Hello everyone!

So this chapter started off with only being about 1,800 words. Originally, it wasn't raining, but as I was editing, it actually started to rain outside so I was inspired. I also added an extra scene which I thought would put the story together nicely.

And merged it with chapter 6.

So chapter 6 is no longer chapter 6, it is now part of chapter 5.

So there is a new chapter 6

All in all, after I made all those changes, I finally felt like chapter 5 was complete.

Enjoy!

A low rumble echoed through the air as the earth shook slightly. I looked up from my place on the ground among the plants. The wind had picked up, bringing a chill along with it. I sighed, slipping my ax into a makeshift belt around my waist and picking up the few pieces of wood I had been able to gather.

Lighting and thunder had been striking for the past hour, and the shift in temperature signaled the coming of a large storm.

I stopped as soon as I realized that if I didn't look for cover, I would soon be drenched. I set up camp under a grouping of trees, their leaves forming a dense canopy that would keep us dry. It had yet to rain, but the thunder was getting closer.

Stopping at the camp grounds, I placed my load on the pile I had been collecting for the night. I shuffled around for a while, organizing the wood so that it would be accessible when I needed it to fuel the fire, moving my belongings closer to the center of the makeshift camp.

When I finished, I bent down and picked up the hem of my skirt. Over the course of the journey, I had ripped off part of the bottom to allow easy movement. Nothing much, just a few inches from floor length. But now, while laboring, I need much more room.

Now I tied a knot at about mid thigh- that allowed much more movement. I picked up my hair and secured it in a braid so that it was out of my face.

Another low rumble. Spade began to whine from his place at the edge of the camp. Horses tend to know when a storm is coming, and always look for shelter when they know there is impending would be dry under the canopy, but with all the noise and flashes he would eventually scare him enough to the point at which he would run away. That was why he was tied up, secure to two tree trunks.

I went over and placed a hand on his side, patting him lightly, trying to calm him down. It seemed to work because after a while he lowered his head and continued to feed on the plants in front of him. I stayed there for a few more minutes then went back to work.

I had gone hunting as soon as I had found our campsite, finding two squirrel in under an hour. Woodland creatures tend to scavenge for food throughout the day, especially when there is a storm coming. Just like horses, they can sense when rain is coming, so they grab a bundle of provisions and head for shelter. It didn't surprise me that I found two in such a short time.

I gathered some firewood and began to coax a flame, and soon enough, dinner was ready. I sat by the side of the fire and picked the meat off the little animals. Two squirrels was enough to keep me fed until dinner the next day (if I didn't exhaust myself).

Once I finished eating, I picked up a stone and started sharpening the edge of each arrow- something I did every night since the day I had crossed paths with the stranger.

His presence had had an unnerving effect on me, shaking me to the core.

I had thought of him every minute of every day. His eyes were the most beautiful shade of blue, and their color would change depending on the light like a kaleidoscope of blue. His facial features were well defined- a sharp and strong jaw, defined cheekbones. His sandy curls stood at odd angles, giving him a disheveled but handsome appearance. His lips, his red raspberry lips, would quirk up into a smirk, only to reveal the most adorable dimples.

No! They were not adorable!

He was mysterious and most definitely dangerous. The way he was able to move so quick and block every blow from me showed that he was not naive in the art of combat. But what alerted me the most was the fact that he could move so fast that he could not be seen. That he could grab an arrow out of thin air, making it seem so ordinary and effortless.

A chill ran up and down my body, leaving goosebumps all over my skin. Fear. I was afraid of him. Who wouldn't be? He gave off the vibe of a predator, hunting for his prey. His eyes seemed to be calculating every step, every move. His smirk gave off the feeling that he knew a secret- a secret I didn't know.

Another feeling crept up inside me, though. It was a warm feeling, right at the pit of my stomach. The feeling would settle there for some time, gradually going away and gradually coming back. It would always show up when I thought of him, but I had yet to find out what it meant.

The sound of rain hitting the earth started to echo around me, getting louder and louder as the seconds passed. I looked out to see a veil of water coming down on the woods.

