Chapter Text
Fuck, I think she noticed, I thought to myself as I was trying to act as normal as a person who just stole 3 pounds of owl meat can act. The old saleswoman narrowed her eyes at me and then turned to get something behind the counter. That's my chance. I started walking towards the exit. When I was at the threshold, I allowed myself a breath of relief; I'll have something normal to eat for the first time in two weeks. The relief was short-lived, however, when a knife landed barely an inch away from my face, on the side of the door. Yeah, she definitely noticed.
"Going somewhere?" her raspy voice sent shivers down my spine. I turned my head slightly; I could see another knife already up and ready in her hands. Fuck, "aren't you a little bit old for this?" I said with a half-smile. The old woman made a sound that I guessed to be an attempt at a laugh. It sounded more like a crow begging for its life.
This time, when she threw the knife, I was ready for her. I ducked and kicked the door open. The knife flew out of the door and into the busy market. I took my chance and did the only thing I know how- I ran. I picked up the knife from the muddy ground as I heard the old woman scream "STOP HER! THIEF!!!" a few people turned their heads, but with night spilling darkness around and calling the villagers to go back home, no one really cared.
I kept running. Drunk on adrenaline and the knowledge I won't fall asleep hungry this night; I ran until the woman's screams faded from my mind. I ran until my legs screamed and my lungs burned and the forest around me merely a blur of shapes and darkness and sounds.
I stopped running when the forest became familiar, the shape of the trees recognized and acknowledged. My legs walked by themselves, allowing me to just turn off my mind and feel the wind on my face.
I let my eyes fall shut for a minute while catching my breath. It's getting colder again, I thought. Autumn is once again coloring the leaves orange and preparing the earth for winter.
As I neared the hidden wood's clearing I settled in for the last months, I felt myself growing more and more tired, the very thought of having to light a fire to cook the meat made me groan with exhaustion.
And then I heard the whistling. No one ever came near this area of the forest, even though it was miles away from the used-to-be wall, it was too close for people to bear. Especially after nightfall.
No one in their right mind would be here at his hour.
I quieted my steps and gripped my knife higher- prepared. And then I stepped on the wrong patch of leaves. Fresh fallen leaves. Loud fresh fallen leaves.
The whistling stopped abruptly. "Who's there?" a man's voice came quickly. I think I stopped breathing for a second. Just waiting for him to move on or find me. Just waiting for something to happen. My heart was pounding loudly in my chest.
I stayed like that for what seemed like forever. Should I go? Has it been long enough to be considered safe? He probably left, A part of me said. But what if he's not? Another part whispered.
And suddenly I was pushed against a tree, my armed hand instinctively pushed the knife against my attacker's throat. His hand quickly came to hold my wrist in place. I looked up to see him. I was met with the darkest shade of brown I've ever seen in a human eye.
We stared at each other, his eyebrows scrunched together in interest, while my expression was closer to anger. If he's going to kill me, then let it happen already. I thought while failing to wriggle my hand out of his hold.
"if I let go of you, will you slice my throat open?" his voice was low with amusement. I thought about it for a second, will I not hurt him? If he wanted to hurt me, he would have by now.
I shook my head no. And I don't know if he was stupid or arrogant, because he slowly loosened his grip. His lips were pulled into a beginning of a smile- but not quite. He dropped his hands completely and took a step back. I looked down to where my wrist ached from his grip, and then looked at him properly for the first time. He had messy loose brown curls on top of his head, his cheekbones high and sharp on his face, and stained with a faint blush.
He was, quite simply, beautiful. But something felt off. I couldn't place my fingers on it exactly. I pushed the itching thought out of my head and cleared my throat. "well, I'll head off then" I said awkwardly. He was still staring at me as he had never seen a woman before.
I started turning around and walking away when his voice found me once again, "It's quite late for a young woman to roam these forests alone," He stated, and I could hear the smirk on his face. Without turning to face him or stopping in my track, I answered "it's quite late for anyone to roam these forests alone." There was a pause. And then his steps sounded on the ground as he started following me.
"Then perhaps we shouldn't roam it alone" his voice was laced with every type of curiosity that existed. I rolled my eyes, "I do appreciate you deciding not to kill me, but I am doing fine on my own" I quickened my pace, although I suspected it did not really affect him. He kept following me until we arrived at the clearing. He looked up, at the skies, and then back at me. "well then, It was a pleasure to meet you" I raised an eyebrow at him. He took my hand and gently pressed the back of it to his lips. I didn't even get to reply to his strange action before his hands left mine and he turned away to leave. "may we meet again" he stated as he kept walking. "may we not" I replied, only to earn a soft giggle out of him. I stayed put until he left my line of sight, and only then did I let myself raise my hand and look at where his lips touched. And as I drifted to sleep later that night, full and content, his dark eyes visited my dreams and I could hear his low voice, may we meet again.