“It’s not working,” I grunt at Prince, and of course, he doesn’t say anything. It’s only been one day, and I’m already talking to an animal. What happens after the fourth or the twelfth day by myself? Will I be asking myself questions and answering them too? Gods, I hope not.
I roll my neck around and move closer to the tiny woodpile. Placing the long rock at an angle close to the flint, I strike it again and again. The sixth time has me squealing in excitement.
The sparks glow, and soon the kindling nurses a small fire. The oranges and reds lick at the wood, and slowly it catches too.
I lean back with a satisfied feeling and watch as all of the wood as it becomes a bright blaze of heat.
“Told you I could do it.”
I smile and gaze in Prince’s direction, proudly grinning as if I passed the finish line. His ember eyes stare at the small fire pit and back at me. He grunts and goes back to licking his leg.
I scoot backward on my butt a foot away from the fire and start the troublesome task of unlacing my calf-length black boots.
My feet are still wet, and I’m a little afraid to see what they look like, and I’m dreading the smell. Gods, I bet the smell will kill anything in sight. I giggle.
I wrestle the boot off my wet foot with a sucking sound and grimace at the noise. I peel off the dark-colored sock next. My nose scrunches up at my pale, wrinkled foot. I wiggle my toes and grunt at the feeling of them.
“Could be worse, I guess,” I mumble.
I get the next boot and sock off and place both pairs next to the fire to dry off. How long does it take something to dry from the heat of a fire?
I stand up and un-lace the sides of my pants and start the slow process of getting the wet leather off my body. It takes a while; let me tell you.
I lay those near the fire too. I watch where I place my bare feet as I walk to Rylan’s bag. I glance at Prince and shrug my shoulders. He won’t care if I strip.
I get my top off in record time and pull on a short sleeve white shirt. The hem cuts off right below my knees. Damn, Rylan’s a big man.
I plop down in the dry dirt and dig out some rations from my bag. It’s some type of brick. It’s formed like a brick, maybe only thinner. Food’s food, right?
I gnaw off a small piece and let it sit in my mouth for a bit. The damn thing is solid as a rock. Is this really what I'm going to eat? My heart rate spikes a bit. I’ll run out eventually, then what will I eat?
I snatch Rylan’s bag and start digging for money or coins or something. I will need some form of payment when I finally make it to a town.
The clicking of coins at the bottom of the bag has my heartbeat slowing. Money. Thank the lords.
I bite another piece off the brick and roll it around in my mouth. It tastes like those nature bars from Walmart, only a whole lot harder.
“Now what, Prince?” I look over and can barely make out his ember eyes in the dark. The small fire gives off some light, but not very much. I guess that’s a good thing in away. More light means I’ll be easier to spot in this dark forest.
He yawns. Guess that’s that. Sleep. I prop myself up on the bag and watch the flames dance. What will tomorrow bring? Will something eat me while I sleep? Gods, that’s fantastic thinking right there. I shake my head and attempt to go to sleep. How much worse could this freaking get?
CHAPTER TWO
A low growl jerks me awake. My heart beats swiftly in my chest as I blink my eyes. I grunt as Prince leans into me more. His tail flicks across my face, and I bat it away.
“What are you doing?” I mumble, still asleep — stupid cat.
I scoot away from Prince and sit up and rub my hands on my face to wake myself up more. I hate mornings. My hands fall to my lap. Wait, it’s not morning. There’s a green glow across the ground, and the fire is merely a tiny flame.
Prince growls again, crawling towards me. His huge head is aimed to the right. I gulp and freeze with wide eyes. Is it an animal? Did Rylan find me?
Leaning forward, I push my weight against Prince as I squint in the dark. What’s out there? I lick my lips as Prince’s growl turns into a snarl, showing off his sharp white teeth in the moon’s green light. He looks like a demon-possessed.
I reach behind my back and pull Rylan’s pack across the ground. My face scrunches up at the noise, but I shrug my shoulders and jerk it on my lap, anyway. It can’t be any louder than the snarls and growls coming from Prince.
I’m desperately digging through the bag, searching for a dagger, a knife, something. Prince is huge and should be able to take on almost anything that comes after us, but still, I’d like to have something in hand, just in case. With a gleeful grin, I pull out a dagger. I jerk it out of its casing and grip it tightly in my right hand.
My heart rate rockets when Prince becomes silent, and I scoot towards him, seeking comfort. His head cocks to the right, his tail flicking across the dirt. He climbs to his feet, and I scramble to mine.
“What is it?” I whisper, searching the darkness. My right hand is clutching the knife.
I twist around as he runs by me and climbs the closest tree. I watch in horror as he vanishes into black branches and purple leaves.
“What in the hell are you doing?” I whisper harshly, stepping towards him. He just left me!
“Told ya, I smelled smoke.”
I freeze, and my eyes close. It’s a person. A damn person! I’d rather face an animal bigger than Prince than an unknown man.
“You and your nose. Are you sure you are not half dog?”
“Na.”
I squeeze my eyes shut hard. Little black dots light up my sight from the force of it.
“Lookee there, Bran, a girl.” The man cackles.
My fingers squeeze the dagger tighter. With sweat pouring down my face, I slowly turn around. Why would Prince leave me to these men?
I open my eyes and bend my knees just a little, ready for whatever they plan to throw my way.
“Come now, child. We won’t hurt you,” The man speaks softly, stepping forward. The green light from the moon shines on his face, and I stumble back. My pulse beats wildly in my neck. Sweat makes its way between my boobs.
Usually, I’d get upset for being called a child, but I’m going to keep my mouth shut in this case. Maybe if they think I’m a child, they won’t hurt me. He takes another step that has my knuckles turning white from the force of my grip on the dagger.
My gods, he is enormous. Bigger than the Commander. He’s closing in on at least seven feet. His arms are wider than my waist. His muscles are clearly defined. Hell, I think he’s all muscle. I gaze at his face and suck in a breath at the thick scar going across his neck. It looks like someone tried to cut his head off.
My left hand grabs my neck as I stare at that scar. It has to be at least four inches wide and stretches all of the way across his neck, from ear to ear. How could someone survive something like that?
His massive hands, that could pop my head like a grape, come up in a surrender pose. He's taking another step forward. My eyes flick to his face, and I step backward. His eyes are as dark as night, and his bald head shines in the moon’s green glow.
“Are you all alone?” His voice is a stark contrast to his appearance. It’s soft and low, even a little sweet.
Am I alone? My eyes narrow. What does he take me for, a fool? I might possibly be stupid when it comes to this world’s ins and outs, but I’m not that damn stupid.