Being alone is not as easy as it sounds. The earths natural calls become threatening as darkness closes in, the trees natural shadows become scary and somehow otherworldly. At least they do to me. Overtime I have become accustomed to the lonely nights, the vacant days and the deep deep loss of human company. Survival is a must and I must survive - it's the only thing left...the only thing I know. My name is Mina and I am alone. I am alone in this life, in this forest and without my kin. I have been wandering for days, maybe weeks. Time is not important to me anymore, the mountain men made sure of that.

A snapping off a stick had my head violently twisting round and my brown eyes narrowing suspiciously. Most animals around these parts know not to make any noise, especially not something as obvious as stepping on a twig. I grab the wolf skin I made a few days ago and cover my shoulders with it before darting up a nearby tree to face any intruders head on, the importance of higher ground advantage has been drilled into me since I could walk. I creep along the branches, carefully balancing on the balls of my bare feet and steadying myself with my arms. Brushing back a stray blonde lock from my braids I peak through the dense leaves and set eyes upon the intruders. These people are like none I have ever seen before; their movements are sloppy, their voices are loud and their clothes...their clothes are very strange, almost like the mountain men but...different, very different or I could not still be here.

The brown haired girl in front suddenly dropped her trousers and steps out of them. My eyes drift to the lake...surely she's not going to...no...she wouldn't be so stupid would she? Four more of these strange people appear behind her and being talking loudly again but my eyes are fixed on the brunette. My heart pound in my chest with worry for her... She's not going to is she? My dreaded question is answered as she dives into the lake. The lake with the giant flesh eating snake in it. Her associates laugh and another starts taking his clothes off before they realise what terrific danger they are in, what peril this young girl has put herself in all for the sake of showing off

I shake my head slowly a slight smile gracing my lips before I stamp it closed and swing into the nearest tree, continuing on my journey and trying to forget all about these strange people.

Night was quickly approaching and my stomach was growling. I desperately wanted to snap at it to,
"Be quiet!" But I wasn't ready for the talking to myself part of being alone just yet. My wolf skin barely covered my body and I was shivering to the bone. Damn those stupid mountain men for taking me clothes and leaving me in these stupid White bits of fabric! Not that my old clothes would fit me now it being 10 years since I last had them but still...the thought was there.

I chuckled softly to myself, reaching a hand to untangle some of the mess in my long dark blonde hair. A drop of water fell from the sky so I lifted my head up and drank desperately all it had to offer me. The taste cooled the fire in my throat but did nothing to calm the raging beast in my belly, nothing short of a good hunt would do that and I was out of practice. I continued on through the woods with no location in mind, it wasn't like I had anywhere to go before a hand reached out and grabbed my shoulder.

I spun around and flung it off me but another one grabbed me arms. The boys in front of me appeared to belong to that group I saw earlier near the lake and for a split second my mind wandered wondering if that girl was okay, nobody deserves to die by flesh eating snake. I cocked my head to the side as the more of these people began to surround me but I bite my tongue, any advantage I could get was a good one. Even if I had to pretend not to understand them, another one of my mothers tricks. When a boy with black hair and freckles dotted across his handsome face tried to drag me along I reached out and kicked him aside before crouching down and attempting to run. Before I could get very far another boy landed on my back and pinning me down. I snarled and twisted under him as chanting from these strange people grew louder and louder. I think they were shouting

"GROUNDER!"

But that couldn't be right. Otherwise they would let me go right? Everybody knows not to bother us woods clan or "grounders" as some call us. My weak arms failed to protect me as a stone crashed down onto my head and the whole world went dark.

"The first thing that clued me into my situation was the terrible weight I felt in my arms. Groaning I tried to move them but snapped to attention when I found them bound above me.

"WHAT THE HELL!"

I spat in Trigedasleng and banged my arms in the air. My legs were in a slightly similar situation but at least they didn't hurt. My head throbbed as my eyes tried to adjust to the dim lighting in this metal room. Everything here was so strange, so like the mountain men yet so unlike them as well. For starters I wasn't in a cage, that's always a good place to breath left my body as I saw a warrior of my people tied up just like me on the opposite side of the room. I didn't know his name but I could tell by all the tattoos across his chest that he was woods clan. He was dressed only in a pair of trousers, his head hanging down in sleep and dried blood clinging to his naked chest. My own chest heaved at the sight but at least these people had done be the favour of dressing me in a clean small top that covered my chest but left my stomach exposed and some shorts.

"Warrior?"I whispered in Trigedasleng to the man across the room. His head shot up at hearing the native tongue and he looked me over in confusion. His eyes lingered on my scars and the black tattoo marking me as a second to the woods clan. We stared at each other in comfortable silence for a while before he softly asked in Trigedasleng,

"Who are you? Why do the sky people keep your prisoner with me here?"

I shook my head as much as I could at his questions,

"I am Mina, the mountain men had me. I was simply hunting when I ran into these people and now here I am."

The warrior growled at my answer and pushed against his chains, "I shall get you out of here young one, you have done nothing and these sky people keeping you here is unjustified."

"I smiled at his growled Trigedasleng, it was nice to hear the language again after so long.

"Thank you warrior."

And with that we both latched into silence, for it was the way of our people. What need is there for words when silence can say so much more?