Lemurian-Girl thanks for the review. Yeah this story is loosely (VERY loosely based off of the brother's Grimm fairy-tale
Hiro No Tsuki Thanks for the tip! I didn't know I had the anonymous review thing disabled
Starry Eyed Bunny The description of Riam is coming in the fourth chapter, but just to let you know, he is tall with sandy blonde hair and dark gray eyes.
Chapter 3: Intruder
Outside, Duke Riam paced back and forth before the mouth of the cave. There had been no sound for the past few hours, and it was pure torture to wonder if the trespasser was even there at all. She could have fallen asleep. She could have gotten out another way, even though his foresters were posted around the area. Or the trespasser could simply be waiting there for someone to dare walk in, like a hunter waiting in ambush for its prey. It was driving him mad not to know. Darkness had set over the land a long time ago, and they were already halfway through the night. The girl would be able to last for days inside the cave if she had a supply of food and water.
All around, the night swathed them in a thick darkness, like a veil, and the campfire had trouble penetrating the shadows even for a few feet. Crickets sang ominously while a sickle moon hung low in the sky, and the sounds of owls, raccoons, and other nocturnal animals swelled until it was almost deafening. Most people though the wilderness was quiet, but the Duke was discovering the forest was louder than the capital city in its own way.
Stamping his boot in frustration, Riam faced the cave once more. He stood that way for a while, an intense battle raging back and forth in his mind. Finally, he had made up his mind, and he made his way to the cave with purpose. Heads snapped up around the campfire and from their different posts, all watching their Duke.
As he came to the mouth of the cave, Riam had to crouch down on his hands and knees to fit his frame through the entrance. He waited silently, allowing his eyes to adjust to the blackness. In front of him was the stone floor of the cave and ten feet further was a wall with a tunnel leading away from the main cavern. The girl was gone.
Riam shouted for a forester who was small and agile, ordering him to follow the tunnel and see where it went. Meanwhile, the camp was quickly packed up. After only a few minutes, the forester came running out of the woods.
"Milord! It comes to the surface three or four hundred yards later! I will lead you to the spot!"
The hunters were off again, but this time, the dogs could not pick up the trail of the girl.
The Duke's foresters seemed to be right behind her, and Calumet bolted desperately through the forest, her dagger ready and waiting. She could not abandon her brothers so early in her search! Fortunately, for the girl, the dogs seemed to be confused as to what they were tracking. They would dash off after every squirrel and raccoon, but Calumet was still in danger. As the foresters crashed through the forest, calling and searching with their confused dogs, Calumet slipped like a furtive shadow from tree to tree, further and further away from her hunters as the sun rose slowly through the sky.
To confuse them even more, she changed directions, heading northeast instead of continuing on her original westerly course. Calumet's plan worked, and the foresters headed the wrong way. Their calls became faint, finally disappearing all together, but a low grumbling sound and Boe's shrieking, "Intruder!" replaced them.
Calumet paused and frowned in confusion, while her neck prickled ominously. She whirled around, and came face to face with two tiny pig-like eyes in a huge shaggy brown head. The giant jaws opened to reveal a carnivore's long teeth, and a wave of foul air washed over Calumet. A thunderous roar threatened to make her eardrums explode. The giant's paw swept at her, and easily flung Calumet through the air a moment before the word bear registered in her mind.
Calumet crashed into a tree, white-hot pain exploding in her skull. Lightheaded and disoriented, Calumet realized she still held her dagger by some miracle. With a feral snarl, the bear charged Calumet, and she barely had enough time to lift up the dagger. The monstrous beast impaled itself, and Calumet rolled away as he stumbled. She quickly jumped on his back and killed the bear.
Choking back sobs of relief, Calumet crawled through the grass and leaves to lean against the base of a tree away from the carcass. The bear had clawed her right across the stomach, and the deep gashes were bleeding profusely through her tattered cotton shirt. Calumet took out a knife, and cutting strips of cloth off her cloak, she bound up the wounds as best she could.
