:Chapter 7: Lost and Found:
We didn't get to sleep immediately. Not all of us, just me and Cameron, that is.
"Maybe this will teach you guys to get along," General Nicks had added after informing that the two of us were assigned to stay up and guard the camp for the next hour or so while the others got their rest. How thrilling.
The other's headed over to the tent, which was actually just a little roof to shelter them from rain or something like that, so it was basically useless since it wasn't raining, though the air had gotten significantly cooler since the sun went down.
A fire was built about ten yards or so away. Cameron and I perched ourselves on opposite sides of the fire. The tent was barely visible from where we were, because of the thick forest of trees and the dark made it nearly impossible to see anything more than three feet away.
For the first few minutes the two of us sat in silence, staring into the fire. I was staring into the fire, anyway. I didn't dare look up to see what Cameron was doing, in fear that he'd hurl some sort of rude remark at me again. I decided it was safest if I didn't talk or look at him, and so far it was working.
The air was so cool I could see my breath in front of me. I rubbed my hands together in an effort to warm them and then held them up to the fire. I wasn't exactly used to spending nights in the middle of a forest. My arm was still sore from the ogre wound. I shivered, not knowing if it was because of the cold or the fact that an ogre had come close enough to me for it to sink its tooth into my arm. I shuddered at the thought of the ogres lurking in the forest at this very moment, just waiting for us soldiers to have out backs turned. . .
"Hey, kid."
I let out a started yelp, before I realized it was only Cameron whispering. I looked up and found him giving me a glare. It was a bit eerie, with the flame casting shadows on parts of his face and his blue eyes seemed to be glowing.
"Shut the hell up, kid, you're going to wake the others up."
I scowled. It was a pity that such a pretty face was paired with a nasty personality. What a waste.
"Go to bed," he whispered harshly. "I'm sick of staring at your face."
I held back a yawn. Although the sound of sleep was rather tempting, I wasn't about to let this jerk boss me around. "Well," I started, racking my brains for a good comeback. All I could come up with was "I'm sick of seeing YOUR face."
The blonde boy scoffed, and ran a hand though his shaggy hair. "I'm just sorry that ogre didn't devour you on the spot. It wouldn't done all of us a favor, though I understand that you wouldn't been a poor excuse for a snack, being just skin and bones." He smirked at the insult.
I wondered if he knew that girls couldn't care less about being skin and bones, but I had to remember that in his eyes, I was a scrawny little pathetic excuse for a boy.
He continued, "I wouldn't mind if they got to that stupid red-haired son of a bitch either."
I cringed at the profanity. I assumed he was referring to General Nicks.
". . .or that god damned sissy prince of ours. I hope I don't live to see the day he becomes king, with a pussy like that the whole kingdom-"
"Shut the hell up!" I snapped, repeating the words he had said to me earlier. How could anyone be so cruel as to say those that about someone? Especially someone like Derek, who's one of the most friendliest people I have met, which is more than I can say for this. . . son of a bitch, as he likes to say, sitting across from me. "That's not fair, you can't say that about someone if you don't even know them!"
"Well, kid, life isn't fair, and if you're too damn naïve to realize that, go home to your mother and father."
I froze at the mention of father. I could feel my eyes welling with tears of anger, but I dared not let one drop fall down my cheek. Not in from of him. "My father is dead," I said though gritted teeth. I had the sudden urge to whip out my sword and slash up his pretty little face.
For a moment I swear I saw a look of sorrow on this face, but it must have been my imagination because it was immediately replaced with an annoyed stare.
"Well, so is my brother, so I guess we're both even."
My conversation with Kale about his brother's disappearance popped into my head, and for a moment I kind of felt sorry for him. But just for a moment.
Neither of us spoke a word after that. A few minutes later, something interrupted the silence.
The sound of crunching leaves. . . footsteps. And voices.
Immediately Cameron reached for a pile of dirt and threw it into the fire. It immediately died down. He stomped the rest of it out. The forest was now completely dark, except for a very few beams of moonlight that shone between the tree branches.
I felt my heart racing. I didn't dare move.
"Lay on the floor," Cameron whispered.
The footsteps were getting closer, and the voices louder, the voices of men. Were these Kyrrians?
The voices were now close enough that we could make out what they were saying.
"I thought I heard something over here," one of the men said.
"It was probably just one of the other Fairburnians," another said.
They were Fairburnians! I could sense that they were now just a few feet away. I held my breath, thankful for the dark of the night. Had it been daytime, we would've been in their plain view.
I dared myself to glance up, to catch a glimpse of the men to see if I recognized them. Only one of the group was visible, for he was standing under a beam of moonlight. I squinted my eyes to get a better look. To my surprise, this one wasn't a man, but a boy, who couldn't have been any older than me.
He had straight blonde hair that hung to his chin, and big blue eyes that didn't seem to quite match his sharp facial features. He looked familiar, somehow. . .
"No one's here," the boy said. "Let's go."
I continued to hold my breath until I was sure they were far away. "Cameron!" I whispered.
There was no reply.
"Cameron!" I repeated, looking around for him, though it was too dark to see anything. "Those men were from Fairburn!"
"Christian. . ." he finally answered.
Christian? That name seemed to ring a bell. . .
My heart was facing faster than ever. Fairburnians! I had to wake up General Nicks right away.
"That boy. . . That was my brother."
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review!