The Half Breed and The Hunter

Chapter 4

Picture on side is of Atticus.

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Darkness greeted me when I groggily peered through my heavy eyelids, trying to focus on some source of light. How long had I passed out for? A couple minutes? A few hours? Fog in my mind kept my head light and dazed. I noted the constant annoying throb in my left hind leg. Some pain had subsided from the flaring agony of before that felt like it was going to burn my leg to ashes, but a sharp ache stilled my movements as I tried to push myself off the uncomfortable rock ground of the cave I found myself lying on. I must have slumped onto my stomach sometime in my sleep.

Jagged rocks scraped against my jaw as I lifted my head from the ground to try and gain some of my bearings. Why was it so dark? I could have sworn the waterfall outside the mouth of the cave reflected sunlight into-

Horror ignited through my body like oil to a small flame causing a huge explosion of fire. Thrusting my paws into the ground, I propel myself into the cave wall, smashing against it. My fur rubbed the wrong way as I pushed myself hard into the rock wall. Sharp edges dug into my side and skin with my intent of drilling myself away from the mouth of the cave.

Petrified pants escaped my muzzle and hung in the stale cave air as I stared terrified into the blazing green eyes of the hunter who blocked the only entrance and exit to the cave.

Breaths of air hitched in my throat as I sat paralyzed in place, vulnerable to the glinting knife posed above his head that caught my eye fleetingly. I darted my eyes back to his dazzling green ones, seeming to penetrate my body and see straight to my soul and grasp my entire being.

I felt defenseless.

Muscles twitched in his left arm and his calloused fingers repositioned around the hilt of the blade as he situated himself to aim the tip of the knife at my chest. Erratic, deep breaths exhaled through my nose, muscles tensed ready to react on a moment's notice. I did not move, afraid that a sudden movement would cause him to drive the sharpened blade through my body and end my life.

With the dim amount of light that bounced off the walls, I could make out some small features of his darkened face. His nose was perfectly sloped and proportioned well on his face, medium sized lips were drawn into a taut line; unmoving. A strong jaw flexed and relaxed as he clenched and unclenched his teeth. Dishevelled, black hair lie atop his head that look as if he ran his fingers through it multiple times a day, but after closer inspection, may have actually been a dark brown if the sun was highlighting it.

Lastly, of all the things that stood out—most attractive too—were his alluring, vibrant, emerald eyes that intently searched my own stunned silver ones for something I did not know. Flecks of dark green outlined his pupils with small wisps of silver winding through his eyes like a perfectly woven basket.

His gaze was intimidating.

It was if he could see right through me and tear apart everyone one of my flaws apart one by one, explaining each and every one in great detail. Although his captivating orbs of green made my inner self scream to flee, it shocked me how curious they made me since I couldn't decipher what emotions his eyes held. My father always told me how 'a person's eyes are a window to their soul', in this case, it seemed his soul was hidden from my prying eyes. If he had a soul...

Unemotional, stony, hard eyes glowered at my crumpled, muddy form pressed against the cave trying to get away from him. His shadowy, cold eyes hatefully examined me, the knife reflecting the light behind him as he loaded his arm for what he was here for. Flinching away from the sudden movement, I couldn't tear my gaze from his chilled spheres seeming to accuse me of something I didn't know. Again, nothing was beneath those unfeeling pools of green disgust that scrutinized every fiber of my rigid body clawing to be further from his presence. How it was possible for one to have such repulsive emotions fill their eyes?