Hestian groaned, squinting at the blurry figure crouched next to him. He rubbed his eyes and groaned as he was shaken again, scowling.

  Blinking away the last of his drowsiness, the boy yawned and cracked his knuckles. His neck was sore from sleeping on the hard ground and he had a hard time lifting his head to look at the girl who had woken him.

  Thea straightened up once she saw he was awake and motioned to one of the forest paths, “We should leave.”

  He stared at her and then twisted his head to check the sky, “The sun just rose!”

  She cocked her head, “I know. That’s the best time to travel.”

  Hestian sighed. He would much rather curl up in a warm ball and go back to sleep, but he knew better than to cross the girl. He begrudgingly stood up and bent down to touch his feet, wincing as he stretched his back.

  When he looked back up, Thea had her arm outstretched, offering him a handful of berries. He nodded his thanks and carefully slid half of them in his pocket for later, before swallowing the rest in a single mouthful.

  She wasted no time walking down one of the paths and he yawned before reluctantly following her.

  “How much longer till we reach the safe house?”

  “Around a day and a half,” Hestian replied.

   “Could we travel by night to get there faster?”

  He shrugged, “I thought you said you weren’t in a rush to get there?”

  “I’m not. I just don’t want to delay the trip any longer.”

  “I guess we could. I don’t really like traveling by moonlight, but if we did, we could get there by daybreak tomorrow.”

  She gave him a short nod and bit her lip, slowing down her pace so she was a few feet behind him. He arched an eyebrow but didn’t comment on it. It wasn’t any of his business if she didn’t trust him enough to expose her back.

  He felt slightly uncomfortable in the awkward silence, but he didn’t think Thea would appreciate a conversation, so he kept his mouth shut.

  It only took a few minutes for Hestian’s chest to feel heavy and his legs to start aching. It was odd, he had thought he was in good physical shape. Climbing trees and living on the run from the government had kept him fit, but he supposed that he wasn’t eating as well as he used to. Last night’s meal was the first he had in four days. It wasn’t that he wasn’t hungry - he was constantly looking for something to eat - but he had a habit of hoarding resources and never using them. He was paranoid that he wouldn’t be able to find a next meal. It was a valid fear. His life was unpredictable. Anything could happen.

  Lost in his thoughts, the boy didn’t realize that he had taken a turn. He became dimly aware that the trees were thinning out and the ground was becoming less grass and more dirt. He frowned and glanced behind him. Thea dipped her head in acknowledgment as their eyes met and stuffed her hands into the pocket of her apron.

  “I think we took a wrong turn.”

   He saw a flicker of annoyance pass the girl’s eyes before she bit her lip, “How long have we been traveling the wrong way?”

  Her voice was incredibly patient - as if she were instructing a two-year-old - and he felt his face grow hot, “I-I’m not certain. Half an hour?”

  She sighed and his blush deepened, “Do you know the way from here?”

  “I can try to figure it out but I don’t really go into these parts of the woods,” Hestian admitted, “It’s too close to the city. We could continue down  this trail and turn east when the river splits or go back,”

  She ran her fingers through her hair and shook her head, sighing, “Whatever you think is best.”

  “We’re only a few miles away from Imogen. It’s risky to be so close to the population but we’ll lose a lot of time if we turn back. I think we should continue.”

  He waved his hand in front of him as he spoke, gesturing the directions so Thea could understand. She nodded and started to walk, this time trudging along beside him.

  He chewed the inside of his cheek. After the mixup, she probably thought that he was too dumb to try to attack her.

  He doubted it but hoped that Thea would be willing to allow an hour’s rest before they turned back. He yearned for a sip of cold water and to wash his sweaty face. Maybe he would have better luck fishing this time around too.

  As they walked, Hestian made sure that he was paying careful attention to where they were going. He didn’t know if Thea would be so calm and forgiving if he led her the wrong way again.

  Hestian frowned as several pairs of footprints came into view. The edges were clearly defined in the soft dirt and he could see the dense pattern of the sole of a boot. His eyes widened and he froze. Thea stumbled into him at the abrupt halt.

  “What are you doing?” she inquired, clearly exasperated with him.

  Panicking, Hestian grabbed Thea’s arm and pulled her close to him, slipping a hand over her mouth in a desperate attempt to muffle her startled yelp.

  She jerked in his grip and twisted around to kick him hard in the stomach. He doubled over in pain, his eyes watering with tears. Thea pulled on his arms, locking them behind his back as she held him in a headlock and placed the tip of her dagger against the soft flesh of his neck.

  “Wait!,” he struggled to breathe as Thea’s grip tightened, “I didn’t mean to surprise you, I just had to make sure you didn’t scream.”

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  He heard her scoff, “And why was that?”

   “Hunters. There are hunters here. I panicked and tried to pull you back but you cried out.”

  Her breath was hot on his neck and he squirmed, “Please. It was an honest mistake.”

  “You better not be bluffing.”

  “I’m not,” he pointed to the footprints he had seen a few minutes prior, “Look. Those are fresh. The hunters could be anywhere here.”

  Hestian heard her mutter something before releasing him. He stepped away from her at once, massaging his throat.

  “We should turn around then,” Thea pointed out, crossing her arms.

  He nodded in agreement, “Come on, we have to be quiet, but-”

  He broke off as a hunter came into view over the girl’s shoulder. The bearded man was slowly walking towards them, but his head was turned and he was talking to someone behind him.

  Hestian brought a finger to his lips and motioned for Thea to come closer to him, desperately hoping that they could get out of there before the hunter noticed them.

  Thea’s brow furrowed in confusion, and she followed his gaze and glanced behind her. Her eyes widened in terror before she gasped and started to sprint in the opposite direction.

