What had just happened to her life? How had everything spiraled out of control so quickly?

The man had led her back to their camp where Meeko awaited them by the dying fire. The ebony and tawny forest cat moved to her side with a feline grace that left her mesmerized.

At some point she had sat down on the fallen tree, opposite the man across the fire, her mind a storm of unanswered questions. Her body still hummed with the remnants of fear, the adrenaline slowly ebbing away, leaving behind a hollow, unsettling emptiness.

Blankly, she stared into the flickering flames, watching the light dance and twist, her thoughts moving just as erratically. The world around her—the quiet rustling of the forest, the warmth of the fire, the comforting presence of Meeko curling up beside her—seemed so foreign, so impossibly distant from the cold stone walls of the Dreadfort that she could hardly believe she was actually free.

Her fingers absent-mindedly threaded through Meeko’s thick, warm fur, grounding her in the familiar sensation of her feline companion. The cat, ever loyal, nestled beside her, his purring a soft, steady rhythm against her side. The comforting presence of the animal helped anchor her mind, but it did little to quiet the disquiet stirring in her heart.

There was no denying that she had escaped the Dreadfort, but what now? She couldn't exactly return home, the were probably waiting for her. And the capital writhed with eyes from the Dreadfort. She knew she wouldn't last a second on those streets.

For a moment, Amriel’s mind drifted. Would she ever see her cottage again? Or the great weeping willow tree that bowed over the pond at the forest’s edge, where they had laid her father to rest. How he had loved to spend the day reading beneath the shelter of its weeping branches and delicate leaves. What of Simon and Niamh and their twin girls?

The fire crackled and snapped, its glow casting long shadows across the small clearing in the dark underbrush. Across from her, the man who had pulled her from that hellish place said nothing. He simply worked with deliberate focus, his knife slicing through the roasted rabbit meat with practiced ease. Each piece he cut, he speared carefully on the tip of his blade, offering it to her silently.

She accepted the first piece without hesitation. Her hunger, which had been gnawing at her insides since her escape, demanded satisfaction. The warmth of the meat was a welcome comfort, the taste rich and savory.

Yet, he didn’t push her to speak, didn’t try to force her to trust him. He simply handed her the food when she needed it, his movements efficient and calm, his gaze always returning to the rabbit he slowly carved. The quiet crackling of the fire and the occasional sound of Meeko’s soft purring were the only noises that filled the silence between them.

Amriel had eaten in silence for a while, but after several moments, a thought began to gnaw at her. She was surrounded by so many unknowns—too many unanswered questions—and yet there was one that nagged at her more than any other: Who is this man?

Her eyes flicked over to him once more. There was something about him, something that didn’t quite fit. The ease with which he had arrived, how he seemed to know just how to handle her fear and uncertainty, it all hinted at a depth she couldn't quite grasp.

And still, she knew nothing about him, not even his name. She had accepted the rabbit he offered her without question, but now, the sense of the unknown was beginning to press heavily against her chest, silently crushing her.

Her eyes moved down to Meeko, who was curled contentedly at her side. The forest cat, as large as a dog, stretched in his sleep. Massive claws, wicked sharp, revealed themselves from their hiding place sheathed in his paws as he flexed. Clearly, the cat had decided not only to accept the stranger now but also to rust him enough to fall asleep in his presence. That in itself was enough to ease some of her immediate distrust. The feline wasn’t one to trust easily.

Lifting her eyes, Amriel watched the stranger across the fire as he scraped the flesh from the rabbit's pelt. She recognized it as it was exactly how she treated the furs. Evidently, not a man to waste anything.

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Who was he? She thought, her fingers running through Meeko’s fur, the vibrations of his purr echoing through her. Who was this man who had collapsed on her floor? Who had haunted her mind from the moment they’d met? Who had rescued her from the depths of the Dreadfort?

I should ask him, Amriel thought, watching the firelight dance across his features. After all this, I deserve a name.

As if he’d heard the unspoken question in her mind, the man’s head shifted, and his piercing green eyes locked onto hers. For a brief, electric moment, their gazes met across the flickering flames. The moment stretched, taut with the unasked questions between them, before Amriel finally broke the silence.

She swallowed hard, her throat dry from more than just the cold night air. “Who are you?” The words spilled out more urgently than she had intended, sharp and demanding, as if she had been holding the question in for far too long.

He didn’t flinch or look away. Instead, his expression remained neutral, almost unreadable, though there was something in his eyes—a quiet understanding, perhaps even a trace of wry amusement—as if he had been expecting this question, and yet it still held weight.

He set down the knife carefully, the blade catching the firelight for a split second before his gaze shifted back to her with a calmness that seemed to settle into the pit of her stomach.

“Who I am will take some time. Perhaps if you ask me another time, but for now will you settle for a name?” he asked softly, as if the very idea of revealing himself required some kind of reflection.

Amriel’s patience, worn thin by the endless stream of uncertainty, faltered. She leaned forward, eyes narrowed slightly. “I’m not asking for a story. I want to know your name.”

A flicker of something—amusement, perhaps—crossed his face, though his voice remained steady. “Very well.” He exhaled, the breath almost a sigh. “My name is Valdextrus.”

Her brows rose at the name. That was certainly one she had never heard before. Or at least she was pretty sure she hadn't, but something about it made it familiar all the same. Miss reading the look on her face, he cleared his throat and looked back to the fire, "Most just call me Dex." he said. “And I would be honored if you would do so.”

The name settled between them over the crackling fire. For some, a name was nothing, for her was a piece of the puzzle she had been desperately trying to fit together.

"Valdextrus...Dex" Amriel repeated, as if testing the sound of it in her mouth.

A look she couldn't quite discern flashed across his face when she said his name. It was gone as quickly as it came, and after a moment, he nodded slightly, the corner of his lips twitching as if amused by her skepticism. “So, that will sate your curiosity for now?” His tone was almost casual, though there was a slight undercurrent of something she couldn’t quite place—something guarded.

The tone made it seem like that while he would appease her should she ask of more, he was not really of the mind to want to do so now. If ever, really. Already she could sense that despite his relative kindness, there were high walls built around him.

A name was good enough for now. She didn’t answer right away, instead staring at him, considering him, “Yes,” she said slowly. “It's a start.”

With the rabbit fully consumed, he was letting the fire die slowly. Starved of food, the fire crackled softly for a moment, filling the brief silence between them with its final songs.

"Alright," the man named Dex finally said, "If that's all you need for the moment, then I think we should prepare to move on."

"Do you think the guards are after us?" Amriel suddenly felt slightly alarmed, though his calm demeanor told her they had distanced themselves from their would-be captors. And Meeko would not have felt so secure as to fall asleep if there had been soldiers anywhere in his forest.

Regardless, her fingers clutched for the blade that had once been her source of safety, but she only found a handful of fur. Meeko grumbled a protest at the startling movements and tucked his head away from her uncomfortable grasp, but otherwise, he remained by her side.

Dex didn't seem to be in any great hurry as he stood up and began to kick dirt over the small campfire that had reduced itself to smoldering cinders. Finally, when he was satisfied with the coverage, he stamped it out while responding to her, "No. We lost them a while back. But we do have somewhere we need to be," He cast his emerald eyes skyward, glanced up at the sky through the dense canopy, "And rather soonish, I'd say."

Amriel blinked, "What? Where do we need to be? Where are you taking me?"

The man she now knew as Dex looked up at her slowly shook his head, "I'm not taking you anywhere, Amriel. But you are welcome to join me."