The Forester

1

I crouch inside the old bear den, rocking back and forth. The clamor of twenty horses over head shake loose dirt from above my head.
He sits next to me, his face concealed by a black hood. Who he is and where he comes from really shouldn't be on my mind, yet it is.
I see the gleam of a dagger at his hip and chills run up my spine. I shouldn't have trusted this Forester. Foresters can never be trusted and certainly not one who won't show his face.
The sound of the Kings men fades away and I see him move to leave the den.
Not a chance this man is leaving until I know who he is. Therefore, in one swift move, I pounce on him, pushing him to the ground and lifting my dagger to his throat.
The hood falls back revealing rusty brown hair and deep black eyes. A strong jaw and a scar running from his cheek bone to his lip.
"Who are you?" I hiss, ignoring my obnoxious blonde haired along into my eyes and brushing against his face.
"Theo." He replies with a cocky smile. "I'm Theo and you happen to be sitting on me in a way that's very uncomfortable."
I push my weight into him causing him to wince. "Good. Now tell me why you're helping me. I sure as hell know your kind doesn't help my kind." Foresters and Lowlander's have always been enemies, divided by a brutal King who harassed us and then puts us against each other. Everyone hates everyone around here.
He puts a firm hand around my upper arm, flipping me onto my back. "Not only does my kind not trust your kind," he replies, putting a knee on my chest and placing his dagger close to my side. "I personally don't trust women."
I almost laugh. "You shouldn't. We are nightmares if you piss us off."
He eyes me from head to toe before returning his attention to my face. "You look like a harmless girl."
"Harmless?" I question. "You clearly haven't seen me kill the Kings men."
"I haven't. Something tells me it's spastic and unorganized."
I push him off of me causing his knife to sever me below the ribs slightly.
"Like I said," he states, nodding towards the blood darkening my gray top and dripping onto my black skinny jeans. "Spastic."
My knee high boot finds his chest and I roll onto my knees, backing out of the den.
"Leave if you like, Nightmare, you'll be dead before the sun goes down."
I reach to my side. It's not fatal. "This won't kill me."
"No, but the Kings men will."
"Why did you save me back at Klorod?"
"I don't like seeing pretty girls die when they clearly are fighting for the same cause as me."
I pause and examine myself from the worn boots to the dirty jeans and the tunic fastened with a belt. I'm far from pretty and Heaven knows I'm sure my face isn't that great right now.
"You saved me cause you think I'm pretty?"
He shrugs. "Can't let someone as attractive as you go to waste. Especially when you can fight and you're fiery."
I smile. "Thanks."