The First Lost Girl

Chapter Thirteen: You're My Princess

Felix's P.O.V.
I caught two squirrels in the first few minutes and decided to head back to camp. I couldn't help myself. Leaving Devin with Rufio just had me on edge the whole five minutes I was gone. Just the idea of Devin being in the same breathing space as Rufio was getting me worked up. I didn't trust Devin, I knew him too well to think he could keep his hands off of her.
I emerged from the brush and into camp grounds. I looked around. I could see Tootles and Beau.
"Where are the others?" I asked casually as I untied the squirrels from my belt.
Tootles looked up and took the squirrels that I handed him.
"Dean is getting our drums and Devin went with Rufio to get wood a few minutes ago." He answered pointing in the direction they must have left in.
A feeling of dread was forming in the pit of my stomach.
"I'll go help them."
I stalked off in the direction he had pointed. They couldn't have gone too far. I hoped Rufio had ditched him or something. I walked for a while but was too impatient in this situation to waist time on wandering arround. I climbed the nearest tree and looked for them from above. Then I saw them. I saw what I had been dreading to see, yet deep down, had expected. Devin had Rufio pinned up against a tree and was kissing her, but it was forced, not welcomed. Devin doubled over. I could imagine what she had done. When she tried to run he grabbed her and jerked her back down. He was on top of her now, pinning her body to the ground. I began to run. How dare he?! She was begging, I could hear. Oh I was going to kill him!
I yanked Devin off of her and held him in the air.
"What do you think you're doing?!" I yelled. I could feel my blood nearly boiling with anger.
Pure fear stretched across his face.
"F-f-Felix!" He squeaked. "I th-th-thought y-you were h-hunting!"
"Well you thought wrong." I growled.
"F-f-Felix I'm sorry!"
"Sorry?! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING TO RUFIO?!"
"P-please Felix." He whimpered.
"What is it that you should be begging for Devin? Your life maybe?"
Devin's eyes widened and he struggled with my hand but I didn't let go. It took all of my strength to not break every bone in his body.
"Now, you're going to go back to camp and finish helping prepare for the party and we'll go on like this never happened."
"Okay! Okay!" Devin whimpered.
"And you won't even look at Rufio, unless you want her to be the last thing you see. Do you understand?"
He nodded.
"Then go!"
I dropped him back on his feet and he ran for his life.
I looked back at her. She had her hand over her mouth and was sitting with her back against the tree, tear stains on her cheeks. I rushed over to her.
"Are you okay?" I asked crouching and looking her over. "Did he hurt you?" She covered her face with her hands and began sobbing. I sympathized and knelt next to her, pulling her to me and holding her as she cried.
"I'm so sorry Rufio." I whispered, running my hand through her hair and trying my best to calm her down. "I should have been there for you."
We sat there like that for a while, me leaning against the tree and holding Rufio in my arms while she sobbed onto my chest. It was heartbreaking really. She must have been so scared. And I hadn't gotten there in time to prevent Devin from hurting her. I could see the bruise marks in her wrist. The more I sat there seeing the images of Devin attacking her the more guilty I felt. If only I had told Pan to take Devin with him, this wouldn't have happened. Rufio wouldn't have gotten hurt. What had I been afraid of?
"I'm so sorry." I repeated.
"It's okay." I heard her whisper. "It was my fault, not yours. I should have stayed with the boys." She cried. "I knew that would happen! How could I have been so stupid?! I don't even know how to use a knife!"
That's when I saw the knife that I had given her this morning, laying in the dirt.
"I couldn't even hold onto it." She whispered.
I scowled. I should have taught her how to use the stupid thing! What good is a knife if you don't know how to use it correctly? I made that first priority on my list: teach Rufio to fight.
"I'll teach you to use it." I told her.
She looked up at me. Her blue eyes still watery with tears. I wiped away tear stains from her cheek with my thumb.
"I'll show you tomorrow. Teach you how to fight. That sound good?"
She has a small smile and nodded. How quickly she smiled after having something like this happen to her. She must be trying to forget as quickly as possible.
"We should probably get that wood back to camp. Caleb'll have a fit if we don't. What do you say princess?"
She laughed at my silly nickname and nodded. She stood up and wiped her tears away as much as she could while I picked up her knife. She accepted it and tucked it back away in its sheath. I picked up the scattered wood that had once been a stack and lead her back to camp. She picked up wood along the way but stayed silent. I looked down at her. She looked sad. And I didn't like it.
"Smile princess." I said. "We're throwing you a party."
She laughed, white teeth flashing and dimples showing. "And who said the party was for me?" She asked, still smiling.
"Of course it's for you. What kind of party doesn't have a guest of honor? And a princess at that?"
She laughed again.
"I'm no princess Felix. Quite the opposite actually." She said, losing her smile and looking at the ground as we walked.
"Of course you are." I said. "You're my princess."
She looked back up at me and smiled. That's better.