The Other Ones

Chapter 7

I was laying in bed, the covers on me. Dustin's arms were wrapped around me as he slept close to me. I shifted a little, my back pressed against his chest. He just moved his arms slightly as I did so and rewrapped them around my body once more.
The only thing I wore were my under garments, and the same thing went for Dustin. I blinked a few times as I slowly awoke, but soon closed them again. My thoughts drifted to what had happened last night....
After Bane had left the cottage and our little argument was over we had ventured into the closest room to the living room, his room. It was a bit bigger than the one I stayed in, but looked pretty much the same. The two of us had soon fallen into his bed, making out. We had made out for a while until we both fell asleep.
Love.... What did that word mean to me? And what did it mean to Dustin who now had me in his arms? I shift again, waking up more. I opened my eyes as Dustin rolled over, his back facing mine now. I sit up and rub my head with a hand. What was I doing anyways? Why was I kissing him? Why was I showing affection to him? Those thoughts ran through my mind over and over again.

I shook my head and pushed the covers off me and slipped out of the bed. Careful to not wake Dustin I quickly dressed in my discarded clothes and left the room quickly and silently. Once out of the room I walked down the hall and to the spare room, I went in quickly: grabbed my boots, and slipped them on.
I left the room and departed the hall after a quick moment, heading to the kitchen to ease my hunger. I heard the barking from the dog and glanced out a window that let light come into the kitchen. The dog was chasing its tail as Den sat nearby, watching silently. I shook my head with a slight smile and moved away from the window. I grabbed a apple and a small bag of dried jerky, soon leaving the cottage.
I approached the canines as I bit into the apple. The dog yipped as it smelled the jerky hidden within the bag. Den stood up and padded over to my side, nudging my hand. I pull my hand away and nod my head towards the forest. I move around Dustin's dog, who was barking at me to give it some jerky, and head towards the forest, aiming to go deeper. Den walked beside me, like some guard as I continued to eat the apple. I walked away from the cottage, the canines following me. Once I finished the apple I had walked a mile away from the cottage, reaching a secluded pond. I tossed the apple core aside and a bird swooped down and grabbed it, taking off with it.
I sat down a few feet away from the pond and let the light surround me as I sat there, listening to my surroundings as Den settled next to me. The dog laid down at my feet, wagging its tail. I started to wonder how long it had been since I had left, but I pushed that aside and tossed the dog some jerky. The dog gobbled it up and I lean back against my hands as I look up at the sky.
I quickly take my gaze from the sky as the sounds of galloping hooves approached quickly. The dog jumps up and barks with a growl, Den remains silent but sits up with its alert up. I push myself up and stand, ready to bolt when a horse skidded to a stop and a rider on top. I took a few steps back as the rider narrowed his eyes at me. "You an assassin?" He asked, leaning forward. I was about to say no, but didn't I want a way to get home....? I swallow and nod once, putting on a serious look. "Yeah, what's it to you?" I replied, crossing my arms. The rider nudges his horse over to me and then leans down, giving me a letter. "An invitation from the king and queen. I am sure you'll attend, assassin...." He said, tossing me a bag of coins. I catch it and weigh it with one hand, seemed like there was a large amount of money in that pouch.... I look back at the rider. "Very well, I shall be there." I replied, tossing the pouch to Den, who caught it in its maw. The rider just straightens up and sniffs before cantering off past me.
"Come on Den, we're out of here. Dog go back to your master." I command, the dog whines and turns in a circle. "Look dog, you can have this bag of jerky if you go back to your master." I said, the dog yipped and ran off, barking. I shook my head and walked off in the opposite direction. "Come on Den, let's see if we can get out of here before that dog wakes up Dustin." I comment, still carrying the jerky for food.
Den followed me without a word, the birds continued to chirp as we walked. A deer, at least I think it was, with four antlers was grazing by a stream, just ignoring us. I started to wonder what type of other animals lay hidden in this forest when the brush moved greatly. I froze in fear that the moving of the brush was that of a meat-eater. Den remained calm though, until a pained noise came from the brush and an animal ran out, falling to the ground with an arrow in its side. I widen my eyes as the animal turned out to be a horse, and with a horn at that. "Den this isn't real is it?" I asked it, I heard Den drop the bags that it held in its maw and saw it walk over to the injured unicorn. "It's not a dream, Master.... And it looks like a poacher was trying to get the unicorn." Den replied, flicking its blue tail as it looked at me. I shake my head and walk over, soon kneeling by the pained and terrified animal. I look at the arrow and wonder how to take it out without hurting the animal much, I stroke its neck and put my hand by the arrow.
"I'm going to take out this arrow now, so.... Don't kill me." I said, placing my other hand on the other side of the arrow. I then grabbed the shaft of it and bit my lip before pulling it out quickly. A pained scream came from the unicorn as I did that, and I heard Dustin's dog barking from afar, but also the shout of someone approaching quickly the way the unicorn had come from.
Den snarled, it's pelt sparking with electricity as it moved before me. A man with a scar running down his face came out of the trees, a bow in hand and an arrow knocked on the string. The unicorn was clearly in great pain as it breathed heavily. The man aimed the arrow at me, since I was in front of the beast. I stood up, Den snarling at the man now. "Poacher, leave!" Den snarled, shooting a spark at him. The man muttered something and a black beast tackled Den. "Den!!" I yelped, my eyes wide as Den fought against the black beast a few feet away now. I look back at the man who still had the arrow aimed at me. "Get out of the way, lass...." The man growled at me. I clench a hand and lift my chin a little. "No, and you won't kill this beast!" I said, moving more in front of the unicorn. The man simply shrugs and lets the arrow fly towards me.
Time seemed to slow down as something inside me snapped. A bright light came from around me and I heard the beast that was fighting Den screech in pain, out of the corner of my eye I could've sworn it vanished. The man shouted something and vanished as well. The light faded away and I fell back, the barking of Dustin's dog getting closer.