The Exiled Huntress

Chapter 3: A Realm of Thorns

"Drúa! What are we doing here? This place is forbidden!" Rümvo cried to her drükken who was trying to catch her breath before responding with a snort and a roll of it's four eyes.

Has that ever stopped us? the drükken seemed to say, guiding her through a large corridor that seemed to take her deeper into the forbidden castle. Rümvo wrapped her arms around her already fur covered self, trying to dispel the cold that had seeped into her bones.

"Where are we going Drúa?" Rümvo said. Her drükken didn't answer but stopped at the end of the corridor. A soft gasp escaped her lips at what she saw. In the center of the room was nothing she had ever seen before. A circle glowed, inside she could see the stars that glowed above her world. The hairs on her arms stood at the power the pulsed from the circle.

"What is this place?" she spoke, wonder coating her usually stern voice. Rümvo clutched the furs of her coat tightly around her well fit frame.

The drükken gave a snort, fumes coming from her four nostrils. Ren, unprepared for what her drükken was about to do, screamed when she was suddenly thrown inside the circle if light. How could she? How could Drúa do this to her? Her eyes shut as she prepared herself for her life to be extinguished. However she landed on hard ground, the air had been forced out of her lungs while pricks of pain pierced her skin. The fur of her clothes provided some protection against the thorns. Rümvo's eyes parted open expecting to see darkness, instead she saw a sky so blue that it reminded her of the flowers that her father used to grow just outside their home before his death.

"Holy shit, are you okay?" a deep voice said before her. Her eyes darted to a strange creature before her who also spoke a language she had never heard but seemed to understand. Instinctively she sized up the creature before her. It looked similar to males from her homeland. It lacked however, facial hair and it had a strange object over it's face. It's eyes, which laid beneath the strange object, were the brightest blue color. Like the sky from this strange world. Her fingers clenched the handle of her blade, ignoring the pain that emanated from her arm. She sprung into action, knocking the creature on its back, placing the blade to it's throat, "Who and what are you and where am I?!" Rümvo growled.

The creatures eyes widened with fear, raising it's hands above his head, "How about we take this inside? We both could be more comfortable if we had a place to sit and food to eat."

At the mention of food her stomach growled, a noise clear to both of them, "Fine," she said gruffly, "But don't get any ideas of running away."

Charles
He couldn't believe he was a prisoner in his own home. Much less believe that his "captor" was a strange looking woman who was definitely rocking the cave woman look. Dark fur covered her body save for her arms and legs and a hint of the abundant cleavage. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of dark chocolate which blended well with her copper hair. Yet she as scary as a bear, holding a knife to his back. Charles wasn't overly fond of violence but in this case he wasn't sure if he should act as a man or a scared little boy who was about to wet his pants.

"So ugh, what would you like to eat?" he said, trying to make light of the situation as he made his way inside his house through the back door.

Call 911, he thought, maybe they'll help with the cave lady.

"What do you have," the woman said roughly, the blade poking the lower part of his spine.

"I can make you a PB & J sandwich?" Charles said nervously as he opened the fridge to take out the jar of jelly.

"What is that?" she said.

A gasp went past his lips as he turned around to face her, "You mean you've never tried PB&J?"

The woman's dark eyes settled on his features with such intensity it made him blush, "I'll make you one, just sit on the stool," he murmured as he grabbed a few slices of bread.

He felt the woman's gaze on him as he made her a sandwich, "So uh, where you from?" Charles said nervously. He wanted to appear confident and tough but the slight squeak in his voice betrayed him.

"I am from Iürus," the woman said, her fingers shaking, "I was being hunted down by the royal guard when Drúa threw me into the portal."

"Who's Drúa?" he said as he placed a plate in front of her with a PB&J sandwich.

"She's my drükken."

Charles was confused, he wasn't sure if he should call the police or the hospital, "I think you must've hit your head harder than you thought."

A loud bang against the counter startled him, "I am not crazy!" the woman scowled, "I came to this strange portal with no clue of what lays here!" The woman's features showed anger, but her eyes portrayed frustration and something else that he recognized in his own eyes when he looked in the mirror.

Vulnerability.

*****
She couldn't take it anymore, this man was kind and by being in front of her, he made her realize that she could never go home. When Rümvo had fallen through the portal it had closed behind her as if it had never existed.

Now she could only do what she hadn't done since the death of her father.

She cried.