CHAPTER SEVEN
Amanda was the first to wake up. She went for a hunt. David opened his eyes and noticed that Amanda was gone.
"Suck an elf! She's gone again." He said and got up. "Where is she now?" He looked around, but she wasn't anywhere close to them.
Tara was next to wake up. She sat in her place and looked around. "Where am I?" she asked to herself. But of course, David heard her.
"In the fourth kingdom."
"Oh, yeah. Right. Umm, good morning… I guess." Tara said.
"Good morning miss." David replied.
Tara stretched and yawned. "My body hurts like hell!"
"You're not used to sleep on the ground?"
"Nope."
"Excuse me?"
"I mean no. I've never slept on the ground." She said and got up. "I need to do some exercising. Is it dangerous around here?"
"Not really. But being careful wouldn't hurt." David replied.
"OK. I'll be right back." She said and ran away.
Tara kept jogging through the forest. Soon enough, she was far from the camp. She stopped and started doing some exercises.
"One, two, three…" she counted.
Curious eyes were watching her from behind the bushes. Tara didn't notice them. She continued to work out.
Suddenly, she heard some cracks. She turned around to see if there was anyone around, but couldn't see anyone.
"Is someone there?" she called.
Amanda came out of the bushes with five bunnies in her hands. Her hands, mouth and most of her clothes were covered with blood.
"Oh… hi." Tara said. Confused by Amanda's look.
"Morning. You know that you're so far from the camp, don't you?"
"Yeah, I guess I can find the way back." Tara replied and moved a lock of hair away from her face.
"No one can find his way back to the place he wants in this forest. Even a fairy couldn't find her way back."
Tara thought about that for a moment. Crystal got lost, while she was supposed to know this place. "You're right." She said finally.
"So, are you coming back?" Amanda asked. Her face expression was serious; she never smiled while she talked to Tara.
"Yeah, sure." Tara said.
They walked together back to the camp.
"By the way, I'm Amanda." Amanda said without looking at Tara.
"I'm Tara."
"Nice to meet you Tara." This time she looked at her. But again, no smile.
Tara smiled, but it was a confused smile. "Nice to meet you, too, Amanda."
"How did you get here? And why?" Amanda asked.
"Crystal offered me to come here. Trolls have killed my parents, and I want to…" Tara paused. They were already near the camp.
"You want to… what?" Amanda asked as they stopped.
"I want revenge." Tara looked at Amanda in the eyes.
Amanda smiled. It was a wicked smile. "You won't be able to do that."
"Why not?"
"Trolls would kill you before you're able to notice their presence. Although, they're not that smart. But, they're smarter than you."
Tara didn't reply. She just turned her face and walked to the camp. Amanda followed her with the same smile on her face.
Crystal was awake already, so was the driver. He was preparing the horses for the ride.
"Tara! I was worried about you." Crystal said as she saw Tara coming.
"I'm fine, I went to do some exercising."
"Oh. What for?"
"It's just a routine. I do it every day."
"You run out of home every morning? And your parents don't panic?" David asked.
Tara lowered her head. "No. I used to jog with dad." She turned her face away from them and looked toward the forest. "Excuse me, I need to be alone for a while." She said and walked away.
"Tara!" Crystal was going after her but Amanda stopped her.
"Let her go. She needs to stay alone." Amanda said dryly.
Tara sat near the fire that the driver was trying to keep. He went to bring some woods. Amanda threw the bunnies to the ground. "Dave, do you have a knife or a dagger? I can't find mine."
"It's with me." David handed her the dagger back.
"You stole it!" Amanda said in anger.
"No, I just borrowed it."
"And why didn't I know about that?"
"You were sleeping. I didn't want to wake you up."
"OK, I won't ask you why you needed it. But next time, let me know if you're going to use something that belongs to me." Amanda said as she started to cut the bunnies into pieces to be cooked.
"Alright. But, I needed it to cut a piece of wood."
Amanda looked at him and her eyes flashed yellow for a moment. "Never! Use my dagger on anything! Other than meat." She said angrily.
"What is it with you this morning?" David sat next to her. "Why are you angry? What's wrong?"
Amanda kept doing her work. "Nothing. I'm hungry. That's all."
