Leira [Completed]

Chapter Five

"A smile is the best makeup any girl can wear."

—

JUSTICE'S POV

Her aim was outstanding. I watched as it penetrated the bark of the tree with remarkable force.

"Damn," I mentioned the first word that came to mind.

I stepped further into the eerie forest and settled down on a log a few feet away.

She nocked another arrow, prepped her draw and drew the bowstring back. After she let go of the string, the arrow soared the air quicker than my eyes could follow and punctured the tree where the previous arrow was.

"One fight?" she confirmed while striding towards the tree where the arrows were.

She left me fazed from our first encounter—living in an empty forest with a lethal weapon and an impressive knowledge in combats. I wanted to fight with another of the same level as me. It was more exciting that way.

"Yes," I replied as she laid the pointy weapons down beside two water bottles. Unexpectedly, she joined me on the log, probably for a short rest before we fight.

"What's your name?" I questioned, realizing we were still oblivious about how we could address each other.

"Leira," she informed.

"I'm Justice Woodland," I introduced myself. "How did you learn to fight?"

"My... adoptive father," she said after much hesitation. "How about you?"

"My sister, Hope. She trained me for as long as I can remember and enrolled me in a self-defence class." I initially did not think it was necessary but I met a group of people that evolved to become my best friends.

"So... where's the house? Or do you live on this open forest floor?" I joked. I was actually rather curious about the answer.

"It's a few minutes walk from here, to my right," she replied with a soft laugh.

There was a short pause before she spoke again. "You're lucky, you know?" Her statement left me in a state of utter confusion. "You have a family that cares for you from the very start. From what I saw earlier today, your father's very close to you."

I snickered before replying, "I don't have parents. It was my Uncle Grayson this afternoon. I don't know what happened to them besides an unfortunate death."

Her expression faltered and her eyes clouded with pity.

I had never been told much of my own parents, yet I didn't think I needed to know. They were not there for me since the beginning. It was always Hope or Uncle Tyler. For my entire life, they brought me up.

"I'm sorry," she apologized with a guilty smile.

"Have you...eaten?" I asked in an attempt to keep up the conversation.

"No," her reply was quick. "I don't think I'll be having dinner today since I have no appetite."

"Do you perhaps want to come over to my place after our fight, as friends? I mean, my family won't mind and there's good food," I invited.

"I don't think I'm allowed to," she told me while hesitating. "I was given permission to practise and return home in two hours. And I've never explored many places outside of this forest or stepped foot into the home of someone else."

"Two hours is enough time. You can count this as a new experience as well," I persuaded. I did not mind another friend. If I had not said anything, today might be the very last time I would see her.