Hi guys!
sry that it took sooo long (if that even who reads xD)
Leave me a review how you liked it ...;)

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Chapter 2- Hope for a Better Tomorrow

... He gave her courage to endure her fate and hope that maybe everything might go better in another life. He had seen the fear of the unknown in Ailana's eyes and now he wanted her in the last minutes of his life
Donate hope.
Hope?! ...

Ailana lost herself completely in the eyes of her counterpart. His gaze met hers with so much warmth and confidence. How much she would like to believe in a future in which she would live longer than 10 minutes. Why hadn't there been anyone in the last few years who had given her such hope?
If only there had been someone back then who had encouraged her to start the arduous journey over the icy passes.
But ... she did the right thing then, right? It would have been pure suicide to hike over the snow-covered mountains in the freezing cold in winter. There was no guarantee that one would survive these days and weeks of marching over the peaks. Even if you conquered the high areas, it was unclear what was waiting for you on the other side of the mountain. Summer wasn't an alternative either. Because of the warmth, the snow was no longer firm, but rather pliable, so that you often sank down to your knees and even further. A journey through the snow, making it even more difficult. In addition, there was also the increased risk of avalanches due to the thaw, which tore one or the other survivor with them to their death. So there was only winter, the only way to escape and the chances of surviving this trip were as good as zero. On the other hand, she should at least have tried to save her life. But instead she crawled into this musty and damp cave and waited lousy for her death. How miserable she was! If only she had had more courage - damn it!
But what use is it now to think about decisions that have never been made. It wouldn't change anything, absolutely nothing, about her sudden death. But wasn't it cruel that this man wanted to give her such a feeling of hope? Wasn't it even heartless that this man gave her a look that told her: Never give up !?
How much she would like to hope. How gladly would she take hold of even the smallest straw that harbored the slightest chance that she could go on living. Yeah damn, she wanted life! She wanted so much to go on living and yet this wish was so incredibly hopeless!
Her thoughts literally rolled over. Plagued by the thoughts of her own death, the injustice towards her people, to a future that she would never have. She felt her heart contract painfully, felt the longing for joy long past, felt her shaky body and the fear that flowed through her veins.Eyes veiled by tears, she continued to gaze relentlessly at the man. Her surroundings became increasingly blurred, as her tears just wouldn't run dry. But Ailana didn't want to be weak, she had to stay strong in this position! Her enemies were not allowed to delight in her fear; she did not want to give them that satisfaction. So she tried to calm down further, tried to keep her tears in check, to blink them away. In fact, the veil of tears in front of her eyes gradually disappeared and only a few blink of an eye later she was able to see her surroundings clearly again. But at that very moment when the veil was thinning in front of her eyes, she immediately wished it back. Shocked, dazed by her emotional chaos and yet wide awake at the same time, she watched as the undead guard pulled a silver dagger from his belt next to the kneeling man. At the sight of this so small and at the same time so deadly weapon, Ailana broke out again an emotional chaos.

>> No! But why? Why are they so cruel ?! <<

At these thoughts the undead knight with the short blade drew far back, only to immediately afterwards drop the deadly weapon at lightning speed on the defenseless man.

>> He mustn't die, not him too! <<

Ailana watched this scene in shock. Every fiber of her body was stretched to the limit, her hands clenched into fists despite the shackles.

>> Please don't! <<

Her thoughts no longer made any logical sense.

>> Please, please ... <<

While the blade came inexorably closer to the man's throat!

