Page 27 of Warrior of the Wild
“This way,” Soren says. “I have shelter.”
We walk side by side. I hadn’t realized when he was on the ground, but he’s barely an inch taller than I am. Something tells me it’s never been a problem, however. Any other girl would think him handsome with his bright blue eyes, strong jaw, and long black lashes. But not me. I will never think of a boy that way ever again.
“So, Rasmira,” he says. “Do you have a boy waiting for you back home?”
I drop him.
All the air leaves him as he crashes to the ground. I hadn’t meant to let go of him, but the question was so startling, sopainful, and Torrin’s face worked its way to the front of my mind.
“Ow,” Soren moans.
I reach down to help him back up, shaking brown eyes from my thoughts. “Sorry. That was an accident.”
He clings to me with more strength this time, as though he doesn’t trust me to hold on to him. “What, did you trip?”
“Something like that.” It’s such a bland response to get around telling a lie. He probably sees right through, and I expect him to call me out on it.
“You didn’t answer my question,” Soren says instead.
This time, my tone turns harsh. “No, I didn’t.”
He may be injured, but at least he’s not stupid. Soren takes that for the dismissal it is, and only points if I start going in the wrong direction.
“Should have kept better track of the days,” he says as we veer around a large boulder a few minutes later.
“Why’s that?”
“The Payment can’t have been long ago if you’re here. Peruxolo would have traveled through with a cart heaped with meat. The ziken are following his trail. That must be why there are so many out and about. I shouldn’t have come anywhere near here.”
And I’ve been following the same trail. No wonder one of them found me early this morning.
“A whole year,” I say, thinking of Soren’s earlier comment. “So it’s possible to survive in the wild. How have you not gone mad being out on your own for so long?”
“I haven’t been alone. We’ve arrived.”
We duck some thick branches and stop in front of—
Another tree.
Only this one has a house built into its branches. It’s small, perhaps the size of my bedroom back home, and it’s made out of—
“Is that wood?”
Soren’s eyelids flutter. Must be taking him some effort to keep them open. “Our best discovery out in the wild. There are trees out here that stay strong long after they’re cut.”
His eyes close, and suddenly he’s all deadweight.
My back slams against the base of the large tree supporting Soren’s home. I try to lower him as gently as I can the rest of the way to the ground.
He plops against the rocks, and his eyes suddenly shoot back open.
“Are you all right?” I ask.
“So… tired,” he says.
I take in the tree. The branches near the base look sturdy, and they’re spaced evenly apart to make for easy handholds. But there’s no way I’m getting Soren up there on my own.
“Hello?” I venture, raising my voice. Soren said he didn’t live alone. “Anybody up there?”
