Page 28 of Heart of the Hunted
CHAPTER TEN
Natalia
Natalia couldn’t wait to finally be away from the freezing cold snow and ice of the mountains. Every time the sun had gone down, she’d had no choice but to find shelter in a cave for the night.
It was way too cold at night to travel, especially with the stupidly thin clothing she had on. But not just that, there was a higher probability that she was likely to take a wrong step in the dark, and knowing her luck it would be her last step.
Natalia hoped the others made it through okay. She would never forgive herself if anything happened to them. It was the thought of seeing them again soon that kept her going each day. As much as she had wanted to give up at times, she pushed through for Amberly and Donovan, if nothing else.
Each night, Natalia had pulled out every item of fabric she had in her satchel to try and keep herself warm enough to survive until morning. It was so cold at night that she half expected to not wake up every morning. Each time she laid down and closed her eyes she sent up a little prayer that she would make it another day, and each morning she was thankful that she woke up.
But the end was near, Natalia could see the end of the pass not far off in the distance, and it gave her the boost she needed to reach the end. She called on every last ounce of energy that she had left, and picked up the pace as much as she could.
Natalia didn't have a clue what she was going to do when she finally got there. She didn't know where the closest bunker to the mountain was located, and even if she did manage to find it, there was no guarantee Amberly, Donovan, and the rest of the group were going to be there.
As much as she wanted to find Amberly and Donovan straight away, she wasn't stupid or naive enough to think it was going to be a simple task. She wasn't lucky enough to find them as soon as she left the pass and she knew it.
Thinking rationally, the best course of action, was to find a bunker so she could recoup before heading out to find the others. Natalia had to admit, the thought of a nice long nap sounded perfect just about now. Preferably somewhere warm, where she could curl up under layers of blankets. Or at least somewhere she could build a fire to lay next to.
That was one of the things she should have been better prepared for before going along the pass. In hindsight, she should have collected some firewood for at night, but she’d been too preoccupied with needing to reach the others.
Next time though, firewood was going to be right at the top of her list, along with warmer clothes and thicker blankets. Waterproof boots would definitely have come in handy as well, that’s if she was able to scavenge some.
Natalia couldn't remember the last time she could feel her feet properly, which wasn't a good sign at all. But she was nearly at the other side now, so she could deal with her feet soon enough.
A cooked meal would go down a treat as well. Luckily enough, Natalia had found a small bag in one of the caves she had stayed in. She didn't know if it was left by Amberly and Donovan, but she was glad all the same.
Tucked away inside the bag had been a very small supply of bread and meat, there was even a couple of pieces of fruit as well. It was just enough to last her a day, maybe a little longer if she rationed it more than usual. Natalia didn't mind that there was only about a days’ worth of food, because it was a days’ worth more than what she had before she found it.
Natalia hoped the others hadn't set up camp too far away from the mountains. The closer they were to the mountains, the easier it would be to find them. Natalia hadn't come across any of their tracks along the pass, which was a good thing.
They all knew to hide any evidence of themselves before moving on, so even if she had stayed in some of the same caves as them, she wouldn’t have known.. Plus, any footprints would have been covered over in the snow storm.
The closer she came to the end of the pass, the more her feet began to drag along the floor. It felt as if she had weights tied to the bottom of her feet and they were getting heavier and heavier with each step she took. Natalia didn't care how difficult it got though, because one way or another she was going to make it. She was even prepared to crawl the rest of the way, if it came to it.
Not daring to stop just in case she couldn't get started again, she ploughed on as best she could. There was no way she was spending another night in this frozen wasteland., Finally, her hard work was paying off and she was rewarded when the snow turned to sludge before disappearing completely.
She had made it to the other side of the mountains, at last. Breathing a sigh of relief, she traipsed on a little further before she stopped for a rest. Making sure the earth was dry enough first, so she wouldn't get a wet ass, Natalia slid down next to a large tree to sit on the ground.
Leaning her head back against the tree, she closed her eyes for just a moment. At least, she thought it was for just a moment, but when she opened her eyes again the sun starting to set. Darkness was not her friend at the best of times, but even more so when she was alone and out in the open.
Natalia wasn't familiar with this area, so didn't have a clue where the closest bunker was located. Spending the night out in the open under the stars was not the wisest of ideas, but if she couldn't find anywhere soon, then she would have no other choice.
Pushing herself up from the floor, she stretched out her aching muscles before picking up her satchel and heading off in search of a safe place to stay for the night. Even more so now than earlier it felt as if she had weights attracted to her feet, but it still wasn't enough to prevent her from looking for a bunker.
No matter how hard it became, she wouldn't stop even if her feet gave out on her. More than anything, Natalia needed to find a safe place to stay for the night. It didn't even need to be a bunker, but it had to be a hell of a lot safer than where she had been earlier.
Being out in the open like she had been was an extremely bad idea, especially when she didn't know the area. There was no telling how many monsters lived in the area, or where they were located. The last thing she want to do was to get caught because she was too close to where they lived.
Luckily enough though, Natalia didn't have to go very far before she found exactly what she was looking for, which was a really good thing because she didn't know how much longer she could physically stay on her feet.
The bad thing was, just as Natalia spotted the entrance to the bunker, she caught sight of movement out of the corner of her eye. As she spun around to see what it was, her eyes clashed with the black eyes of one of the monsters she was trying desperately to avoid.
Stuck like a deer in headlights, Natalia was frozen in place as they stared at each other. She didn't know who was more surprised, her or the monster. By the look on his face, he appeared just as shocked to see her as she was him.
There was no doubt in her mind that it was a male that stood before her. The size and shape of him gave it away that he was in fact a he without having to see his face close up.
Taller than any Human she's ever seen by a long shot, he had dark red skin and black hair. His thick head of hair couldn't hide the horns that protruded from the top of its head. Natalia was glad it was still just before nightfall, because if it had been completely dark, then there would have been no way in hell she could have seen it.
Dressed all in black, he would have easily blended into the night. Natalia might even have mistaken him for a shadow, or even thought that her mind was playing tricks on her. Which, after the last couple of days with barely any food or sleep, it was a high possibility that it could have just been her imagination.
Natalia was jolted into action as he took a step towards her. Spinning on her heels, she darted to the entrance of the bunker. Hoping with everything in her that she made it in time.
