Life With A Yautja Child (Book 2)

Run-Run little Lamb

Walking down the path with twigs snapping as I go, I looked around silently making markers as I go. The leaves and trees were exactly the same as my area, nothing was different but yet it felt as if I had just walked into a different realm, and if I was not careful I would not return to my own world. The song of the birds sang through the air and I had even spied a flying squirrel in a tree I had passed a few moments ago, this part of the forest seemed to be more full of creatures even if they were only small critters.

The path lead out for a few more trees before it quickly faded into the ground, this was how far I got each time I attempted to overcome my fear and come down here but something always drove me back, call it instinct or paranoia, I could tell something was not right about this part of the woods.

Taking a deep breath I slowly stip off the path and continue walking, placing markers as I go. Now taking my time I avoid the twigs that lay scatters around the forest floor, the feeling of unsafety grew on me and clawed at my mind as I walked on but I didn't let it get to me. I carried on walking and placing markers for a few more minutes before I came to a clearing in the forest. Turning around slowly I blinked in amazement each way looked the exact same, if it had not been for my markers I would have been lost.

Taking a moment to relax and steady my nerves I close my eyes to listen to the silence for only a minute and then I hear something. It sounded like something had dropped and pretty heavy since many twigs cracked underneath it and then there was silence again. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, my eyes dilated in fear and curiosity and my hands twitched by to my daggers eager to grab them and defend myself if something or someone were to attack. But nothing happened.

 An uneasy silence filled the forest unlike the normal silence and it was as if time its self had frozen, nothing dared to move or speak, nothing attacked or caused any more twigs to snap, it was as if all living creatures had disappeared and in their place was a creature of fangs and claws, the feeling of been watched suddenly caught me and forced me frozen into the spot.

...The sound of racing footsteps to my right forced me to flee in the opposite direction, I only caught a glance of what was chasing me and just that glance sent a shiver down my spine and all my hairs stand on end. Something told me I did not wish to be caught by whatever was chasing me, the ending would not be good.

I ran as quickly as my legs could carry me, passing trees, bushes, rocks, and more trees, I didn't know where I was going only that I knew I had to keep running. the footsteps were getting closer, I  had to find a place to hide or I needed to lose them and fast!

My surroundings became a blur as I ran, I don't know how long I ran for but I just kept going, the steps were closer now...no not steps more like the sound of running wolf, 4 paws ...and was black. Closing my eyes only for a minute, I don't notice the branch at my feet before it too late, what happened next was just a blur to me, the trip had sent me flying through the bush and over a cliff into a rapidly moving river, the ice-cold water shocked my senses and paralyzed me from moving.

But there clear as daylight even under the water I saw the shape and face of my hunter. Black as pitch night and on standing on four legs, a serpentine tail swung angrily behind it, a cured point at the end no doubt used to piece its pray, an elongated head watched the river for any signs of life but there were no eyes that could be seen, a beast of pure nightmare and a deadly hunter ... 

That creature was the last that I had seen before my eyes closed and my body was pulled deeper into the river, carried by the current downstream...

Many hours later

I was floating adrift in a black ocean, no worries, no fears, nothing but darkness, silent and cold but also welcoming to cruel worries and dangers of life, and then I was awake and spitting out water that had collected in my lungs. Water droplets sat on my eyelashes as I blinked away the heaviness from my mind, my lungs felt as if there was flaming coal inside them and my body was too weak and cold to move.

So I lay there listening to my surroundings as my body slowly woke up and begun to shiver, I didn't recognize the riverbank in front of me or the sounds around me but I could say that there was nothing around me that wished to bring me harm. Using the little strength I have I push myself up and onto my knees.

What lay before me was unknown to me, everything was different and nothing looked like the forest I knew of and what's worse was I didn't know whether to follow the stream up or down. Going up lead back to that creature and down was more unknown. The sun had also begun to set over the mountains which created an array of colors across the sky and dusted the land with a reddish glow.

Getting to my feet, I needed to act quickly-...where was my bag. Looking around quickly I tried to spot it, only to find it nowhere nearby or in sight, moving my hands to my legs I sigh in relief when both my daggers were still strapped down.

Amari: O...ok Amari you have faced worst, just get a fire going and in the morning,y...you can look for your bag, just deep c...calming breaths...

Taking my deep breaths, the smell of rain hit my nose as the sound of rolling thunder echoed across the valley, it wasn't nearby but it was close and if I didn't find shelter soon I would be left out in the rain for the night. Rubbing my thumb across the handle of my blades I quickly set out in search of a shelter for the night.

....

I looked for hours but I couldn't find anything. The rain had started to fall about an hour ago and had only gotten harder as the minutes passed on, I was soaking wet and freezing, my body shook nonstop and my breath came out in huffs. I could barely see a foot in front of me as my body started to give in.

....

My body was numb now and my legs just kept on walking purely on muscle memory. I swayed in my walk my body ready to give out and my eyes narrow from the fatigue of the day, I hadn't even begun to notice that the rain had stopped pelting down on me, even though I could still hear it. In front of me was dark and warm.

My eyes closed for only a second and when I opened them again slightly, the inside of a temple greeted me, lit torches hung from the walls like beacons in the night, strange carvings stared back at me from the wall and huge statues of a creature that looked familiar to me stood proudly on either side of me, guarding the room. 

But I didn't care for I was too tired, this place whatever it was, was a shelter and it was warm. My eyes closed on me as the last of my energy fled from my body, my body hit the ground hard but I was out before it did, my mind closed down, and finally after so long I slept deeply, blissfully unaware of the danger and safety I was in...