Z awoke to sunlight on her face. She sat up and looked over to where Nick laid. he was curled up in a fetal position. She sighed and pulled her long, straight, dirty blonde hair up in a messy bun. Z stood up and walked over to Nick. She kicked his back and told him to get up. Nick jumped up awake from the shock of Z kicking him.
"We need to get going to find you a new hideout," Z told Nick as she grabbed her water jug.
Nick and Z spent the whole morning trying to find Nick a hideout. Z was very annoyed because Nick kept on asking her questions.
"So, Z. Is that your actual name, or is it a nickname?" Nick asked.
"It's my name," Z said
"Okay, so are you really an orphan?" He asked.
"Yes," Z replied rolling her eyes.
"Are you always this cranky?" Nick laughed.
Z turned her head and glared at him. She was getting really annoyed by Nick's questions. So when she finally spotted a hideout that Nick could use she pointed it out. Hoping to get rid of Nick for once and all but the hideout she pointed out was an old, burned up cabin.
"There, that's your new hideout," Z said pointing at the cabin.
"I don't know, it looks pretty shady," Nick said.
"Are you kidding me! You're an orphan! You live in abandoned places and steal food so you don't starve!" Z yelled.
Nick cringed. "I'm sorry. It, It's perfect," He said.
He walked towards the cabin. She felt guilty for making him sad. Z slowly follows him. Nick reaches the cabin before her and goes inside. Z reaches the cabin and walks in. It was really dark. I wish I brought a candle. Z reaches the middle of the room and looks around for Nick, but she couldn't find him anywhere.
"Nick?" She yells, "Nick, where are you? This isn't funny."
Suddenly there were hands around her waist.
"Boo," Nick laughed.
"Don't touch me!" Z yelled. She started punching him.
"Hey, stop punching me," Nick said. He held his hands up as a shield.
A horse neighed outside. Nick straightened and grabbed Z's wrists.
"Let go of me!" Z said, "Just because you're scared of a horse doesn't mean I'm going to comfort you."
"Shut up!" Nick hissed.
"Awww, did I hurt your feelings," Z laughed.
Nick pulled Z's wrists toward him. When she ran into his chest he turned her around and put his hand over her mouth. His other arm pinned her hands to her sides. Z was struggling, trying to get free, but Nick was too strong. Z bit Nick's hand and he cursed under his breath.
"Those are palace guards and if you don't shut up they'll arrest us," Nick whispered in her ear. His breath tickled her neck, she shuddered.
"Will you be quiet if I let you go," Nick whispered. Z nodded. He let his grip on her go and she stumbled forward.
"We should search for another door," Z whispered.
"We have to very quiet," Nick said as he started walking around the cabin.
A little while later Z found a backdoor. She told Nick in a whisper to come over. When Nick came over he signaled her that they had to run. Getting what Nick was telling her, she counted to three and they ran out of the cabin and of into the woods. They could hear horses coming the direction they came.
"They're coming!" Nick yelled.
Z looked back and could see 5 men on horses coming towards them at full speed .
"What do the palace guards want from us? We didn't do anything to them," Z called out to Nick.
Nick shrugged and turned his head back and looked at the guards. Turning back to Z he said, "They are looking for the prince he went missing a few days ago."
Z shook her head in shock and asked, "How do you know that?"
Nick smiled at her and said "I know stuff"
Why was he looking at me that way? Why was he smiling? Z wondered but never got the chance to ask since the guards were catching up.
"Follow me," Z said heading into the thickest and darkest part of the woods
