The Forgotten One

So yeah here I am just standing here as the two women have a full on break down. The deer riding woman with the staff, the bow woman, and the little girl all joined in on the hugs all crying. Once again I felt sooooooo fucking awkward while they did this. Still naked yup that’s still a thing. I can actually hear them now so it makes me feel kind of scummy listening in on their little reunion.

“Oh Sylmae we have missed you so much. Ever since you disappeared five years ago we’ve had scouts looking for you constantly. We never lost hope but we came close after losing you’re trail in to the human’s lands.” Her sister said to the previously collared woman.

“It’s alright Alenia I’m just so glad that I’m finally free. I makes it so much sweeter to already be with my family after the horrid things that’s happened.” They all cried in a group with the three younger ones saying either mom or aunty. As they held one another and the warriors looked on in a mix of happiness and sadness for all the lost time that Sylmae was missing I tried to turn around and quietly walk away while they were distracted.

I got maybe one hundred feet away before I heard the wolf rider shout “Hey young one where do you think you’re going?” She’d said it in their language. I turned around and saw them all staring at me Alenia said something to them quietly and the warriors started to come after me with their bears in tow.

“Oh fuck me!” I yelled in human and started to run into the forest. I yelled back at them as they mounted their bears to chase me down. “This is the thanks I get? You people need to learn something about gratitude.” I shouted while speeding into the woods. I had absolutely no idea where I was going but at the moment anything was better than the crazy women who’d probably beat me for helping them.

As I ran I could hear the bears tearing through the forest trying to follow me and catch me. Now bears are actually fast creatures and can move for a pretty good amount of time so most people couldn’t out run a bear in terms of speed or stamina but I’m not most people. I was like a rocket jumping over logs and across streams during my mad dash away from them.

After about ten minutes of running I looked back to see no one following me. I kept up the pace just in case and began looking for another creek or river. I eventually found one that barely went up to my ankles and jumped into the middle of it. After quickly washing myself in the cold creek I jumped straight up and out of the creek. Clearing more than thirty feet in one jump.

I grabbed onto an overhanging tree and slowly made my way back the way I’d come originally. Being in the trees helped me to keep an eye and ear out for any of the riders looking for me. The quick bath was to try and wash some of my scent off for the wolf. As I went the bear riders passed underneath me several times in a vain attempt to find me.

I kept moving in the direction that I knew their camp was. I figured the best place to hide from them would be under their nose or in this case above their heads. It took me roughly an hour to quietly get back to where’d I’d left them. There they had a fire going and were talking to the woman who’d be stolen from them. She answered their questions about what had happened and where she was taken.

They tried to find out who had done it but she wasn’t sure. The only one who knew was the man I’d killed and I now had those memories. As the day turned to night the bear riders and wolf rider came back empty handed. This seemed to sadden Sylmae as she was only able to thank her savoir once. As well as the little girl as she had been agitated the whole day I’d spent above them. She really threw a tantrum when no one was able to find me.

“Look at what you did. All he did was help me and Auntie Sylmae. And what did you do for him? NOTHING. YOU RAN HIM OFF WITH YOUR BEATINGS AND THREATS.” She went on and on until she finally fell asleep mid rant collapsing into her aunt exhausted. Her aunt held her close and rubbed her head as she slept in her arms.

After listening on them for a while I started to piece some things together with the help of that fire man’s memories. The Little girl that they’d wanted to kidnap was called Shalendra. Her mother was the queen of the elves. How she found herself being chased by humans was beyond me as you figure she’d be incredibly guarded.

Her elder sister was Yunaelsca she was the one who’d had the ability to heal and rode the deer. Her eldest sister was the angry bow woman whose name was Teharissa. Their mother was Alenia the one who’d been shouting at me for ruining her chance to save her sister. I’d still yet to hear any of the warriors’ names or the wolf rider. They all just called her elder.

Yuna seemed to be quiet sad about how I was treated and even Teharissa had begrudgingly agreed after all I’d done to help them. Alenia was quiet for the most part just lost in thought while Sylmae held her sweet adorable niece in her arms and she too fell asleep next to the fire.

As the night wore on and the warriors and princesses switched to keep a steady watch in case of another attack I kept watch from high above them. Nothing happened on the ground that night but the same couldn’t be said for the trees. The large panther that carried Teharissa somehow found me in the trees. Instead of attack however it stalked over to me and began purring in a deep baritone kind of way but purring all the same.

