I liked the giants’ perch I had found, feeling the sway of motion, entire hours of my walking was reached in minutes of his.

I relaxed in the soft cloak. I was safe.

‘Hungry?’ I asked as I ate some bread and berries he shared, unable to reciprocate the generosity.

‘Yes.’ He scanned the foliage then kneeled to discover ghostly paw prints far smaller than his. The forest must have supplied a steady stream of information to him which would be overwhelming for me if I was skilled enough to even pick up on it. ‘You…’ My protest to hunt trailed off, having no right.

He began to hurry up, moving near soundlessly, through the bracken. I gripped the cloak to not fall. He readied his bow.

The longer he pursued the sadder I became, knowing a creatures’ life was to be ended. Half an hour later of this constant pace he began to slow. Drawing back the bowstring it aimed at a common droopdew, its snout drooping. I heard the arrow sail and a body drop, but I had turned my head from the grim sight.

He brushed over and began to remove the skin so I clamped my ears and mumbled a fairy tune, but he had finished surprisingly quickly. ‘You can look now.’

I dared, and gagged at the bloody ball of flesh. ‘Is that a vein?!’ I breathed, and then quickly looked away before gagging again.

Eventually he began to cook it as I performed morning prayers in the grass a few steps away. My nose scrunched up- I could smell it… a nauseating, sickly smell. Through a prayer I mumbled ‘disgusting blood sport.’

Then felt my body being lifted.

‘Don’t go far.’ Thatcher placed me a few paces away not wishing to hear my protests.

I wandered slightly; it was good to stretch my legs. As the hunter added spices to the skewered meat I climbed over a dirt mound, grabbing grass to help pull me up and a rabboid hopped into view. I nearly fell off in shock of the animals’ sudden appearance. I smiled slightly and fished out a half an eaten berry from my sack and showed it. It sniffed the offering, before snatching and swallowing it.

Contented by the sweetness it relaxed in my presence.

Heart speeding I very slowly reached forward and touched its fur… it was so soft… It reminded me of silk, glossy and shining in the thinning sunlight. The animal didn’t seem vexed by the contact. My frame melted slightly, mind buzzed less, soothed.

‘Thea?’ The hunter had finished and eaten, and spotted me by the rabboid. The creature didn’t flee on his approach or when he kneeled down.

I looked to him ‘we’re still in that dangerous you-can’t-touch-the-ground area? We can’t leave her.’

‘I’m sure it knows how to survive, has a den, offspring perhaps? Let’s be off.’

I looked suddenly saddened with a pouting lip. ‘Can you check?’

He picked up the ball of fur ‘it’s a juvenile male.’ He felt its bones it was suffering from a bone disease that made movement slightly painful. He’d usually kill the thing in mercy. But not now, not with my eyes so big and glued on him.

‘So we can bring him?’

‘The predators need to eat something.’

‘Oh, please! Please, please, please!’

‘Flesh satiates flesh to remove one would mean two to die in vain.’

‘Please, please, please!’

‘Thea-.’

‘Pleeeeease, please?! Just until we’re out of the monsters territory?’

He shook his head in disbelief. He held the creature properly under his arm then extended a hand to me. I smiled prideful and stepped on.

As he began to walk the brown fluff shut its eyes in contentment, the swaying motion relaxing.

‘Thank you.’

‘We’re not keeping him.’

‘I know.’

‘I’m serious.’

‘Okay.’

‘Okay?’

‘Okay!’

Hours later the animal hadn’t bothered to move from his arms, the fae asleep on its back. He couldn’t believe something so tiny bossed him around- she certainly was a princess…

I woke with the rabboid when he placed us amongst the tall grass. ‘We’re out of death-dersho territory.’ Thatcher stated. ‘He stays here.’

I grumbled in protest but he stopped listening and began pitching his tent.

Lying down in Rially summer meant no fire was needed. Cloak against the grass he removed his shoes and heavy leather to show a white undershirt slightly stained yellow with sweat and grease.

As he nodded off I had just woken from my nap, sleep wasn’t a necessity yet. Instead, I leaned against the rabboid and watched the sky. The final clouds were clearing to reveal dazzling gemstones of stars.

‘See that one?’ I whispered to the rabboid, pointing to a constellation with six stars. ‘That is the God of Fires stars, and there…’ I pointed to another, the largest, ‘That is the God of Breath.’ I searched for the Lesser God of the Hunt. ‘Not every constellation is visible right now however.

‘Now, I know what you’re thinking: where is Itha-Shaws constellation? They don’t have one. They’re the universe itself, pulling everything together. We can’t put an image to one so grand a star would be an insult. But we know they’re here from the ceremonial candles that stay alight, flowers in constant bloom near their temples. It’s the reason why you are still alive,’ I looked to Thatcher ‘and me.’

