Chapter 4. Part 1 - The Fish and The Cabin

Alice sat down in a rock next to the river as she placed her fishing rod between two smaller rocks to lock it in place, its been already two days, she didnt know where she was and she knew this lake wasnt anywhere near her home, her village... Her family.

A fish bit the lure.

In the last days she noticed how easy it was to fish in this lake, it was the only thing keeping her alive, besides the hollow tree she had been using as a place to guard herself from the cold and predators.

She didnt have her crossbow so she couldnt risk her life trying to fight the wolf packs that often passed by at night, she only hoped to hear Aloide's voice one day, being near a friendly werewolf could solve many of her problems.

Another fish goes to the bucket.

What if her brother never came looking for her? What if the whole village got slaughtered and she couldnt be there to fight? Was there anything she couldve actually done...?

She couldnt help but think of all the people she probably would never see again, her father, Alistair, her uncle, her whole family, her friends... Did she have any friends at all? She was always in the library or climbing trees at the borders of the village...

Another fish bites the lure.

Was Maud her friend? She had only spoken with her three times, but she had trusted Alice enough to show her the secret room in the library... And she was... Really nice.

The book came to her mind.

Why was her last name in the book? Did her father hide things from her? Was it what actually happened to... Her mother?

«i hate being alone with my thoughts»

— you got plenty of fish there girl — a strange voice said from behind her.

When she turned around, she saw a man, she recognized his clothes, his accent, everything about him, it was one of the men from the clan that attacked her home.

— you could say that — she replied in a cold tone.

— mind sharing one or two? My men and i are camping not far from here and we are starving. You seem to have a lot of luck with that rod — he said with a smirk

«once im armed i will kill each one of you bastards, thanks for letting me know about your location...»

— sure, grab a few, ill catch more. — she said quickly.

The man grabbed three fishes and put them in the bag hanging from his shoulder.

— you look pretty young to be around all alone, kid. — the man's voice turned slightly lower as he knelt down next to her, maybe a bit too close.

— im old enough to do whatever i want, do you have a problem? — her voice turned aggressive from one moment to the other.

The man raised his hands and backed off.

— well well, you got an attitude, we'll see how it goes for you later. — he started walking away — thanks for the fish. —

She just nodded and turned her head back towards the lake, she shouldve kept her tone down.

But then, another voice sounded behind Alice, a voice that this time, she could perfectly recognize, she instantly turned around.

— Alice? — said Maud from behind a tree — i thought you had... Stayed in the village. —

Alice ran up to her and hugged her instantly, it was comforting to see at least someone survived.

— for the gods, how did you find me? — her grip got tight around her — i thought you had stayed too.

— no, my mother told me to go, and i started walking through the forest for the last few days, im so happy i found someone... —

— my father did the same... — Alice slowly pulled away — sorry, d- did i hurt you? — she said embarrassed, letting go of her.

— no no, dont worry — Maud replied with a small, tender giggle, full of hope at the newfound company. — your hands are strong...

Alice's cheeks turned slightly pink as she slowly made her way back to the bucket full of fish, as she picked up her fishing rod, there was another fish in the lure.

— lets go cook these, im guessing you re pretty hungry, Maud... — she started walking holding her stuff — follow me, but be quiet, there's men from that clan camping around, i wish i could... — she looked down — i wish i could kill them —

Maud put her hand on her shoulder.

— once we go back to the village, im sure the leaders will plan a defensive attack, dont worry... — she kept her hand on Alice's shoulder for a second before letting go.

Alice just nodded and kept walking.

They arrived at the hollow tree by the time the sun started to hide behind the distant mountains, it was dark, but they managed to collect a few branches to make a fire, luckily enough, Alice had always packed a pocket Stone Lighter.

They sat next to the fire as the fishes cooked, in pure silence except for the creeping sounds of the night, the wood burning into coal and the distant sounds of the creatures from the forest.