I was always liked by animals before but this was kind of stupid there’s no fucking way a four hundred pound animal with razor claws and teeth like these should like me. Their even well trained from what I’d seen. Of course I didn’t want to piss the beast off my ignoring it so I pet it carefully for a while until it too fell asleep.

In the morning they all began to pack up the camp. Shalendra was still incredibly pouty and clung to her aunt or sister Yuna. Talking about me every once in a while trying to tell them how I’d saved her even though the only one who didn’t know was her aunt. This got some smiles from them but it seemed to sadden Alenia and her eldest daughter Teharissa for the way I was treated. They never did hear about how Shalendra had escaped those who’d hounded her.

As they were about to leave Teharissa began looking around the camp and at the trees slightly worried. Most likely looking for her murder/purr machine still leaning against me in the tree dozing off. She called a few times which seemed to wake the cat but it wasn’t until she grew somewhat frantic in calling that the animal moved from its spot next to me and jump from branch to branch until sliding down the trunk of the tree to land on the forest floor.

It mewled a few times and looked up at where I was currently hiding. You dumb cat go shoo don’t give away my spot you idiot. But it wouldn’t stop meowling up at me. Teharissa quickly ran over to check on her beast and after making sure she wasn’t injured finally looked up directly at me through a breach in the leaves.

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She froze and so did I. She quickly start shouting and pointing in my direction. Shit. God damn cat man. The cat in question keep staring up at me pitifully. Before I could make a quick getaway however the tree I was sitting on moved. Its branches twisted and grabbed onto me. As soon as it had a grip it started to lower me to the group of women surrounding the tree. I tried to break free but it wasn’t budging.

About fifty feet off the ground and I began to put all my strength into breaking free. As I heard the bark begin to break the tree opened up and dropped me feet first and I fell and landed with a sickening crunch resonating from my legs. I yelled out in pain. “SON OF A BITCH AHHHHHHH!!” I was grabbed by the warriors and held down which made the pain from my legs hammer in my brain. They quickly tied me up like they’d done the last time.

I was definitely going to fight my way out this time though as soon as my legs healed these ladies were fucked. The warriors stood watch over me as Teharissa quickly came back with her family and the elder in tow. “Wow Yuna great job catching him with the tree.” Said Teharissa

“Oh dear but he’s hurt I dropped him from to high up. I could feel he was hurting the tree trying to break free so I had too.” Said Yuna in an apologetic voice. “If he’s hurt I won’t for give you big sis” said little Shalendra as she glared at her older sisters.

“Oh please he came back from being just bones a few broken bones won’t be much” Teharissa retorted. To which I yelled back at them in their language. “JUST BECAUSE I HEAL DOSEN’T MEAN I DON’T FEEL PAIN DAMN IT!” This froze the ladies as I hadn’t spoken to them in their native tongue yet.

I could feel and hear as my bones snapped back into place causing me to let out a groan of relief. As the women quickly neared I began to fight against the vines that were restricting me. As they snapped away the warriors drew their weapons and faced me. Their queen hurriedly walked over to us. “Please young man calm yourself we mean you no harm.” She said. Unfortunately I couldn’t stop myself from laughing which made the warriors frown and how I addressed their ruler.

“Yeah I’m sure you just want to make sure that the fall didn’t shatter my FUCKING LEGS. And of course you just wanted to thank me for all I’ve done for you before what? Slitting my throat huh?” I was not in a very calm mood now. She was slightly taken aback by my aggressiveness. “Please can we not talk to one another young man? Can we just start with your name? Please.” She all but whispered the last word.

“Yeah no you can go fuck yourselves if you think I’m goi……..” I didn’t get to finish as the warriors started to kick my prone body. They kept at it until Alenia had to tell them to stop and even then she had to say it multiple times. I coughed and spat up blood. Shalendra ran to me and called for Yuna.

Yuna reluctantly came forward but was unsure what her sister wanted. “You need to fix him Yuna. He’s bleeding and in pain.” Shalendra looked worried. Yuna didn’t step forward however she just looked at her mother. “Listen here boy the only reason I didn’t let them kill you is because of what you’ve done for us. Now tell me your name or else.” Alenia said with so much false bravado I could taste it.

