by J. Todd
Chapter Two
I was away from the cavern for about an hour. When I came back there were two creatures sniffing about. I had no recourse but to deal with them. I did not want them to die close to the cavern. So, I showed myself to them and sprinted off. The monsters followed me and I ran for a fair distance. I unslung my bow and pulled an arrow from the quiver as I ran. I sprinted for a clearing I knew and gaining it I spun and loosed an arrow at the lead beast. It fell dead, the arrow through the heart. These creatures were more wolf-like but with one hell of a twist.
They had fangs the size of my hand and rat tails, horns protruded from their heads. I turned and ran to the other side of the clearing. The second creature chased after me. I ran until I got to the other end of the clearing pulled an arrow from my quiver again. Again I spun but this time I could not shoot the creature. It got me first. I barely got my bow up against its throat as it bore me to the ground under its weight. It snapped and growled at me over the bow.
I could barely hold him off. Using one hand to hold the bow at the creature’s throat I groped for the arrow I dropped. I felt it, grasping it I thrust it up into the monster's eye. Letting go of my bow I reached up and grasped the arrow with my other hand to thrust it farther into it’s head. Its jaws snapped onto that arm and he began thrashing his head back and forth. I Held onto the arrow and continued to push it deeper into its eye. Finally I heard the wet snick of it enter the brain the creature stilled, stiffened and collapsed upon me. I pushed and clawed the creature off of me. Grabbing my bow, I began the trek back to the cavern.
I remember little of the walk to the cavern. I just know I had somehow walked there on my own. The creature had poisonous bite. It had festered within the time I was bitten until I reached the cavern. I slipped into the cavern and there was Arian, sitting waiting for me to return. I walked a few feet towards him and then I fell to my knees. Arian looked at me, I smiled wanly. He looked at my arm and went to get the emergency kit. Now both of us were wounded. His wounds were only partially healed and mine were fresh. He pulled out the same things I had the day before. I waited while he boiled water and cut away my sleeve, showing the bite. It did not look like I needed stitches.
"No stitches, I think." I whispered hoarsely. He nodded. Carefully he dipped some of the bandages into the water and cleaned my wound as carefully as I did his. He grabbed some other bandages. "No." I said. "I think I have poison running through my body." I pointed to another satchel. "There is emergency poultices in there. You need to get the green one. Make a poultice of the herbs there and put it onto my arm then wrap it. The poultice will draw out the poison." My voice got weaker. I looked up into his eyes hoping he knew what I wanted him to do.
He looked me in the eyes and nodded. I blinked and continued to stare, his eyes were beautiful. Bright silver like his hair, he was beautiful. I think I passed out, I just do not know what happened. I still am unsure of how long I was out. Arian took care of me. If he was truly a monster then I would have been dead. Instead he did everything I had. He cooked broth for both of us, cleaned and took care of both our wounds. He even cleaned the cavern everyday as I had. I slept through all of this.
When I woke I was unsure of where I was at first. Job hazard, after all I never stayed in any place too long. I looked around and found my head in Arian's lap. I looked up at him and he was sleeping with his head hanging down. I smiled up at him, deciding he was not a monster, just someone who was a little lost.
I guess I shifted enough it woke him up. He opened his eyes and saw me looking up at him. I was still smiling, so he smiled too. He then lowered his head to mine. At first I thought he was going to kiss me, but he simply placed his forehead on mine. I wondered what he was doing. When he raised his head he looked me in the eyes.
"What did you do that for?" I whispered blushing. He just stared at me. I tried to sit up. My limbs all felt boneless. I collapsed back onto his lap. He frowned at me. "I need to get moving. We have been here too long." I said. He shook his head. I sighed and decided one more day wouldn't hurt. Unfortunately, that one day lasted three more.
During those three days we began to know one another. Although it was hard for me to understand who he was as he did not talk. I could tell his emotions by the way he moved and his expressions. He and I stayed in that cavern until his wounds were well on the way to healing. Mine were almost healed as well. I think I was definitely unconscious for a decent time to heal. The poison must have done something to my system to shut it down so. I had never fought creatures like those and I really needed to tell the people about them.
