The Untold Forest

by Elisa Menz

  He enjoyed watching her focus and open the gate with impressive speed. She crossed the threshold and rushed to his side, kneeling in front of his injured leg. Are you not afraid anymore? He wondered.

  They had only met once, and she already willed to trust him. I’m still considering if I’ll let you live, little one. While she checked the bandages, he took off the shackles of his wrists and stood. The wound in his leg was nothing but a faint scar and a dull ache now.

  He saw her cower a little now he had no restraints, so he remained motionless, looking at her as if asking ‘now what’? The difference in size was amusing. He rose high above her, her hooded head barely reaching his chest.

  The girl let out a shaky breath and made a sign to follow her, guiding him through the narrow underground corridors to a small door leading to open air. She slipped out first, and he followed with caution. Despite his corpulence, he moved without making the slightest sound. Hakken followed her to a low and crumbling section of the wall.

  “Over there.” The girl said, pointing up. “The guards are away, and you can reach the Forest without being seen.”

  He knew he wouldn’t find anyone else around. His nose didn’t fool him. Most humans were sleeping in the castle or the surrounding cabins, and only a few guards moved on the walls. Eyes and ears focused on the Forest, in the opposite direction.

  But another scent caught his attention. One he looked forward to sensing hours ago.

  It surprised him his first reaction had not been to run to meet the origin of the familiar aroma. Instead, he turned to the cute girl who pointed towards the wall with insistence. She was yet to ask for something in return.

  Didn’t she know she was about to die? Why not plead for her life now when the end was so near?

  No one sensed the danger until it fell on them, fast, relentless, and with devastating force. The first to die were the guards on the walls. Some of them did not even have the opportunity to understand what happened. Their necks, broken by the strength of the merciless hands ending their existence. The hunters were next.

  Thus, unnoticed, the half-breed tribe breached the ill-protected castle. Advancing house by house, room by room, sowing death in each of those damned souls.

  When the inhabitants of the castle discovered the half-breeds, chaos broke out in the halls. The girl turned to the screams, and her feet pulled her to the main building. Hakken grabbed her arm and pushed her against the wall, shielding her with his body.

  “What is that?” The screams coming from the castle were unmistakable, along with the roars accompanying them. The girl gaped at him with terrified eyes. “Is that your pack?”

  He stared back, without saying a word or moving an inch. Now is your chance, little one. Why don’t you ask me to save you?

  He refused to accept a human child helping him, expecting nothing in return. It was not natural. Yet, she only seemed to want to run towards the voices crying out for help, ignoring the imminent danger.

  Humans are never this selfless. Is she stupid? There could be no other reason.

  He lifted her off the floor and wrapped her in his arms before taking a mighty leap that made them land on the upper edge of the wall. With another impressive jump, he fell with a thud on the other side before embarking on a dizzying race towards the Forest. He held the girl’s shaking body while his mind kept reeling.

  What the hell am I thinking?

  CHAPTER X

  INTO THE FOREST

  Maeve

  They entered the crisp darkness of the Forest, leaving behind the bloody scene in the castle. The hunters, soldiers, and any other who took part in the hunt received their punishment, and the broken and dismembered bodies were stacked in the center of the courtyard and burned.

  Instead, the bodies of the murdered wolves were carefully suspended over the castle’s main entrance as a reminder and a warning. You kill a creature of the Forest, death follows you.

  The next morning, merchants discovered the survivors, crying over the remains of Walter Callum, Kieran Callum, and the boys who joined the hunt. Lady Callum fell into disgrace, and—expelled from all good society—she retired to spend the rest of her days in a convent, in as much peace as she allowed herself.

  A single glance at the wolves, and the state in which the human corpses were, clarified the situation. The horrifying news traveled the kingdom. Both the eminent members of the clergy and the king condemned Lord Callum’s crime. They accepted the punishment of the guardians of the Forest as fair.

  No one knew about the fate of the young Maeve O’Riordan. She disappeared into the ruins of the abandoned castle, lost from memory.

  Maeve remembered every moment of this fateful night.

  The air left her lungs when the half-breed lifted her. Maeve’s stomach churned at the sight of the ground disappearing under her feet. She hid her face between the layers of fur on his shoulder, terrified at the fact they now stood over the top of the wall. When the pull of the second jump jolted her, a gripping terror took over her mind. The speed with which the man carried her across the hills made her lose all sense of direction.