By this time I had finished sharpening the arrows as well as the sword and ax. I put them aside and reached for my bag, fishing out the red cloak and wrapping it around my shoulder. I grabbed the water bottle and stood up, walking towards spade.

As I walked, I looked down at my bare feet. I had been trying out going barefoot when I realized that my slippers would wear out on the terrain of the woodland floor. Sure they were good for a grassy field, or the stone floors of my cottage, but they were not made for the woods.

Now they (my feet) were dirty, cut and bleeding. Some of the blood had dried already, but there were rocks and sharp twigs jammed into my flesh, leaving the cuts open. I stopped and tried to take as many of them out, and dusted off any loose muck.

I got to Spade and set the water down for him.

And that was it. We had run out of water.

About two days ago we came across a lake. It was rather small but the water was clean and the fishing was good. We stayed there for about a day. I took that time to rest and bathe and take advantage of the little paradise we had were able to restock on water, but apparently not enough for the whole trip.

It had lasted two days, which was pretty good considering the strict rationing.

I hadn't had water in two days.

All the water went to the occasional foot rinse and Spade. He did most of the work and needed to be healthy. I could last a few days without water.

But how many days until we reached another lake? How many days can a follow the trail?

The trail. It had been getting deeper and deeper into the woods, but the more I followed it, the less noticeable it would this had to be the trail in which my father went. There was a pattern of broken twigs and even...blood. It started to appear on the day after I crossed the mystery man. At first it was just drops on the ground and on leaves, but then it was smears against trees or even some pools on the side of the trail.

I had been following it for eight days now, and no visible signs of my father.

The only thing that kept me going was his band, which I now kept secured around my own wrist.

Somewhere, deep in the back of my mind, I knew that the fact that he didn't have it with him was bad. What it could mean. But he was out there somewhere.

Spade had finished drinking. I grabbed the now empty bottle and went to the edge of out camp. I stuck one foot out into the shower of rain and let the water wash away all the dirt and blood. I did the same with the other foot, then stuck out the bottle so that it could fill up.

I made my way over to where my bag was next to the fire and dropped down next to it. I rummaged around until I found a piece of cloth (which I had torn away from my dress), and dried my feet. Then I grabbed my slippers and slid them on. I put everything away and sat staring at the fire.

"Caroline!" I heard my father call out as he entered the cottage. I hopped off of my bed and dashed for the door.

"Father!" I said, running towards him and jumping into his arms. He wrapped his own around me gathering me into a hug.

"You're home early!" I said, pulling back to see his face. He wasn't supposed to be back for another few days. "Where's mama?" I asked, peeking behind him to see if anyone had come with him. But all I could see was the path leading down the little hill and over the bridge.

That was when I noticed the look on my father's face. His eyes were bloodshot, dark shadows cast under them. He looked destroyed.

"Caroline," He started, crouching down so that he was at my eye level. "Your mother...was in an accident" He said firmly.

I felt my body shake and an uncomfortable heat ran over my whole body. Hot tears formed quickly and I felt a sob build up in my throat.

"She-" a tear rolled down his cheek "She did not make it" He finished, holding my shoulders tight and staring into my eyes.

"I-I-" I tried to say something, but I choked every time. I collapsed into his chest and cried, cried until I fell asleep.

I woke up that night in my own bed. The room was dark. I thought back to how I had gotten there and remembered my father, and my mother. I desperately hoped it was a dream- an intense, vivid dream.

So I snuck out of bed and opened my door slowly, looking out towards my parent's bed chambers. I sneaked across the hallway, trying not to make any noise. As I opened the door, I remember my hands shaking, my fingers felt like they had been in ice.

I peeked my head in and strained to see the object in the room. There was a dresser with a mirror, a small table, a chest at the base of the bed, and only one person laying in bed. I quickly shut the door and ran towards my room, burying myself under the covers, hoping that I could cry myself to sleep.

I shook my head and closed my eyes, willing the memory to go away.

With that I laid down and wrapped myself in the red cloak. Deep in the fabric, I could still smell my mother's perfume- sweet like lilies. I licked my parched lips and slipped into the dark.

