Orphan.2

CHAPTER 2
I awoke to the sounds of chirping birds and running water. I pried my eyes open and saw the beaming sun staring back at me, beckoning me to get up and stretch. With a moan, I picked myself up and let out a wail as a sharp pain rose in my head, and then I realised how dry my mouth was, so I lowered myself back onto the ground and crawled along the pebbly shore to the river, and then lapped up some water.
Peering down at my reflection, I was shocked by what was staring back at me. I was a complete mess, covered in mud and grass, scratches and bruises all over my arms and legs, and bags under my eyes. My plain clothes had been transformed into filthy rags, and my hair was crusty with mud. I rubbed my eyes and grunted with exhaustion.
I shook off the all too familiar urge to collapse in a heap and cry, and stood back up and began to take in my surroundings. Across the water and to the left I could see the cliff I'd fallen off the previous night, and I was surprised by how far I'd fallen and somehow still managed to survive. The river was quite shallow, only 2 or 3 feet deep, and the bottom was scattered with slippery green rocks and long spindly reeds, which I guess helped break my fall a bit.
To the right of the river lay thick bushes and leafy trees, which formed somewhat of a wall protecting what I assumed was even more trees behind it. Behind me was an open clearing filled with dry wavy grass, and fallen trees and branches slept among the vegetation.
I decided I had to get moving if I wanted to survive, so I took a chance and followed the river downstream, occasionally jumping in the water and scrubbing off mud and filth off my aching body and tattered clothes. I hated the way the sand stuck to my feet and got in between my toes, but it probably would have been easier than travelling through the midst of another forest.
My headache began to settle and my cuts and bruises stopped stinging, and I began to really appreciate my circumstances. The chances of the soldiers finding me were 10 to 1 and even if they did I could just leap back into the forest and hide among the trees.
I stopped in my tracks, remembering what I was running from. I frantically fumbled around in my pockets and was about to faint when I finally clasped my hand around the item, and heaved a sigh of relief when I pulled out of my pocket what I went to so much trouble to get.
It twinkled in the sunlight, and reflected coloured beams of light in every which direction as I turned it over again and again in my hands. I took it down to the water and rubbed some excess dirt off, then smiled as it shone even brighter.
I was one step closer to becoming what I wanted to be, and all I had to do was simply hand this glistening diamond over to the mysterious leader of ______.