Page 46 of Warrior of the Wild
“And thank you, Soren, for bringing it. It is much appreciated.”
He beams. After a moment, he asks, “Would you take a walk with me?”
I’m taken aback. “Why?” Then I realize it doesn’t matter. “No.”
“It could be fun.”
“I doubt it.”
“Now that’s hurtful.”
“You’ll recover.”
Soren looks down at the toe of his boot, thinking for a moment. Then he says, “Could I show you where the yellow berries grow the thickest so you can pick them on your own?”
I scramble for an excuse not to come.
“If you learn where they are, then I won’t have to come back here to deliver more to you,” he adds.
He’s good. Very good. I can’t argue with that logic.
“All right, then. Lead the way.”
If he wants to smirk over the victory, he’s smart enough to hide it from me.
I don’t walk beside him, but rather just behind him, so I can always keep him in my sights.
Soren pretends not to notice. Either that, or it honestly doesn’t bother him at all. When he veers around a tree, he holds back the branches for me so I can cross without getting whipped by their needles. He takes me in roundabout ways to avoid obstacles, but I put my foot down when he jumps over a log and then holds out his hand to help me over.
“Do I look like a helpless child?” I ask.
“I was just being polite.”
“I’m a warrior. Treat me like one.”
“Sorry, I’ve never met a female warrior before. Didn’t realize they preferred to be treated like men.”
“That’s not—”
I’ve always wanted to be free to behave like a woman, but Father never allowed it. But Father isn’t here now, is he?
I think about what I want. HowIwould like to be treated. I don’t want Soren going out of his way to make me more comfortable. That just seems silly. What I always wanted was to be free towear what I wanted. To act how I wanted. Father would chastise me if I hugged my sisters in front of him, if I cried when I was little, if I whined or complained when I was injured.
But no more.
I am a warrior of the wild, and I can behave however I damn well please.
“I’d prefer it if you treated me as you would another warrior,” I say.
“All right, then.”
Soren leads me back to the tree house. He stops to open a shed I hadn’t noticed before at the tree’s base. Inside I see more traps, extra rope, chopped firewood, and buckets. It’s one of the latter that he grabs.
Then he takes me along a well-trodden trail, one I’m sure he and Iric have made during their time living out in the wild.
Eventually, Soren comes to a stop in front of… brambles. Smooth vines with plump yellow berries grow like weeds. They’re everywhere, the plants extending far into this section of the wild.
Soren puts the bucket on the ground and starts picking berries and dropping them inside. I hurry to join him. It seems the best way to say thank you for sharing this location with me.
