"Why are you stopping, boy?" Kurt called once he realized Roman wasn't following.
He had turned around and watched Roman stand on the edge of the trail, looking at something on the other side of the bushes. The young man took a couple of slow steps forward, easily making his way through the bushes. Kurt turned around and walked back to him, stopping and watching the woman that was lying on the ground.
"Is she dead?" Roman asked worried.
Kurt went down on one knee next to the woman, placing his hand on her stomach, feeling how it slowly rose with each breath she took.
"No, just passed out," he answered.
He turned his head to look at Roman and he couldn't keep the little smirk off his face as he saw Roman grabbing his crotch with one hand, clearly trying to adjust the erection he was having.
"It's okay, boy. I know you've never seen an actual woman before," Kurt said. "Well, not since you were a kid."
"Can I have her?" Roman asked.
"I can't give you that permission. Only she can," Kurt answered.
He looked down at the young woman again. Whatever had her passing out on the ground, he had no idea, but he knew they couldn't leave her like that.
"Let's bring her back to the cabin," he said.
"I got her," Roman said.
Before Kurt could react, Roman had lifted her up bridal style and started carrying her back the way they had come. Kurt let out a little sigh as he stood up and followed. Berry picking could wait. Right now they needed to get her back to safety.
"Put her in front of the fire," he said once they were back.
"No," Roman said.
He put her down on his own bed and pulled the blanket over her body before Kurt could protest. He sat down next to her and took one of her hands in both of his.
"She's so cold," he said.
"She'll warm up in no time," Kurt said reassuringly. "As long as you go get us some wood for the fire so it won't die down."
He felt Roman hesitate. Clearly he was smitten by the woman and didn't want to leave her side. Kurt didn't blame Roman for feeling like that. He was a young man and as any other man, he had needs. Needs buried deep within but they were there and seeing a woman for the first time since he was a little boy made those needs surface fast.
"Wood, boy! Now!" Kurt barked.
Roman jumped up from the bed and stumbled out of the door.
"And afterwards you go pick those berries!" Kurt yelled after him.
She woke up with a loud gasp and sat up straight in bed, ready to continue running. The last thing she remembered was running away. Before she could register where she was or what was going on, a big body sat down next to her and took her hand. She was met by a handsome, smiling face but he was so big that she instinctly tried moving backwards. He didn't seem to catch on as he reached for her other hand, holding both of them in both of his.
"Your hands are still cold," he said.
"Is she awake?" Kurt asked.
She turned her head and saw an elderly man move towards them.
"It's alright, child. We found you in the forest. You're safe here," he said.
"Where am I?" She asked.
"Far away from everything," he answered. "Roman here found you yesterday and carried you back here."
"Thank you," she looked back at the smiling man on the bed.
"I like your hands. So soft," Roman said and looked her in the eyes. "Can I have you?"
"Roman!" Kurt barked.
"You told me to get her permission," Roman said.
"Not like that, boy," Kurt shook his head. "Go get her some food."
Roman moved away from the bed and she watched as he moved closer towards the fire and a pot of soup hanging above it. He started pouring soup in a bowl and she would have continued watching him if Kurt hadn't brought her focus back to him.
"I'm Kurt Angle, child, and that is Roman," he said.
"Father and son?" She asked.
"Oh no, not even close. I found him in the forest many years ago, like we found you yesterday," he answered. "What's your name?"
"Brynn," she answered.
"Pretty name," Roman moved back to sit on the bed. "I made you soup and you get the best looking berries."
He handed her the bowl of soup and a little bowl filled with wild raspberries and strawberries. It was a sweet gesture and she couldn't help but smile back at him.
"Thank you, Roman. That's very kind of you," she said.
"So what's your story?" Kurt asked.
"My story?" She looked at him puzzled.
"You didn't just walk through the wood and pass out. Something happened. Where do you come from? What are you running from?" He asked.
"The king," she answered.
"We're not sending her back!" Roman shouted.
His smile was long gone and he had a look of anger on his face as he stared at Kurt.
"Relax, boy," Kurt said calmingly before looking at her again. "Tell your story."
She let out a sigh, knowing she couldn't get out of it. If she wanted to stay at their grace and mercy, she had to be truthful with them from the start. Roman reached forward and moved the bowl of berries out of her hand and instead held her hand in his and the little gesture and the feeling of his warm skin made her start talking.
"I was sold to the castle to be one of King Hunter's mistresses," she said.
"How long were you there?" Kurt asked.
"Not even a full day. The king summoned me to his chamber last night and I managed to break a lamp over his head and I jumped out of the window and I just ran like crazy," she answered.
"We gotta keep her," Roman begged. "She's like me."
"Like you?" She asked.
"Roman too ran from the king many years ago. He was being held in the dungeon as a slave. They don't feed the slaves well and, believe it or not, he was a tiny little kid back then so he managed to squeeze through the bars. I found him in the forest and took him in," Kurt explained.
"Well, you sure grew into your size," she smiled at Roman.
He let out a little chuckle and ran his thumb over the back of her hand.
"Your hand is warm now," he said.
"Thanks to you," she said.
"You can stay in my bed as long as you like," he said.
"This is your bed?" She raised her eyebrows. "Where did you sleep last night then?"
"On the floor by the fire," he answered.
"I couldn't possible..." She started.
"It's alright. The fire kept me warm and I had a lamb skin to lie on. I had worse on the dungeon floor," he said.
"Roman, go gather some woods," Kurt said.
Without objections Roman got up and left the cabin.
"He's not very bright but he has a good heart. You'll get used to him speaking his mind without thinking sometimes. He won't hurt you though. That I can promise," Kurt said.
"And you?" She swallowed hard. "Will you hurt me?"
"Not if you do as I say. It's my cabin and I expect you to help around here and do some work just like Roman. We won't have a problem if you do so," he said.
"I don't mind hard work," she said.
"Good. It'll help Roman a great deal if you take some of the work off his hands. I'm getting old and can't do much anymore so most burdens have been on him for a long time," he said.
She looked towards the door, not sure how to feel. She was worried the door would open and Hunter and his men would burst through but she also wanted to see the door open and Roman come back. Something about that handsome face with the sweet smile and his weird way of being made her feel calm.
"Don't worry," Kurt seemed to have read her mind. "No one travels out here. I go to town every once in a while and pick up on the latest gossip but there's weeks in between. No one will know you're here."