AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I don’t say anything, but I turn away from her and start moving through the forest. She starts jogging after me.
“See if you can keep up.” I start jogging in front of her. I can hear her panting as she follows behind.
I shouldn’t be doing this. I should have just left her and kept going. It’s her fault she wandered off, and she’s not my responsibility.
I try to go slowly, but she struggles to keep up. She doesn’t know how to place her feet as she jogs. There’s a way to use the jungle floor to one’s advantage, but she stumbles over rocks and the roots of trees. Her head swivels in every direction trying to take it all in. I realize she’s probably never even been in a jungle before.
Most humans haven’t seen jungle the likes of Kalei. There’s hardly any green left on Earth at all. No doubt her family sent her Glimner as a child, as so many have done before. Most humans have a story like this.
But something tells me she isn’t like most humans.
I glance back at her, and she’s already covered in sweat and grime. She jumps over a fallen log and splashes into some mud. She pauses for half a second with an agitated look, but, she keeps going.
Even though I’m cursing myself for helping her, there’s something about her that calls to me. She has an aura that I can’t ignore, and her beauty is more entrancing than I’d be willing to admit. I’ve never been into humans before, but I guess there’s a first time for everything.
“Um, can you slow down a little?” I finally hear voice call from behind me. I stop and turn to see she’s slowly climbing over some brush.
She looks exhausted. She has muck on her arms and legs, and even a bit on her face. She looks a mess, but, the mud blends into her face like freckles. Her blonde hair, peppered with dirt, has my attention, even if it shouldn’t.
“Yeah. Would it help if I carried you on my back?” I ask hotly, snapping myself back to my main agenda. My voice sounds annoyed, but part of me wonders if that would be better for both of us. At this rate, I’ll never get back to the trial before dark.
She shoots me a dirty look. “No, I can handle it. But I’m not used to the jungle like you. What, do you live here or something? Like part of a tribe?”
She jogs over to me. I can hear her panting and gasping for breath.
“No, I don’t live here. But I’ve explored this jungle before. I’ll keep a slower pace, but you need to move faster. I can’t imagine that lodge is very close, and I have other things to take care of.”
She shoots me another dirty look, but nods her head. “Okay, I’ll try. But how do you move so quickly with all these roots and shrubs?”
“You have to pick your footsteps. Look for clear spots and use your momentum to carry you from one to the next. Also, don’t worry about getting dirty or brushing against the branches. They don’t hurt as much as you think.”
“Yeah, sounds easy enough,” she replies sarcastically. She points ahead, motioning for me to go first.
I start moving again, but her feisty attitude digs at me. She’s got a hard head on her shoulders. It only makes her more intriguing.
“Gah!” I hear her yell from behind. I turn back and see her foot caught in a tree trunk. She’s lying on the ground, gripping her leg.
“What happened?” I move over to inspect her.
“I was trying to find clear spots! But my foot slipped and wedged into this root.” I put out my hand to help her but she swats me away with eyes like daggers.
She pulls herself out, and stands, looking at me through crossed brows as though I put her foot in the trunk myself. As she takes a step, she stumbles and nearly collapses again, catching herself on the trunk of the tree.
“Damn it, I think I’ve sprained it.” She rubs her ankle in a futile attempt to ease the pain.
I look up at the sun, breathing in my frustration. There’s no way I’m making it to the ridge tonight. My mind jumps to Danel, who’s probably miles into the trial by now. There’s no way I could catch him.
Funny thing, I reason, looking down at my find, clutching her leg in pain and certainly in need of rescue. With her disheveled hair and mud bespeckled face, I couldn’t fight the feeling that I’d found a souvenir even my brother would envy.
Too bad she doesn’t know that she just lost me this race.
CHAPTER 5
TANIA
“Ow! That hurts! Don’t you understand what ‘hurts’ means?” I protest. He stands up, visibly annoyed. I can see his nostrils flaring with frustration.
“Yes, I know what ‘hurts’ means! If you don’t let me tighten the bandage it won’t work.” He huffs.
