The Exiles (Book 1 of the Exiles Series)

Three

It wasn't long before Nicole returned. Just like she had promised, Nicole was home before sunset--shadows were just starting to fall, the sky turning gold. She hurried through the door in one piece, still holding her treasured bow and only a few less arrows.

When I had arrived home after meeting Magnus, I crashed on the bed and covered myself up like I had been laying still for hours. I had a feeling that Nicole would not be happy with me if she found out I had left bed against her orders. Something told me an angry Nicole was not a pretty sight.

"How was hunting?" I asked Nicole when she entered the house. She looked exhausted. Sweat dripped down her forehead, mingling with the leaves and twigs that covered her hair and pants. She breathed in quick gasps, her face red. But she looked happy. Nicole crashed on her bed and sat cross-legged from me.

"It was good," she smiled. "What did you do while I was gone?" My heart fluttered in my chest. There was no way she could have known what I did, right?

"Not much," I lied, my words coming out quick. But Nicole was too good. I could tell by the look on her face that she knew something was up. I tried to avert my eyes without appearing too suspicious, but my eyes could only seem to focus on the floor.

"Talia," Nicole said, her face stern, disapproving, "I'm can tell you're hiding something. Did you go outside? Just tell me, it'll be quick and painless if you do now." Reluctantly, I nodded. Nicole looked disappointed, but not surprised.

"Talia," she began. "I could tell the first time I met you that you're...different. Around here, different isn't exactly tolerated. You'll get yourself killed if you do something to upset anyone. Killed. This place may seem nice, but it can be dangerous. The people here can be dangerous. Do you understand?" I could tell she was was dead serious, so I nodded.

"Good." She seemed satisfied. Nicole seemed to be top dog around here, so I had to be extra careful around her, or else risk punishment. It did occur to me, though, that I had no idea what that punishment was.

"Here, I have something to show you," Nicole told me, suddenly happier. She sprang up from bed and darted for the door.

"C'mon." I stood up slowly and followed Nicole to the exit, suddenly curious.

"Why can't you bring it in here?" I asked her. "Aren't I supposed to stay in bed?" Nicole shot me a sly smile. "You'd better watch out," she teased. She threw the door open and we both darted outside.

A large, furry mass of creature lay outside the door. For a split second, I was afraid it was another spider. Nicole chuckled when she saw my reaction. "It's not a spider," Nicole reassured me, sashaying toward the creature. She kicked it with her beat up boot. "And anyways, it's dead."

Once I was sure of what Nicole had told me, I tiptoed over to where she stood. "What the heck is that?" I asked Nicole.

Nicole knelt next to the creature. "It's a bison," explained Nicole. "Herds of 'em live all over the island, though I can't say it's natural."

I gaped, focused on only one part of her explanation. "You carried a whole bison here?!" I gasped. According to my memory, bisons were huge. I couldn't see how Nicole, even though she was strong, could have dragged a whole bison all that way.

Nicole shook her head. "No, I cut it up after I shot it down," she explained. "I only lugged back the good stuff." She winked. "I highly doubt you would want to watch me strip the guts out." I shrugged, though my stomach flipped a little.

"So, are you in the mood for bison tonight?" asked Nicole. She unearthed a huge chunk of meat from inside the carcass. I wasn't exactly hungry once I saw the bloody hunk of animal that would be our supper, but I didn't want to hurt Nicole's feelings by saying no, after all the hard work she had done to bring it here, so I nodded.

She glanced nervously at the sky. "We'd better hurry," urged Nicole. "It's not wise to stay out here at night." It was just a guess, but I had a feeling there were more spiders and other disturbing oddities out at night.

Twenty minutes later, Nicole and I sat around a roaring fire eating warm pieces of roasted meat. It was delicious. The meat was tender and juicy and cooked to a flawless medium-well done. I devoured it in seconds, just in the nick of time. The sky had turned crimson while we were eating, and Nicole kept glancing around nervously. "We should go inside," Nicole told me when she was finished. I nodded. I did not want to meet my doom--again.

The fire finally died down, and we hurried inside. It was getting so dark that we had to light the lantern on the chest just to see our own hands in front of our faces.

Nicole tossed her bow and arrows into the chest, and fished out a leather tunic that looked a bit too small for her. "I'll make you your own pajamas tomorrow," Nicole told me. "I know leather isn't the most comfortable material to wear, but it's all we've got."

Nicole was right. The nightshirt was stiff, like cardboard, probably dried out from the sun. It wasn't even warm. Although I was covered beneath some of Nicole's quilts, (which appeared to be made of thick animal fur) gooseflesh rose on my arms. A strong draft crept beneath the door and scattered throughout the room. I couldn't imagine how cold it would be in this house during the winter. A thought crossed my mind: Would I be here in the winter? I realized that I didn't know how long I was going to be in this place.

Nicole blew out the lamp and lay down. "Tomorrow, you're going to come outside with me," Nicole told me drowsily, her words interrupted by a yawn. "I think you're healed enough to go on a little adventure." At these words, my ears perked up, erasing all immediate desires for slumber.

"Where are we going to go?" I asked Nicole. She yawned and turned away from me, settling in for the night.

"To the Center," she murmured. "It's like the gathering place of the island. I'll introduce you to some of my friends. You'll like it."

The wind howled outside. I shivered and buried myself further beneath my blankets.

"Sounds fun," I muttered, but my thoughts were suddenly elsewhere. A little bit of excitement fluttered inside of me. Maybe Magnus would be at the Center. If I was lucky, maybe Nicole would let Magnus and I have some alone time. I had momentarily forgotten about our conversation earlier that day.

Once I heard Nicole's soft breathing, I turned on my side and closed my eyes. Despite the wind outside and the faint screeching of a faraway spider, thoughts of tomorrow lulled me to sleep. For the first time since I had arrived here, I actually felt happy. I couldn't wait for tomorrow. Images of Magnus flooded my brain. I'm almost certain I fell asleep with a smile on my face.