"A... What?" Amana blurted out in confusion. He wants me to kiss him? As she sat in the clearing of pale moonlight, the princess found herself dumfounded.

The man shrugged as if it were no matter of concern. "Well, considering I just risked my life to save you from that abhorrent beast, I don't believe a small display of gratitude would be amiss." He rose from his squat and turned, stepping away.

He did save me, truthfully. And it isn't like he is terribly unattractive either, now that I can see his face. Amana studied the man as he quietly moved through the open field, seemingly in search of something. Men expect gratitude for their deeds after all. But if I abide, his boldness will know no bounds. I cannot let him think of me as his slave. "And if I refuse?" She asked, trying her best to sound stern.

The man stopped and fell silent for a moment. Amana held her breath nervously, fearing his wrath. Instead of anger, the man gave a chuckle and bent down to pick up a branch that had broken away from a nearby tree. He spun back around and lazily strutted back to where the iron jaw held Amana. "The thing about these traps is that they're actually rather simple. You push down on the plate, and the teeth close." He knelt down near the princess and jammed the branch into the trap. "All you have to do to release the teeth, is push down on the plate again." The man pushed down with his weight until the iron plate beneath the teeth lowered. The closed jaw around Amana's ankle went slack, and a searing pain shot through her entire leg.

"Ow!" She cried out as she quickly pulled her wounded leg free of the trap. The iron teeth had torn into her flesh, leaving her ankle bloody and tender. She grasped it with shaky hands and stifled a pained sob.

The man raised the branch and tossed it aside. "I would hope that you don't go stumbling into another one of these, but if you do, now you know its secret." He explained with a look of satisfaction as he bent the metal jaw back into on open position.

"Thank you. As I said before, you will be repaid for your kindness. My father is a good man, and I will make sure he knows—your name, I forgot to ask," Amana said courteously.

"Brynn," he replied. "But you shouldn't thank me yet, girl. Until you have left Trilea, your safety is far from certain."

"Trilea? I have heard that word before. Who is the king of these lands?" Amana asked.

Brynn shook his head. "There is no king in Trilea, at least not these days. The king was murdered, and the Chalice of the Gods stolen. Trilea is now little more than a decrepit tomb overrun with brigands and beasts."

Mustering all her strength, Amana tried to rise to her feet. immediately, she collapsed back down to her knees, unable to put weight on her hurt leg. The pain was overwhelming, and the princess felt feeble and helpless. "I can't walk," she mumbled to herself.

"Amana, was it?" Brynn asked. She looked up at him with misty eyes. "I can see that you're trying to be strong, but you don't look particularly convincing. I can help you, but you'll have to trust me." He reached out his hand and brushed aside the tangled hair that clung to Amana's cheek. "Will you trust me?"

What other choice is there left to me? Amana gave a nod. "Yes, I trust you." As soon as the words left her lips, Brynn stepped forward and scooped the princess up into his arms. He gently lifted her off the ground and strode off into the darkness. Amana was surprised at how strong he seemed as he carried her with relative ease. Slowly, her uncertainty departed, and was replaced by a strange feeling of safety. Carry me away from this nightmare. She had not felt this way in some time, and as she relaxed the fatigue and weariness of the long day lulled her into a deep slumber.

✸✸✸

Amana spent the following few days in a mixture of fever induced delirium and restless sleep. In her dreams the monster from the woods chased her endlessly, until it fell upon her and tore her into pieces. She would awaken at odd hours, drenched in sweat and panicked. She heard strange noises and saw dancing lights all around her as she fell in and out of consciousness. She called out for her brother but saw him only in the distant shadows. her body felt hot, as if she had been laid over a firepit and left to smolder. Eventually, she drifted off into a cold darkness.

