Ace
A week...it's been a week since they brought him in. I tried to argue countless times with Jacob but he seemed fixated on his decision. The mutant was recovering under Alfred's care contrary to what we all hoped and believed. There were hushed talks of him regaining strength and lesser episodes of passing out for the last 3 days. I stayed as far away from the medical bay as possible. Once or twice, while I was passing by ,I heard him groan and curse which brought a satisfied smirk on my face. "Good...let him suffer, he deserves to rot in hell". Yeah I had to move away before I let my instincts take over and strangle him, just like I've dreamed oh so many times.

I bolted outside. I needed to make new arrows, better ones as my last failed hunting escapade proved what I was sorely lacking. The Sun was high up and blazzing hot while I moved through the trees towards the farming fields. The air was thick and stuffy so much so that I felt suffocated but I was glad my worn out tank and pants were light as feathers. I came through the trees to the open clearing where Jacob and the other men were working in the fields.

I made my way to Jacob shielding my eyes from harsh sunlight .

" Hey kid! came to bite my head off again or is it my lucky day and you're just here to lend a helping hand?" He smiled warmly, his eyes crinkling at the corners and face flushed in the heat.
" I wanted to see if you have any bamboos or any other wood I can use to make arrows." I asked hopefully.
"Ah! who's the unfortunate victim getting skewered this time?" He eyed the caves amused.
"Ha Ha don't tempt me". I rolled my eyes.

Right then 3 armed men came barreling through the far side of the clearing, startling us. I vaguely remembered them guarding the mutant in the caves.
" We are going to run the parameter one more time." One of them told Jacob. They shared a look, nodded at Jacob and turned around.
"What's going on?" I tried to lighten my voice but I knew the old man can practically hear my curosity.
" There seemed to be a...disturbance near the North borders." He hesitated. "There is some bamboo and shaping knives in the back hut. Go back and try to keep this situation to yourself. I don't want undue panic among people." With that he turned around dismissing me.

I watched him go for a while, thinking if we could ever repay him for being so considerate of us, he was a leader of sort but felt more like a father figure to us. I sighed and went to grab my stuff . Inside the bamboo hut were various kinds of tools and cloth bags, most of them for farming stuff probably. In the corner I found some fine bamboo sticks perfect for arrow lengths and I wondered if Jacob saved some good ones for me. I smiled at the thought.

I turned to go back when I spotted a long knife on the top shelf. Me heart started hammering and my breathing became quick. I picked it up swiftly and placed it inside my boot, half of it resting cold and sharp against my inner calf. I half ran away from the fields. I couldn't believe what I was considering to actually go through. I thought about what Jacob would say, would he be disappointed or relieved or proud? I wondered what he would be doing. I knew there were no one guarding him, now that the danger was elsewhere. May be this was a rescue mission, may be his "not so merry" band of buddies was flashing us a distraction to give him an escape route. Besides guards, there weren't anyone who bothered to check on him except Jacob.

I quickened my pace and was near the caves when Chikki called out to me. He crashed to me in a big hug and for a moment I forgot what I was going to do.
"Ace all the kids are going with Craw , he is going to teach us how to catch fish." HE gave me a toothy grin between the chubby cheeks. " can I go , please please, oh please?"

Yeah may be it was a good idea for him to not be around when I 'd be...doing the deed.
"Sure hun! Just behave and don't give Craw a hard time" I gave him a stern look which turned into a full blown smile.

I watched him running down to the lake with other kids laughing and skipping. I shook my head to clear my senses and went back to ...the deed.

The caves were more silent and calm than usual which made me uneasy. The few people who were there didn't notice me. I stepped cautiously to further mute my steps and be invisible. Why did I feel like a criminal in my own hide out? I was going to do everyone a favour by ...

I stepped into the medical bay area which was darker than the rest of the caves, as it was the only area in the caves with rounded walls to mimic a room and to provide enough privacy. I slid my knife out of my boot and held it firmly in my now sweaty trembling hands. I licked my lips and stepped further in towards the sheets on a makeshift bed.
My heart was beating so loudly that I could feel it beating in my ears and feared that it would surely alert him of my approach.

"THAT will never work." I gasped and spun around to see him standing near the medical supplies, eyes narrowed and fixed on me. Standing...standing?
"You're up." It was a statement coloured with surprise. He raised an eyebrow at me in a silent bored gesture.
"You were supposed to be in bed half unconscious." I whispered.
"Your people are doing a crappy job keeping their patient comfortable. I had to get up for water in my bandaged state." He poured himself a glass of water, smirked at my still open mouth and tipped his glass to make his point.
Instantly rage replaced shock and I raised my knife above my head in a steady confident grasp. I almost growled. "My PEOPLE took pity on you and saved your sorry bleeding ass, Your highness." He was silent for a whole minute staring at me with eyes narrowed.

"You came to kill me. I have to admit, I did wonder why nobody had shown up till now. And a little girl was far from what I was expecting." Blue eyes regarded me carefully as if to unravel all the mysteries at one glance.
" I'm NOT a little girl." I seethed. I could almost feel my face burning up and smoke coming out of my ears. This arrogant asshole mutant was belittling me in my own territory. All the second thoughts about KILLING this mutant went out and I charged him with the strength I didn't know I possessed, with the knife raised and ready.

I pinned him to the stone wall , with my fist on his heart and looked up to savour his expression of agony. But there it was, his full smirk, set and taunting. He must have read my confusion because he turned his head and I followed his gaze to find my knife embedded in the makeshift bed.

"Did you think I was this easy to kill, girl?" He sneered, his voice hard chilling me to the bones and I suddenly realized that I was in the presence of a mutant, a mutant who could still wield his powers even in a weakened state, a mutant who I just tried to kill. Did he wrench the knife out of my hand and threw it on the bed? No. He didn't touch me I was sure. So he had a power to kill without batting an eyelash. And with fists still on his chest, looking into his cold hard face, I suddenly wished I hadn't come across that goddamn knife.

R &R please :)