Page 29 of Warrior of the Wild
The distinct sound of a slap pulls me from my thoughts. I look down to see Iric standing over Soren, the latter boy’s left cheek now red. “Wake up!”
Soren’s whole body jolts. His eyes shoot open.
“What the hell were you doing?” Iric asks.
“I was… hunting,” Soren manages.
“You nearly got yourself killed. You nearly left mealone, you arrogant ass!”
“I’m… sorry.”
“Not yet you’re not. But you will be once you’re healthy enough to receive the beating that’s coming your way.”
Soren smiles. Smiles! And then his eyes drift closed once more.
“Is he safe if I leave him with you?” I ask.
“He’s fine,” Iric grits out. “Did he hit his head at all?”
“Not that I saw.”
“Good.” He takes a deep breath and lets it out. “We don’t have a lot of space, but you’re welcome to find a free spot on the floor to sleep on. You look ready to drop.”
Nothing could wake me up more.
“Thank you, but I need to be on my way.”
“Are you going somewhere? You’re not in exile like we are?”
“I was banished and given my mattugr. I intend to complete it.”
Iric smiles, and I’m not entirely convinced it’s a kind one. “You’re going to complete your mattugr, are you?”
“Complete it and go home or die trying. Either way, I will be with the goddess in the next life.”
His lips press together, as though to keep from laughing.
“What?” I snap.
“You just saved Soren. I shouldn’t.”
“Say it anyway.”
“All right. Rasmira, was it? There’s no delicate way to put this, so let me be up front. You’re never returning home. No one completes their mattugr. They’redesignedto be unbeatable. We are the ones no one wants, the ones everyone is ashamed of. The sooner you accept that, the better off you will be. You will never see your family or friends ever again.
“And your so-called goddess? What kind of gracious deity demands that her subjects die horribly in order to be received into her Paradise? Dying horribly is stupid. I suggest you make yourself a shelter, get yourself into a routine, and accept that this is your new life.
“Welcome to the wild.”
CHAPTER
6
Bastard.
I’m glad to be free of that stuffy tree house full of idiot males.
Somehow I manage to find the road again. I walk down it for several minutes before crossing to the other side and plunging into the foliage. Everything Iric told me was false and ignorant, but he was right about one thing. I need shelter. It’s foolish to travel any longer without having a place to rest safely. I’m running on embers. It won’t be long before they snuff out and my body demands the sleep it so desperately needs. I’ll be as helpless as Soren in a moment.
