Page 4 of Spirit Trials
Chapter 4
We don’t get very far before the leader stops and turns to the other dark-haired guy. “I’ll be back. If she moves, stop her. Use any means necessary,” he says before disappearing into the trees.
I glare at his retreating back. I don’t know what to do at first. I glance at the dark-haired guy and wonder about my chances with him. He’s definitely the youngest in the group; there’s a chance I could take him, even with the knife he’s holding in his hand. But I can’t do anything right now that will risk my brother and mother’s safety. With a huff, I find a rock to sit on. I stare into the trees as my mind races. So much has happened in such a short amount of time; I fear I’m going to lose my mind if I just sit here and think. I eye the young, dark-haired guy. He’s not looking right at me, but I have a feeling he’s aware of my every movement. He’s about as intense as the leader. “How old are you?” I ask as soon as the question pops into my mind. No surprise: he doesn’t answer. But I don’t let it deter me. “Who are you guys? Where are you from?” I wait a minute when he doesn’t say anything. “Did you guys orchestrate the attack on my village?” I study his face, looking for guilt, remorse...anything.Nothing. “Are you with the men that attacked our village?” This guy is pretty good; I'll give him that. He gives me nothing. I let out a grunt of frustration and take in our surroundings again. I’m super familiar with this part of the forest. This is a spot Clover and I come visit often. A pang hits me when I think of my beloved horse, but I push it deep down. I can’t afford any weaknesses right now. “What are the rest of your men doing?” I ask when I can’t take the silence anymore. He still says nothing.I’m not sure how long we sit there, but it’s long enough that the adrenaline that has been rushing through my system for the last however many hours begins to fade. I notice for the first time the pain in my side and remember that I got grazed by an arrow. I want to check it, but I don’t want these guys to know I’m injured. I keep my hand away from my wound. My eyelids start to grow heavy, and my head jerks. I stand to my feet; I cannot afford to let my guard down. I take a few steps, and the younger guy eyes me.
“You have to stay here.”
“Ah, he speaks,” I say in response. “I know. I’m just trying to stay awake. I know better than to turn my back on my enemy, so don’t worry about me running away.” I take a few steps in a circle, trying to get my blood pumping. After a while, I grow tired of standing and sit on the rock again. “What are we waiting for anyway?” Of course, he doesn’t answer. After a while, he pulls out some dried meat. He doesn’t say anything, but he surprises me by holding a piece out. I shake my head; I don’t trust anything from these men. I stand again and stretch and try not to lose my mind. Hours have passed since the leader left, and we left Smiley and Red behind. I look over at the dark-haired guy. “How sure are you that they’re coming back for us?” Just when I think I can’t take it one more minute, the three of them practically materialize before me. I scowl at the three of them but don’t say anything.
“Let’s go,” the leader says. Without another word, he turns and starts walking away, just expecting all of us to follow. Everything within me wants to defy his order, but I keep reminding myself what’s at stake if I do. I reluctantly follow the leader. The dark-haired guy who kept me company all afternoon closes in on one side of me and Red does the same on my other side. Smiley takes up a position behind me. When I glance back, he lives up to his nickname and smiles at me. I scowl and turnback around. We walk for a little while before we stop in front of five horses. A tiny sense of relief fills me that at least I can ride to wherever it is we’re going.
“Mount up,” the leader says, startling me. I hadn’t realized he was standing so close to me.
“Which one is mine?” I ask. I don’t miss the smirk on Smiley’s face, and a bad feeling fills me.
“You’re not riding your own horse,” the leader says without looking at me.
I cross my arms across my chest. “I know how.”
“And you’ll ride off the first chance you get,” he challenges.
“So, who am I riding with?” I ask as I try to keep my fury at bay. I hate this man.
“She can ride with me, Boss,” Smiley offers.
“No. She rides with me.”
I keep my groan inside.Barely.He leads me over to a huge dark horse. I can’t help but admire him for just a moment before I remember he’s the enemy’s horse. Without a word from the leader, I grab the mane and swing myself up and onto the horse’s back. Feeling his power beneath me, I push away the urge to dig my heels into his sides and take off. The leader climbs up behind me. “Don’t even think about it,” he says in a low voice. I don’t bother responding. Then we’re off and moving. I hold myself stiff, so I don’t have to touch him.
