Savage Cinderella

Savage Cinderella-Chapter 8-Saying Goodbye

Chapter 8

Saying Good-bye

Brinn wrapped the crux of the homemade crutch with rags, creating a padded surface for Justin to lean on. It took them half the next day to reach a trail that opened to clear views of the valley far below. Together, they made their way through the dense forest and down the steep slopes of the endless mountains. The going was arduous as Justin limped along behind Brinn, who made sure they stopped for frequent rests. 

Neither had slept much the night before and fatigue showed on both their faces, he knew. Brinn never spoke about her dream or what had made her shake and sob through the night, and Justin couldn’t bring himself to ask. All he did was hold her tight and feel her pain. The intensity of it shook him to the core. It was a night he wouldn’t forget.

When they reached an opening in the thick foliage where he could look out over the mountains, he recognized Brasstown Bald only a few peaks away, the smaller Blood Mountain in its wake. Taking note of rock formations and peculiar features, he wondered if he could ever find the little cabin again on his own. There were hundreds of thousands of acres of wilderness in the Smokies and Blue Ridge ranges, areas that weren't patrolled regularly or even hunted in because of the difficult terrain. But he’d spent enough time in the woods to have a few tricks of his own. The wet boulders and constant moisture in the air suggested that he must be in the Northeast section of the park in the cloud forest of the Chattahoochee National Reserve. He’d studied the maps several times before venturing off the marked trails on his own to catch the most unusual of natural sites for his magazine. He smiled at the memory of his first encounter with Brinn and the awesome photos he’d captured. 

They hiked on in silence, listening to the chatter of chipmunks, the chirp of the chickadees, and the whistle of the breeze that danced along the ridge.

As Justin struggled to gain his footing along the steep descent, his ankle throbbed from the effort. Yet the waif-like girl ahead of him negotiated slippery slopes and overgrown pathways like a mountain goat. Her long legs were muscular and strong. She wore the same pair of cutoff cargo pants and the flowered halter he'd seen her in the first day by the creek. Some new clothing for her would be first on his list of supplies he would bring when he came back. 

He would definitely have to come back for his camera or have Brinn retrieve it for him. He’d lost it in the fall and his backpack was left behind at the creek. He wanted to save that incredible first moment when he had seen her, crouching in the stream and tossing a fish up out of the water—a moment he would never forget. He hated leaving behind the only evidence he had of her existence. If it were up to him, they would see each other again. 

Brinn moved with surety through the dense underbrush, swinging her machete in an even rhythm ahead of her and cutting a path through the ferns. 

Justin couldn’t help but admire her lithe body as she trekked seamlessly through the forest. Her clothes were worn and clung in the drizzling dampness like a second skin, showing the curve of her hips and the outline of her small breasts, her nipples peaked from the cool breeze. The boots she wore looked like they were part of her feet with the soft leather wrapped up around her ankles. She had a small pouch at the back of her belt and her knife sheathed at her side. Her hair was tied back in a snarled bunch with a piece of blue ribbon, a simple reminder of the world she’d left behind. 

Her face was streaked with dirt, but every time she looked back to see what progress Justin was making, or if he needed help to negotiate the next turn, her almond-shaped blue eyes sparkled with warmth and beauty, turning up at the edges along with her smile. She looked like an angel—or maybe a wood sprite or fairy. He smiled, meeting the grin she flashed as she peered over her shoulder to check his progress. 

Justin recalled waking that morning with her in his arms, a hot bundle of softness that he’d held close through the night. He hadn't slept much, afraid of touching her in a way that would remind her of whoever had done her such harm as to make her choose a life of fear and isolation—the bastard that had left behind the cluster of cigarette burn scars on her shoulder. 

His insides twisted at the thought of the little girl she’d once been and the innocence that had been stolen from her. The visible wounds had healed, but Justin wondered at the possibility of ever finding a way past the hard wall of fear and mistrust surrounding her heart. His own muddle of feelings aside, and whatever her story was, her safety had to come first.  

Over the past few days, he’d pieced together what little she’d told him and had concluded that she was a runaway and obviously the victim of horrible abuse. But she wasn’t a defenseless child any longer and whoever had hurt her had to pay. When he’d finally dozed off just before dawn, with the fragile young woman wrapped in his arms, he made a silent vow that he would find a way to free her from the loneliness of her wilderness prison. He would find a way to help her, whatever the cost. 

It was late afternoon before they reached the trailhead. Brinn stopped abruptly ahead of him and stared out at the valley below. She tucked the machete into the back of her belt and pointed down a well-worn deer trail. 

"Head south until you come to the great falls and then turn onto the East trail. The trees will be marked with yellow dots. You should be able to find your way from there," she said with a distinct sadness in her voice. “I can’t go any further.”

The finality of her tone made him resist argument. "You know I would stay longer with you if I could, but people must be searching for me by now. I have to go back. I have work, and family, and friends..." He left his sentence unfinished as she stared, her blue eyes shimmering with moisture. He felt awful leaving her behind but he couldn’t force her to come with him either.

"I understand. I would not ask you to give up the life you know, any more than I could leave this mountain with you." She gazed around and smiled sadly as if the wind in the trees, the birdsong on the air, and the warm rays of the afternoon sun were her family. "This is my home." 

She touched his cheek and traced her fingers over his ear, smiling as she smoothed a curl into place. She reached into the leather pouch hanging from her belt and handed him a small tin. “It’s burdock salve. Use it on your cuts and scrapes and they will heal more quickly.” 

He took the gift and stepped back, afraid that he wouldn’t be able to leave her if he stood too close. "I’d like to come back and visit you again." Relief swept through him when her face lit up and she nodded.

She tilted her chin to the sun, which was slowly dropping into the west behind the trees. To the east, a sliver of the pale moon sat above the tree line like a crooked smile on the face of the cloudless blue sky. "I’ll meet you here at midday after the moon has shown its full face. Can you find this trail again?"

"I’ll find you," he said with certainty and resolve. Unable to stop himself, he stepped closer and took her in his arms. He held her there, thankful for the small grace that she had neither flinched nor pulled away when he approached her uninvited. 

“I don’t think I remembered to thank you for saving me. I don’t know what would have become of me if you hadn’t come to my rescue.” He forced a smile past the aching in his chest as he loosened his hold on her. “I want you to have this.” He lifted the chain from around his neck and slipped it over her head. It was the only thing he had to give her, and he wanted her to have it. Maybe it would protect her or give her some comfort. “This was a present from my grandfather on my graduation day—a Saint Christopher’s medal. “It’s for the protection of travelers.”

She looked down at the small medal and up into his eyes with an expression of confusion and pain he didn’t understand. She grabbed at the chain and pulled it back off, shoving it into his hand as she stepped away and turned her back. “I can’t wear that. It would mean...” She stopped in mid-sentence.

When she turned back, Brinn's cheeks were moist with tears. "Good-bye, Justin." She looked away and then took off at a run. She faded into the forest, even as he called after her.