The next morning I woke up to the smell of damp soil. Every day I had woken up to the warmth of the sunlight tickling my face. But the storm that had been going on last night had carried on to this morning, now only a drizzle of water as opposed to the dense sheet of rain that had been coming down before.

I sat up and stretched, looking out towards the rain. If I stayed another day to avoid getting wet, that would be another day that I would fall behind. If the rain did not subside for various days, I would be stuck.

I walked over to Spade who had been shuffling around in his place, yanking on the reins that secured him to the trees.

I placed my hand on his side again, trying to calm him down, but still being careful around him. He was still an animal, and with a jerk of the head he could knock me to the ground.

He calmed down though, and once again began to munch at the plants in front of him.

"I think we're going to be heading out again today" I said soothingly.

I quickly went over and stomped out the fire embers that were still glowing. I picked up my weapons, bag, and water bottle and went to secure them to the side of Spade's saddle. I untied him and mounted him, taking a second to pull the hood of the cloak over my head before heading out into the rain.

I kept Spade on a steady trot, getting back on the path we had been following. It had gotten narrower and narrower as we had continued into the woods and the heavy downpour of the night before seemed to have almost washed it out.

We continued like that for hours, the rain coming down so soft that I only remembered it when the occasional drop landed on my cheek. The red cloak I was wearing was soaked through, as well as my dress and hair. Spade's own mane and coat were dripping wet.

It was time to stop, stop and build a fire and dry up so that neither of us would catch a cold.

It was much harder to find a dry area, and we had to ride for at least another hour. When I set up camp, the next challenge was to find dry wood for the fire. I gathered a few twigs and small logs that were in the immediate dry area, and soon there was a small fire burning. I huddled close, holding out my cloak in front of it.

After a while, I hung it on a low branch and let the water drip out. As I returned to the fire, I realized that my clothes were not going to get dry any time soon. I looked around, a silly gesture because no one was there.

But as I reached down to grab the hem of my skirt, I stopped and remembered a certain stranger that had shown up out of nowhere about a week ago.

I looked around again to make sure no one was there.

I was under another dense canopy of trees, one like the day before, except this one was much smaller. Branches hung low, creating makeshift walls around the area. I could see out into the woods by the gaps between the branches, but no one from the outside could see in. It was well camouflaged.

I resumed my actions, grabbing the hem of the skirt once more and pulling it over my head. I folded the dress a few times and then twisted the fabric, wringing out the water. I shook out the dress, noticing the wrinkles that were now patterned along the cloth. I hung the dress next to the cloak and return to the fire, not only in my undergarments.

I felt highly indecent, but completely forgot about my state of of undress when the warmth of the fire hit my bare skin. I got as close to the fire as I could without burning myself and watched the flames lick the air.

I coughed once, feeling an annoying tickle at the back of my throat. I groaned, realizing the first symptom of a cold. I could not get sick- getting sick would mean being weak and tired, which meant a slow journey, or possibly, no journey at all...

I shot up quickly, remembering the couple of herbs and spices that I had packed when running out of the house. I grabbed my bag and rummaged around, finding the little wrapped package that contained the herbs.

Bonnie's grandmother would teach Bonnie what each herb, spice, and remedy was for. Sometimes when me and Elena would stop by the store, we would learn a thing or two.

I looked through the little package and soon found the bundle of echinacea- a small, violet colored flower that when mixed with warm water makes a drink that gets rid of any oncoming cold.

I grabbed the water bottle and held it over the fire. The bottle itself was made out of leather, and I didn't know how long it would last under heat before it cracked. I would hold it over the fire and remove it periodically, hoping to preserve the water bottle and to also get the water heated.

After a long time of careful heating, I tested the water temperature and dropped in a few pinches of the echinacea into it, shaking it slightly since I could not stir it.

I capped the bottle and went to grab my dress which was now almost dry and pulled it on. I sat by the fire again and began to take small sips of the remedy, feeling the warmth instantly soothe my sore throat.

I looked out towards the woods. It was darker due to the cover of the trees and the cover of the storm. It looked more like it was twilight instead of the actual mid afternoon.

