Balancer's Soul (7 page)

When she finished tossing the core into the
woods Connor asked “How did you sleep?”

“Very well thank you, I would have been
miserable without your help… and company…last night I mean.” She
smiled and glanced at him from under her long eyelashes while
biting her bottom lip. This in turn, made his heart race.

“Glad to be of some help.”

When it became bright enough to travel, he
looked at Sarah to ask “Ready?”

She looked around the trees and then at him.
Understanding what Connor meant she said “Yep.”

Connor stood up first and held out his hand.
When she took it he felt that same jolt again. It seared trough him
from where they touched. He couldn’t stop himself from asking “Did
you feel that too?”

“Weird huh?” And that is all she
said.
“She doesn’t know what it is
either.”

As Connor guided her out of the forest,
she asked many questions, trying to see what he knew about the
outdoors.
“Teacher’s right?”
“Connor, why didn’t we leave when you first found me last
night?”

“Because Sarah, the night can be
dangerous to wonder around aimlessly in. Especially if you don’t
know the area. The rain would wash away our tracks that we made, so
we couldn’t backtrack. Also it was too dark to see the stars, I
would have gotten both of us lost and I won’t risk your safety for
anything. Finally I swore to myself that I will protect you.”
Answering her question felt effortless.
“I’m your protector now Sarah. Get used to it.”

Suddenly she stopped in her tracks.
Connor stopped as well and turned to look at her. Sarah’s face
burned bright red.
“Oh no. Is she upset or
embarrassed…? Well only one way to find out.”

Connor walked right up to Sarah and asked
“Are you ill?” He grabbed Sarah’s shoulders gently, and pulled her
closer. He leaned down and placed his lips upon her forehead.

Sarah went completely rigid. Her face
somehow became even redder and warmer. And his test was:
“If she goes rigid and blushes redder, she’ll be
embarrassed. If I get slapped, she’s upset.”
She went
rigid and his lips warmed up instantaneously. Connor’s answer
proved that she was embarrassed
.

He pulled away from her and said with relief
“Nope. You’re not running a fever. So why are you so red then?”

***

“Let’s just keep moving.” She said in a quiet
and breathless voice. He started walking again, but he became
silent and had a hint of a smile tugging at the corner on his
lips.

Walking with her eyes glued to the
ground she started thinking.
“Oh my… All I
wanted to do was see if he knew why not to track back home in the
dark. How does he do that to me? I feel faint…

“
Not only did he make me
blush like some young maiden, but he did something I didn’t expect.
He… he… he kissed me. Even if it was on my forehead I’ve never been
more shocked yet thrilled that he was the one to kiss me. I don’t
care if he just pretended to see if I was ill. He still kissed me,
our first kiss, I cannot understand why, but even in all my years,
I can’t remember being so alive.”
All Sarah did from
then on was smile despite the hot sensation filling her
features.

***

Yes! I finally kissed
her…
Connor kept praising himself in his head. “Don’t
fall behind or you might get lost.”

She quickened her pace and he thought she
mumbled “Maybe it would be worth it…”

They continued to walk slowly together
through the dense woods silently for an hour until…

SNAP
...!
SNAP
! Came the odd sound of twigs and
sticks breaking.

All the hairs on the back of Connor’s neck
began to rise which meant something bad was about to happen. Danger
quickly approached them, serious danger. The breaking sounds pulled
him out of his thoughts, from the almost kiss with Sarah. He knew
he didn’t have to do it, but was honestly glad that he took the
opportunity.

Listening for the sounds of the forest Connor
heard absolutely… Nothing!

No bird calls and no scurrying in the leaves
from little animals, just dead silence.

“Predator?

Twigs snapping, after a rainy night… what
could…?

A big predator!”

Connor turned instantly to his side from
where the sound originated and grabbed Sarah, pulling her
protectively behind him in the blink of an eye. Connor also yanked
out Tool within that split second. Sarah gasped when he pulled her
into a safer location. Separating her from the threat.

Then all sound stopped completely, even their
breathing.

“There’s danger close by… No! Sarah is the
one in danger!”

Sarah said quietly and playfully “What’s
wrong? Are you upset over something? I forgive you for kissing
me.”

When she saw Connor look at her, she knew he
wasn’t playing around.

This wasn’t the time to be teasing at the
moment because he could now taste the hunger of another presence
close by and looking at them both.

“It Comes!” Connor announced, ready to defend
her at all costs.

Not two seconds later he heard more wet
twigs go
SNAP
!
SNAP
!

“It’s much closer. Bring it!”

That’s when Connor found the deadly eyes of
an experienced killer.

Connor’s expression turned fierce, sharp,
dangerous and focused on something. It felt frightening and some
primal part of her felt a thrill of seeing a dominant male become
protective over her. Still… When he looked back at her with those
hunter’s eyes, she still felt truly frightened, but not from him.
Sarah felt frightened from what could make Connor look so dangerous
and deadly.

When Sarah heard Connor say “It Comes!”
she knew he wasn’t joking or playing around anymore. The situation
couldn’t be any more serious. Everything from his voice to his
posture screamed
DANGER
!

Standing right behind Connor, Sarah
noticed everything about him in an instant. He had leaned forward
in a crouched position. Long, strong arms and wide muscular back
were so large that she was unable to see what exactly
IT
is. Connor’s jaw muscles were set
and flexing tightly. In his right hand stood Tool. He gripped the
steel handle so tightly that his large knuckles were all ghost
white and she could see the tendons and muscles bulging in the lone
hand waiting to be set free. The weapon itself wasn’t very
intimidating, but he sure was.

Throughout her entire life she recognized
that stance and focused face anywhere, all too easily. It’s the
face of a man getting ready for a battle to the death. But what
would tempt fate and challenge such a large man?