Finally, both of us were healed enough to travel safely. I lead the way. Sprinting through the forest with Arian behind me, at my back made me feel oddly at ease. I have never traveled with anyone, save the people I took to Sanctuary. Sanctuary was the town I had founded to keep people safe. I was their protector and their guide to survival.
We ran most of the day. He had stamina, I gave him that. No one else could ever keep up with me. I always had to slow down, to stop and let the people I helped rest. I knew then how he had gotten so far with those monsters at his heals. Arian could run.
We slowed at the edge of the clearing to Sanctuary. I waited until I was recognized.
"White Owl? Is that you girl?" A gruff voice said squinting into the gloom of the forest.
"Yes." I called back. "I have a friend with me, don't shoot him." I ordered. "He is a little different." I stepped out into the clearing with Arian at my side. He was only a head taller than me, but I am sure the old man standing guard at the edge only saw Arian as I had at first, beautiful and strange, monstrous. He was no longer dangerous to me and definitely not a monster.
"You bring one of those into our village?" The man asked.
"He is different, that is all." I answered. "I came to warn you of new creatures. I have never seen the like of them before. I believe Arian may know more, but he does not talk. I brought him to see the healing woman to see what she says." I did believed Auntie would help me discover the reason he did not talk.
The old man grumbled, but let us through. He would not have let anyone else through with such a stranger, which was my right. I had, after all, saved all of them from something more than once. I went to the center of the town and began to ring a bell I had placed there when I brought new people in. Auntie came running and grabbed me around my middle and squeezed me tightly against her. When she let me go she turned to the new person I had brought. She looked hard at Arian.
"His name is Arian, I gave him a name. He doesn't talk. I brought him to you to look at. I think you can help him." I explained. Others had come and were looking at Arian with hostile expressions. Auntie saw this and grabbed his hand. She pulled him towards her home. Arian looked at me. I nodded to him. "You will be safe with her." I told him. He followed Auntie.
"What the hell are you doing?" Shouted a woman.
"That was one of the monsters." Yelled a man.
"That is how it is? You save us to give us back to those things." Screamed a woman.
"I am myself, I follow no man's rules or laws. Show me the rules and laws that say I am your poppet to protect you folks and no others and I shall leave forever, never to help any of you again." I shouted. Silence followed. "I came to warn you of the newest monsters out in the forest. When you leave the safety of your town be careful. These are creatures even I have not seen before." I then told the town how I came upon Arian.
"These creatures are more dangerous than any sent out before." I finished. I turned and went to Auntie's home. There I found Auntie chattering to Arian. Arian looked up at me when I entered the house. "It feels like I have been gone for a long time." I grumbled as I threw myself down on a cot by the door. This cot was always reserved for me. I slept here when I was in the town.
"It has been a while. You were gone for about a month this time." Auntie chattered away. The once beautiful woman pulled aside the scarf that always hid her face from the public.
The scars there were from monsters. She always kept her face hidden when new people came. Until they were used to her ways she never showed her face to others. She did so now and waited for the intake of breath and sympathetic look from Arian. He looked at her with sorrow and nothing more. "Well." Auntie said. "I'll never..." She left the room and came back.
"Auntie, do you know why Arian can't talk?" I asked.
"Yes, sort of, he will tell you when he is ready. He isn't talking because he just is not ready to. He will in time." Auntie said. "I wouldn't keep him here though. He would be problematic to the town people." Auntie said.
"I know. We will go to my home. I need supplies. Can you spare old Martin to bring them to me?" I asked.
"I think I can." Auntie replied.
I sat up. "Then I will leave the details to you, Auntie." I said. Arian was next to me extending his hand to help me up. "I am not that old yet." I grumbled. Nonetheless I still took his hand. We left, I walked out and Arian followed. Auntie watched us cross the town square. The crowd had grown. but none said a word to me or Arian. At least they did not attack Arian either. I was, after all used to hearing their chatter and their laughter, their praise gone from my ears, I left Sanctuary for what I thought might be forever. The only town that had ever accepted me. Now I truly was a loner. I turned and looked at Auntie in the eyes as I got to the edge of the town. "Auntie!" I yelled. "I will be fine, don't worry." Then I did something no one there had ever seen me do. I smiled.
