The Huntsman

Chapter 6 - No Escape

The door opened smoothly without even a squeak and I stepped through into the cave. My hand came up to my mouth as even in the dim shadowy grayness of the room, I could see an interior I hadn't expected.

"Just a moment." He called out from the darkness.

A match flared and then a lamp was coming alive followed by several candles. The cave or as much of it as I could see was now bathed in light.

A sitting area with carpets on the floor and of all things a leather couch was directly before me. Two shelves filled with books were lined up along the cave's sides behind the couch and on the opposite wall was a fireplace that even as I gazed upon it was coming alive as prepared tinder caught flame.

Beyond the sitting area was a kitchen area and gazing in that direction I realized that some of the residual daylight in the cave was coming from a skylight in the ceiling above the kitchen table. Up till now I had been breathing, but I stopped as my eyes took in the shelves loaded with canned food and other items. This man had more food than a small mini Mart!

Beyond the kitchen I recognized the outline of a bed. My eyes darted away from it and back to the fire that was now blazing and casting its welcome heat into the room.

Could all this really be possible? Was this a dream?

"Tamara?" I glanced up startled and blinked away my dazed confusion as I met Wyatt's eyes.

I couldn't help but feel as overwhelmed as I did and as usual emotion did not let me down by not making its presence known. I rubbed away at a tear and asked him point-blank, "Is this place for real?"

"Yes, it is. I about broke my back to get that couch up here. Strangely, at the time it never occurred to me to take it apart in pieces and reassemble it, until I already had it in the cave. It would seem I am a bit dense minded at times."

I glanced from him to the bookshelves. Somehow I doubted him as being any form of dense when it came to intellectuality. My gaze ran over the titles of books on the shelves with interest as in a way they were keys to understanding the man who stood before me.

"Are you hungry?"

My gaze came back to him meaningfully and he shook his head with a rueful expression, "That was a stupid question wasn't it."

He started away for the kitchen and softly I asked, "You don't mind sharing all of this with me?"

He looked back at me and said, "With you, no, with someone else probably. That said, as much of a loner as I have been in life, I've been going crazy without anyone to talk to. Tell me have you read any of those books on the wall?"

"Yes." I whispered before then adding, "My job in school was serving as an assistant to the librarian. I love books. The right books anyway."

Something I saw as pleasure crossed his face and softly he said, "You are an ever evolving surprise Princess."

So was he, but I left that thought unsaid. I gravitated his way, taking everything in and yet still doubtful that it all could be real. Had God really landed me down into this oasis nestled in the midst of a wilderness?

I didn't deserve this! So many had died and sitting down in one of the kitchen chairs I said as much out loud.

In a way I didn't know I'd said it out loud until Wyatt responded with, "Actually, as things go it seems that what we deserve in life is rarely what we get." I wasn't sure where he was going with that and at the moment I was really just too embarrassed by having dispersed my thoughts out loud to respond to his statement.