The Bridal Hunt

by Lynn, Jeanette

  I dusted myself off and took off running, my legs pumping, heart racing as I hauled ass out of there.

  I have no idea where, exactly, I'm going, but the further away from them, the better.

  A shout sounded by the hut they'd deemed mine and I tried to pick up my pace, weaving between structures as I sped past.

  Run! Run! Run!

  I saw houses/hutches lighting up like little dots, resembling Christmas lights in the distance as Kirch's very distinct roar echoed throughout the cold night air.

  Ohhh...

  I winced

  He sounds mad.

  I hit the woods and despite the deep dark of the night, I kept going, preferring to face the unknowns of the forest alone and unarmed, as opposed to a really pissed off Kirch.

  I don't know what direction I'm going in or anything, I just keep running, only stopping long enough to catch my breath when I feel too winded.

  Then I start right back up again and forge ahead.

  Gotta keep going... gotta keep going...

  The scenery started to change slightly and I saw a break in the trees.

  I saw a bunch of rocks and changed my direction slightly, heading that way instead, in hopes that the rocks might lead home.

  "Oh, my god! Oh, Please be close! Please be close!"

  They look just like the rock formations we went through to get here! I thought excitedly.

  I jumped when I heard a loud bellow, then another one in response.

  Shit! Shit! Shit!

  They're close!

  Shit!!!

  I saw what looked like a small opening between two of the rocks and slipped inside, elated, feeling my way around in the darkness as a blast of warm air hit me.

  Not a beastie sized hole, I thought with some relief.

  I doubt any of them could squeeze their overgrown asses in here.

  I followed it slowly, waiting until I was far enough inside the tunnel I was treading to light my candle.

  I glanced around, taking in the tunnels that weaved in an out, all seeming as if they led back to this one main room.

  Hmm... eenie, meanie, miny moe...

  I followed the one with the warm air coming from it, gasping in surprise when I found a large pool of water with warm steam wafting up from it.

  A hot spring!

  I walked over and eyed the water dubiously, checking to see what it was like, pleased when I discovered it was clear on the bottom, no creepy crawlies, beasties, or slithery things in sight.

  I glanced back over my shoulder and let out a breath of relief.

  "Unless they have any abominables in a mini version, they aint gettin' in here."

  Safe... at least for now...

  I debated for the longest time, then settled on washing my face and hands in the warm water, not ready to push my luck, just in case they had another way in.

  Looking around, I found a nice spot that gave me a perfect view to the entrance of my hot springs cavern.

  I hunkered down next to a wall and blew out my candle, trying not to let the complete and utter darkness bother me as I tried to settle my jumbled nerves.

  I don't want to make it any easier for them to find me, after all, so no candles for me right now.

  My eyelids grew heavy as all the adrenaline from earlier leeched from my body, leaving me feeling tired and drained.

  Sleep took over and I let it, unable to fight the pull of it as I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  Chapter 5

  I woke up early the next morning, daylight peeking in from various holes in the top of the cave's ceiling.

  I stretched and shook myself, noting every crack and creak as my overtaxed body protested mutinously.

  Phew, looks like they don't have another way in...

  If they did, someone would have found me and grabbed me by now.

  I got up and took care of business, not very happy with having to relieve myself in a cave, but hey, a girls gotta do, what a girls gotta do.

  That taken care of, I decided to explore the tunnels, seeing where each one leads, careful to keep my steps light, just in case there was another entrance to the cave.

  A larger one appropriate for a snow beastie to fit through.

  I must have wondered for a couple of hours, checking out each and every pathway and cave room, before I came across another hot springs pool. It was closer to the one I had slept in, but this one was on the opposite side, hidden a little off to the side.

  "Wow," I whispered, whistling low.

  It was a humongous room, filled with small pools that fed water into one another.

  It kind of looked like a series of one man hot tubs.

  My stomach growled and I grimaced, wishing I'd somehow forgotten and shoved a candy bar or two into my jacket pockets. A packet of crackers... some beef jerky... good lord, I'm not picky... just about anything would do right now.

  Food and water, I thought drooling at the idea.

  I can dream, can't I?

  I eyed the water dubiously.

  Nope, I wouldn't even drink that stuff on a good day...

  I trudged on, ignoring my stomach's protests as the day wore on.

  I wonder what time it is.

  Probably closer to lunch... I thought a little tiredly, if the lethargy that wants to take over is something to go by.

  All I ate last night was soup. Not much to keep you going when you're on the run.

  I came across another cavern and just waltzed right in, momentarily distracted by the sparkly rocks all over the place, poking out from the walls.

  This cavern room was much smaller than the other one with one huge difference... this one was occupied.

  I gasped when I glimpsed an abominable wading around in the water, the water going up mid torso as he cupped some in his hands and splashed it over his chest, neck and face.

  I gasped again and stumbled back a little, smacking into the wall behind me as I tried to hurry out.

  The beast man swung his head around and spotted me, his crystal blue eyes piercing me as he gazed at me.

  He's much smaller than the other ones, I noted as we studied each other. He's less hairy too...

