Breathing Fire: The Endless Journey

Trust No One

We trudged for what seemed like hours in the darkness. The wind rustled through the trees and my ears picked up the distant howls of the predators of the night.  "Where exactly are we going?" I huffed.  He didn't turn or change his stride, but simply threw over his shoulder, "I'm sorry, has m'lady's feet grown weary? Shall I call for a coach?"

"Aye, they have, Great Hunter, please bend to care for them, and please pick up your manners, they are right next to your dignity on the floor," I sang sweetly. He stopped abruptly and it was all I could do not to run into him.  He turned on his heel and our chests were barely an inch apart. I did not step back, I refused to back down to this man.

"I am not a Hunter," he hissed as he leaned in closely. He bent down, cupping my face, in his strong, rough hand, pulling it up so that there was no escaping his gaze. "Do not call me that again." His breath tickled my face, and the scent of mint filled my nose.  "Then what, pray tell, should I call you?" I said. He cocked his head, thinking. Returning his gaze to mine he said, "Tor. You may call me Tor." he dropped his hand and turned, continuing forward.

We continued walking in silence. The cold air had been nipping at my nose and cheeks, causing them to be stiff with cold, much like my fingers and toes, both of which I had lost feeling in some time ago. In the distance, I could see a shack crawling into view. Not a shack, I realized as the building came closer and more focused, a cabin. The outside looked as though it hadn't seen an owner for quite some time.  Tor opened the door, it squeaked as he held it open for me, gesturing for me to walk inside.

Hmm. Perhaps he has manners after all.

Inside I could see even less than I could outside. I raised my hand and let fire dance on my finger tips as I walked further inside. Seeing a hearth, I sent the flames to the logs inside. Like the logs in the hearth, everything in the small cabin seemed prepped and readied for travelers. The bed was made, dishes sat tucked away nicely on a shelf, and a comfy chair sat by the fire, inviting any weary traveler to sit and rest his feet.

Tor sat his sac down on the table and began to take off his cloak and outer knives and  his quiver and bow, resting them on the table carefully, as if they were his children. His eyes met mine expectantly. I made a face, but sat down my sac and took off  my cloak, but I left my throwing knives in place, meeting his eyes as I did so, making a point. He raised his eyebrow, but said nothing.  "How did you know of this place?" I asked, hoping to get some answers as much as breaking the tense silence. He shrugged, "I found it some years ago. It was long since abandoned by what I assume where Hunters. It suited my needs so I fixed it up." He sat down at the foot of the bed and began sharpening one of his daggers. I sat at the chair by the fire, stretching my toes towards it, but I kept my guard up. "Is this your home?" I asked, curious. The rhythmic sound of his wet stone faltered briefly.  "No," was all he said.

I made a face, still curious. "Then what did you need this cabin for? It's in the middle of The Forrest, at the base of the Khantin Mountains. Hunters, sheans, drougah, dragons, and other dreadful creatures roam here. This is not the most lovely of vacation spots," I pursued. "I offered my knowledge of this place, not my reasoning," he retorted. Silence encased us. I could feel his gaze on me, but I kept mine on the fire. Mistrust boiled in my belly. The wet stone continued again, but my muscles remained tense, ready to flee at the first sign of danger. "Besides," he offered, "I told you I am here to help, and a man is only as good as his word, is he not?" I humphed. Questions buzzed around my head, I opened my mouth to let a few escape to provide my poor head some relief and hopefully answers. "How do you know who I am? And more importantly, why did you follow me?" He bent his head, trying to hide a snicker that I caught.

"A peasant girl with a unique ability the Prophesy for told of, stolen from her mother's arms at a tender age, raised behind a stone wall to be the wife of the King's son, trained by the Master to be the world's greatest war machine. Hardly a story I would want to miss," he said with a smirk. "That answers nothing! All that tells me is you know the story most don't! Care to share how you learned about the King's secret?" I angrily spat. Cockiness flashed in his eyes.

"Aye, secrets. The world's most valuable currency. Many secrets can be bought, even yours. At a price of course," he said, not looking up from his work. "How much did mine cost, exactly?" I asked, insistent. "Ahhh coin could not buy yours. Only a life," he answered. Puzzled, I continued, "Murder you mean." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Plain and simple. The King would slaughter any who knew of me and my true purpose of being in the castle. "Not yet," he said as he examined his knife in the fire light. His eyes met mine and I looked down.

I should have known.

I jumped up, seizing my knife as I did so. He didn't move, only chuckled. "No need for that, princess. Now go, there is a washroom in there," he pointed to a door that hung slightly crooked just opposite of the bed. "Wash yourself and come rest on the bed when you're done. I'll take the first watch."
I glanced down at the bed. "You don't seriously expect me to sleep with you here?"

He was on me in an instant, holding the front of my tunic, pulling me closer. "I should expect you not to rest when in my bed," he whispered with a laugh. My face flushed, but I stood my ground. He let go and moved to the chair, dismissing me. I humphed and entered through the crooked door.

Inside, I began taking my tunic off. I looked into what was once probably a mirror. Dusty and slightly warped, my features still were defined clearly in the image before me. Green eyes shone back at me intensely. I blinked and my long lashes fluttered down to my rosy cheeks. I parted my plump red lips as I began brushing my long, blonde hair. I was certainly fair enough to be royal. My features were more striking with my angled eyebrows and sharp cheek bones than they were beautiful. It was hard to go unnoticed. I shimmied out of my trousers that clung to my curvy form. Strong, but curvy. I always envied the women warriors who had tight, straight limbs that accented their strength.

I sighed. Not everyone can be beautiful, otherwise there wouldn't be beautiful people. I braided my long hair back and grabbed a wash cloth from the wash bin. I cleaned the essentials, taking care to clean the blood from my nails. I inwardly cringed at the memory.

Cold night air rushed at me. My timing had to be perfect, otherwise this wouldn't work. I had done this multiple times before, but this time I didn't want to be caught. This time I would not return shame faced and shackled, dragged in for another beating from Master. I looked up. There. The guards changed and I ran up the wall, careful to keep my sac from clinking too much. I ran across the small walkway and jumped over the wall. Transitioning into my beastly form before the impact. Bam! I hit the ground, louder than I meant to. A guard ran to my position. I knew he would catch me. I hid behind the lip of the wall and waited. He rounded the corner and I plunged the knife deep into his neck. Blood spurted out and he struggled for breath. "Shhhhh," I said. "The King mustn't know. I'm sorry. I'm sorry" "F-F-Fi...F-Firera....?" He stuttered. Fear filled his eyes. As did most of the eyes of those who saw me in my beastly form. A sob caught in my throat, he was one of the guardsman I had trained with in the past. Regret entered my mind, but the voice of reason told me that I could not trust anyone ...even... I looked down. I couldn't even trust Brahm, the man I had just sunk my knife into. His eyes rolled back. I held him as the last of his life drained out. I stood up, taking his dagger with me.
No time for tears. I thought as I ran through the streets, keeping the hood of my cloak down and transitioning back into my human form. I ran hard, knowing it would take all night and all the next day to reach the Forest.

I gasped. The memory brought tears to my eyes and a knot to my tight throat. A single tear ran down my cheek as I thought of Brahm. So nice. Innocent. Young.
You can't trust anyone. A voice whispered in my head. No one.