It was the distant chirping of the birds that Amana first noticed. She opened her heavy eyes to a much brighter world than the one she had last been in. Her throat was dry, and she did not recognize her surroundings. She was in a home of some sort, with walls of wood and a floor of dirt. She was abed, with a heavy blanket pulled over her. The home was small, aside from the bed there was a small table and a pair of chairs. In a nearby open window an assortment of herbs were hung, along with a dead rabbit. The only stone in the home was that of the hearth, which crackled with a small fire. Amana sat up in the bed, only to realize that she was naked. My clothes have been taken! Where am I? At that moment the door to the home swung open, and a man carrying a pile of firewood stepped inside. His eyes met Amana's, and the look of surprise on his face was only slightly less than her own. She screamed and ducked beneath the blanket.

"Uh, sorry, princess. I didn't think you'd wake up while I was gone. I'll fetch you some clothes," came the man's awkward greeting.

Amana peeked out from under the blanket as the man sat aside the firewood and turned to back the doorway. She recognized his face. Brynn. The man from the woods. The memories of her harrowing journey came flooding back into her startled mind. 'What have you done to me?" She questioned, her voice a whimper.

Brynn glanced over his shoulder. "I was never much of a healer, but it seems my skill was adequate enough for your wounds. You took a fever, but it will leave no lasting effects." He strode back outside without another word. By the time he returned with clothes in hand, Amana had calmed her erratic mind. Brynn placed the linen shirt, trousers, and underwear at the edge of the bed. "I'm sure this is far from the fancy attire you're accustomed to, but I'm afraid it'll have to do for now. The dress you arrived in was ruined," he explained, before leaving her alone to dress. She quickly climbed out of the bed and garbed herself, gingerly shifting her weight so as to not bring pain to her bandaged leg. It still hurt, but she could move on it at the least. Limping over to a nearby window, she peered out across a small field. In the distance she saw only more trees and a range of mountains far beyond. It is a beautiful sight, and yet Brynn speaks of these lands as if they are cursed. What has happened here?

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Despite her curiosity, Amana still felt shaky, and her stomach ached from a lack of food. She seated herself in the nearby chair while cursing her fragility. "I am so far from the life I know. My family, the others, they'll all think the Korvosal have taken me to their island," she noted dejectedly. As she pondered her precarious situation, Brynn eventually returned to the home, his entrance far more cautious this time.

"I trust you are decent now," he said, averting his eyes as he pushed the door to the home open.

"Yes," she replied.

As he stepped inside, Brynn observed Amana in her shabby clothing. "In a few days' time I can travel to a nearby village to see if I can get ahold of a dress that might fit you," He offered. Brynn wore a grey tunic over his dark trousers, and his left hand was covered in bandages.

"Your hand, did that beast wound you?" Amana asked.

He glanced down to his hand and gave a quick shake of his head. "No, this is an old wound. Worry not, it is of little concern." Brynn stepped over to the window and took hold of the dangling rabbit by its hind legs. "I imagine you are quite hungry. I will prepare a stew."

"I-, yes, I am," she conceited quietly.

Brynn went straight to it, skinning the rabbit and boiling a pot of water atop the hearth. He added a handful of ingredients to the pot, as well as the cut-up pieces of the rabbit. Amana watched him as he worked, noticing a surprising deftness to his hands. This is an old habit for him. He is a man who has lived off the spoils of his own labors for a long time. Once he was satisfied the stew was ready, he filled a small wooden bowl and placed it on the table in front of Amana. By the time the meal was ready, she could think of little else than feeding her empty stomach. She ate as though it were the last meal of her life, unconcerned with attempting to appear regal or proper. Once she had finished eating, Amana glanced across the table at Brynn as he sat watching her.

"I'd like to hear the story of how you came to be here in Trilea. Before, you said that your ship sank. Did you not realize that you had sailed near these lands?" He asked.

"It was not my ship. I was taken from my home by raiders from the Island of Korvosal. I was their prisoner," she answered.

Brynn leaned back in his chair, a perturbed look on his face. "Is that so? Hmm. That is another name I do not recognize. I find it quite strange that a princess from such a distant land could end up here."

