While the gersho limbered on I tracked their progress on the map, but it felt like the rains had diluted my brain. I was more fatigued then when I went to sleep… They hadn’t moved as far as I assumed in a day, I wouldn’t be able to reach the help in a week…

The gersho near collapsing from her turgid stomach after a few hours made me decide it was time for a rest. Once more tying up the chaotic thing I took from my bag two ceremonial candles and a single, tiny shrine. The shrine was designed as two semi-circles facing opposite directions, encompassed by a circle. Managing to light the candles I went to my knees and prayed for true direction and good fortune.

It was usually accustom to pray at six in the morning and night but there was nothing wrong with excessive worship, unique circumstances call for unique actions.

One would think the Earth fae would worship God of Earth or Soil. But since they had a monarchy the God of Fate, good and terrible alike, it was the cause of their next bloodline and the fate of the next royalty. It was the same deity which placed my mother on the throne, whose plan was my future rule and eventual- a raindrop splattered her, extinguishing my candles.

Defeat becoming my I packed it away and returned to my pet… Only the animal was staring upward at something. Following its eye-line I noticed a glistening berry. my stomach rumbled, begging for it. Wasting no time I approached the thorny bush and with a pale hand around the closest thorn I began to climb the branches. I stretched to each one, using it like a somewhat ladder- it was tiresome work.

I heaved myself onto the berries branch and slowly stood. Walking across it like a tightrope I quickly hurried to the edge, to the red beauty glistening from passed rain. The branch bent under my weight, causing me to slow. Suddenly I slipped, but flung myself forward and caught the berry! Hanging off the orb I began kicking and twisting her body! I snapped it off the end and dropped down!

Hitting into the ground unharmed I caught the crimson orb before it hit the ground, trying to keep the mud away- only my hands were filthy from the fall.

Wiping off the mud onto my already near-black dress I bit into the juicy sweetness, sating my thirst. My mouth tingled at the sweetness, and a small smile showed itself. The skin on my back bristled. My head burnt. Something was wrong. Forta was suddenly screaming, making me suddenly feel rooted to the ground. It pulled itself free of the leash and sprinted out of sight! I swallowed, too terrified to move. Then hot breath was felt on my back! I snapped around to see the nose of a rat! Oh Gods… In an instant I threw the berry at it and sprinted for it! It snapped at the berry but pursued her! Dashing into the bracken I nimbly avoided its razor blades. ‘Get a-away!’ I barely spoke, shaking with adrenaline, feeling like a tower of cards about to collapse. As the thorns brushed its fur it cut into my pale skin! Legs bleeding I couldn’t run faster without impaling myself! Lungs already burning, legs already heavy I always assumed in danger I would suddenly get some sort of power, an unknown strength, but I had never felt so weak! I grabbed a branch, pulled it back on one a thorn and flicked into its forehead, stabbing the beast but did nothing to slow it. Running through the bush into grass the rat jumped for me and bit down, jaws snapped into my bag. ‘NO, NO, NO!’ I screamed and wriggled like a worm on a hook as it lifted me, ready to be tossed into its mouth! I struggled, but a high pitched squeal was all I could do! Then the beast squealed itself- and went limp. Frantic I hit into the dirt and dazed continued my sprint through grass blades! Numb, I stopped under a sapling leaf, gasping and shaking uncontrollably. Silence… what had happened? My vision jittered with each thumping heart beat, barely able to see clearly.

The little one saw two shoes walk into view, made from animal hide.

I watched a red-tinted hand slide the arrow out from the carcass. My breath caught and clamped my mouth shut with shaking hands, trying to quieten herself- a felden. I’d be taken! I wanted to scream! How many times had I imagined myself being some unstoppable hero in true danger, but in reality I could barely run!? Despite my lungs burning I tried to hold my breath, tried to vanish, wished for it! I forced my eyes shut like they were oranges to be squeezed. I wished for this to all be a bad dream! WAKE UP!

‘Are you hurt?’ A voice asked.

Dizzy I released my breath and stumbled as I gasped. Slowly I poked my head outward enough just to spot the savor's eyes. Overwhelmed by the sight I hurried back under the leaf. Legs finally failed and I dropped to the grass blades. The felden took a knee, ‘don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.’ I gasped, staring forward like a deer with an arrow in his head. My mind buzzed blankly. Gulping in a few more breathes I slowly I stepped out to see a young man draped in forest, a dirtied face and coffee-coloured fur cloak. He was 5’,8’’ but a mountain to me.