  My stomach chose that moment to protest, very loudly and I gulped and hugged the wall.

  He examined me from head to toe, a gleam entering his eyes as he watched me.

  I watched guardedly as he reached for his belt, which was closer to me than it was him.

  It could have food in it, I debated, eyeing it, and I'm much closer to it than he is...

  It might even have a weapon in it too... I could protect myself.

  Wait, a weapon? He could use it on me then!

  I scrambled over to it and snatched it up, turning to rush out of the room.

  He moved fast, grabbing my ankle when I would have turned, holding me in place as he started to get out of the water.

  I screamed and swung the belt at him, knocking him back in.

  He shook his head and gaped at me, stunned for a minute, looking at me with a funny expression.

  Hah! That's what you get for underestimating a girl, ya bastard!

  I scoffed and got up, clutching the belt to my chest.

  "Wait," he called out when I went to rush from the room.

  Yeah, sure, lemme think about that for a minute. Uhm, no!

  I ignored him and hurried out, breaking out into a run when I heard him splashing out of the water.

  I skidded around on the dirt in the cave as I tried to navigate my way back through the tunnels, to the smaller pockets I'd found when I'd explored earlier.

  No way could he squeeze through one of those.

  Crap! Crap! Crap!

  I'm too far from any of them at the moment and he'd surely catch up to me before I could reach any of them.

  Detour! I wanted to shout as I made my way over to another series of caves, looking for any kind of hiding place.

  This looks as good as any, I decided, trying get my ass to fit into a small tunnel tha
t led to another room.

  Or maybe not.

  One slight problem and I want to smack myself over it right now!

  I totally know how a certain loveable bear with a penchant for honey felt when he got stuck in the door to his buddy's house.

  My fat ass is the only part I'm having trouble with, I thought wiggling fiercely.

  Oh, please just let me get outta this alive and I swear I'll lose that ten pounds I'm always yammering about!

  An ominous growl rent the air and I panicked, pushing as hard as I could, tearing holes in my pant legs as I used them for leverage, scraping my knees and my thighs in my struggles.

  Gah!

  Go! Go! Go!

  A hand came over my ass and I shrieked, bucking and jerking my hips.

  I kicked my legs out when he gripped my thighs in both of his warm, large hands and was rewarded with a pain filled grunt, his hands immediately disappearing.

  Like a cork popping off a bottle, I shot forward and fell through the little cave entrance with a plop, sliding across the dirt.

  "I made it!" I crowed, rolling onto my back, fist pumping the air, staring up at the ceiling as I took a moment for myself.

  There was a bit more grunting from the beast man's side of the rock wall and then I saw a face peer in from the hole I'd just popped through.

  "Good luck getting in here, ass wipe," I taunted, grinning at him, sitting up as I remembered his belt and picked it up, testing the weight in my hands.

  He frowned and raised a brow at me.

  He called something in his language, giving me a small smirk.

  Feeling triumphant and childish, I flipped him off and stuck my tongue out, irritated when he didn't seem upset by my actions, more like intrigued.

  Curious.

  He just continued to watch me as he peered in through the hole.

  Weird.

  I frowned, a little disconcerted by his steady regard.

  I turned my back on him and proceeded to rifle through his stuff, finding very little of interest.

  Peeking over my shoulder ever so often, I caught the tail end when his head disappeared and his footsteps followed, letting me know he was stepping away for a bit.

  I'm not dumb enough to think he would actually just leave me or anything. He's probably just waiting me out, biding his time until I mess up.

  "Jackpot," I whispered, sighing when I found a pouch full of dried meat, some type of cracker like bread and dried fruit.

  I skipped the meat, still unsure about where, exactly, they get theirs from.

  I ate a few bites of the fruit, then thought better of it, setting it aside so I'd have food to eat later.

  ****

  A few hours, maybe longer, must have passed, making me restless and hungry again.

  I haven't heard any noise outside of my little cozy cave hideaway, but that doesn't mean he's gone.

  I hummed to myself, playing my own makeshift game of marbles with some round, gemlike stones, of which I'd found in one of the belt's pouches, to pass the time, ignoring my stomach until one too many hunger pains nagged at me and I had to relent.

  I hated to see my food go, I need to make this shit last, so I pulled out a piece of the cracker bread, my last for today, and chewed on it, deciding that would just have to be enough, nosing around in the rest of the blue eyed beastie's belt's other pouches.

  Hmmm... He really likes these gem dealies, I thought holding one out in my hand, examining it. He's got two pouches full of them.

  The cracker was kind of dry and stale, hard and salty. I started to choke on it as it made its way down, coughing a little when it tried to stick to my dry throat.

  My eyes started watering and I blinked rapidly, coughing a bit more.

  There was a loud thump as I rubbed at my eyes, trying to clear them as I coughed and sputtered.

  If I could have, I would have screamed when a hand came down to pound gently on my back, a squishy pouch thrust into my hands.

  I tried to roll away, but large hands plopped me into a fur lined lap and a bit of water met my lips.

  I grabbed at it, washing the stale cracker down, drinking more once the coughing ceased, stopping only long enough to catch my breath in between gulps.

