She was fast, very fast Protector thought as they ran through the forest. But he knew the woods better than her and knew where to put his feet. Also her boots mad so much noise it bothered him, why couldn’t she just run barefoot like he? Feel the soft earth and cool waters? Outsiders he thought, they’re just so strange. He stole a glance at her, she was slender even her bulky leather armor couldn’t hide that much but there had to be muscles still how else could she have deflected a direct blow like that last night. Her hair flew back in the wind ponytail gone, she had green eyes piercing when the look directly at him. He felt his face get warm every time they did, he hoped it hadn’t show, she said nothing of it. All in all she was beautiful by any standard. Beautiful but deadly he reminded himself; she did try and kill him. “How long can you keep this pace?” he asked, they had been running nearly full speed for a better part of an hour now.
“Longer than you” she shot back smirking at him.
“I’d like to see that” his face flushed at the thought of her outdoing him in his home, he swung his arms faster, pumping faster, pushing his body to take the lead. She followed suit, soon it became an all out race. Protector knew a clearing up ahead if he could beat her to it that would be enough for him. He glanced right and saw a wolf running alongside them about twenty feet away “odd” he said.
“What is?” she asked her breathing only slightly labored from the speed increase.
“A wolf running alongside us” he replied
“Is he a threat?” she looked at him quizzically not breaking stride.
“No, wolves don’t run alone like that. It seems he is simply running with us”
“Why?” she asked, this was a new concept to her, wild animals running with men.
He shrugged, “the animals do what they wish just as we do it isn’t very uncommon”
“For you maybe, but beasts aren’t to be trusted where I come from” she shot at him.
“I guess, but I’ve seen men be just as much as a beast as anything with fang or fur.” He saw the clearing and sprinted the rest of the way there. Stopping just as he broke the tree line. She did not and soon collided with the pond just inside. Protector had to clutch his sides from laughing so hard as she dragged herself out of the water. “I fail to see the humor in that!”
“Only because you’re the victim here, that’s why” He helped her up. She took off her pack and crotched down sitting on her heels. Protector kneeled closing his eyes he started to focus his breathing. Rose looked at him “what are you doing?” he responded with a finger to his lips. The world around became very still. The animals stopped there noise. She looked around; the clearing was small only about twenty feet through most of its space taken up by the water. He opened up his eyes “there much better”
“What did you do?” she asked a little unsettled by the sudden silence.
“This place” he smiled slightly this time it seemed weary and tired compared to before, “is a sacred place to my people and I simply asked the guardian spirit to keep us quiet and unseen”
“Ho.. how did you do that?” she looked at him a little surprised.
“This is my world Rose, I am aware of it just as it just as it is aware of us. My people talk to is just like I am talking to you, how I cannot say because it has always been all my life I have listened to what the forest has to say and it responds to my wishes as long as I protect and keep it as it should be”
“Impressive” Rose said
“If you say so, it is as it is and always shall be” he looked out into the woods deep in thought, the conversation was over, Rose could tell. This man, she still couldn’t quite place him. He can go from childlike to seeming as old as the stones themselves. If his father was anything like this she could easily guess why her boss considered him such a threat. “How did he die?” she asked him, your father.
He didn’t look at her. “He died saving my younger brother when I was sixteen”
“Which one?” she asked
“Keeper” he said finally looking at her after a long moment.
“Keeper?” she asked, “Why is he called that?”
“He was taken by an elder at a young age he was to be taught our history, myth, and lore. More than anyone else he can listen to the forest command the trees and animals and keep sacred that which is sacred to us, so he is Keeper”
“I see. . .” she thought about how much he must mean to his people. Why did she care? This was just another job after all; she had done this dozens of times before. But she couldn’t help but be in slight awe of the prowess these people seemed to command. So sure of themselves and their ways.
“No you do not” he said “no outsider truly can understand who we are especially with how little of us you’ve seen.
“I meant no offence boy calm down” he smiled at her that crooked smile was back.
“Boy?” he asked
“Yes, seems fitting with that quirky smile you’ve got there” smiling back at him. Rose knew this kind of game she was in. If she could just lure his trust in she could lead him off the path finish him off and be done with this eerie place, and the people who had a strange love for this world.
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