She knew that she had to get to water soon, and that food would be near water as well. The cheerful gurgling of a creek reached her ears, and Calumet slowly limped towards the sound. There ahead of her, a tiny stream ran fresh, cold, and clear and the girl stumbled to its banks
Her vision was blurring, and Calumet did not think that she could stand it much longer without a drink. She knelt down painfully, still in shock, and took off her cape and hat. The cool creek ran swiftly over the rocks in the streambed, and Calumet put her lips to the water eagerly, guzzling the stuff down. Only when her belly threatened to rebel, did the girl pulled away from the water. Then, she reached down and splashed some on her face, and Calumet slid off her boots. She dangled her feet in the water while looking to her stomach. Blood was beginning to seep through the bandages.
"No," she groaned. "My pack."
It was back with her horse in the saddlebag, and she had some herbs that would help in there. Calumet grabbed at the course grass on the riverbank while her stomach rebelled, and sent all the water she had just drank back up her throat. Calumet retched until long after her stomach was empty.
"Intruder! Intruder!"
The shrill cry nearly caused Calumet to jump out of her skin, and she looked hazily up to see a raven perched on a branch above the stream.
"Hey there, Boe. Shhhh. No one is nearby."
She held out her wrist for him, and then Calumet gave the bird a berry from a bush next to her. He croaked his word once more for good measure, and greedily gobbled the treat down. Calumet had repeated the word to him over and over until he could mimic it perfectly in his rasping hoarse voice. She soaked in his comforting presence, stroking his gleaming pitch-black feathers before he flew back to his branch. Already, the oppressive heat of the noon sun had found its way through the trees, and Calumet reached down to rub some cool water on the back of her neck. Boe screeched, and Calumet, who was starting to get dizzy, glanced across the creek to hush the bird.
The reflection of a familiar face in the water was staring back at her. Utter terror gripped the girl as she turned slowly looked back. Staring at her was the Duke, but Calumet was rooted to the ground, as her dagger slid from her hands into the creek. Finally, gaining control of her limbs, the girl stumbled to her feet.
Calumet tried to run, but it was too late. Muffled boot-steps came in pursuit, and the Duke tackled her from behind. Even though Calumet struggled violently, Riam was stronger though, and he pinned her arms at her side. He stared at her for a long moment. Then, he called for his men, and a distant shout answered his summons.
"Let me go," Calumet panted, knowing she was about to faint from the pain.
"No," was his reply. "What happened to you?"
"Bear," she replied through clenched teeth.
"What is your name?"
She clamped her mouth shut, and her eyes became chillingly blank. No emotion showed in their depths or on her face, but as the sound of his men making their way toward the creek, Calumet started to thrash about wildly. Riam shifted his weight to hold her down, pressing his knee into her stomach, and Calumet gasped and stilled. Boe, livid at the attack on his beloved mistress, started diving viciously at the Duke's head, and he threw up his arms to protect his face. Calumet, on the other hand, had already slipped from consciousness with one last thought of despair for her lost brothers.
Duke Riam's horse plodded along the road on through the day until nightfall. It had taken them almost three hours to find their way out of the forest and back to the road, but his captive had been out cold the entire time. Now, she was seated in front of him on his charger, enabling Riam to examine her.
She was pretty in an unconventional way, even though she was only five foot two. Her silver-blond was chopped just below her jaw, and it accented her jawbone while revealing a graceful swanlike neck. Her face had high cheekbones, arched brows, and a slim nose, but Riam could not remember if her eyes had been blue or green. The odd thing was that her right arm was scarred as if by bird's talons from the elbow to her wrist.
Again and again, he turned the puzzle of the girl over in his mind. Who was she? Where did she come from? What was her name? And why had she been sneaking around the aviary?
Thankfully, the girl had slept throughout the entire journey after passing out in the woods; otherwise, the ride would have been extremely painful for her. They reached the manor of Worl an hour after noon, and as the band reached the large iron gates of the mansion, servants hurried out to see who was coming. The gates were swung wide open, welcoming the Duke, and a black raven settled on the wall, crowing loudly.