  The sudden move caught the hunter’s eye and the broad man instinctively grabbed the spear strapped to his back as he started sprinting towards Hestian.

  The boy had hoped to try reasoning with the hunter - maybe convince him that they weren’t wanted fugitives - but his plan was lost as he turned tail and ran after the girl.

  Hestian’s heart hammered in his chest and his breath came in gasping wheezes as he ran for his life. The hunter’s long legs gave him the benefit of longer strides and it only took a few seconds for him to catch up to the boy.

  Hestian felt an arm rope around his waist before he was yanked off his feet, dangling like a bag of flour over the hunter’s shoulder.

  He wasted no time grabbing the dagger from his belt and aiming for the hunter’s chest. Hestian was dropped on the floor heavily as the hunter stumbled backward, shouting something inaudible as he fell.

  Picking himself off the floor, Hestian stumbled back down the path. Due to her head start, Thea was still a good distance away from him and she glanced over her shoulder, her eyes filled with concern.

  He waved his hand, trying to tell the girl that he was fine. Her mouth opened for a second before her body dipped forward and she tripped over the tree root sticking up from the uneven ground, landing hard on her left ankle.

  Thea pushed herself back to her feet and limped towards a tree. She cried out as she slipped and fell back down, this time staying on the ground and crawling slowly towards the ravine.

  Hestian risked a quick glance behind him and his face fell in dismay as he saw two more hunters - a man and a woman - running towards them. Amid the confusion, the woman seemed to have forgotten her weapon, but the man had a sheath of arrows and a bow clutched in his hands.

  It only took a few seconds for Hestian to catch up to the incapacitated girl and he helped her stand up.

  “Are you okay?” he questioned.

  Thea shook her head. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth against the pain, her face paling. After a moment, she opened her eyes and the boy felt his heart jump at her fierce gaze.

  “Leave me here.”

  He shook his head, “What?”

  “I can’t run. They will catch up to us in no time. Save yourself.”

  “We’ll figure something out.”

  Thea glared at him, “Stop it!”

  “Stop what?”

  “Pretending you care! This is hard enough already!”

  “I do care!”

  “Well, you shouldn’t,” she snapped, “The hunters will kill you along with me. How does another dead Unique help either of us?”

  He fumbled for a reply, “It wouldn’t do well on my conscience to just leave you here to die.”

  “Would it do well on your conscience if we both died?”

  He ignored her and his eyebrows knitted together as his eyes lit up, “Can you climb?’

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “The tree. Can you climb the tree?”

  Her eyes narrowed and she hesitated, “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  The hunters were getting closer now. It would only be a matter of seconds before they reached them. Whimpering, Thea grabbed onto the branch directly above her, and tears formed in her eyes as she put weight on her hurt ankle, “I-I don’t think I can do this,” she admitted.

  “We have to be fast,” he warned, “Let me help you.”

  She sighed, and the fiery look in her eyes told him that she would much rather pull away, but she allowed him to put his hands on her waist and  hoist her higher so she could grasp onto the limb.

  Hestian held her until she had both of her feet braced against the trunk and then let go for a second to grab the branch, lifting her once more when he was steady. An arrow suddenly whizzed past his ear, sticking to the bark right next to his head. He grabbed it and stashed it into his pack, grinning. The sharp point would be useful when he had time to make a makeshift spear. He had left his dagger in the hunter’s chest, and his pocket felt empty without it.

  It took them a while - long enough for the hunters to gather around the tree - by the time Hestian was satisfied with their height.

  Thea pushed his hands away to swing her leg over the branch and he kept a hand on her back until she was balanced. Her eyes were slightly widened with fear and she shuddered as she glanced at the ground.

  He climbed next to her and wiped the beads of sweat on his forehead, “We should be good for now. We might have to relocate once they come up with a plan, but for now, we are safe.”

  She nodded and sighed, raising a hand to itch her neck, “Thank you.”

  He shook his head, “It’s my fault we got into this situation. The least I could do is help you get out of it.”

  She hesitated, “You’re right, but you didn’t have to offer to help me in the first place. Then again, you chose to risk your life to save mine and help me climb the tree. Why?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I have a knack for being a hero.”

  Thea laughed and he smiled, but her question had brought up some earlier curiosities he had. She was right. He didn’t owe her anything. There was absolutely no reason for him to help her. Was there something more? Did he have feelings for her?

  He brushed the thought away, blushing. It was too complicated. Love was too messy for him to wrap his head around anyway.

  He glanced at Thea. Her face was hard, her lips pressed into a straight line. She was studying something on the ground.

  He followed her gaze and frowned. Several more hunters had joined the two that had chased them and the man he had stabbed was glaring at him as he polished Hestian’s former dagger. Hestian gulped. He didn’t have a plan and he feared that the hunters would come up with some way to capture them before they could get out.

  Thea nudged him, “You hurt him?”

  “What?”

  “That hunter, he has your dagger. Did you hurt him?”

  Hestian nodded, smiling at the red spot on the hunter’s shirt, “Yes, I did.”

  Thea frowned but didn’t say anything further. She looked repulsed and his forehead furrowed. Was it the sight of blood that made her queasy? Or, more likely, was it the fact that he had hurt someone? Was she really that naive that she felt bad for the hunter?

  He reminded himself that Thea wasn’t as innocent as she looked. Though he didn’t have the details or know the circumstances, she was being accused of murder. She probably just disliked the feeling of blood on her hands.

  He shifted on the branch, sighing. The occasional arrow would find its way to their spot in the tree, but the hunter’s aim was poor and the man quickly grew frustrated, throwing his bow on the ground.

  Hestian groaned as the hunters began to set up camp around the tree and he heard Thea sigh.

  “We’re going to be here for a while, aren’t we?” Thea muttered.

  He nodded, “I’m afraid so.”