Darlings (14 page)

“You seriously kicked our butts!” Koli
shouted. 

Gwen turned to see Koli, Tok, and Andrew
laughing and shoving one another as they emerged through the
forest. 

“Yah really man, you are crazy fast now but
you better believe we’re gonna catch up soon so you better keep
practicing!” Tok joked loudly. 

Andrew smiled, but to Gwen, his smile
appeared to be hiding something…dark.

Noticing her he said, “Hey guys go ahead,
I’ll catch up.” 

“Alright,” Tok answered and the pair ran
on. 

“What are you still doing out here?” he
asked. 

“Not much I guess. Just thinking,” Gwen
answered pulling her knees to her chest and zipping her jacket up
further. The sweat that formed a cooling film over her body felt
like it had turned to ice. 

“About?” Andrew asked. Leaning against a
nearby tree he stuck his hands in his black sweatpants pockets. He
was now wearing an orange hooded sweatshirt that made his bronze
skin stand out even more. 

“Everything I guess.” Her mind spun and she
began to panic. Bursting into tears, she said, “I don’t know how I
am going to do this, Andrew. I can’t fight anyone. I can’t k…kill
anybody. I’m not this strong.” She laid her forehead on her knees
and bawled hot tears that stung her cold cheeks. 

He sat awkwardly beside her. “Hey, hey now,”
he said, smooth as cream. He began to put his arm around her but
stopped remembering the rules. “Gwen you’ll get this. Everyone is
here to help you…I’m here to help you,” he tenderly stated. “We
have to do this…It’s our fate-”

“I don’t want a fate! I hate this fate…” she
whispered.  

“Most the time, so do I Gwen…” he muttered,
looking away as if at something only he could see. 

“You? You don’t want this either?” she
questioned, puzzled. 

“No. Not always. I mean it’s my family so I
want them safe and I’d die happily knowing I was protecting them,
but if I had a choice…I shouldn’t be telling you this. Let’s go,”
he said walking away from her. 

“Andrew, wait,” she said meekly. He stopped,
back still toward her. “Please?” 

Turning she could see the longing in his
eyes. “I’d stay here Gwen if I had the choice.” 

Gwen wouldn’t know why. “Why? You’d live half
a life-”

“No, I’d have a life,” he muttered. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Think about it Gwen. Think what our lives
will be like. You’ll be married to Pete. I will be your guardian,
which I am proud to be but think about my life. I don’t live a
married life. I follow you. I follow you in your life wherever you
want go doing whatever you want to do, no questions asked. I
“breed”. I won’t see my kids. I won’t have a family. My kids will
spend time with me briefly when I can get away. I don’t get a
choice,” he shrugged. “My mom raised us. All the moms raise their
children alone. Most of the males of my kind father many children
from many different women. Some stay with one woman, but it’s
difficult because if our sworn one chooses to leave, we leave too.
Across lands miles and miles away, it doesn’t matter.” 

Gwen was overwhelmed with guilt. “What if I
don’t want a sworn one, can’t I un-swear us or something? I don’t
want this for you.” Her eyes filled with tears again. 

“No, Gwen, there’s nothing we can do. It’s
inevitable. I’m not telling you this to make you feel bad. I’m
lucky to be sworn to you. I just want you to know, it’s not easy
for any of us. It’s just new to you.” He sat beside her. “My elders
tell me this longing for my own life is normal and that it will
pass one day, and I’ll be content, I really hope they’re
right.” 

She wiped her eyes. She had been so busy
feeling sorry for herself, that she hadn’t considered Andrew’s
fate. He would spend his whole life being her…slave. Not
necessarily “working” for

her, but not anywhere near free to live his
life. “I’m sorry Andrew,” she muttered. “If I could change-”

He cut her off. “I know you would. I’m
thankful. Means you won’t be too much of a pain in the ass to
guard,” he smiled. “Naw, Everland’s not so bad. You’ll
see.” 

“I hope not. Is Pete really all he seems to
be?” she bluntly asked. 

Surprised, he stammered, “Uh, yah he’s…great
Gwen. You two will be happy together I’m sure,” he said looking
away. 

“Yah…you’re probably right. In time I am sure
I’ll be happy this all happened…right?” She stared up at him with
pleading eyes. Eyes that begged for reassurance. 