"You're lying." David said.
"I'm not!"
"Yes you are!"
Amanda held the dagger close to his throat. "I. Am. Not."
"OK, OK." He got up and left her to do the cooking.
"Are you going to help, or I'm supposed to do all the kitchen work here?" Amanda said to Crystal.
"I'll help." Crystal replied and got nearer. "What should I do?"
"Put the meat on sticks."
"Alright." Crystal did as she was told.
David went far from them. He walked through the forest, trying to find Tara. He looked around as he walked, but he couldn't see her anywhere. Suddenly, he heard someone crying. He headed toward the voice. He saw Tara sitting under a tree and crying.
"Tara." He whispered to himself. He didn't know whether go to her, or leave her alone. But finally, he chose the first. He walked to her and knelt near her. He put his hand on her shoulder. Tara raised her head and looked at him.
"Why are you crying?" he asked.
"I'm not crying." She said and wiped her tears with her hand.
"And what is that liquid on your face? Orange juice? Come on, you can tell me. Crystal told us that your parents were murdered by those trolls."
Tara looked to the distance, away from David. "I wish I could meet them again. I swear I'll kill them with my bare hands." She said.
"You won't be able if you're alone. You must let the king know about that. The trolls are not allowed to go to the 10th kingdom."
"And you think that the king will accept to meet me? Come on! There's no one at the head of the country who would listen to a simple person."
"Not my… king." David said. He was going to say his father. But he didn't want the girl to know that he's royalty. He never liked it anyway.
"You king huh?" Tara smiled.
"Yes, my king. He rules the kingdom where I live. So, he's my king."
"OK. Whatever you say."
"Now, are you coming back? You must be hungry."
"I'm not. I just want to get my work finished and go back."
David looked at her with concerned eyes. "You will. But if you don't eat, you won't live to see them again." He said.
"I'm not hungry now." She pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them and rested her head on her knees.
"Alright then. I'll sit here by your side, until you get hungry." He sat next to her.
"Yeah, right."
David stared at her. She was sad. Living some kind of a depression. He knew that she wanted revenge, but she won't be able to kill the trolls. At least, not on her own.
Amanda was the first to wake up. She went for a hunt. David opened his eyes and noticed that Amanda was gone.
"Suck an elf! She's gone again." He said and got up. "Where is she now?" He looked around, but she wasn't anywhere close to them.
Tara was next to wake up. She sat in her place and looked around. "Where am I?" she asked to herself. But of course, David heard her.
"In the fourth kingdom."
"Oh, yeah. Right. Umm, good morning… I guess." Tara said.
"Good morning miss." David replied.
Tara stretched and yawned. "My body hurts like hell!"
"You're not used to sleep on the ground?"
"Nope."
"Excuse me?"
"I mean no. I've never slept on the ground." She said and got up. "I need to do some exercising. Is it dangerous around here?"
"Not really. But being careful wouldn't hurt." David replied.
"OK. I'll be right back." She said and ran away.
Tara kept jogging through the forest. Soon enough, she was far from the camp. She stopped and started doing some exercises.
"One, two, three…" she counted.
Curious eyes were watching her from behind the bushes. Tara didn't notice them. She continued to work out.
Suddenly, she heard some cracks. She turned around to see if there was anyone around, but couldn't see anyone.
"Is someone there?" she called.
Amanda came out of the bushes with five bunnies in her hands. Her hands, mouth and most of her clothes were covered with blood.
"Oh… hi." Tara said. Confused by Amanda's look.
"Morning. You know that you're so far from the camp, don't you?"
"Yeah, I guess I can find the way back." Tara replied and moved a lock of hair away from her face.
"No one can find his way back to the place he wants in this forest. Even a fairy couldn't find her way back."
Tara thought about that for a moment. Crystal got lost, while she was supposed to know this place. "You're right." She said finally.
"So, are you coming back?" Amanda asked. Her face expression was serious; she never smiled while she talked to Tara.
"Yeah, sure." Tara said.
They walked together back to the camp.
"By the way, I'm Amanda." Amanda said without looking at Tara.
"I'm Tara."
"Nice to meet you Tara." This time she looked at her. But again, no smile.
Tara smiled, but it was a confused smile. "Nice to meet you, too, Amanda."
