OYAN Story - Chapter 1 - Edited

 (Note: This is still a very rough draft. :)

Chapter 1

I sat on a window seat, staring out the window of the castle at the mountains beyond. Things were just about perfect, I thought. My parents sat at the window neighbouring mine. My father was sprawled out in a chair with his crown lopsided and on the verge of falling off. My mother sat all prim and proper across from him, her dainty crown nesting in her long red hair that was draped over the arm of the chair. It brushed the ground by her feet.
My mother was laughing at something my father must have said. I rolled my eyes and turned back to the window. The warm summer wind was blowing and it sent my short hair flying. It was bright red. Like my mothers, my father always told me. Which was obvious considering his was brown.
The door creaked and a chill swept in, announcing Jefferson’s arrival.
My father stood, righted his crown, and warmly greeted his most trusted servant. “Jefferson! Come in! We were just going to call for some tea.”
My mother stood and smiled politely and I followed her example, pulling my jacket tightly around my shoulders.  Where ever Jefferson swept his regal self, a chill followed like a cloud of dust. The first time I set eyes on him I had labeled him as the creepiest person I’d ever met. I’d avoided him since.
“Tea will have to wait.” Jefferson signalled to someone behind him and thirty guards surrounded us. “Let’s make this quick.” He hissed and they raised swords to our faces.
I wanted to run into my parents’ arms like a little child, but noting the sharp points, I wisely stayed put. The guards grabbed my parents by the arms. “What do you think you’re doing?” Father roared and tried to tear from their grasp. I had always seen him as a mighty lion, but now he resembled one even more. His powerful arms thrashed and his eyes filled with burning anger. But as they raised a knife to my mother’s throat, he stilled.
“Good.” Jefferson chuckled, and then his expression hardened. “Finish him off.”
The world seemed to be at a standstill as a guard plunged a knife into my father’s chest. I watched as he  fell and I heard my mother’s scream. Or maybe it was my own? I found myself staring in horror at my father, lying on the ground with blood gathering in a puddle around him. “Run, Allison.” He wheezed, each breath a labour. Then he fell limp. Jefferson smiled. I could just hear his voice saying, “One down, two to go.” As the next guard raised a knife above my mother’s breast, she screamed, “Out the window!” My whole body was numb and my mind raced so fast I could barely think. Just those three words took forever to register in my mind. The window? She wanted me to jump? My mother fell, a look of fear pasted on her beautiful face. I turned numbly and rushed to the window. I looked down, searching for an escape. There was a ledge that ran just under the window. It was about one foot wide. I should be able to walk across it and find some way to get to safety. Without another thought I stepped out onto the ledge. One foot had never seemed so small as I began to walk along the outside of the castle wall. And fifteen feet had never looked so high either. I heard a shout. It hadn’t taken them long to realized that I was missing. I didn’t look back. My eyes were focused on the roof of the stables. My mind whirled as I stewed up a plan. I would drop onto the roof, then use the pile of logs stacked up the side to climb down and to safety. From there? I wasn’t sure, so I just pushed the thought away for later.
Another shout. I was so glad that the guards hadn’t been prepared for this. They didn’t have any arrows or spears to throw at me, and no man in armor would dare follow me. I was over the stable roof. Why did everything have to seem scarier than it was when you really had to jump five feet onto a slanted roof. Taking a deep breath, I reminded myself that there was no turning back now. I jumped...
and landed on the hard roof. My legs buckled from underneath me and I began to roll. Make it stop, make it stop, I pleaded. I rolled for much longer than I thought the roof was. Suddenly I lurched to a halt, saved by the gutter. Just as I opened my eyes the gutter began to give way. I didn’t know if I should move or stay put. Before I could make up my mind it fell from beneath me and I was falling. I landed on my back and the air was forced out of my lungs. Breath, breath, I told myself. Dark blotches clouded my vision. Finally I took a gasp of warm air. Run, Allison! My father seemed to shout to me again. I stumbled to my feet. Where should I go? Ten guards were not far off, probably searching for me. As one shouted and pointed in my direction, he confirmed my theory. My legs began to move underneath me. I could hear the guards feet pounding on the hard packed dirt . They were chasing me. I knew it. I would never be able to out run them. I hurried to my horse’s stall and swung open the door. Pride shied, but then, seeing it was just me, he trotted out eagerly. One guard was just a few feet away. I ran beside my Arabian and swung onto his back, letting out a yelp as the guards arms just missed me. I spurred Pride into a gallop and took off, headed for the town. I would have to cut through town to escape. I was nearing the town when five other guards on horses came up behind me. I leaned into my horse, willing him to go faster. If I wasn't being chased by people that wanted to kill me, I might've actually enjoyed the ride. We raced through the town, passing bakeries, shops, and houses. People hurried out of our way as we rode, lightning speed, down the main street. But I didn't dare slow down. The main gate was only thirty metres away. But they were beginning to close the gate! I dug my heals into my horse's sides. Twenty metres! Three! I rode out onto a dirt road. I made a quick turn around a cart and rode on, the guards still following. We rode for what seemed like ages. Each moment I was afraid that they would catch up to me. Suddenly my horse shied and I barely could keep from falling off. Pride took off in panic, with me clinging on for dear life, into the deep bush. Branches slapped me across the face and poked at me. My grip slipped suddenly and I tumbled to the ground. Pride kept running. I rose clumsily to my feet. I could hear the sound of hooves on packed dirt, and the shouts of the men as they tried to figure out what to do next. No horse but a scared one could fit through the closely tangled trees. Then I heard them breaking through the bushes. I began to run, jumping over rocks and pushing through prickles. I didn't stop, I didn't know where I was going, I just ran. I ran for my life. I could hear them coming closer. Hoping that they wouldn't find me, I dove into a thick bush. They caught up only a few seconds later. Pounding feet crashed through the rotting leaves and twigs near my hiding place. I pushed farther into the bush as one bumped into my leg. I sucked in a breath as I heard him fall and swear. I was a goner. "What happened?" I heard one laugh. "A rock or something." The one muttered. Their footsteps faded and I hesitantly crawled out of my hiding place. I was safe. For now.