Becoming Ambellina

Chapter 9

            It seemed like moments later I was awoken to a warm hand on my shoulder, squeezing it persistently.

            “Lena! Lena, wake up!” Teague’s voice shattered my blissful sleep into a million hopeless pieces, his words not quite making sense yet.

            “Come on! We have to leave right now,” His voice was shaky and I could tell it held a hint of fear. “Put these on.” He ordered.

            I took from him a pair of battered old leather moccasins and studied them briefly by the candlelight before shoving them on my feet. Wordlessly I shoved my head back into the parka/sweater and followed Teague towards the door, my brain finally beginning to work. How long had I slept?

            “Where’s Lark?” I asked, stopping by the door.

            “We’ll catch up with him.” He said.

            “What’s going on?”

            “They know you’re here.” He said darkly. “We have less time than we thought.” With that he took me by the elbow and pulled me into the darkness at a dead run. My body resisted every step, my muscles were aching and my head buzzing but I gave it everything I had, sprinting along with Teague. I didn’t want either of these boys hurt because of me.

            The two of us beat feet towards the tree line just beyond the beach, I wondered how on earth we would find Lark again. Just then, there was a flash in the sky above us. I looked up in time to see a huge pair of wings disappear over the trees. Next to me, Teague’s eyes glanced up for the briefest of seconds before darting nervously at me.

            Had I the breath to ask him what the hell that was, would he answer me truthfully or keep his words for himself?

            Instead of questioning the giant bird that I had noticed above us more than once now, I concentrated on placing my feet on the hard dirt trail and pushing through the discomfort of my protesting body. His hand slowly came off my elbow, as we both needed to be free to book it as fast as we could. I tried not to think of who could be hot on our trail, as fear seeped into the back of my mind. I hoped Lark was okay.

            Over the soft padding of our feet on the ground and our ragged breathing an eerie howl filled the dark night, and after it, two more sounded. Teague’s pace seemed to increase and a concentrated look bound up his usually childlike features. Suddenly we veered to the right, off the trail and further into the dense brush. Teague slowed down ever so slightly and I watched as he craned his neck to look behind us.  I followed his lead and turned around just in time to see a dark running figure just steps behind me. A scream started to form in my throat and my left foot came forward to meet a hard root. I felt myself falling forwards at an extremely high rate of speed and before I felt my sore bones crash against the forest floor a vice like grip grabbed me by the wrist. My arm yanked painfully in its socket and my body was flung around like a rag doll until I was facing my pursuer, who had me by the wrist.

            Lark’s golden green eyes met mine and the scream died on my lips. Instead, a shaky breath came out with a quiet squeak. He studied me for a moment, concern clouding his features. I tried to quiet the tremors that erupted from my core out to my limbs, but fear had grabbed me by the ankle, and I couldn’t quite shake it. I held Lark’s eye contact, trying to find solace. His hand still held my wrist, which was throbbing painfully, and he used it to pull me into him. His warm arms wrapped around my heaving form and I felt his whole body press against mine. He held me like that briefly, pulling my face into his chest. I instantly tensed against the contact, but something about the feel of his strong body against mine loosened my muscles and I felt my hands clinging to the fabric on his back. I felt him begin to release me and I stepped back. Lark’s hand never left my body, and as I turned around to look at Teague it moved from my back down my arm and gripped my hand. Human contact normally made me cringe, but something about his touch was exhilarating, and I let goose bumps erupt over my body as his hand held mine.

            Teague no longer stood beyond the two of us.

            “Where’s T….” I began to speak, but a calloused finger met my lips. I studied his face in the dim moonlight.

            He appeared to be listening intently for a moment, and then and his eyes met mine.  “Take off your shirt.” His voice was barely audible and I was sure I misheard him.

            I looked at him incredulously until I saw panic begin to seep into his features. I knew better than to ask questions, and didn’t have time to be a chicken. I ripped off my poncho he had given me and handed it to him. He took it and began taking accessories and layers off of himself until he was wearing nothing but his shoes and pants. He glanced at the t shirt I had on and my eyes widened. Oh well. I would have time to be mortified later.  I pulled it over my head before he had to ask, taking his shirt from him and shoving it over my head, fighting to find the arm holes. I could have sworn I saw a blush creeping onto Lark’s cheeks. Could have been the cold too I guess.

            I put his many layers on top of me; I was practically swimming in them.  Lark grasped my hand again and pulled me deeper into the brush. Thorns and branches snagged and ripped across my skin and clothes as Lark led me over fallen logs and across muddy ground. We approached a group of five giant firs and he helped me to climb over some of the giant roots that were several feet above the ground in places. In between all the tress, in the middle of  the above-ground root system, was a hole about the size of a man hole cover in the street back home. Lark wasted no time in dropping down through it and I saw his hands come up through the hole to help me down.

            I sat down on the edge and let me feet dangle down. There was of course no source of light down in the creepy hole.

            “Come on, I’ll catch you.” He whispered.

            I took a deep breath and put one hand on either side of the hole and began lowering myself down. A pair of hands gripped my sides and my own hands ended up on Lark’s shoulders, steadying myself. He set me down gently in front of him and the strangest thing happened.

            Neither of us moved. Nobody had ever held me like that; it was almost like we could have been dancing. His hands on my side sent tremors through my body, but it was this feeling that kept me clinging to his shoulders. I could feel his warm breath on my neck and his strong shoulders beneath my fingertips. He pulled me closer to him again, and the feel of our chests beginning to touch snapped me out of it.

            What the hell was I doing?

 I brought my hand up to the key at my chest and gripped it firmly, pulling away from him ever so slightly.

              “I’m sorry Lena,” he whispered, emotion gripping his throat. “I have to go.”

            My jaw dropped slightly and I was at a complete loss for words. He was leaving?

            I saw a dark shape move across the tiny amount of light that was filtering through the hole and realize he was doing just that.