  Screaming, she struggled to be free of her captor, ending up in a tangled mess of limbs. And to think she worried about his survival. He needed no help! The half-breed’s strength overpowered hers by a laughable degree. One growl from him made her stop her scuffle, and she whimpered, shielding her eyes from the danger and horrors around her.

  Hakken

  He left behind the stretch of land separating the castle from the Forest in a heartbeat. As soon as he reached familiar territory, the adrenaline wore off, and he slowed down. Everything was at peace, once outside the human realm.

  Now free and out of danger, Hakken trusted his people to deliver rightful punishment. But he tensed, groaning in annoyance by his new predicament. One entirely out of his own making. When he stopped, darkness thickened as the moonlight only touched the top of the trees.

  After scanning his surroundings, he focused on catching signs from his tribe. His leg healed nicely, and a single breath of fresh air served him enough to restore the strength he lost during his time underground.

  Hakken sensed them several miles away and headed in their direction. After all his time wandering, he was eager to reunite with them. But first, he needed to consider a minor problem—the problem shivering with fear in his arms.

  What reason could he give for saving the girl from the carnage? He acted on impulse. How could he explain killing her disgusted him? She was a harmless and kind little thing.

  Hakken only hoped his tribe would accept his whim with relative calm, and a more compassionate solution could be found.

  They were getting closer. Before facing them, he needed to make some things clear with the girl. And find a reasonable explanation of why he arrived with a human under his arm.

  Humans were forbidden to enter the Forest, and the half-breeds expelled or punished offenders. But here he was... carrying a strange brat. He stopped in a clearing, bright enough to take a good look at her. During the escape, the girl kicked and punched, not understanding the danger she was in. As soon as they entered the Forest, she clammed up, gripping on his furs for dear life. The poor girl barely suppressed her tremors.

  Hakken sat on the ground and focused on her. “Child.”

  Hearing him speaking her language was all it took for her to spring from her hiding spot. She now sat on his thigh, looking like a frightened doe. Hands clenched, holding protectively over her arms. She flinched when he ran a thumb down her cheeks, wiping the tears.

  “What’s your name?”

  With a soft, shaky voice, she replied. “M-Maeve.”

  Silence fell between them while they analyzed each other. She waited; he pondered.

  “Your family?” he asked. The girl hesitated before shaking her head. Tears flew from her eyes.

  “No one. They are all dead.”

  “There?” he insisted, pointing in the castle's direction.

  “N
o, my family died long ago. They... the Callums, they took care of—” She stopped before finishing the sentence and rubbed her nose with a sleeve of her coat. “They were not my family. My family would never have killed the wolves, nor would they have caged you! They would never have done something so horrible!”

  The girl was sobbing now, and Hakken let her cry for a few minutes. A human girl who had been living a cozy and safe life would be beyond herself with fear. What she said sounded intriguing. Living with that family didn’t seem to be of her liking, and he couldn’t help to rejoice at the thought she abhorred the Kieran boy as much as he did.

  Up to the next important question. “Is there anywhere for you to go? People who would take you in?”

  After considering his words for a moment, she shook her head. “If you leave me here or if I come back, I will not survive. So... please... if you must kill me, do it fast.”

  The bold statement took him by surprise. This kind of determination, coming from a child, was the last thing he expected. Hakken no longer trusted his first assessment.

  She was not stupid or a coward. Her delicate face, wet with tears, her fragile trembling body, and her timid voice contrasted with the desperate courage in her eyes. Someone who looked at death without cowering was worthy of respect.

  Respect? HA! He couldn’t believe the crazy things crossing his mind. However, he couldn’t ignore the fact he didn’t find the will to kill her, no matter how easy.

  Take her with him? Ridiculous. A human had never entered the depths of the Forest, much less set foot in his village. Convincing the matriarch to accept her could prove difficult, not considering how the rest of his tribe might react. Besides, even if they accepted her, she would never adapt. She would likely die in a few weeks from cold, hunger, or injury.

  She probably didn’t know how to hunt. How was she going to feed herself? If he hoped to keep her alive, he would have no choice but to take care of her. Like one of those annoying puppies, humans kept as pets.

  Hakken weighed this new solution. She would become his pet, a scrawny and cute little girl he would feed and shelter. It might prove to be a lot of work, but as the seconds went by, he liked the idea more and more. Troublesome details should wait for later.

  First things first. Hakken needed to convince his tribe.

  They were getting close, so he got up and allowed the girl to stand on her own. He placed a protective hand on her shoulder, holding her by his side. She glanced at him with a million questions, but her attention soon shifted to the shadows that, one by one, emerged from the trees.

