***Ummm… ok… hi. I'd love it if people posted reviews, but don't be too hard on me, it's my first time ;) hope you enjoy it.***
DISCLAIMER: Belong to me, this pretty green area & hot resident ranger do not. (but I can wish…)
When Lora opened her eyes, the sky above her was dappled green. She blinked, and tried to focus. The colours sharpened at the edges slowly, and she saw that she was in a forest, with a thick roof of leaves. She started up, and quickly fell back again with the ache that lanced through her back and thighs. Slowly, rubbing her elbow where she had fallen, she pulled herself up, and looked around, brushing her dark hair from her face.
A forest. Ok. What kind are these trees? I don't know. Maybe horse chestnuts? Very tall, big green leaves. How far does the forest go? Can I see a clearing? Over there, maybe, there's more light through the trees there. It could be raining and you wouldn't know, so many leaves up there. What lives here? Can't hear anything except trees, can't smell anything except trees. Go carefully now, don't know what's in these woods.
She turned and headed cautiously towards the place where golden light filtered with green streamed through a clearing in the forest roof. She stumbled forward over twisted roots and twigs in the invisible undergrowth, and soon came to an area covered in smooth grass, refreshing to her eyes with its emptiness. Suddenly, she stood totally still. There was a ring of stones in the clearing, kicked around a bit but unmistakably there, with still-smouldering sticks in it.
Why didn't I smell the smoke?
She cautiously glanced around the clearing, and walked towards the empty fire. Now she got closer she could smell something, but it wasn't woodsmoke. Suddenly she noticed some ash-tarred but still green plants mixed in with the sticks.
He burns herbs with the wood to hide the smell - doesn't want to be noticed - I must have surprised him… or her. That means that they must still be close.
As she stood up, Lora became aware of something else, like an airlessness, and suddenly she froze, without even understanding why. It took a few seconds for her to comprehend, as her mind went into automatic.
Don't move. Why not? Cold steel. My skin. Oh God, there's a knife at my throat. Don't move, please god don't move.
A male voice, so close to her that his warm breath on her ear sent shivers down her neck despite herself, edging her fear. "These woods are dangerous for those that should not be here." Forcing herself through her paralysis, Lora stammered out "I… I do not know where I am".
A sarcastic voice cut through her panic. That's great, well done. Now he knows you're helpless. Idiot to have missed him, how easily can a grown man hide?
"you must have been lost for some days, young one" he growled "the trees hide the paths for ten miles all ways the winds blow".
"I don't mean to hurt anyone… I… ah… I don't know how I came here. I don't know where I am" she repeated, stuttering, her whole being concentrated on the three centimetres of hairline blade on her pulse. There was a silence. Slowly, explosively, Lora felt the cold leave her throat. She did not move until she could see the blade in front of her turned downwards, then she drew in a breath so deep her lungs hurt, and she fought to keep from collapsing as her muscles relaxed.