  "Not too much."

  I jerked at the voice, springing up, stumbling over the belt.

  Wide eyed, I stared at the blue eyed beastie who'd been chasing me, trying not to panic.

  "How... hhow did y... you get in here?" I stuttered, wiping at the droplets of water on my face.

  He was momentarily distracted, his eyes tracking my fingers as I wiped at my lips.

  He glanced up at my face again and leaned forward, angling his body towards mine.

  There was a loud noise and then I looked up, seeing a man beastie peering over a lip on the very top of the cave I was in.

  The blue eyed beastie looked up and started talking with the other one. Their voices echoed in the cave and I took a chance, inching towards my original entrance.

  I dove, wiggling back through the hole I'd originally used.

  The beastie from up top shouted something and I felt fingers hooking onto my legs.

  "NO!" I bellowed in rage, bruising my hips as I forced my way to the other side.

  The blue eyed beastie was shouting something from inside the cave, probably pissed that I'd gotten away.

  Boo hoo to him.

  There was no one guarding right here, the area appearing abandoned and I hoped like hell the momentary wash of relief that swept through me wasn't premature.

  They probably figured they'd get to me first, before I could try to leave again.

  Out of options and footsteps fast approaching, I took a chance and ran for the entrance to the cave, tracing back the same exact way I'd originally gotten in here in the first place.

  Desperate and determined not to get caught, I pressed on, pushing myself, even after I got ever closer to the exit and I still hadn't run into any of them.

  Shit! I spoke too soon!

  A large shape charged towards me, footsteps thumping, pounding loudly on the cave floor.

  I gave up all thoughts on being quiet, squealing when the blue eyed beastie came running from one of the other cave entrances, almost cutting me off.

  I zigged and zagged, avoiding him and the other white giant chasing me, dodging lunges and grabby hands.

  The small exit was within my sights and I pushed myself harder, telling myself that I still have a chance, I might still make it.

  I reached it, miraculously, and I didn't waste any time squeezing through it as I felt a hand grasp my jacket.

  I jerked and yanked, then flew forward, skidding on the ground as I landed on the other side.

  I spit dirt out of my mouth and pushed myself up a little, hauling myself up as I came eye to eye with someone's naked furry groin.

  "Ahhh!" I shrieked, rearing back.

  I blanched and fell back on my butt, crab walking as I looked up, up and up, into the very pissed off face of a hulking beastie.

  Uh oh...

  And I thought Kirch was big and scary...

  This one was much bigger than all the others, his icy white blue eyes like hard chips of glass as he gave me a vicious scowl.

  I gulped and tittered a little nervously, jumping when my back bumped into another pair of furry legs behind me.

  Two arms came up under my arm pits and hauled me up, plopping me on my feet as a group of scowling abominables surrounded me.

  The blue eyed bather from earlier came through the rocks and smirked at the older one, "Told ya I could get her to come out."

  My jaw dropped as he told this to the bigger male, self-assured cockiness dripping from him and in perfect English too!

  "You... Asshole!" I screeched indignantly, our audience momentarily forgotten as I launched myself at him and slapped at him, straddling his chest as I pummeled him, turning my slaps into hard punches.

  "You stupid! Arrogant... cocky," I yelled and screamed
between slaps and punches, while he tried to defend himself without fighting back, shielding his body with his arms and hands as he chuckled at me, unperturbed by my assault.

  "Release me, you lummox!" I hollered as someone picked me up by the waist, effectively separating me from my target.

  I flailed, leaning forward to claw at the blue eyed asshole.

  He leaned back the tiniest bit, getting a round of laughter from the other males for his flinch.

  "I hate you!" I pointed accusingly at the instigator in my return to snow beast bridal camp hell.

  The blue eyed bather looked taken aback by the venom in my voice, his expression a little surprised now as I lambasted him.

  Why is this surprising?! I mean, really? I'd like to fuckin' know!!!

  One of the other males said something to him that had his face turning sour, flushing as he got up, the other males around him slapping him on the back and laughing uproariously.

  Looks like someone's getting teased... and doesn't like it very much, I thought and snorted at him.

  Good! He deserves it!

  The massive giant who held me turned me around in his arms so I faced him, looking at me curiously as I matched him stare for stare, legs swinging uselessly as he held me aloft, holding me up and out like I weighed nothing.

  Judging by the breadth and width of him, all the muscles stacked upon muscles he was carrying, I'd say I probably didn't weigh anything to him.

  ...at all...

  This dude is huge.

  Despite his size, demeanor and permanent scowl, there was no menace coming from him, just an intense sense of curiosity, nothing that truly gave me real pause or scared the ever loving out of me and it emboldened me.

  "What are you lookin' at?!" I sniped, crossing my arms over my chest.

  He just stood there staring at me, studying me, like I was a freak in a sideshow, holding me up.

  "Not... afraid?" His eyes roamed over me as he waited, sizing me up.

  "I'm too stupid, pissed off, tired and stubborn at the moment to be afraid," I muttered, coughing into my hand to cover it up.

  The blue eyed beastie chortled behind me, getting a death glare when my gaze whipped around towards his.