A twig snapped and I looked towards what seemed to be the entrance of my camp. It as the largest opening that led towards the rest of the world.

A tall, dark figure was coming towards me slowly. I grabbed the bow and arrow which I had left right next to the fire, along with the sword and ax.

I first saw two hands, raised in front of the figure as if to say that they weren't going to harm me. I instantly recognized the gesture and felt the similar chill of fear run down my spine.

"Hello again, sweetheart" He said in his fluent, musical voice. Despite my efforts, I felt my heart skip a beat at the mention of the nickname. I stayed quiet though, and kept my jaw firm and my eyes set on him.

When I didn't say anything and continued to point the sharp arrow at him, he chuckled and looked down at the ground. His hands dropped and linked them behind his back. He shuffled his feet and looked up at me through his lashes.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying not to let my guard down.

"Well..." He broke off and left.

I looked around, confused as to what he was doing. He came back with two large hares, one in each hand.

"You're the only fire for miles" He said, gesturing towards the fire in front on of me. I scrutinized him for a while longer before putting my bow down, but keeping it next to me. He walked up to me slowly and placed the animal down. He drew a large knife from his belt and I flinched, gripping the bow tighter and moving back slightly.

He seemed to notice my move and chuckled.

"Here," He said, putting the knife down between us slowly "You can skin them" He said, his tone hinting that he thought I would back away from the idea. I grabbed the knife and looked at him- I most definitely was not going to leave him with a knife and I would not let him near my weapons. He got the hint and moved away to the opposite side of the fire, well away from my things and me.

"You picked a good spot to wait out the rain" He said, after a while, trying to make conversation. I looked up at him through my lashes, refusing to speak, then looked back down and continued to skin the first hare. Once I finished, I moved to the next one without a word.

He had been quiet for a while now, which was strange. I glanced up and saw him next to Spade, patting his side. Spade seemed to not be bothered with it, which was weird because he usually wasn't friendly towards strangers.

I watched him, weary of what he would do.

I finished skinning the second hair and proceeded to cooking it. He turned around then, captured by the smell of food.

"That smells delicious, love" He said, coming closer and sitting on the opposite side of the fire as me.

"Don't call me that" I snapped, glaring at him.

"What?" He said, his eyes going wide and innocent, like a little boy getting caught stealing treats.

"'Love' and 'sweetheart'. I am neither of those to you" I said.

"Well what should I call you? I do not know your name" He said. I thought about it, then decided against telling him my name. He was a stranger. In the middle of the woods. And I had ran into him twice already.

"What are you doing here?" I repeated my question from before.

"I live here" He echoed his answer from before, his lips pulling up into a small smirk.

"Really? You live here in the woods?" I said incredulously. The first time I had believed him (a little) because I thought he lived near the area at which I had met him. But now he was here, extremely far away from where we had crossed paths, and that was suspicious.

"Yes" He said confidently.

"Where?"

"Well, I can't reveal all my secrets now can I?" He said mischievously. I thought for a second.

"Well, what if I reveal one of my secrets? Then you reveal one of yours" I bargained.

"Alright," He started and then thought for a second "What is so important to you about that bracelet?" He said, pointing towards the band around my wrist, the one I had been cherishing for the past week. I took a deep breath and looked at the cooking meat, anything but him.

"It was my fathers" I started "He went missing over a week ago" I said. he remained quiet. I looked up after a while.

"Where do you live?" I said.

"About a four days journey west" He said without missing a beat.

"That wha-"

"Uh uh uh, a secret for a secret remember? My turn" He said, waving a finger at me.

I handed him a piece of meat and waited for his question.

"What is that?" He asked, pointing towards the package of herbs I still had out.

"Oh, those are herbs" I took a bite of my meat, chewing and swallowing before continuing "Their used for remedies and for cooking" I said.

He nodded and took a bite of his own.

"How long have you lived in the woods?" I asked. He kept his gaze downcast.

"As long as I can remember" He said. He stayed quiet then and didn't say anything. I waited for his question, but it never came.

"Next question" I said, watching him tentatively

"I think it is time for me to leave" he said, standing up, and making for the exit. He turned "Thank you for the lovely meal" He said, and disappeared into the dark.

