Wild Avalon

4

'Big cats are too vain anyways, we deserve a better mate.' I felt Hilda stretch in my mind as she finally woke up from her nap. 'What's for dinner?' she asked me, purring. Feeling much better after her nap.

I was just returning to the tent, dropping my gathered wood in a pile. Dusting off the dirt that had transferred to me from my firewood. "Well since you didn't hunt, its either going to be military rations or if we are lucky fresh fish." Hilda making a noncommittal sound in my head. Clear in her preference. Not that we had a choice at this point. I went back to the stream, pleased to find three good sized trout caught up in my net. Plenty for dinner tonight. Much to Hilda's delight.

I sat down by the fire, Using my brand new hunting knife to gut and clean my fish. While my little wax fire starter got my campfire burning brightly as the wood crackled and popped. I arranged my prepared fish on sticks, setting them to cook over my fire. Watching the sunset and the first stars appear in the vast sky overhead.

After eating and cleaning up my dinner. I sat by my small fire as the coals burned down. Listening to the sounds of nature all around me. Bull frogs and tiny peeper frogs were making music in a hidden pond nearby. I could barely hear the hidden flight of an owl as it hunted rodents in the tall grass. Aside from myself, the hunting owl was the largest creature stirring.

Full from my dinner, soothed by my surroundings I went inside my tent more than eager to rest and recharge. If only the nightmares of my broken life had stayed away, it would have been a perfect night.

I awoke the next morning, ready for breakfast, using my Kelly kettle to quickly boil up a small amount of water to make a mint tea to go with a pack of instant oatmeal. Hilda would have preferred some bacon or sausage but that wouldn't have packed as nicely.

I wasn't as rested as I felt I should be after sleeping an entire night. Apparently my mind still wanted to keep reliving the worst day of my life over and over in my dreams. Nightmares of the sounds I heard when I opened the door, how Aaron had looked screwing another woman in my bed. Dreams of me reacting better, then worse, and once just killing both of them in a blood bath. Red staining the previously clean white room from floor to ceiling. I didn't like feeling this angry all the time.

I looked around at my beautiful surroundings. An eagle was doing high lazy circles overhead. The skies were clear and the scenery was fantasy perfect. After breakfast instead of starting out on the next leg of my trip, I tried to meditate to clear the hate and rage poisoning my emotions.

Aaron had hurt me, deeply.

No matter what, I would have ended up hurt.

Fate had decided we didn't belong together.

He wasn't mine.

He had a fated mate.

I tried to clear my mind, to accept what I couldn't change. Instead after a few minutes of trying I screamed up to the sky. Then watched the birds I had startled take flight from the tall grasses around me.

Hot frustrated tears slipping from my eyes. "I hate feeling like this." I said to no one. Talking out loud to myself had always helped me study complex ideas and systems. Maybe it could also help me get over my broken heart. At this point, it couldn't hurt to try everything.

All my cookware had cooled enough that I was able to pack everything away again. I poured water over where my campfire had been until I was certain that there couldn't possibly be anything left smoldering. I hefted the hiking pack onto my shoulders.

'All yours today!' Hilda said in a very perky voice. Apparently I would be tackling today's hike without her offering to take a leg. 'Just saving my strength to hunt tonight.' Goddess help any rabbits she found after we set camp this evening. Hilda was vibrating with excitement now. She was going to be wound way too tightly.

Today's Hike was by my choice, harder than yesterday. Hours uphill to the peak of a mountain. I was going to celebrate at the top. I hated going to the gym, loathed the smell of people working out in such confined spaces. There was one park with basic work out equipment beside a small inner city lake. It wasn't much but I preferred the open air to any modern gym. Paired with a daily run I knew I had enough stamina and strength built up. Now I was going to use it.

I mostly followed the brook back to its source. There were several times I had to turn away to get around terrain that I could easily see that it was far beyond my current known skill set. Hilda, she was have crushed it like fly under her paws, Like a ninja she could have followed the carved path of the water easily.

It wasn't that I didn't think I could do it. I believed I could. I wasn't an idiot though. I wasn't going to push past my skill level, while I was alone. In the middle of nowhere. On an unmarked trail I planned myself. Nope. Being stupid like that was how people died underneath rocks after days of being stuck.

Even though I itched try and climb and jump over the rockier terrain. I stuck to my original plan. I took my willpower as a hint from my subconscious that I certainly didn't want to die on this trip. I wanted to keep living.

My leg muscles began to let me know constantly going uphill was not the same as running through parks and cities. This was a whole new challenge all together. At least there was plenty of water. Nature was abundant as well, blueberries, wild strawberries and raspberries were everywhere. I happily helped myself to handfuls along the way. Little breaks to get a burst of sugar from the sweet summer ripe berries, and a chance to rest my legs for a minute. Stretch a bit as I picked my snack.

When I reached the top, everything had been worth it. It was like seeing another world. One without tall buildings, or telephone poles and wires everywhere. Everything was green or rock or water ahead of me. Under what looked like an endless sky of clear blue.

"I don't want to work at the university anymore. I don't want to research in books." I whispered out as the realization dawned over me while I looked out over miles of land that looked like I could be the first person to see it from here.

I felt Hilda wake up, stretching. 'Of course we don't want to spend our time in books.' She said like I should have known it long ago.

"All the time, all the money spent to get educated. I'm supposed to keep going, to make a better life for me and mom." I argued. I might want to finish blowing up my life right now, in this moment. Working at the university was the only thing I knew how to do.

'Untrue you have many skills you just don't want to use.' I felt Hilda's intention a moment before I heard her in my mind say, 'My turn.' only a second before she took full control. Plunging me into darkness as my body shifted into hers, fully under her control.