Claimed by Callista

Chapter ✺ 8

Run.

Run away.

I jerk awake the next morning from a rough sleep, an hour before the dawn, with an invasive feeling striking through me. Not a man. Not a gaze. Not a threat. Something worse, though. I sit up and gaze out to a night sky, dimly lit with the Sun slowly rising.

The Tribe is dead quiet, as everyone sleeps soundly.

However the sounds from the forest are muted, and all I hear is the very light rustle of leaves from the wind.

When I stand up and gaze around the forest, I see nothing, and not too long after, I hear the morning bugs and even a bird chirping, breaking any perceived silence from before.

I look around the Tribe next. No one is up early.

My skin itches all over with the need to go. I turn around toward a well-used path, and I walk toward it, picking up the spear I'd been working on. It was ready, it just hadn't been used yet.

I walk away from Sovrex in my wolf hide and rabbit fur slip, deciding I need to spend an entire day away from here... where no one can find nor speak to me.

The warm sky is turning a dim orange from the blue, slowly turning over, but it'll allow me enough time to make a great distance from here.

I would make a temporary solitary camp. I could rest on grass, I didn't need further supplies. I could not smell any fore-coming rain, only dry weather would stay.

I walk off to a lighter path, more obscure, and leading uphill. A height advantage would help me remain away.

After an hour of trekking away, the sun is now just grazing the horizon and I'm sitting with my legs dangling over a cliff, staring out over the lush tree tops of Dampwater far below.

I hum to myself, feeling much better now that I'm away. I had felt trapped before. Like a vice upon me. It just didn't feel right being in that camp. It was a lot of responsibility. Vying for Callista's attention, stealing his heart, seeing his death, being charmed by Offu, and tricked by his illusion to see Orsunr aswell...

I tried to play it tough until now, and I won't let my guard down – but while alone I can stop thinking about it all so heavily. I don't want to talk to anyone.

My new found peace is welcome, but it's soon dead.

An angry, hot, huff from large nostrils blows behind me; Bear.

I whip around to see the huge brown bear standing right behind me, after stalking me silently.

My eyes widen. Two choices. If it was being eaten by a bear or jumping off this cliff, either choice was just as terrible.

I glance back to see how far down the ground is from here.

An aggressive noise from the bear disturbs me and I turn back to it immediately, but it's not lunging for my face, it's now sitting down on its butt while it looks at me. It's then that I notice it's shadow isn't right.

I watch it for a moment longer, then I feel the need to look away again, as I'm overwhelmed.

I turn toward the horizon, but can only last not looking at the bear for a small moment. Because it's shadow had been the shape of a giant human man.

When I look behind me, the bear is gone.

Callista's shadow has gone too, instead now he stands, legs parted, hands at his sides, neck high and his feet moving across the hard ground as he comes toward me, totally naked so I can see every inch of him tattooed in the morning light.