The Shadows

03 | Mystery Man

He's observing me, as if he's trying to figure me out, puzzle me together. He's staring at my eyes, trying to make eye contact with me, but I avoid.

"Look at me." He demands.

Surprised by his command, I hesitantly make eye contact with him briefly, only for a second. I quickly look away.

He leans back, taken aback, Pausing; Still looking at me. He almost seems, confused? A long silence. "What's your name?" I gulp before responding, my throat dry, I cough.

"A-Aryah..."

I blurt out my name without a second thought. He just stares at me, awkwardly close. He moves his eyes down to the rest of my body. Suddenly feeling very self conscious. Is he checking me out?

After a minute he quickly scoops me up. He stands up, leaning over, sliding his arms underneath my knees and behind my shoulders. I jump at his unexpected action, still unsure of his true intentions.

"PUT ME DOWN!!" I scream at him.

"You don't touch a woman without permission!"

He pauses, un-phased by my outburst. He chuckles and moves his gaze down to mine. His eyes were mesmerizing, an ocean blue with a mix of grey storm; Lost in them. "That was a quick change in demeanor?" He raises an eyebrow. "Well, are you able to walk? It seems your pretty beat up from whatever happened to you." He shrugs. I shrivel in a little when we make eye contact. He has a coldness to his body. I inhale sharply; His smell is intoxicating. "Jesus what is that?" I think to myself. My mind draws a blank as I try to figure out his scent. He sees that I am deep in thought, taken away from our conversation. He moves his face an inch away from mine. I stop breathing as I come back to reality. He can feel me squirm. I avoid eye contact.

"Do I make you uncomfortable noble?" He smirks. Is he enjoying this? My tongue freezes. Paralyzed. As I stare blankly at him I repeat desperately in my mind. "Say something. SAY SOMETHING!" He chuckles.

"I'll take that as a yes." He can feel me tense my body. "Well relax, we have a long walk." He pauses. "Well I guess I have a long walk." He says sarcastically.

"Err..." The only sound it seems I can get out...

"Are you going to let me carry you willingly?" He tilts his head to the side. I continue to stare blankly at him. "I knew it. Easier for me if you just do what I say"

What a dick.

"I can walk!" I blurt out

"Hm, she talks." He smirks at me.

"I think thats pretty unlikely princess, seeing as your ankle is the size of your head."

"I-I...uh" Goddamit my body is against me today.

"Just let me do it." Moving his gaze forward, he begins to walk with me in his arms.

"What are you doing!?" I blurt out at him. "I am still unsure of your true intentions."

"I saved your life, no?" He raises his eyebrow at me.  A pause. "If I was planning on killing you, I would have done it with the rest of them." He says matter of factly. "I guess that's true. T-thank you..." He says nothing. "Where are you taking me?" I ask. "To the direction of the capital."

"The Capital?" I ask confused. "Yes... Is that not where you are from?"I think for a moment. Nothing comes to mind. "I...I don't know?" I shrug. He immediately stops walking. Shooting a look at me. Furrowing his brows. "What!? What do you mean you don't know?" Intimidating is an understatement. "I...I don't remember" He furrows his brows further, tightening his grip on me slightly. "Who do you advocate for!?" He yells at me. "W-what? No one! I don't know what you mean by that?" Why the hell does everyone ask me that. "Where were you coming from? How did you get into that situation?" He lowers his voice but still stern. "Don't play games with me princess, you've seen what I can do" He spits these words at me like knives. "No, No! I swear! I-I woke up on the dirt road this morning. " "You woke up there!?" Trying to put the pieces of my story together. "Yes... I believe something happened to me. All my memories are from this morning" I look down in sadness. I could feel his heavy breathing through his cold chest.He stops momentarily. Thinking. Suddenly he turns around, changing directions. "Where are you taking me!?" I yell. "If I drop you at the trail, you will be in the same situation I found you in. Lost." "Oh... but I have to find my home? Where I came from. What happened to me. My family!" I begin blurting out anything that comes to mind. All things I hadn't thought of until this moment.