I looked down- he had left his knife.

There was a slight clearing at what seemed to be the edge of the line of trees. It wasn't exactly the edge of the woods, but there was a clearing. You could tell because there were rays of sunlight seeping through some of the trees that lined the area.

I tied Spade to a tree and grabbed the bow and quiver. This was protocol for every time I there was a clearing. A clearing could mean a good place to set up camp, or it could mean a terrible place to stay and be a sitting duck. There was always the possibility of a lake, or a pack of wild animals. Either way, I assumed the best choice was always to check what was in the clearing before barging in.

I walked as lightly as possible on the balls of my feet, trying to step around anything that would make a sudden noise. I made it to what seemed to be the edge of the clearing, and carefully got near it.

It was hard to make out anything from where I was, hovering behind the foliage. I tried not to disturb any leaves. But there was no other way- to find out what was in that clearing, I needed to.

I gently pulled down on a branch to allow a better view. There was a pretty big clearing. It was completely covered in grass and little plants- as opposed to the ground in the rest of the woods which was mostly soil, plants, and my surprise and joy, there was a decent sized lake in the corner of the clearling. I could hear bubbling and the rushing of water which most likely meant that there was a river nearby. Perfect, a place to rest.

I turned to leave when something stuck out in the corner of my eye. There, at the far side of the lake, on the other side of the clearing, was a cottage.

A cottage meant people. Civilization.

I froze, staring at the structure. I hadn't come across any form of human life for the past ten days- not counting the stranger.

He had disappeared the night before and left his knife. I wanted to read into that, but decided it would be best not to.

There was no smoke coming out of the chimney, but there was firewood out front. I focused on the wood. It was neatly stacked in a row along the front of the house, each little log about the same size. I looked around and found a stump with an axe protruding from the top. That was where the owner would most likely have cut the firewood.

There was dust. Saw dust to be exact. It was littering the sides of the stump and stayed there in mounds. The fact that there was sawdust still there was enough. Whoever resided in that cottage was still there, and had been there recently.

I returned to where Spade was tied and brought him closer to the edge, tying him to a tree nearby.

"Hey there boy," I said in a soothing voice, combing his mane with my fingers. "I'm going to go for a little while. I'll be back and hopefully with some good news." I grabbed the red cloak and draped it over my shoulders. "Be a good boy while I'm gone" I added, patting his neck and starting to back away, bow in hand.

To say this was nerve racking was an understatement. Whoever lived in that cabin was probably not even there, and if they were, who were they? Would they consider me to be a trespasser?

Well, technically I was, but for a reason.

I reached the edge of the woods again, the clearing on the other side. I carefully stepped through the trees and brush, my bare feet touching the grass on the other side.

I stood there as still as possible, looking around the area. It was exactly the same as it was when I had been looking at it through the leaves. I let out a breath, not know that I had been holding it in.

I took a few careful steps forward, making a path straight towards the cottage, but walking as slow and carefully as I could.

There was no one around. The only sound was the slight rustle of leaves as a gust of wind passed through. I had been used to the quiet though. The only sound accompanying me for the past ten days had been Spade's hoofbeats against the forest floor, the sounds of crackling twigs in the fire, and the splintering of wood as it was hit by a blade. And silence.

I had reached the door. It was still quiet. I tried to look into the house as inconspicuously as possible, but there was no visible movement through the windows. There were no candles and no bodies walking about. Just the dim inside of the cottage.

I raised my hand and knocked lightly- no answer. I knocked harder- no answer.

The third time I went to knock, the door creaked softly and revealed a sliver of the inside. I pushed it a bit more and the door opened all the way.

I found myself freezing in my tracks once again. The door was open and no one was inside. Should I go in?

I stepped over the threshold and waited.

"Hello?" I called out, taking a few steps forward. I had been itching to reach back and grab an arrow, but some thought in the back of my head told me not to because it might make it seem like I'm a threat. Most likely, whoever lived out here had to have some sort of protection- some sort of weapon- and I didn't want them coming after me before I got two words out.