“I’m sure Gwen,” he stated with a forced
grin. Looking around he blurted, “Alright. I’m sick of this moping
stuff. Wanna go do something dangerous, that we could possibly pass
off as training?” 

“Sure?” Gwen said, confused. “Pete said we
weren’t supposed to train while he was gone, though.” 

Andrew rolled his eyes. “Do you see
Pete?” 

“Well, no but-” 

“Okay then. Let’s go.” Gwen thought this
seemed out of character for Andrew. In the brief time she’d known
him, he always seemed so collected and serious. 

“Oh, come on,” he said. “You have better
things to do?” 

He was right. Gwen had nothing else to do
besides go back to the cabin and drown in her sea of thoughts. She
stood up. “Alright, alright. What do you have in mind?” she asked,
brushing the leaves off of her backside. 

“Stay here.” Andrew ran deeper into the
forest, but stopped remembering something. He began to peel the
black sweatpants from his body. 

“What are you-” she stopped realizing he had
a pair of shorts underneath. Breathing a sigh of relief she
composed herself. He jogged back and tossed the sweatpants at her,
grinning. They landed on her head, making her hair a
mess. 

“Hey!” she laughed, grabbing the sweat pants
from her head. Suddenly she was met with the now familiar sound of
cracking and snapping, though it still made her stomach turn. After
a few seconds, Andrew appeared from behind the trees in his
Mantican form. Shaking his leonine mane, he made his way to Gwen.
His massive grey paw rose to meet his mark. 

Hop on,
he silently said. 

Hop on? Like get on you?
Gwen could
feel her cheeks burning. She had just asked Andrew if she could get
on him. 

He made a snarl like sound that almost
mimicked a laugh.
Yah mount me
, he teased.
No really,
you’d ride a horse right? This is a tactical maneuver. We can move
much faster together which will give us a leg up on the dark
ones. 

Gwen looked up at him. He was around the size
of a horse. Bowing down he threw his head motioning for her to sit
on his back. 

Well how do I do this?
she asked
silently.

Grab my mane and swing your leg
over. 

Gwen looked behind her, making sure no one
was around. She reluctantly reached out a hand to grab his mane,
and threw her leg over his thick body. He stood up. 

Gwen hollered, “Woah!” She grabbed his hair
more tightly. 

You’re going to have to hold on tighter than
that. Wrap your hands in my fur and use it to hold on. Trust me it
doesn’t hurt and you’re going to fall off if you don’t. 

She twisted the thick hair in her hands and
held on firmly. 

Squeeze with your thighs. In actual battle we
wear steel armor with handles and foot holds. It’ll be a lot easier
to hang on then. Trust me. I won’t let you fall. 

Gwen pressed her thighs into his thick
ribs. 

Ready? He asked. 

“I guess so, but go slow okay?” Hearing what
sounded like a laugh from Andrew’s growly throat, they bolted
forward. She felt…incredible. They dodged through the forest faster
than she ever imagined possible. Her knuckles were white and her
legs shaking, but she didn’t want him to stop. He breathed hard as
they took sharp turns, and leapt off trees. He moved with such
power and might. Finally he slowed to a stop. 

Panting Andrew asked,
Doing
ok?
 

“This is amazing Andrew! It’s like, like
we’re flying!” Gwen laid forward, her stomach and chest pressing
against his back. She rested her head on his neck and smiled. It
was as if she could forget everything when they were together like
this, she was free. 

This is nothing. You want to see amazing?
Hold on, and I mean tight.
Gwen wrapped her hands around his
massive neck and clutched with all her might. Andrew clawed his way
up the base of a massive ancient tree. Once he reached the first
limb, he bound up branch by branch until they were as far up as
their weight would let them go. They stopped and Gwen finally
opened her eyes. She could see for miles through the opening in the
treetop. Nothing but sunset-hued trees spread out before her. She
imagined stepping out and walking across them tree by tree, her
feet crunching as she walked. To her left, saw the golden fields
extending far and wide across the land, farm houses scattered among
them. 

“You’re right, this is truly amazing,” she
said smiling. “I could stay here forever, just like
this.” 

Andrew secretly wished they could. 

Suddenly they heard voices below. Gwen looked
down and saw three hunters, hounds barking and jumping at the base
of their tree. 

“It went this way!” A man wearing an orange
vest with gray hair shouted to the others. “Biggest damn coyote
I’ve ever seen! Might even be one of those big foots!”

