saw the woman's figure waiting for us.
Teaching

Ash dismounted easily and sauntered up towards the woman.
" Ash?" She called her voice like a purr.
" Stefani, to what do I owe this pleasure?" He stopped in front of her his cape wiping gently and his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
" I could ask you the same why are you and the Summer Whelp in the wastelands?"
" Merely passing through, I have a contract to furfill." I saw the woman examining his face.
" Does the queen know?" Her voice was more predator like an it made me shiver but I saw Ash stiffen.
" She will have what she wants, one way or another." The woman made a noise in the back of her throat.
" Should I take her off your hands?" Her gaze shifted to me for a moment.
" And offend your queen, I think not?" The womans face scowled but she held her toungue.
" Fine, but I believe that she's waiting the other ones not holding up well." With the last bitter remark she disappeared in a flash of crystals and the space where she was began to thaw. Ash took a few deep breaths and then walked back towards me. I was loosing my hold on reality and I felt myself slipping towards hysterics. I was slumped down onto the mane of the horse, and I assumed that he would say something but he merely got up behind me. We rode for what seemed lke forever as I fought the urge to scream and fight for my brother. I missed him unbelievably and I was so alone that I couldn't imagen how he must feel. I let the tears run down my face for a long time by now. When it grew dark we stopped and he got off and disappeared into the darkness without a word. I slumped down onto the horses back again and lay that way as it grazed. I let my tears roll off it's back and I could of cared less about anything right then. I eventually got the hiccups but the tears didn't stop and I refused to sleep. I still couldn't believe my luck. How could so much go wrong for one person, especially in such a time frame. I couldn't help him now and that was the worst feeling, I had always been his protector, I always watched out for him and I had done this to us. I was the one who thought we should escape, this was my fault and my guilty concence was almost more than I could bear. I eventually fell off and layed in the darkness. I crawled over to a tree trunk where I pulled my knees to my chest and cried into them for a long time. When I awoke the next morning my eyes were puffy and red but I couldn't stop crying. Ash had left a pair of pants for me but he was no where in sight. I slipped them on and cut the rest of my dress so that it was only waist length. The tears continued and I wandered through the woods, hungry and blind. I eventually fell and stayed there. He found me and watched me quietly with a bored expression. He left me with some strange berries that I choked down inbetween sob outbreaks. He was waiting for me by the horse and I got on without a word. Thankfully the tears were silent and our ride was too. I could tell that he was agrivated with me but I felt like I had nothing left, like I had ruined everything, because in all reality I had. I found myself clutching the horses mane so hard my knuckles were white and I had to focus to get myself to loosen up before I hurt myself. I concentrated on breathing and staying in the moment, eventually we stopped and I found that I could deal with the guilt easier. I forced the tears to stop and I dismounted before him. I walked into the woods and found a puddle where I washed my salty face and threw my mangy hair into a ponytail. I took a few deep breaths and went to find him. He was kneeling washing his shirt in the stream, I took a moment to stare at his perfect back before I remembered my sentence.
" I need your help." He held in his surprise. He rung out his shirt and continued to pay no mind to me.
" That's an understatement." He shook his head as if I was really unbelieveable but I continued before I lost my nerve.
" Teach me how to fight." His back stiffened and he turned around and walked towards me. I forced myself to keep my eyes off of his naked torso.
" You don't know what your asking." I took a deep breath, he was only a foot away from me watching me intently.
" I do." I nodded. "Teach me and I will owe you, anything you ask." His expression changed to disbelief.
" Do you know what your saying?" I pursed my lips and leveled my gaze.
" Yes, anything." He starred at me for a moment and then he shook his head.
" Fine." He turned away from me and walked to the horse. He open one of the bags attached to it's saddle and pulled out a dagger. He tossed it to me and I caught it gently. He went back to his damp shirt and held it out to me. I looked at him questioningly.
" Put it on, I don't want to cut you up too bad." He helped me slip it on and then he buttoned it quickly his hands slightly quivering.
" Alright, now you have to hold it like this." He demonstrated placing it in my hand correctly. "If not, you will never get anywhere." He went and stood in front of me drawing his sword. I had to admit it was intimidating but I knew that his was what I had to do, no backing out now.
" Alright