Chapter 4 - 4. For now I'll stay here

All I had went through that day was starting to take it’s toll. The night was blackening but yet none of the others had returned from the forest. I just sat there. I looked over at Barron who was intensely watching the flames. I wondered if he was worried about the others. I started to slug my shoulders my eyes fluttering trying to keep open. I think I must have dozed off for a minute. I jumped awake to find a blanket draped over my shoulders. In turned around and saw Barron walking over to Thane in the distance. I laid down by the fire, the blanket draped over my body, and fell asleep. The next morning I awoke to find the sky still dark but I could see the lightening blue in the distance. The sun hadn’t quite come up yet so I was guessing from experience it was about five. I stared at the fireplace, which was now lined with ash and wood chips, wondering if my mom had sent out a search team for me yet. I rose up into a sitting position tying my hair into a messy ponytail since I had no comb. I looked around. Scattered around the dead fire, I saw everybody had returned last night. Even when asleep they still had their weapons tucked into their sides. Why would they need them? Just then I noticed Uaine, who was lying between Slone and me, had his arm on my leg. He was still asleep so I wondered and hoped it was an accident. I picked it up by the wrist and tossed it back onto him. But just then like a chain reaction his body turned and his other arm came onto my leg. That was it I wasn’t about to do this all morning. I pulled off the blanket and stood up. I saw my shoes over in the distance and started walking towards them when one of my ankles were grabbed. I swear if that’s Uaine. I turned around to find it wasn’t Uaine but Thane who was looking at me with a serious face.
“If your thinking of leaving I wouldn’t, you don’t know what’s out there”, He said his voice a serious tone. ”But if you really have to, take this” He pulled a knife from his side and handed to me and I nodded. It was a little bigger than a kitchen knife and had engraved markings in the handle. I walked over to my shoes placing the knife down to put them on. I then stood up and looked back one more time. I had to go, I couldn’t stay but that didn’t make it any easier. I wanted to know more about them. I turned towards the forest and started walking. There were many things different about this place. First of all, all the leaves were still green. If it was fall I couldn’t tell and secondly I hadn’t seen any houses cars or any of that stuff yet but it could be there just weren’t any around here. I had been walking for a while when I heard a ruffle in the bushes to the left.
“Hhheeelllooo” I said quietly almost whispering but no one responded. I started walking again when I heard another ruffle from the bushes. I stopped and demanded, “Who’s there”. I held up the knife Thane had given me. “I said who’s there” raising my voice. Suddenly this giant tall ostrich jumped out at me. I fell out of the way terrified. It seemed about ten feet tall with a long neck and a bird type body, which was covered in fur. It’s mouth was filled with carnivorous teeth with it’s nose above it’s two cat like eyes. It turned and tried stomping on me with it’s legs. I rolled out of the way and looked at the knife and then the creature. This is what he gave me to battle that. I got up and starting running. I looked back to see the creature following but at a slow pace. Ha it can’t run. I jolted forward looking back again. “What it’s gone!”. I couldn’t believe it had given up that easily and looked around at all the bushes. There was no sign of it, but it couldn’t have given up that easily. I got to a clearing, a huge field. I looked back. Fearing it was still following me, I ran into the field rummaging slowly through the long grass that was over my head. Suddenly I heard a loud roaring squawk coming from behind me. I looked behind me and sure enough it there was the creature it’s claws extended and soaring right at me. I quickly ducked, feeling the wind from it rush past me. I started running in zigzags through the grass having no idea where to go, it closely following behind. I was running as fast as I could yet it kept coming closer and closer, I knew it had tricked me into coming here. I was getting tired and I felt it sweeping upon me. I couldn’t run anymore, I turned around to face it, exhausted, trying to gasp in breaths. It sharp claws extended it soared right for me. I shut me eyes, this is it, why did I have to leave home, I’m so stupid. Just then I heard someone yell. I opened my eyes to see him running to push me down. We both crashed to the ground, him landing on top of me. I opened my eyes, my breathing heavy, in shock that I was alive. Again the creature turned and headed straight for us. Barron grabbed a hold of my shoulders and rolled us over dodging the creature’s attack. “Come on” he said grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the forest. I was so exhausted I could barely breathe, my legs had gone numb from running. I could see the shadow of the creature flying over us, how long was it going to chase us. Suddenly the trees crashed down in front of us, the creature on top of them. We stopped running for it had blocked our path. shoot what the hell are we gonna do now.
“ Stay here” he said pulling out the long sword thing he had in his side. I stepped back as he ran forward, his sword in front of him. The creature jerked forward it’s long neck, it’s mouth open, heading straight for Barron. He quickly moved to the side dodging it’s head and cut it’s neck in half. Blood sprawled everywhere, everything became covered in it. Barron stood there panting holding his sword when the now headless creature body flew away. It’s wings flapping frantically into the sky.
What the… I stared wide-eyed while Barron showed no concern and walked over to the detached head of the body. He lifted his sword and stuck it through the head. It screeched, as the headless body fell out of the sky, and became lifeless. I sat there shocked running through what had happened in my mind. He had just cut off the head yet it flew away but when he killed the head he killed the body, and and… He put his sword in his side and walked over to me. We were both covered in blood from head to toe. “Ummm thanks ”. It sounded so casual the way I had said it but I was still recovering from what I had seen. I stared at the dead head of the creature and sat down up against a tree.
“Are you alright”. I glanced at him. He leaned down next to me and looked at the cut I had on my forehead. I hadn’t noticed till he had said something. I felt the throbbing pain on my forehead.
“Yeah I think so” I smirked, his concerned look seeped into a slight smile too. He sat down next to me. We both just stared into the sky where the creature had fallen.
He turned to look over at me “Why did you leave”? I no longer looked at the sky, my attention towards him.
“I don’t know really” I didn’t really have a good explanation. I mean I didn’t want to go home and there was no place else for me to go. For some reason I felt I had to leave.
“Slone didn’t mean to pull the knife on you like that” he looked away towards the head of the creature “She’s just suspicious of anyone new, she has to be living here, we all do.
I looked down, were they still suspicious of me.
“If you don’t have anywhere else to go you should stay with us” I looked up at him. “We’ll protect you; …I’ll protect you, if you want”
“I’d like that” I said giving a small smile and returning my gaze back at the sky as did he. I guess I was staying here for now.

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