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“So you do have a shelter somewhere?” he says.
“Luckily. It’s not too far.”
“Not how I would have wanted to discover it, but I guess it works.”
Again, I smile. I’m a little surprised that he has a sense of humor. I’d always imagined he was such a serious man when I tried imagining him before. Then again, maybe everyone gets a sense of humor when they’re on the brink of death.
I set off towards my hide-out. He’ll be the first person other than myself who will have seen it. Honestly, I’m a little proud of it. I had been in the forest for three days when I found it, and I knew it would be absolutely perfect.
“Why did you follow me?” I ask as I walk with him in tow. It’s getting harder to carry him as I go. A part of me keeps wanting to just drop him on the ground for a rest, but I refuse. I’m going to get there. I will.
“That’s a good question,” he says. “I wish I had a good answer.”
“So no one told you to? You’re not under orders from anyone?”
“Not on that.”
I shouldn’t believe him, of course, but I do. The fact is, maybe I do understand why he tried to find me. It’s the same reason I was so happy when I saw him heading into the woods and why I followed him with no thought to how vulnerable it might make me.
Finally, the ridge of rocks which hides my shelter comes up in the distance. The way there still seems unbearably slow, but at least I know exactly how much longer it will be. Just a little bit longer. Just a few more steps.
“Why are you saving my life?” he asks suddenly.
“Well, now you’re the one asking good questions.”
I half-support, half-drag Slyth toward my dugout shelter. Inside, I’ve got all of my supplies and weapons, some various items I’ve stolen off of naga patrols in the forest, and the bed that I sewed together myself.
I carefully lower Slyth onto it. I can tell he’s impressed.
“You made all of this yourself?” he says. “No help from anyone else?”
“That’s right,” I reply. “I don’t work with anyone else.”
“Never?”
I look at him there on the bed. I can’t help finding him handsome, even though he’s a naga.
“I’ve never done it yet,” I say, then step back towards the mouth of the shelter. “I’m going to get a few more herbs for you. You should sleep while I’m gone.”
Before he can say anything, I disappear back out into the forest.
11
SLYTH
My tongue darts out before I even open my eyes, tasting the air. My brain catches up after my body has already woken up, and the ache along my muscles starts to register. I clench my jaw as I try to stifle the pain and register the stale air on my tongue, but my mouth is too dry to make good use of that sense.
Irritation is already pounding through me at my lack of mobility, but I swallow it back and force my eyes open. Immediately, I cringe away from the onslaught of light.
“Tell me the truth – what are you doing here, in Yadat?”
I jerk back, startled and pissed I hadn’t registered the small human standing over me. I blink slowly, but she steps closer, a scowl twisting her plump lips.
“Well?” She cocks a hip, her choppy brown hair swaying around her shoulders. “Are you going to answer me?”
A chuckle works its way through my chest, unexpected and scratching my throat as it spills out, and I only laugh harder when I see her lips press into a thin line. “Lorelai,” I finally say, a smirk covering my face as my eyes rake down her body.
“Look. You are using up my resources,” she huffs, flicking a piece of hair out of her face. “So if you want food or medicine – and trust me, you do – then you need to answer me.”
