THE CHOSEN ONES ( PART TWENTY SEVEN )

Inside the cave Evelyne was busy preparing some food, they only had the last of the fish left.
Meradith was worried because she knew she would have to go fishing the next day, she was frightened
about going to the river, even though Ivan had showed her what to do, it was different when you were on your own.

She was also very concerned about Bella, the child
was not herself, she wouldn't speak to anyone, not
even Fern. The only time she interacted with the
others, was when she was asked to do something, even then the look on Bella's face, told Meradith
her daughter was becoming very depressed.

Meradith called her daughter, "Bella!" her daughter
just sat where she was, staring into space, so
Meradith called her again, "Bella!"
Then Bella responded, "what! what!" she yelled at
her mother.

"Don't shout at me," said Meradith.
Bella looked her mother in the eyes, burning her
mother's eyes with her own, then Bella yelled.
"Well then mother, leave me alone, I hate you,
I hate you all!"

Meradith decided this was not a good time to argue
with Bella, she had never seen her daughter react
in such a way and realised that being confined in a
cave, was having a bad effect on her.

In a corner of the cave, Prince had been laying peacefully, when all of a sudden he sat bolt upright. "What is it Prince?" said Meradith. She
had been feeling uneasy and knew the signs, Prince
could smell danger.

Prince started to go into a standing position, he
trotted over to the entrance of the cave, then he
scraped the ground with his hoof, and shook his
head and neighed. "Hush!" said Meradith.

"Perhaps Ivan has returned with Nathen," said
Evelyne. A shudder went through Meradith, "but if it were Ivan and Nathen, then why didn't they just
enter the cave? come here Prince," Meradith called.

"Leave my horse alone," screamed Bella, with anger.
"Prince feels trapped like me, he wants to escape."
Bella got up. Fern cried, "don't talk to you mother
like that."

Ofcourse that only made Bella worse. She ran over
to Prince and stroked his mane. "All of you are fools," she cried, "I have to find father."

Before Meradith could reach her, Bella had jumped
up onto Prince, she quickly rode out of the cave.

"Come back! ... Come back! Bella," Meradith cried,
but it was too late. Meradith went to run out after
her daughter, but she was pulled back by Evelyne.
"It's too dangerous." Evelyne begged Meradith,
grabbing her by the arm, "I know she's your daughter, but if you go after her, you will be risking all our lives."

As Bella rode out of the cave, she thought to herself, 'Ah! free at last,' then all of a sudden
Prince went down, falling on his side, Bella was
thrown, she picked herself up, "what is it Prince?"
The horse winced, then Bella saw the spear in her
horse's neck, it happened so quick. "Prince ...
Oh! Prince, what have I done?"

All of a sudden, from out of the forest came hunters, it was Jonah and his men, Bella was more
frightened than she had ever been before, she wished she had listened to her mother and felt an
awful pain in her heart, for the way she had spoken
to her.

To be continued ........