Sarah then heard a twig or branch snapping.
Gathering all of the courage she could muster, she sidestepped to
the left just enough to see around Connor’s enormous shoulder. She
wanted to see what put Connor on high alert.

Not even twenty five yards away crouched a
massive Cougar. A full grown, sleek and hungry Mountain Lion at
that. It has short golden fur and a long slender body designed to
chase and kill. Its body pressed low to the ground and hung in a
crouched position. The shoulder muscles were bunched up, ready to
pounce or chase his prey and its legs were slightly out to its side
for maintaining balance. The paws of the big cat were just as
menacing because the claws were extended. Its long tail twitched
side to side in anticipation of its next large meal. What froze
Sarah like a stone carving, were its eyes. It had sharp, golden,
piercing eyes that said only one thing, ‘Breakfast!’

The Cougar roared, trying to make its prey
run.

Well, it worked on her.

Sarah screamed in terror and stepped back
involuntarily.

In the next instant Connor’s left hand
reached back and grabbed her shoulder firmly, to hold her still.
His large and firm grasp kept her from tripping and falling
backwards. Shocked, Sarah looked up at him to notice that the only
thing that moved on him had been his left hand. Everything else
about him stayed in the exact same battle ready stance. Especially
his eyes, they didn’t even leave the terrifying hunter for a
moment, as if the roar didn’t affect him at all.

Quietly and evenly he spoke “Don’t run, he
wants to attack you with your back turned to him. So he can more
easily get to your pretty little throat.”

In all her years, she should already
know that by now, but Sarah still felt scared witless from this
hungry predator. Her adrenaline began pumping through her veins,
telling her to run for it, yet Connor knew instinctively
what
not
to do. She needed to
stay calm and trust in Connor’s skills if she wanted to
survive
.

Not a moment later the massive feline
lunged.

Connor didn’t hesitate in his attack
either.

As the Cougar jumped in the air, fangs bared
and claws out, aiming for Connor’s throat. Connor brought Tool in a
blurred arch around to meet the airborne cat, using the hammer side
of his weapon.

With all of the massive strength
contained within his enormous frame, Connor connected first with
the cat’s skull. With a sickening, bone splitting crunch that
streaked through the area, the Cougar went instantly limp in the
air. Unfortunately since Connor and the golden creature both
charged at each other with their full weight behind them, they
crashed into each other with a loud and audible
thud
.

Both Connor and the great cat crumpled to the
ground together. The twitching cougar landed on top of Connor.
Neither moved and that frightened Sarah even more. She didn’t want
him to be hurt, but what she just witnessed…

“CONNOR!!!” Sarah yelled and ran over to him
as quickly as she could because she had fallen down when Connor
released her shoulder to confront the feline. She forcibly tried
pushing the heavy Cougar off of him with all of the strength she
had, to see if Connor was injured and hoped he still lived.

Feeling the weight of the Cougar getting
lighter Connor said “I’m glad that’s over. At least he wasn’t a
pack animal like wolves or wild dogs. I’m not sure I could have
fended off more than one and protected you simultaneously…”

A very beautiful face, full of concern began
looking down upon him, filling his whole vision with Sarah. “Oh
thank goodness. Connor, are you alright?” Sarah could barley
suppressing her tears, blinking quickly to keep them at bay. It
made her emerald irises shine that much more.

Trying to alleviate her sadness and
fear, he chuckled and smiled. “So you forgive me for kissing your
forehead huh? And here I thought you were one to hold grudges for
a
long
time…”

Sarah just couldn’t hold her tears any
longer. Streams fell from her eyes and caressed down her cheeks
until they dripped off her chin. “You fool, you lucky fool. You
could have been killed.” Still crying, she went on “I have never
seen anyone survive such an attack like that without a rifle or
bow. Your something else, you know that…” She somehow stopped
crying and turned serious. “I need to check and see if you are
wounded. It landed on you. That was a quick, but powerful
fight…”

Connor, still laying on his back in the damp
grass, watched as Sarah reached for the bottom of his shirt and he
quickly managed to grab her hand to stop her from lifting the cloth
up any further.

Connor said very quickly and clearly “No, No,
No, No, No. I’m alright Sarah; I’m not hurt at all.” Now his voice
turned calm and controlled. “Sarah, you have your secrets and so do
I. Please do not lift up my shirt. You need to respect my only
wish.” Sarah knelt at his left side while he still held her
hand.

“Ok, Connor.” She said quietly and he
released her hand. She then put her hands together and sat them in
her lap. She waited patiently for him to elaborate just a little
bit more because she had already given away a portion of her
secret, at least a piece anyway.

“It’s just that I really do not want to
drive you away so soon. I have never felt so very
connected
to someone like you before
and I really don’t want to lose that so soon.” She nodded,
satisfied for the moment.

She restated his thought. “I understand
completely because I feel the exact same way about you…” Her words
struck Connor speechless and joyful at the same time.
“She really feels the same? I’ve never felt more
relieved.”
His heart seconded the thought by beating
ferociously and happily.

Not even the skirmish with the cougar
made his heart sound and beat like this. Connor then had another
thought
“Either I am in love or that Sarah
is even more dangerous than the cougar… Ha why can’t it be both?
That will be more fun and a bigger challenge. I’m not sure I can
win… hahahahaha…”

Sarah’s mask of concern etched itself upon
her delicate features again, so Connor said something even he
didn’t even expect to say. “Well this has been one crazy first date
huh?”

First her face turned shocked then melted
into a blush and a shy smile. She bit her lip and looked down at
her hands and wrung them a few times together before saying “Yes it
is.” After a few more moments she explained “Connor you cannot tell
anyone…”