>> No! No! No! <<

At this very moment, time literally stood still for Ailana, she could have looked at everything around her like a still life, but her eyes were only focused on the weapon of the undead. In that second she did not hear the whining of the people around her, did not hear the foreign language that the undead used among themselves. All noises around her had ceased, nor did she feel the cool air of the day on her skin, nor did she feel the pain in her heart. At that moment she felt as if the world was holding its breath!
Everything around her was frozen, even the haze that moved over the long was still. Nothing moved anymore! The undead in front of her was frozen to ice as well. In his rotten hand he held the dagger ready to stab, only a cubit from the man's throat. But his weapon did not move, it was frozen like everything around it.
Still, Ailana couldn't take her eyes off the blade. The fear was too great, the time might start moving again. But it didn't happen! It was moving ... nothing at all!
Ailana was overcome with amazement and irritation. Had she just dreamed it all, was she about to wake up from her nightmare?She almost took a deep breath, relieved. She almost really believed that at any moment time would turn back again, make all the suffering gone and bring back her old life, when the sun had warmed this dead land. A bygone time when she still had family and friends.

>> Family ... <<

Ailana swallowed hard at the thought. For far too long they had banished these events to the farthest corner of their souls, the memories of this unpredictable day were too painful.

>>… the day that changed everything…. <<

>> ... how calmly he started ... <<

* Flashback *

Ailana was hunched over a wooden table. She was absorbed in a book and mumbled softly to herself. Her right hand rested on the tabletop while her index finger was outstretched. She mimicked every letter she left with her finger. For a few months, her father had set himself the goal of teaching his three children to read and write.
Anyone who could read, write and do arithmetic in this world could still become something. So said her father. However, if you remained uneducated, you had almost no other option than to be a farmer or some other arduous craft in order to make ends meet. Ailana could say with a clear conscience that her father was educated. She could never understand why he was still just a simple farmer. In any case, her big sister - Liranda, seemed to be following the same path as her mother. She had no interest in learning to read and write. No, she had other interests by far. So only a thought-marriage circled in her little pretty head.
Liranda had just turned 20 and was four years old to get married. For over a year now, a very attractive young man from the neighboring village, who was not yet 25, has been running her court. Exactly a week ago, he asked Liranda's father for his eldest daughter's hand. However, Liranda's admirer left sadly because her father wanted two weeks to think it over. And today her big sister jumped around like a little girl in front of the house and beamed up to her ears.
Liranda had her father's blessing on the marriage - he had agreed. Certainly her father would have wanted a man of better standing to be interested in his daughter, but he could wait in vain. Because his family's status was anything but high.
In any case, Ailana couldn't sympathize with her sister's euphoria. How could a housewife be preferred to education (and freedom)? She had vowed to make more of her life than become a mere wife of a farmer. In fact, Liranda's admirer was nothing more than that. A mere farmer - honest but hard work.No! Ailana wanted to be an educated young woman. Be able to read and write. By the way, she was quite good at that, because she practiced almost every day. To the chagrin of her mother, who would have preferred she help out more with the household Nonetheless, her father had promised to give her a little general education in the cold winter months. She was really looking forward to expanding her education and, in addition to the supposedly important knowledge of everyday life as a farmer, to learn really interesting things. She knew a lot about plants and she also knew when and where which herbs, grasses and berries grew. She knew how and when to sow the seeds - the important things to survive in the country. But of really important and interesting things - she thought she had no idea. Not from history, politics. She couldn't even pinpoint where she lived on the map. A sad fact she thought.
A petite woman entered the small cooking room. She wore jet black hair and had her long hair tied in a strict braid. Her skin was pale and contrasted sharply with her hair. She frowned in concern when she saw Ailana hunched over the books. But her concern immediately faded when she looked at the iron-clad stove. Annoyed, she put a hand on her hip.
"Ailana, you should stir up the fire and what do I see? Nothing!"
With her other hand she points to the stove, which is still not on fire. Addressed looked up and looked into the accusing eyes of her otherwise loving mother. Yes the oven, exactly! She remembered, but when she entered the room and wanted to tend the fire, she saw her book on the table. And ... well ... now she was sitting here practicing reading and completely forgetting about time and about fire ...
"Oh yes, the fire. I just wanted to read a little bit ... and time seems to have run out of time. I was so absorbed ... because you know mother, reading and writing works wonderfully ..." Ailana continued at the end euphoric and