"You would claim to know all the lands nearby? How can you be so certain of the distance between here and my home of Kyderia?" Amana questioned.

"Yes, I would claim to know all the lands around Trilea. I have seen most of them with my own two eyes. I will admit, I have not crossed the Great Sea, but there are few who have. But I have trekked through the mountains of the east and the Desert of Bones far to the south," he explained.

Amana had not expected Brynn to be such a traveler. "For what reason? What was your purpose for journeying to these lands?"

"I was a ranger in service of the crown. Our long campaigns took us to the very edges of the map," he replied.

"I see." A ranger. A killer. "But you no longer serve the crown now that Trilea has fallen upon difficult times."

Brynn gave a slow nod. "Indeed. After King Folgrim's death, madness fell upon the realm. A curse hangs over all of Trilea."

"You mean the scourge?" Amana asked, her thoughts of the beast in the woods and its blood-red eyes. "What was that creature that chased me?"

"A beast that was once a person. The scourge changes you. Those who are afflicted become a wild animal, devoid of all humanity," Brynn answered dourly.

"That thing was a person?" Amana was horrified at the notion that a human could become such a horrific monster. Even in the fairy-tale stories she had read as a child there had been nothing so appalling. "How could such a thing be possible?"

Brynn scratched his chin and furrowed his brow. "I do not know the origin of this sickness. I do know that those who possess the affliction can pass it to others who they come into contact with. By our nature, humans are beasts. The scourge simply reveals the truth of our nature. Animals can also carry this affliction, but it does not change them. It simply kills them."

Amana shook her head in disbelief. "How did you kill it?"

"I have left many traps in the area around this hovel, and the scourge beasts are slow-minded creatures. I will spare you the grizzly details of what became of your pursuer," Brynn detailed indifferently before shifting into a more serious tone. "But there is something you must be understand, Princess Amana. A truth that you cannot run from. I will not say with certainty that there is a way for you to return to your home. You could be trapped in Trilea for a very long time."

Trapped here. For the rest of my life, he means. Amana took a deep breath. Her heart raced and for a moment she was frightened beyond reason. Dread consumed her thoughts, and she instinctively pulled her arms tightly around her waist. "And what would you have me do? Forsake my home and forget my family?"

"You could have a life here, with me. I would protect you," Brynn offered as he narrowed his eyes in curiosity.

"Why would I ever want to stay here? My life was perfect in Kyderia. I could never live in a place such as this, full of monsters!" Amana shouted.

Brynn remained quiet for a time. The fire in the hearth crackled. "How old are you, princess?" He asked at last.

'It is my eighteenth year," she answered nervously.

"You should rest now, Amana," he proclaimed as he slowly rose from his chair. "If you are feeling well tomorrow, I shall venture out in search of some things for you. The sun will set soon, and the beasts will prowl."

As he turned to the door, Amana called out to him, her voice full of accusation. "Brynn. Do you intend to keep me here? Even if it is against my desire?"

He rubbed his forehead with his hand and gave an exasperated sigh. "It seems I have given you the wrong impression of me, princess. I am not the sort of man who imprisons women against their will. My blood runs hot from time to time, but you need not fear my urges."

Is he lying? "In the woods, you spoke as though you would take repayment from me for my freedom. How can I be so certain you will not force me-"

"Enough," Brynn said sternly. His voice was almost a growl. "I will admit that the excitement of the hunt emboldened my tongue the other night. As I said before, my blood runs hot at times. But know that I will never lay a hand on you against your will. You have my promise. I was a ranger of the Kingdom of Trilea, and as such I am no stranger to honor. If your desire is to return to your home, than I shall aid you as best I can."

It was Amana's turn to fall silent. His words seem sincere, and he has had ample opportunity to harm me if that were his wish. Did I misjudge him? "Brynn, I-"

"Regain your strength, princess," he said, cutting her apology off. "I believe you will need it for many days yet to come."