Paw Prints (Book One in the Trails Series) *BEING EDITED-NEW VERSION WILL BE LONGER*

~Chapter Twenty-Two~ Marielle and Paul

Despite the dire warning from the Trackers, Marielle refused to leave Paul. She took him to a hospital to get the arrow removed, and then they were off, hiding away wherever they could and not staying in one place for more than two weeks. 

The places they stayed weren't necessarily roomy. Small shacks with room for only one bed, and still, Paul refused to allow the two to sleep together. He insisted they shouldn't until they were married. Marielle agreed, thoroughly disgusted by the idea of having a child before she was married.

Paul and Marielle got married in a year, though, knowing very well that they would never leave each other. They stayed on the move until Marielle got pregnant.

Paul refused to bring her the Trails, insisting that it was more dangerous than the real world. Marielle didn't understand, but she didn't argue either.

They had a girl, named her Kayla, and once they could move with her, they did. She was only nine months old, and soon, Marielle was pregnant again.

***

A/N: Okay, sorry, but pause.

I know what you're thinking.

"Whoa! Marielle and Paul are having a lot of fun!"

Well, they're moving from shack to shack.

The shacks have one bed.

And...well, you get the rest.

At least they're married and all.

***

And so they went on. They had four more girls, named Lyss, Christie, Julia...and finally, two years after Julia was born, Sparrow.

Why would they name the child Sparrow?

Well, the day Sparrow was born, a note came, an urgent one. A little bird was carrying it, and when it landed on the windowsill of their shack (now with three beds) Paul noticed that it was a sparrow. He opened the window and the bird flew in, landing on a bed post and ruffling his little feathers.

Marielle, laying on the bed asleep, didn't notice anything until Paul prodded her awake. She scowled at him. "Really, Paul? You're making me wake up after I gave birth the fifth fricking time?" She snapped. 

Paul sighed. "We have a message, Mairelle." He whispered, holding out his arm so the little bird could perch on it. 

Marielle widened her eyes. "What does it say?" She asked nervously. "I haven't opened it yet." Paul replied nervously, reaching out his other hand to grab the note from the bird's leg. The little sparrow pecked his finger angrily. 

"Ow!" Paul yelped, drawing his hand away and wiping off the blood on his shirt. The bird tweeted and tilted his head at Marielle.

"I think he wants me to open it, Paul." Marielle said quietly, gazing at the little bird with mild curiosity. "Well go ahead!" Paul snapped. "But don't come crying to me when it thinks your finger is a worm!"

Marielle smiled weakly and reached her hand out slowly. The bird made no threatening moves and she quickly snatched the note off of his leg. 

She read it slowly, her eyes growing wider with every word she read.

THEY KNOW WHERE YOU ARE. THEY KNOW THAT SHE'S BEEN BORN. THEY KNOW THAT YOU CAN'T MOVE. WE HAVE A SAFE HOUSE FOR YOU IN THE REAL WORLD. HURRY THERE AND YOU MAY BE ABLE TO LIVE.

TIQUAIL

Marielle's face drained of color once she read who it was from. Tiquail was a name she had grown up hating, almost as much as the name Ainnya. She knew she was married to a man who had learned from them and all, but learning from a child to hate these names had an effect on the way she looked at them. No matter who she married, she would always look upon those names with scorn.

"What is it?" Paul asked urgently, reaching for the note. Marielle handed it to him wordlessly and clutched the little baby close to her. 

Paul's grey-blue eyes flew across the page. "This is great news!" He exclaimed. "Great news?" Marielle snapped. "Paul, this isn't great news! This is horrible! They'll kill us!"

"Not if we hurry." Paul assured.

***

Though Marielle went rather reluctantly, the family moved into the safe house within an hour. And suddenly, Marielle was very grateful for this act of kindness. They now had five bedrooms, three bathrooms, and electricity. And the most wonderful thing, a shower! And running water! It was simply wonderful.

They turned on the news that night and kept an eye out for any reports of Trackers burning their old little shack. Of course, they didn't specify Trackers, but it was said that there was a raging fire currently in the forest where they had been living, meaning that their little shack had been burned down.

Once the news ended, Paul lifted his glass to the ceiling, and, grinning at Marielle, said: 

"Thank God for the blessing on Sparrow, both the bird, and our wonderful daughter!"