He was followed by a middle aged man,
presumably the older man’s son and a young blond boy, no more than
fourteen heading up the rear. 

The old man excitedly encouraged the dogs.
“Come on Bruno, Daisy, whatya’ see pups?” 

Andrew didn’t move and Gwen held her breath.
She slowly moved her hand to her chest. 

Can they see us?
  She
asked. 

Yah, I think so. Probably sporadically since
the enchantment is wearing off. 

Gwen’s heart raced.
What do we
do? 
She asked.
They have guns. 

Obviously I could take them in a heartbeat
with one swipe of my paw, but their innocent. I…I don’t know what
to do. If we run, they’ll see us and we don’t need a bunch of
people hovering around the woods right now. They do have guns. Ugh.
Duck! 

Gwen ducked down placing her head on Andrew’s
neck. She closed her eyes as a bullet whizzed by and just missed
her head. Andrew bore his teeth and snarled, preparing to
lunge. 

Andrew don’t, they don’t know any better?
We’d do the same thing,
Gwen pleaded. 

Crack! Another bullet flew past them and hit
a nearby tree. 

“I see its fur! It’s huge. Keep shooting!”
the old man hollered. The young boy shook as he aimed his rifle in
clear shot of the pair. He closed his eye and held his breath
preparing for the shot. Andrew snarled turning to face the boy, he
blocked Gwen from his view. Suddenly, the boy fell to the ground;
soon followed by his companions and their hounds.

“What in the hell are you two doing!” Ashton
hollered, holding what looked like some sort of dart gun. “Get down
here! Hurry up!” she yelled as quietly as she could muster. Andrew
climbed down the tree like a cat on one of those scratch houses.
Once safely on the ground, Gwen slid off and ran to Ashton. She
embraced her dear friend, holding back sobs.

 “Thank you, Ash.” Ashton genuinely
wrapped her arms around her terrified childhood playmate. 

“Of course,” she pushed Gwen out at arm’s
length and scolded. “Don’t you ever do that again, do you
understand me? The enchantment is pretty much gone out here. And
you!” Ashton pointed to Andrew who stood, head looking at the
ground. “Hurry up and turn back. I am sure Pete will want to talk
to you.” With that, Andrew disappeared back into the
woods. 

“Help me.” Ashton said walking over to her
victims. Gwen examined the still figures lying haphazardly on the
dirt floor. She looked closer at their necks and found tiny darts
sticking out of their soft flesh. Ashton hurried over to the boy
and plucked the dart from his neck, tucking it safely inside a
brown sack tied around her waist. “Come on get the ones from the
dogs,” she instructed. “They won’t be out long.”

Gwen followed her instructions and removed
the small needles from the hounds’ furry necks. “They’re not dead?”
Gwen asked. 

“No, they’re not dead! Gosh I’m not a
murderer Gwendolyn, well…hardly ever!” she said completely
offended. “Hurry up.” 

Ashton removed the last dart and grabbed Gwen
by the arm, pulling her in the direction of the cabin. They ran
until the hunters were clearly out of sight. Out of breath Gwen
slowed to a walk. “Ash, wait,” she hollered. Ashton slowed and
turned around, picking her long blond hair off her neck and holding
it on top her head with two hands. 

“Whew, that was intense,” Ashton
said. 

“Won’t they tell other people? Will they come
looking for us?” Gwen asked worriedly. 

“No, they won’t remember a thing,” Ashton
said. “The darts were dipped in a solution that will block out that
part of their memory.” Gwen breathed a sigh of relief. 

“What were you thinking Gwen?” Ashton asked.
Shaking her head she added, “No, what was Andrew thinking. He knew
better than this. That was so unlike him. So irresponsible. Pete’s
going to be furious,” she growled, shaking her head again in
disapproval. 

They reached the cabin and sat at the granite
island in the kitchen. “So it’s past lunch. Turkey and Swiss on
rye?” Ashton asked, knowing it was Gwen’s favorite stand by. Gwen
nodded. Ashton talked nonstop, clearly attempting to avoid the
elephant in the room. “So, I have sooo much to show you. I’ve made
all kinds of goodies for your trip. My newest concoction will
re-grow a limb!” she said proudly. “Though, I haven’t perfected it
yet…might want to wait on that one. Andrew’s in so much trouble. He
shouldn’t have jeopardized you like that. You- ”