Untamed

Chapter 3

(ELAINE)

I knew I was a complete mess. My eyes would be puffy and bloodshot from all of my crying last night. I wiped the sleep out of them and tried to pinch my cheeks. I didn't want to come out in front of all of his men and look like I had spent most of the night crying. Ben had avoided me last night and that suited me just fine. I was glad that he let me have the tent to myself for the night. The privacy was much needed for me to cry in peace. I didn't want to talk to him or get to know him I didn't care about his favorite color or his childhood experiences. He didn't deserve for me to get to know him.

When I climbed out of my small tent that Ben had created for me I was presented with a plate of food. There was some sort of meat as well as a piece of bread. Looking at it made my stomach turn. I couldn't eat when I felt like this. I held the plate at arm's length trying not to smell it as I made my way over to the small fire that was dying out. Dumping the food on top of the fire would be a waste but I was extremely tempted to do so.

The men were sitting around the fire eating their breakfast. It looked as though most of the camp had already been packed. I sat down with my plate in my lap trying to figure out what to do with it. The man sitting next to me inched away and a new person took his place. Ben was the one who sat down next to me. I kept my gaze forward refusing to look at him. He sighed and grabbed my chin turning my head so I had to look at him. I did my best to fight him but it was no use. He took in my tired looking appearance before he spoke.

"Good morning." he said cheerfully. When he noticed my mood was less than cheerful he continued. "I'm sorry about yesterday." He said and I didn't reply. All of his men that were sitting around us slowly shifted away. Many of them eased up to their feet and walked away so we could have some privacy. "I shouldn't have kissed you like that in front of your family." Ben said.

I was shocked that he would apologize. No man had ever been weak enough to apologize to me. "No. You shouldn't have." I croaked with a dry throat as I shook out of his hand that was holding my head in place so he could look at me. I should have been grateful that all he had done was kiss me. According to the law he would have had every right to do much worse to me now that we were married.

"Will you please forgive me?" he asked sincerely. I was shocked. The men I had been around never apologized for anything. And they never asked for forgiveness.

"I'll think about it." I said then I set my plate in his lap and went to gather my things. He was tearing into the bread while he watched me pack up my bed roll.

§

(BEN)

Elaine hadn't eaten all day and Ben was beginning to worry about her. After they had left camp she was silent. All traces of the angry woman from before were gone. She was just a shell of the person he had met earlier. She looked broken and exhausted. Ben wanted to talk to her but she refused to speak. The only thing that broke the silence was the hooves of the horses as they walked and the quiet murmur of voices from his men.

Ben slowed the pace of his horse to match hers holding out an apple in his hand. She looked at the fruit and shook her head. Then she ignored him and turned back to the road in that annoying way of hers.

"You need to eat something." He insisted.

"I am not hungry." was her reply.

"Come on Ellie are you trying to starve yourself to death to get out of this marriage contract?"

She glared at him when he called her Ellie. Then she refused to speak to him. Ben sighed. It was going to be a long day.

After riding for a while they stopped to water the horses. Ben kept an eye on Elaine as she went to the water's edge and knelt down. He inched closer in fear that she might try to drown herself. He could imagine her jumping into the water and swimming away. The river was swift and she would be able to get away quickly. She scooped up the water to splash it on her face washing away the grime from traveling. She kept her back to him as she washed up to her elbows then using a cloth wiped the back of her neck. Then she sat on a rock and waited for the men to water the horses. While the horses were drinking their fill Ben went to sit down next to Elaine. He couldn't help but notice her stiffen at the close proximity.