How Life Defines You - Part 9 - An Unexpected Guest - From The Keltorin Series

Here's where we left things in the previous post:

She was laying back into the mound of soft leaves she'd gathered, the branches blocking the entrance to her refuge swayed in the blowing wind that flowed freely down the mountainside.

Her small fire flickered and danced on the breath of the wind, it was the last sight she saw before her eyes forced themselves closed - she passed out from complete and utter exhaustion.

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Mila began to stir from her exhaustion induced sleep she moved slightly, pain coursed through her ravaged body causing her to inhale sharply wincing in pain.

She struggled to move her cold aching muscles, she struggled against her will for her eyes to remain closed forcing them open - her vision blurred and unclear.

She stayed still allowing her body to regain control, she lay there calmly inhaling deeply - she caught the fresh scent of meat roasting and reveled in the sweet scent.

Her eyes crept back open having been lulled into a false sense of security, but as her vision cleared and she took in her surrounds - she slowly began to realise where she was.

She saw the light filtering through the branches she had carefully placed over the entrance of the cave she now realised she was in - as the awareness of her situation dawned on her, her eyes settled on the small bird roasting over the fire that still steadily burned.

She shuffled back in shock panic preventing her from acknowledging the excruciating pain, the sudden movement had caused - she winced at the noise she made in her efforts to retreat, scraping the leaves she had used as bedding along the hard surface of the cave floor.

Her focus returned to the well kept fire and the sizzling feast that sat perched over the flames, her mouth watered but she could only focus on the fear that now consumed her.

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She felt trapped like a wounded animal and was readying herself for a coming attack, "Hello" she heard a voice echo from above, she inhaled sharply "You awake?" the disembodied voice questioned further - she remained silent.

Next thing she heard movement above then a faint grunt, accentuated by the thud of feet striking the stone outside her small refuge.

"Hello" the voice continued from outside, she starred in anxious silence - catching a glimpse of a figure moving outside.

Mila's hand searched the ground around her, feeling for anything she could use as a weapon - her hand finally settling on a few small stones, which she gathered eagerly in her palm.

"I swear to the gods if Periwick fooled me" the voice cursed again as the shadowed figure hunched down and pushed his way into the crude shelter.

He twisted to enter through the branches without having them fall, once inside squatting low to protect his head from the rocks above - before he could pivot to see further into the cave, Mila let lose her handful of stones with all her might.

"For fuck's sake" the boy cried in frustration and annoyance more than pain, as he shielded his face against the peppered attack - he shifted back and landed on his ass with a dramatic thud.

He sat there with his legs arched up as his elbows rested on his knees and his hands fell dangling mid air, as he glanced at her his eyes flashed with anger as he then turned his focus on the ground before him - his shoulder length hair masked his face as he muttered angrily under his breath.

Mila remained silent and continued staring at the strange boy that had intruded into her shelter, the flames danced uncaring of the disruption that had just occurred - her breath coming in short quick panicked bursts.

The boy was panting in spite of the lack of physical exertion, she could see he was furious but what did he expect hse thought to herself - watching him as he reached down and retrieved a small twig from next to the fire, at his feet and then began snapping of small sections and tossing them into the flames whilst he continued to mutter to quiet for her to hear.

Reaching the end of the small stick he discarded the final remains into the fire, he suddenly brushes his hair back behind his ear before crossing his legs and removing the chicken from the fire - forcing the stick the squared it into the dirt next to him his demeanor clearly changed, he appeared calm tearing into a portion of the chicken then cheerily devouring it.

In all this time he never again even looked at her, finishing the juicy leg he tossed the bone into the fire before freeing more meat from himself to feast upon - Mila watched as the juices flowed down his chin as he munched eagerly on his second serving, wiping the drips from his face with the back of his hand.

As he continued eating he replaced back on the stone wall, as he leaned back he noticed the small girl silently staring at him out of the corner of his eye - as he continued stuffing food in his mouth.

Without looking at her he tore away another portion of hot juicy meat, holding it out in her direction as a silent offering to the frightened girl - while he continued shoveling more food into his own mouth.

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Milas mouth watered and her eyes burned with intense desire to take what was offered, her breath quickened as she tentatively inched closer - thinking to herself at least it shouldn't be poison, trying to reduce the risk in her mind as she began to move on her knees and crawl forward to the offered meal.

As she approached hesitantly she reached out her arm to take the juicy morsel, he watched her out of the corner of his eye and as her hand almost touched the meat - he pulled his arm tack suddenly, she visibly jumped in shock her arm snapping back close to her body.

He flashed a cheeky smile in jest then re offered her the food, this time looking her in the eyes and nodding in approval.

