She can't be Tamed

Chapter 3: Getting Closer

Chapter 3: Getting Closer

This was absolutely the most shitty part about being alone in a forest, she had to admit that. 

When you felt bad no one was there to take care of you. No one was even there to keep you company. 

No friends, no family.

You had to defeat all the pain and feeling bad on your own. And right now, she felt like crap. 

Honestly, this day just made it into her top three of the shittiest days in the forest.

Number two of her top three was definitely the day, or actually the week, she'd arrived in the forest, a group of hunters on her trail.

It took her more than a week to lose them, it was the first and also the hardest hunt she ever endured during her time in the forest. She actually wondered sometimes why, after that first big hunt, escaping seemed a lot easier, but she just blamed it to her imagination. 

And her skills could just have improved too...

But number one on the list was, or would definitely be, the day she would be caught by the hunters and forced to leave the forest. She didn't even want to think about how her life would look like after that day. 

It would definitely be much, much more shittier than she felt right now. 

Especially if she was captured by the one she was fleeing from. His actions would be... quite unpleasant, at least. She shivered.

It didn't matter though, she shouldn't think about that day. For now, it was just her main priority to stay hidden and alive. 

--- 

After she found the berries it was already beginning to darken. She took two big ones and quickly fell asleep from the effects. When she woke up the sun was on his highest point, and she realized she'd almost lost a full day.

That was the negative side about the berries; it was always hard to oversee how long you'd sleep from them. If you even fell asleep. Most of the time they just worked as painkillers.

She felt better now however, so after scanning her surroundings she decided to quickly take that bath in the river she desperately needed.

She carefully made her way to the small stream nearby. It was really warm, sweaty weather again, and the last time she bathed was before he had to run. She felt filthy. 

Despite the big storm two days ago, most of the time she'd been living here it was warm and nice in the forest. Just a few more weeks however, and the weather would completely turn around, she knew. 

The last couple weeks the temperature was slowly decreasing. When she had entered the forest spring just started, so now it had to be somewhere around the end of summer.

Luckily the water was still a pleasurable temperature. In winter she wouldn't be able to take a bath every now and then. 

She halted at the edge of the tree line, hidden in the shadow of a big oak. The stream was unfortunately not directly under the trees, she had to come out in the open in order to get to the water. 

Her eyes nervously darted from side to side until she was sure nobody was nearby. She didn't forget about what happened last time she bathed.

She carefully parted from the forest and slowly made her way towards the water.

***************

He sighed, moving some branches away from his face. This was absolutely the most shitty part about hunting in the forest, he had to admit that.

Although nothing could compare to the thrill of the hunt when the target was in sight, the actual finding of the prey was the most boring part. 

He signed again, kneeling on the forest ground. There, clearly visible in the mud, sat a small footprint, undeniable from her.

After he decided to go get her himself he took five of his men, and one of the three huntsman who had chased her that night, and entered the forest. The hunter would show them the place they found the girl in exchange for his freedom. 

The strange guy led them straight to the place the girl had been living for the past couple weeks.

They could see that because the cave the man showed them almost looked like a... home. It had to be the work of the girl. 

In the middle of the small cave was a little fireplace. Next to it, on the right side, rested some collection of all different leaves you could find in the forest. On it was a small piece of fabric, which made it kinda look like a bed.

Between the bed and the fireplace stood a rock in the shape of a cup, and she'd filled it with water and... flowers!

Definitely a girl.

But the most out-of-place thing he found was in the back of the cave. There, hidden in a little wooden box, he found a delicate silver necklace. 

The necklace itself was not very outstanding. It was a short, plain chain, but on it was a pendant where little diamonds where set in a star-like pattern. 

Not very eye-catching at first sight, but even he could see the art and craftsmanship from the one who made it. Maybe the diamonds where actually real. But even if they weren't, this masterpiece had to be quite valuable.

In the backside of the pendant was a little inscription. He could only make a name out of it; Catharina. The rest was in some language he didn't master: La Nostra Bella Nipote, Una Manna Dal Cielo... Catharina.

He didn't tell his men about the necklace however, he felt like it was some secret between him and the girl. He could also use it to break her, and he didn't need his men to know that.

From the cave they had searched in circles, beginning small, next to the cave, and then further around. Until one of his man discovered fresh tracks not too far away. 

Before they made a plan he let the hunter go, with the warning to never cross his path again. The man was a traitor in his eyes; only serving the highest bidder, and although he truly wanted to snap his neck, he was true to his word.

After he released the guy he decided to track the girl down by himself and let his men watch the cave. Sooner or later she would be back for the necklace, he reasoned. But there was also a part of him that just wanted to catch her himself.

So he left his horse with the men -horses weren't exactly that practical in the forest after all - and followed the tracks. It wasn't long before the tracks morphed into a clear trail of broken branches and mud-printed footsteps. The girl apparently left the place in a hurry.

*

He was following the tracks now for over an hour, and it didn't seem she had stopped running since she'd started. Again he was slightly impressed with her, she sure had some good qualities... although, covering her tracks didn't seem to be one of them. A small smile played around his lips.

This would be too easy.

How had she ever managed to stay hidden this long? He stood up and slowly continued the tracking. His hand went to his neck and touched the pendant that rested there.

Was it really from the girl they where chasing? Catharina.

After a little while the obvious path she'd left behind changed. He found a hollow tree where she must have spent the night, and after that her trail became harder to follow. 

Maybe she actually did have some track-cover skills after all. 

After a while it became too dark, so he couldn't see her trail anymore. He decided to spend the night under a tree and to continue his hunt tomorrow. He wasn't in a hurry, he would soon catch her.

She couldn't be that far now.

A/N: Thank you for reading, please vote/comment if you like the story!

I'll be back...