We ride for hours. The guys talk amongst themselves from time to time, but I tune it out. I’m trying and failing to just stay awake. I’ve dozed off more than a few times and jolt myself awake when my head falls. It’s a losing battle. No matter how hard I try to stay awake, my body just won’t listen.
When I open my eyes, it’s almost dark. It takes me a moment to realize I’m completely reclined against the enemy behind me. I jerk into a sitting position, angry at myself. My head aches with the movement, and I grimace in pain. My side aches, my headis pounding, and I’m so tired I can barely keep my eyes open. Then, my stomach lets it be known loudly that it hasn’t eaten in an entire day.
“We’re stopping,” the leader says, startling me. Nobody says anything in response, but they all follow his order. I wait for him to climb off before I follow him down. “Get settled for the night.”
The other three seem to know exactly what’s required of them because they all get to work. I'm the only one left standing still. “Want me to hunt for food?” I ask.
“No,” the leader says without looking at me. “He will,” he says, nodding at Red.
I turn away. “Just trying to be helpful,” I mutter under my breath.
I wander around aimlessly. Part of me wants to be useful and help; the other part of me hates each and every one of them and wants to do nothing to help. I finally find a place to sit, out of the way. Eventually, Red brings back a few small animals and roasts them over the fire. My stomach cramps at the smell of the roasting meat. The men finally gather around the fire. I stand up and move further away, even though I’m cold and getting colder by the second. But I won’t join in with them like we’re friends, not after what they’ve done. I close my eyes and put my head down on my arms, willing this night to end.
“Here.” The leader’s voice startles me a few minutes later, and I look up. He’s holding out a long strip of meat; I turn my head away. “Eat, or I’ll force you.” I glare up at him, wondering if he really would. But that’s a stupid thought. Of course, he would. I snatch the meat out of his hand and watch as he turns and walks back to the fire. When he sits and doesn’t look back at me, I snarf it down. It’s good, and I’m hungry. My stomach cramps after eating, and I know I need some water. The meat was pretty rich.
“Catch,” Smiley calls out before throwing me a water skin. I catch it out of instinct, but I don’t drink from it. I just stare at him. “Drink it,” he says with an easy smile.
“Yeah, I don’t think so,” I say throwing the skin back to him. He snatches it out of the air and shrugs.
“You need to drink,” the leader says without looking at me.
“Then let me drink from your waterskin after you drink from it,” I challenge.
It goes quiet, but I don’t regret my words. What’s the worst they can do to me? The leader stands from his place beside the fire and walks over to me. Without taking his eyes off me, he tips his head back and takes a drink. I stare up at him, realizing again just how big he is. He’s tall, taller than any of the men in my village. Add to that his broad shoulders and muscled frame and dark, intense eyes and he’s scary. Okay, he’s downright terrifying, hands-down the most terrifying man I’ve ever met. That’s confirmed when he stares down at me. His dark eyes glint in the light of the fire, and I resist the urge to cower in fear. He hands me the waterskin, and I take it automatically. I stare at it a moment before tipping it back and downing it. I nearly drain it before I come to my senses and pull back.
He says nothing as he takes it back and heads over to the fire. After a few minutes, they begin to get ready for bed. I take a deep breath, willing the pain in my side and my head to ease. Through blurry eyes, I watch them gather around the fire. I look around, wondering if I can find a safe place to sleep. Something hits my feet, and I look down at a bedroll. I stare down at it in disgust. “Whose is that?” I ask, not sure if I really want to know. I can’t imagine what kinds of things have taken place in that bedroll. And who knows when it was last washed? When a fierce shiver ripples through me, I realize I don’t care. I bend down and pick it up and then move further away from the fire. I find a relatively flat, clear space and open the bedroll and crawl inside and curlinto a tight ball. I’m hoping sleep will take away my pain and maybe help me forget the events of the last twenty-four hours. No such luck.
Every time I close my eyes, I see the faces of those I shot and killed. I try to push their faces from my mind, but when I do, my mom’s and brother’s faces take their place. My body shivers more and more, the later it gets. No matter what I do, I can’t get warm. At one point, somebody picks me up, bedroll and all. I’m instantly alert. I try to fight, but the hold is too strong. The person practically drops me on the ground, and I bite my lip to keep from crying out in pain. “I don’t want to be over here,” I hiss at the leader, even as the warmth from the fire starts to wrap around my frozen body.
