Game of Hearts (Original Version)

Chapter 2

The forest was getting darker as the sun began to fall behind the mountains, silhouetting them ominously.  Mist seemed to rise from the ground and crows were cawing from all around.

You looked up and saw there were maybe twenty black birds sitting in the same tree, all of their eyes watching you. Zack noticed that you had stopped, and he put a hand on your back and pushed you forward.

“Keep your head down, the forest has eyes everywhere.”

“But who is watching?”

“You know, I was almost hoping that your oblivious naivety was a silly act that girls put on, but…”

“I’m sorry; I just don’t seem to think that these woods are crawling with evil like you seem to think.”

“And why is that? You’ve been here for only two hours, and you’ve already been attacked. What more convincing do you need?”

“Well, for all the bad people, there are good people here too, right? Like you?”

“I’m not good. You don’t know how wrong you are.”

“You’re helping me.”

“One good deed doesn’t make up for a life time of—”

“Well you can just stop with the dark, mysterious 'cloaked stranger' act, I don’t believe it.” You grinned, and he sighed.

“Do you want to know the truth? We were tracking him. That man, back there. He killed an old woman living in the woods after having his way with her and stealing everything of value she had on her.”

“So you were hunting down a bad man. That makes you the good guy.”

“I was going to steal what he stole from her—”

“And return it?”

“And keep it.”

“Well…she was dead, there would be no sense in returning it. Besides, he was a murderer.”

“I am a murderer.”       

“Then why help me?”

“You’re a…princess.” He whispered the last bit, after taking a quick look around the area.

“You offered to help me before you knew that.”

“You’re mistaken.”

“If I am, then why would you want to take me home? Why not take me captive and try and ransom me?”

“Careful, you might give me some ideas.”

“If you were going to do something you would have already done it.” You rolled your eyes and leaned against a tree to show him that you weren’t going to walk any farther until he gave you some answers.

“Alright. Fine. I was hunting that man, and then when I saw you I wasn’t sure who you were. In these parts of the world, you can’t trust anyone. You could have been a witch, or a demon, a shape shifter even, I don’t know. That’s why I went after you. To kill you.”

“But you didn’t.”

“Do I need a reason to help a very pretty girl, in a very ugly place?”

“According to you, yes.”   

“Okay, fine, you crazy woman, fine.” He put his hands on your shoulders and leaned in so he could speak quietly in your ear, “I…am a slave, of sorts. Almost everything I do I do because I was ordered to do so. I’m a killer by command, not by choice. You weren’t my assignment; you weren’t even on the list of people I need to…take care of, so I really don’t want to hurt you. I hate my life, and I hate what I’ve become. I like to take every chance I get to do some good in the world. I was going to take the lost girl home, to try and make up for the crimes I have committed, but then the girl turned out to be the bloody princess of the realm.”