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‘What are you doing out here, alone?’ He questioned but my mind was reeling from how gargantuan he was. I could only watch him, how effortlessly he moved as easily as I. I looked closer at his face… He appeared… I couldn’t put my mind on it.

‘You’re… very big.’

‘And you’re very small.’

I gulped. My nose pricked, he smelt like river water and soil. ‘You smell.’

‘And… you’re scented with roses.’

‘You’re…’ Then my mind forced itself to click into action. ‘I’m not hurt.’ A dew drop bent the leaf I still coward behind and flicked it up. It opened my view for a moment to see his deep brown eyes find mine. They were so soft, it instilled comfort in me. ‘Why did you help?’

‘I’m not just going to walk by now am I?’

‘You… like helping people?’

‘As much as anyone. I have a sense the rat wasn’t the only danger?’

My heart flickered awake. Hope. ‘I need your help. I must get to the Fae Federation, its run by felden themselves… My people… They’re in danger.’ I then spotted the quiver, the feathered arrows. My mind was like a clock clogged with terror. It was slow to turn but turn it did. ‘You’re a hunter?’ I quickly regretted my pleas.

‘I am.’ A frown perched itself on my brow. ‘Am I wrong in being so?’

I didn’t wish to work with a killer but prejudices couldn’t be a luxury at the moment so I bit my tongue. ‘Are you per chance travelling south?’

He looked southward, ‘I am in fact, I can help you on your journey to the Federation, I know the city they reside in.’

My gratitude, Itha. I thought, clearly such luck was the design of the Gods.

He returned his bloodied arrow to the quiver and extended his palm. I didn’t have much of a choice, after only one night I would’ve died to a rat. Now with my gersho abandoning me I wouldn’t have the slightest chance!

He didn’t seem to be a Snatcher… but I was never a good judge of character. His eyes were gentle, but he was also a killer. A hunter. I looked to his palm. The skin looked rough and calloused and able to crush me with ease… Nervous, I stepped on. He cusped me in two hands for stability, his skin was warm, as he stood up and slowly raised me to his shoulder. I felt of force and the ground being pulled away- it was daunting and dizzying… Carefully I stepped off his hand onto his right shoulder, gripping hard onto the fur cloak. If I fell no harm would befall me yet I was nervous all the same.

He stepped forward, being mindful of the sapling as he walked. ‘I’ve never been so high.’ I mumbled to myself but being so close to his ear he heard it easily. ‘How do you know what you’re stepping on?’ I quarreled, as fully aware I could have easy been unknowingly covered by his foot.

‘How do you?’ He stated matter-of-factly. A brief silence came over the two, the peculiar feeling of each others’ company demanded recompense to be sated, conversation.

‘What troubles the fae, then?’ The hunter asked, looking onward rather than trying to attempt eye contact with me.

‘I can’t speak of such matters… how are you out here, felden can’t survive these forests?’ I looked around still; from this height the world was alien.

‘You were almost eaten by a rat.’

‘I’m no knight, my people can survive. Size means discreetness. Timber Tongues, Body Blistering's, Soul Flayers, they’ll see you easily.’

‘I manage.’

‘…What about none-hunters? How do ones not so skilled, like travelling traders, survive journeys?’

‘They’ve crafted tunnels under soil.’

I thought about this revelation- it wasn’t a bad idea. I’d have to remember that. “Then you live out here?”

‘A curious one, aren’t you? No I do not.’

‘Are you far from home?’

He looked upward slightly, to the canopy of trees, the shadow of leaves passed over his face. ‘Very.’

‘Ay.’ My mind returned to the bakers and my home.

I listened to him step, which was a struggle because it was near silent. The hunter made such little noise he may as well had been a phantom. Any prey or predator wouldn’t have a hope of hearing him. I couldn’t help imagine how much noise I’d be making if the roles reversed.

He smelt like the forest, despite my fae nose heightened to smell felden or beast alike he somehow merged with the forestry around him. He was a good hunter. He was the forest. Bones of sticks and flesh of soil, as my father would say. My eyes drifted from his muddied face to his neck where a pendent hung. It wasn’t like my semi-circles of Itha-Shaw but a paw, strange.

A hunter would worship the Lesser God of the Hunt, not the Goddess of Beasts, usually. But such questions were intimate, and they were acquaintances at best.