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14, an Eye for an Eye

Britta sighed, when he was still as steady on his feet as when he first was. She had eaten the lunch she had ordered, and was getting bored. Micah noticed, and looked smug, dropping her back to the alley way later, just past midday. If she was honest her morning wasn't completely torturous, which was just as well considering she got nothing for her pains.

He only gave one sign the drinks had taken effect; as she was about to leave, she felt his warm breath graze her ear and a lock of black hair touch her face.

"You look really good in that dress you know." He whispered.

Defiantly intoxicated.

She turned to look, her green eyes wide as she met his. She realized that at some point she'd stopped seeing them as the Strange Man's eyes and as Micah's instead. They still made her nervous and perhaps a little scared, but the feeling was different and made her a smidge dizzy.

She felt herself sigh out a breath she didn't know she had been holding as he walked away. Running back to the forest she called Thunder and jumped straight back on. Ignoring the way the dress bunched under her as she sat in the straight posture she had been taught she rode the few hours back to the camp. She felt his nearness all the there. Dress still on she practiced throwing her daggers, hearing them thud onto the tree, trying to take her mind off Micah.

She moved quickly, even in the dress, and was pleased when all found the mark. She yanked them out and went to throw them again. She was onto her third round when she heard the foot steps behind her. She was quick to pull them out, thinking of self-defense, not the safety of her secret. She didn't wear the shroud, but she was near a secret location throwing daggers. They would know something was amiss. She spun around to see the Fox standing behind her. Brown eyes surveying her calmly.

"Fancy that, Bren." He said, taking in her stance.

Britta shrunk back. "I-" She stammered.

The Fox held up his hand. "I knew there was something. Out of curiosity, what is your real name?"

"Bri." Said Britta. She didn't want him connecting any more dots than he already had.

"See you around, Bri."

She was caught, she knew it. She felt the impending doom every step he took, walking back to the central camp. She could feel the crunch of the leaves and already hear the yelling. She remembered quickly that Micah was out. She had enough time to pack.

Yet stubbornly she pulled her training clothes back on and stabled Thunder, heading back to the cabin. She didn't see Ed there, he had come far less often recently. That improved her mood a small amount. She sat on the bed, staring out the window until sleep came to her. She hadn't packed, but the vision of the bag under her bed was burned into her mind. She should get going before they chased her and Diana.

Instead she sank into sleep.

She waited, that morning to be called into the central cabin or worse, shamed in front of everyone during training. But the Fox acted as normal, his usual calm manner. By midwinter, still he had done nothing, and Britta almost felt free to accept he never was. Almost. She hadn't let her guard down since.

It snowed for the first time that year on midwinter day. Excitement sparked through the camp. Britta went outside and watched the small white flakes begin to land on the frost hard ground. By the time she had finished her run there was a layer of it on and it was cold. She looked at the ice she would have to break through on the edge of the stream and her already shivering body. She cursed her natural tendency for cleanness and got in quickly, not even scrubbing herself before she was out. She dried herself off with the winter cloak and rebound her chest, the shirt back around her waist. Pulling on the rest of her training clothes she made her way quickly back to camp.