She snatched the food and forced and impressive amount into her small mouth, he watched the girl devour the morsel with intense speed causing his smile to widen further - revealing a flash of bright white teeth, set behind a chiseled jaw.

He reached the chicken and removed another leg and passed it to the girl, her focus remained on the food as she unwittingly settled and soon even sat near the strange boy while she ate.

Soon finishing her second portion the boy watched her with an impressed expression on his face, as she looked directly back at the remaining meat then up at the boy - her question clear even without words.

"Alreight" the boy laughed as he removed the whole stick and handed it to her, she almost snatched the stick this time tearing the meat from the bones with her teeth as she went.

She inhaled what remained of the bird, with one eyebrow raised for effect the boy was clearly impressed by her efforts laughing "Should've bought two, shesh she said you were small" he said in disbelief of the tiny girls large appetite.

Mila looked concerned by his words so he offered "Me mum, she said you were tiny - barely ate an apple" he shook his head "Man was she wrong, your small for sure but hollow from the look of the way you eat".

Mila remembered the beautiful woman from two nights before, she had been kind to her and even though Mila fled it wasn't the lady she had feared - it was Lord Evanvar and the massive estate, the uncertainty of what the future held for her, it was having no control for the first time in her life.

She felt her freedom torn from her, along with the abandonment of her father - she was for the first time completely alone with no one to call family and nowhere to call home.

She recoiled slightly at his words unsure of the underlying meaning, what did he mean to do with her? He noticed and tilted his head to the side "You're not in trouble, you know? The soldiers are." he chuckled "But mum's just worried, she thought you'd freeze to death or be eaten by a mountain lion."

She looked at him with a suspect expression on her face, unconvinced "Ok so Evanvar is a bit mad - but I swear to the gods if he isn't dam impressed." he chuckled as she stared into his eyes searching for the truth.

"The soldiers think you were swept downstream, most say they are searching for a body now. But I knew you made it across yesterday" he said beaming with pride - her brow furrowed as he continued "The soldiers all missed it, but I saw it your hair stuck in the bark of that big tree at the river - I knew you made it" he was almost joyus of his achievement.

Mila looked into the flames sadness descending upon her, she knew he would make her return she felt like a prisoner again but this time too weak to flee - the boy looked at her and his smile faded away, he could see her shift and now he felt responsible.

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He questioned "So where were you going?" she shrugged unsure what her next move would have been, now it was no longer a possibility "You're heading towards Kurtah, these mountains are filled with the outcasts from the savages of Irahdah".

He looked at her and felt her sorrow "You don't have to come back with me" he offered her head shot up as they locked eyes "But if you don't where will you go?" he questioned honestly with his concern clear by his expression.

She sunk again realising she had nowhere to go, her eyes welled with tears the memory of ther father pushing her towards Lord Evanvar and the door shutting behind locking her out of the only she had ever known - "I don't know" her tiny voice croaked breaking with the realisation, tears flowed steadily down her dirt covered cheeks.

He looked at her helplessly, she shivered even by the warmth of the fire "It's not that bad there" he offered in consolation "The food is good" he smiled eagerly but she still sat there crying in silence.

"You know mum won't let them hurt you" he asserted with confidence "She likes you and Evanvar wants to keep her happy" his smile grew wide "If we get to her first she will make sure your safe" he finished with certainty.

Mila relaxed she trusted the boy or at least thought he believed what he said, she wiped the tears that stained her cheeks and considered her limited options - she didn't know where she was or how to get home, plus Evanvar would look there eventually she thought to herself.

She knew she couldn't survive alone in the mountains with her hands and feet as damaged as they were, she considered the woman for a moment she too had kept her word - she had no other option at least for now she knew she must return.

The boy went to speak furthering his appeals for her to voluntarily join him, when she spoke first "I'll go" she offered stating it as it she had made the decision alone - he smiled warmly at her and nodded acknowledgment to her words and decision.

"If were to return before dark we should get started" he stated then began to stomp out the flames with his thick black boots as he started to remove the branches blocking the entrance - Mila began to follow, whimpering in pain as she moved.

He saw her difficulty and waited at the cave's narrow opening, once she appeared at the entrance she struggled to stand - the boy offered her a hand saying "I'm Gimrie" with a kind smile.

In the light of day Mila realised he was taller than he appeared in the cave, he was only a few years older than her she guessed - "Mila" she offered in response as he knelt in front of her with his back facing her, "Hop on, Mila" he said looking over his shoulder at her "It's a long way down and your feet" he gestured at her crudely wrapped limbs.

She nodded in acceptance and climbed onto his back her legs wrapping around his waist, her arms around his neck - he stood effortlessly "She was right - you are tiny" he chuckled and the two set off down the mountainside.

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