I laughed and continued to cough up blood. “No I’ve got a better idea.” She seemed slightly annoyed I refused her but was interested in what I had to say. “Go ahead speak before I change my mind.” I laughed again as the blood cleared and I flexed my muscles ready to burst from my restraints. “How about I beat the shit out of you all?” I jumped up and broke free of the vines.

Shalendra jumped back but instead of being scared of me she looked angry. But she was facing her mother and not me. I ducked and dodged as the warriors quickly closed in and began to attack me. Their bears didn’t sit idle as they attack either. They ran in and roared at me as I dodged their riders. The first one hit me and sent me sprawling to the side. I managed to get back on my feet before a second one came at me from the side bull rushing me.

As it ran into me I dug my feet down and met its charge with a tackle of my own. It pushed me back only a few feet before all its momentum was gone. And as it stood up to swing at me I heel kicked it straight in the stomach sending it tumbling back in to two of the warriors. The princesses and queen stood still in shock as I battled three bears and warriors.

The fight looked like it would easily go to the six attackers but it quickly changed as hit after hit I quickly put them all down. I didn’t kill them but they weren’t getting back up any time soon. “Now that those fucks are out of the way.” I said while cracking my neck and knuckles “It’s your turn.” As I ran forward causing them to flinch out of fear the wolf came speeding out of nowhere and tackled me to the ground.

As soon as we stopped moving I went to strike it but it got off of me immediately and began whining at me and laid down in front of me. The large cat soon followed and came and tried to stop me as well. The second I raised a fist the cat would sheepishly meow gently raise a paw and try to put my hands down. The wolf sat up and whined in front of me as well.

I sighed losing a lot of fight I had. I mean the women beat me and didn’t treat me very well but the animals didn’t deserve this at all. Honestly neither did Shalendra, Sylmae, or the animals. I stopped trying to fight and gently pet the cat and wolf. Then began to move to the pile of bodies where I’d thrown the bears and their riders. The riders were still unconscious but the bears were just coming to.

When they saw me approach they shuffled backwards and released a few quiet groans with fear in their eyes. I shuffled forward reaching out to the closest bear. When my fingers brushed up against it the bear whimpered and flinched backwards expecting me to hit it again.

When I didn’t it stopped and looked back at me. I just began petting its head while whispering in English “I’m sorry big guy you didn’t deserve that.” It looked at me with its big eyes and stuck its head into my chest the same way the wolf had when I first met it. The other bears slowly came over and I apologized to them as well. I was displacing my anger for their riders onto them and that wasn’t right.

While I was busy trying to make amends with animals I felt something latch onto my leg and when I looked down it was Shalendra crying and hugging me. I reached down and rubbed her head and heard her mumbling something. When I bent down to hear better I saw she was crying and just kept saying the same thing over and over. “I’m sorry I’m so sorry mister.” AHHHHH kids and animals my weak spots fuck. I pulled her away from my leg which saddened her even more until I brought her in for a real hug.

“It’s ok sweet heart it’s not your fault. And I’m sorry you had to see me angry and that I threatened you family. That’s a mean thing to do and I shouldn’t have.” She slowly nodded into my head accepting my terrible apology. I heard someone coming closer and when I looked up it was Sylmae and Alenia slowly approaching. Alenia looked at me and her daughter in fear. She stopped a good ten feet away but Sylmae came right up to me.

She shuffled her feet and looked at me with a small amount of fear in her eyes but also sadness. “I’m sorry young man about everything. You’ve saved me from a terrible fate and I couldn’t even muster a few words in your defense please forgive me.” She bowed to me and I sighed again.

Quietly I responded in a calm and soothing voice. “Please don’t bow. I’m glad I could help you and your family. But they aren’t the best at expressing gratitude are they? When I saved this little one from some other group of people they bowed to me as well. But when I went to stop them those assholes there.” I jerked a thumb at the warriors still laying in a pile. “Attacked me the second I touched them. So good things aside I’m not happy about the treatment you’ve given me.” My last words meant and said while staring directly at Alenia.

She squirmed under my gaze and couldn’t meet my eyes. Still rubbing Shalendra’s head I slowly lifted her up and gave her to Sylmae. “Maybe it would be better if we could all just sit and talk. What do you say?” Sylmae nodded to me and Alenia did as well. I followed Sylmae towards the large tent the royals used as a home for the past few nights.