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Lost in thought of a moment I adjusted my sitting position and continued. ‘They live up there. The stars are where the Gods live. Watching down…’ I spoke whimsically. ‘Looking after us.’ I imagined what the planet must look like. Merely from my perch it was transformed… the idea created a beautiful, mystified picture of an amazing bright green, blue and crystal white orb in a never ending abyss of black.

‘But… not everything they do is good. No… not everything.’ My eyes flickered to the nasty gash on my hand. ‘That is what Shaw stands for, it is golish or misfortune, Itha is good happenings.’ The rabboid tucked is legs under itself like a freshly baked loaf of bread. Dabbing my finger in some mud I drew the Itha symbol on the skin of its ear. I yawned, it was getting late…

***

Waking up on the soil the creature had hopped off in the night. The sky was a dreary grey once more. I had slept in as the hunter was already up and had began lighting his fire with stones for the meat he managed to keep from yesterday. ‘I thought you used sticks to make fire?’

He scoffed ‘tell me how that works out for you.’

‘Ugh, I feel so groggy and my hair is disgusting. When was the last time you showered?’

He noticed my slight snark ‘If you wish, princess, I can pour my drinking water over you.’

He handed me some apple, I thanked him and began eating while sitting on a rock like it was a throne.

‘Here.’ He handed me a powder.

‘What’s this?’

‘Sleep-snappers. It’s a herb which should remove that grogginess.’ I took it and took a small whiff, it stung my nose but suddenly everything cleared, and my headache vanished.

A roar erupted from the trees, deep, guttural and close by. Suddenly, the princess wasn’t hungry. ‘Is it close?’ I pocketed the sleep-snappers.

The hunter picked me up and placed me on a low branch of a tree. ‘Don’t worry I’ll be back soon.’

He readied his bow and hurried into the foliage.

I sat on the bark, chipping some off with a finger. Movement. I turned my head but nothing was there. About to dismiss it- movement again.

Turning properly my heart froze for a moment as a branch moved. I began to slowly move away, finding anything of hers pointless for defense as the thing coiled around a branch, or so I thought. The thing was so well camouflaged it was hard to deduce was it exactly was, I only caught flickers of movement.

Grasping my bag in front of me like a shield continued to back away as my breath was ragged, body quaking.

I considered shouting, screaming for Thatcher but he would already be too far, and my panic would only attract greater danger. Then I bumped against something cold. An icy shiver travelled up her. Shooting around fangs dripping with venom lunged at her! I squealed like a pig on slaughter day as I threw my bag down its throat! Then suddenly was forced to watch the branch shrink as I fell from it- plummeting down!

Then a strange bounce caught her…! Disorientated the truth struck me like a hammer. I was in a web…My mind screamed with such horror but no noise could get past my pale lips.

I thought I was already dead when I saw twenty bloodied eyes watching me from the corner. A massive, disguising, hairy beast stared at her. Then it bolted at her, ready for breakfast! Shrieking I pulled my arm so hard the skin ripped off, clothes of my dress torn and fell from the web as snapping jaws threatened my throat!

I continued my gut-wrenching fall down, down, down, into a filthy puddle! Splashing into the blackened water it did nothing to break my fall. Spluttering and choking on bog water I crawled out of it on all fours. Blinded from the water everything was a blur. I randomly grabbed at the mud and smeared it over my face and body, desperately trying to hide myself and thinking what the hunter would do. I was soaked, filthy! My bloodied arms stained the dark dirt a bright red. Feeling it slither down my arms was pain in of itself from my skins tenderness, but some small fortune was the injuries weren’t deep. Wiping my eyes I found myself amongst weeds. A cough broke out and I tried to pluck dirt from my tongue. Then a bird cawed.

The shrill sound surged my brain into action! Whatever link my thinking mind had to my body was severed with the sharp blade of fear as thoughtlessly I jumped to my feet and charged off.

Bashing through grass I sprinted and dived to the underside of a root. I couldn’t feel anything, only the desire for action, the need to keep running, to keep breathing.

The sight of my own bloodied arms renewed any fading strength tenfold, but my brain swam from my suddenly stillness. Would the wounds kill her? So unadjusted to injury I hadn’t the gauge for fatality. Then the wood twitched. I jumped out from under the cover quicker than I believed I ever could! The wood snatched up the place I was residing in not mere seconds ago…

Legs failing I dropped to stare skyward, merely trying to catch my leaving breath, the simple task impossible. Death was instilled in everything- everything wanted me dead! The world twisted around me, looking so hostile and painful.

On hearing steps I jumped to my feet, looking around frantically. My eyes met Thatchers’. He was shocked- in only a few minutes I was in the worst state of my life.

‘Wh- ? Are you okay?’

Then I broke down in tears, voice loud like a toddlers: ‘DON’T leave me AGAIN!’