"Hello? Is anybody home?" I called out a little louder, hoping that if there was someone in there, they would hear me and come out.

Suddenly, there was a thud. It wasn't loud, but it couldn't be ignored. I whipped my head to the side, waiting for it to sound again.

"Is anyone there?" I called out one last time. A few seconds later, there was another thud, louder this time. I walked towards the sound cautiously. It took me further into the home, down a small hallway where I was faced with a few doors.

"Can you hear me?" I said at a normal volume, trying to keep my voice from breaking.

Thud! The sound was clearly coming from the door furthest to my right. I reached back and grabbed an arrow, setting it up on the bow and moving forward. I walked up to the door and pushed it, but it wouldn't budge. I looked down and saw the knob. I turned it and the door came open easily, creaking slightly.

In front of me, there was a flight of stone stairs, leading downwards. The walls were no longer wood in the room, they were stone, with lit torches hanging on them.

Another thud. I stepped forward and began descending slowly down the steps, trying hard to breathe correctly and keep my heart rate even.

The air was getting colder and colder with each step I took, the torches flickering as a draft passed through. I reached the bottom landing and stood there, waiting for anything to happen, my bow poised and ready.

Ahead of me was only a dark abyss. There were a few torches lit here and there, but they offered no visibility. The only thing they led on was that the room was big, bigger than I thought it would be.

I turned around and grabbed a torch that was hanging on the wall next to the stairs, turning back, holding it in front of me, trying to see anything that was down there. I walked along what seemed to be a wall, stone and cold just like the one next to the stairway.

After a few steps, I found another torch that had been extinguished. I touched the ends together and the torch on the wall immediately caught the flame, offering more visibility to the room. I continued to walk along the wall and found three other torches to light.

The room was now dimly lit, but it was much better than the darkness that occupied it before. I returned to the stairs and put back the torch where I had found it.

I breathed again, trying to control my heart rate which was now thrumming like the wings of a humming bird. I gripped the bow, pulling the arrow back slightly on the string, ready for anything.

I whipped my whole body around, pulling back the string fully and aiming at anything. There was nothing. Just empty room with stone walls and stone floors and torches hanging from the walls. I stepped forward even more, waiting for any signs that there might be someone there.

And that's when I saw it. There weren't just walls and floors here. There were little nooks and niches along the walls. There were stone walls coming out and creating other separate rooms, but there were all out in the open, no doors of any sort.

I continued treading along, peeking my head into one of the "rooms".

Even more confusion overtook me when I saw bars, running from ceiling to floor, closing off the rooms. I turned around and looked at the other room behind me, which had the same bars running from ceiling to floor. I peeked into the next two rooms- bars all the same. I stopped, coming to the realization that these weren't just rooms- they were cells.

But why would there be cells below a cottage in the middle of the woods? Who would want to have this under their home? Who lives here?

Another thud, this time loud and clear, coming from the my left side- one of the cells. I also noticed that I was in a little hallway between two rows of cells.

There was someone there.

I raised my bow again, waiting for the another thud. Thud! Louder this time, coming from the row on the right. I stepped forward slowly, wary as to what was around the corner. I set myself right through the middle of the hallway, a safe distance away from any of the cells.

Finally, I came around the corner, aiming the head of the arrow at anything that moved.

The cell was dark. I squinted and focused on the figure crouched in the corner. It looked like a man, dressed in a white chemise- dirtied and bloodied.

It held a rock in their hand, and it beat it against the rock wall towards the back. Thud.

I lowered the bow, looking closer, my eyes widening in horror.

"Father?"

Super long, I know. I've never written a chapter this long, but I promised you guys this one would be longer.

It took forever and my brain is fried, but it was totally worth it!

So what did you guys think? What will happen next!

Bye for now!

~M

P.S.: Thank you to Aaaammber, Babygirlz, DreamsBeatReality, Sierra (Guest), and who reviewed and those who favorited and followed. You're just amazing!

P.P.S.: I know I know I am a terrible person for leaving y'all at a cliff hanger- AGAIN. I think that's the third time in a row. But I can't help it! It just happens! I swear I don't do this on purpose. I swear.