The Wild Hunt (Part One)

The Wild Hunt

I stumbled after Kona through the Miran forest. I've seen paintings of the forest, topographical maps of it but never had I ever set foot in it, let alone outside the palace. It was a strange, frightening and beautiful place.

"Don't touch that," Kona warned, slapping my hand away from a budding, white flower.

"Why?" I asked, studying the big, curved petals and fuzzy yellow center. Aside from the odor emitting out of it, it looked pretty.

He continued forward, stepping over a fallen tree trunk. Half of it had sunk into the ground and bright green moss grew atop it. There were more white flowers sprouting around its hallowed base.

"Miter-kwan. It's a sleep inducing plant. That odor you smell induces it's victims to sleep on their petals and when they no longer move, the flower curls in on itself and it's yellow center acts like teeth and eats the flesh. The Tewase grind up the petals and coat their arrows with it. It's potent enough to slow down even the biggest of men."

I looked down at the fragile, thin petals and was in awe of its strength. Even the smallest of things could be the deadliest.

Kona was already a tree length away from me and I hurried over the sunken trunk to catch up to him. His long, muscular legs moved swiftly and knowingly through and across the forest floor. His bare feet avoided upturned roots and jagged rocks. While I on the other hand stepped on uneven stones, thorny plants and had tripped at least three times on snaking roots. My feet hurt so bad and I've managed to always be a pace behind Kona because of the it.

"W-wait... Kona. Wait, I can't-"

He stopped and turned around. I almost stumbled into him but caught myself, grabbing a hold of a hanging tree limb to steady myself.

"You stop, you die."

His words were cold, blunt. There wasn't an ounce of humor in his eyes as he stared down at me. I didn't want to die but if I kept walking any longer my feet would become an even bigger problem. I only needed to rest for a few minutes. A few minutes couldn't possibly result in immediate death.

"It's my feet. I... I can't walk any longer. I need to rest them. Please." I winced as pain shot up the heel of the foot I injured last night. I shifted my weight onto my other foot and felt a similar pain shoot up that one.

Kona sighed and looked around us. "There isn't anywhere to sit. I think there's a river a little ways up. Can you walk another fifteen, maybe twenty feet more?"

I blanched. That was too far of a walk. It felt like my feet might fall of if I even stepped another three feet. I shook my head.

"Wah-ye, help me. Alright, then. I'm just gonna have to carry you."

This time I blushed. "C-carry me? Why can't I just sit here on the ground? It's only for a few minutes. This is unecessary. Kona. Kona... Kona, no- eeek!"

He scooped me up into his arms and I writhed in his grasp.

"Fine." He let go and I fell to the ground. I grunted as my hip met the solid earth.

"Why did you drop me?" I snapped, staring daggers at him.

He stood above me with his hands on his hips. His silver hair emitted a cloudy colored halo around his head. He looked ethereal. Even if he had a smug look on his face.

"Not too happy to be carried princess, eh?"

I flinched at the word. I knew he didn't know the truth he spoke but it still didn't sit right with me being teased in that way. I was no longer that helpless princess. I didn't need anyone to cater to me. I had to learn how to live on my own. Do things myself. Endure hardships by myself.