"How did you get here? And why?" Amanda asked.
"Crystal offered me to come here. Trolls have killed my parents, and I want to…" Tara paused. They were already near the camp.
"You want to… what?" Amanda asked as they stopped.
"I want revenge." Tara looked at Amanda in the eyes.
Amanda smiled. It was a wicked smile. "You won't be able to do that."
"Why not?"
"Trolls would kill you before you're able to notice their presence. Although, they're not that smart. But, they're smarter than you."
Tara didn't reply. She just turned her face and walked to the camp. Amanda followed her with the same smile on her face.
Crystal was awake already, so was the driver. He was preparing the horses for the ride.
"Tara! I was worried about you." Crystal said as she saw Tara coming.
"I'm fine, I went to do some exercising."
"Oh. What for?"
"It's just a routine. I do it every day."
"You run out of home every morning? And your parents don't panic?" David asked.
Tara lowered her head. "No. I used to jog with dad." She turned her face away from them and looked toward the forest. "Excuse me, I need to be alone for a while." She said and walked away.
"Tara!" Crystal was going after her but Amanda stopped her.
"Let her go. She needs to stay alone." Amanda said dryly.
Tara sat near the fire that the driver was trying to keep. He went to bring some woods. Amanda threw the bunnies to the ground. "Dave, do you have a knife or a dagger? I can't find mine."
"It's with me." David handed her the dagger back.
"You stole it!" Amanda said in anger.
"No, I just borrowed it."
"And why didn't I know about that?"
"You were sleeping. I didn't want to wake you up."
"OK, I won't ask you why you needed it. But next time, let me know if you're going to use something that belongs to me." Amanda said as she started to cut the bunnies into pieces to be cooked.
"Alright. But, I needed it to cut a piece of wood."
Amanda looked at him and her eyes flashed yellow for a moment. "Never! Use my dagger on anything! Other than meat." She said angrily.
"What is it with you this morning?" David sat next to her. "Why are you angry? What's wrong?"
Amanda kept doing her work. "Nothing. I'm hungry. That's all."
"You're lying." David said.
"I'm not!"
"Yes you are!"
Amanda held the dagger close to his throat. "I. Am. Not."
"OK, OK." He got up and left her to do the cooking.
"Are you going to help, or I'm supposed to do all the kitchen work here?" Amanda said to Crystal.
"I'll help." Crystal replied and got nearer. "What should I do?"
"Put the meat on sticks."
"Alright." Crystal did as she was told.
David went far from them. He walked through the forest, trying to find Tara. He looked around as he walked, but he couldn't see her anywhere. Suddenly, he heard someone crying. He headed toward the voice. He saw Tara sitting under a tree and crying.
"Tara." He whispered to himself. He didn't know whether go to her, or leave her alone. But finally, he chose the first. He walked to her and knelt near her. He put his hand on her shoulder. Tara raised her head and looked at him.
"Why are you crying?" he asked.
"I'm not crying." She said and wiped her tears with her hand.
"And what is that liquid on your face? Orange juice? Come on, you can tell me. Crystal told us that your parents were murdered by those trolls."
Tara looked to the distance, away from David. "I wish I could meet them again. I swear I'll kill them with my bare hands." She said.
"You won't be able if you're alone. You must let the king know about that. The trolls are not allowed to go to the 10th kingdom."
"And you think that the king will accept to meet me? Come on! There's no one at the head of the country who would listen to a simple person."
"Not my… king." David said. He was going to say his father. But he didn't want the girl to know that he's royalty. He never liked it anyway.
"You king huh?" Tara smiled.
"Yes, my king. He rules the kingdom where I live. So, he's my king."
"OK. Whatever you say."
"Now, are you coming back? You must be hungry."
"I'm not. I just want to get my work finished and go back."
David looked at her with concerned eyes. "You will. But if you don't eat, you won't live to see them again." He said.
"I'm not hungry now." She pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them and rested her head on her knees.
"Alright then. I'll sit here by your side, until you get hungry." He sat next to her.
"Yeah, right."
David stared at her. She was sad. Living some kind of a depression. He knew that she wanted revenge, but she won't be able to kill the trolls. At least, not on her own.