The Huntress

Chapter 21

I feel warm...really warm. I don't remember being warm when I fell asleep last night. Must have gotten too close to the fire or Beauty's creating more body heat than I'd been expecting. I feel something on my face and reach up to wipe it away. A hair. 

I sigh and rub my eyes, a deep yawn shoving its way out of my mouth. I stand slowly and open my eyes...and stop.  

Where am I? I don't remember this place!  

I look around the cabin at the log walls and large rugs. This room has a small cot that barely comes up off the ground. A stinging pain starts in my foot. With a grunt, I walk over to a chair and plop down in it. I take a deep breath as I pull my left leg up and cross it over my other leg. My ankle is wrapped and there's a large bandage covering the back of my calf. 

"What happened?" I ask to the air and rub my temples, trying to remember. 

It comes flooding back to me...twigs breaking, running, flying, running again, falling, running some more, and pain. Lots of that. 

My head hurts just thinking about it.  

The creaking of the door makes me jump up from my seat - a surprising feat mostly due to the fact my legs sort of resembled a pretzel about two seconds ago. I crouch low and a growl builds in my throat. When I look up into a pair of familiar silver-green eyes I quickly straighten up. 

"Ah, I see you're doing much better." the man says slowly, eying me in a way that tells me he's nervous.  

"I guess." I say in choppy syllables.  

I eye him closely as I take him in. He's tall, almost as tall as the door frame - which has to be about seven feet high. He's wearing a loose-fitting, untucked gray pirate-style shirt with the tie undone over his chest, revealing a toned physic. He has the barest sign of chest hair...I peel my eyes away from his chest and take in his black pants and bare feet.  

My brow furrows in confusion at this. Why would he dress so freely in front of a complete stranger? Even my father hadn't worn something like this around me. 

He clears his throat. "I have soup."  

Startled, I look up into a pair of kind eyes. But something's a little off about him - those startling eyes have a tiny haze over them...kind of like when Robin didn't get enough sleep. But I can tell this man isn't tired like that. 

It almost reminds me of the guards who took Kaige. 

"Thank you." I say when I find my voice, taking the bowl from him and setting it on the table by the chair I was sitting in when he came in. 

He nods and turns to leave. 

"Wait!" he turns back to me with cautious eyes. "What's your name?" 

"Archer." And with that he takes his leave.

After a few hours, I'm starting to get antsy. My leg hurts like a pack of wild buffalo ran over it and my head won't stop telling me all the things I have to do. Like head out to find Snow. And find out who this Archer guy really is.  

I sigh and stand up from my cot on the floor. I quietly creep over to the door and step out. I don't hear anyone or anything - other than the odd chirping of crickets. Why would they be around in this kind of weather? It's winter for heaven's sake! 

I stop when I reach a lavish room. It has a large fireplace, long comfy-looking couch, large round rug, a few little trinkets in strategically placed spots, and a small table. It looks warm and inviting. Strange, because Archer doesn't seem that way. 

"What are you doing out here?" an angry voice says behind me.  

I yelp and turn around quickly, knocking my knee on the table, falling into the arm of the couch, and landing face-first into the rug. I groan as he curses and rushes over to my side, helping me up. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you....but you're supposed to be resting." he says, sounding like a parent telling this to a small child for the millionth time. 

"Well, you didn't tell me that and I was going out of my mind in there." I snap and clap m hand over my mouth. 

He laughs and I see his smile for the first time...it's nice. My heart starts this weird flipping thing in my chest and I look away from him. He reaches over and gently pulls my hand off my mouth and grabs my chin, tenderly turning me face to look me in the eye. 

"I'm sorry, I should have told you." he says seriously and I nod - completely lost in his mesmerizing eyes. 

He smiles and heads over to the kitchen. "I'm hungry, you want anything?" 

I shake my head and he starts cooking. I quietly walk over to sit on one of the chairs at the table as he gets everything together. He looks over at me and smiles for a moment then a strange look crosses over his face. 

"You need to prop your leg up so the swelling will go down." he says, turning to face his dinner again. 

I sigh, "Fine," and do as I'm told.

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So...what do you think? I know it's way to soon to know exactly how you feel about Archer so far, but I'm excited for us all to get to know him like we have Skylar. By the way, why do you think she told him to call her Skye instead of her full name Skylar? Hmm...

Anyway comment and vote ;)

Always yours,

Kera