  The smiles on their faces changed to expressions that ranged from bewilderment to displeasure every time someone discovered Maeve. She clung to his side. Under his hand, the girl was tense, but her tears stopped.

  They approached, causing the girl to breathe faster and hide from their scrutiny. An unfamiliar emotion filled Hakken when he realized her inexplicable trust in him.

  Fondness? A ridiculous reaction, he thought. Hakken stroked her back, trying to calm her down.

  “Hakken!” His voice was unmistakable. From the darkness under the trees emerged the figure of a burly man—black braided hair mixed with the braids adorning his beard. Silver strands now covered much of his head, giving him a venerable appearance. His deep brown eyes held a childish glint as they landed on him.

  Kniv was many years older than him, but he was—ever since the war—the only person in the village with whom he felt at ease. His only friend. The man who raised him after his mother died.

  Even though he was always ignoring most of his advice, Hakken still held Kniv’s opinion high. If he convinced Kniv to keep Maeve, only the voice of the matriarch could wreck his plans.

  The old man strode towards him, smiling in relief, but as soon as his eyes landed on Maeve, he stopped, and his expression turned grave. Not saying a word, he tilted his head and pointed a finger at the little girl.

  Hakken chuckled and pushed Maeve until she found herself between them. He placed both hands on her shoulders and raised his voice to ensure his words reached everyone.

  “She is mine.”

  CHAPTER XI

  PLEASE EXPLAIN

  Kniv

  A moment of tense silence held the scene before the voices of the tribe rose in unison. Too loud and too early, the ruckus startled the birds into a frantic flight, sending them to welcome the dawn. A few youngsters laughed as if they just heard the best joke in history. Most hunters seemed upset, and the discussion became hectic.

  Those who were further away murmured their disapproval. The ones who approached Hakken did it while shouting their opinions. Strong opinions. Around the village, they considered Hakken to be an oddball. Harmless but unreliable. To bring a human girl into the Forest could be nothing but an idiotic whim.

  The girl remained silent, trembling under Hakken’s hands. Fearful eyes darting around until they landed on him.

  All the important questions were being asked, so Kniv stood quiet and thoughtful. With an experienced eye, he analyzed the girl Hakken declared to be ‘his property’.

  She looked no different from other human women he had seen in his life. Young and cute. Perhaps a little more courageous, since he never saw a human not succumb to panic while being in front of one of them. Much less surrounded by a shouting hunting party.

  But what piqued his interest was seeing Hakken so protective of her. Despite being busy trading shouts with his companions, he never loosened his hold on the girl. He growled and bared his fangs at anyone who dared to get too close.

  Hakken needed to give some explanations, so Kniv raised an arm to silence the group.

  Kniv’s call to order shut everyone up. Since he held the highest rank, the others trusted him to make Hakken come to his senses. Easier said than done. One peek at his young friend, and he knew he wouldn’t budge. Damn, this boy is stubborn!

  “Who is she?” First things first.

  He would never admit it out loud, but he enjoyed Hakken’s talent for storytelling. It didn’t matter how pissed off everyone was. As soon as Hakken began his story, all mouths shut, and all ears strained.

  He told of the events after his capture. How he faked being badly injured and scared, hoping to be taken into their castle. Join the attack from within.

  He described the conditions in which they imprisoned him and how easy it would have been for him to escape. Then something happened he never foresaw, and he ended up being ‘rescued’ by a child. How he affectionately rubbed her shoulders didn’t go unnoticed to Kniv.

  “She has no family, no tribe... or people. I don’t know what they call it. She is a weakling, but I have never seen such a brave human. And at least she respects the laws of the Forest.”

  Hakken looked around, stern. “If I send her back to live among humans, she will not survive. So I will keep her.”

  “You’re as dumb as you look!” Kniv flinched when a new voice blared in the clearing. A confrontation he hoped to avoid. Too late. Hurtig stomped forward with an impressive scowl.

  The young huntress stood in front of Hakken, hands on her hips, glaring at him. “No matter how brave you think she is, a human does not belong in the Forest. Your stupidity condemned her to starve to death in the wild!”

  Hakken sighed. “Hurtig... you’re the living proof wisdom doesn’t always come with old age,” he said before ignoring the outraged woman. “I won’t leave her to fend for herself. She can’t survive on her own, so I’ll take care of her.”

  Kniv cackled, interrupting their banter. As all eyes turned to him, he shrugged and placed a calming hand on Hurtig’s shoulder, delighted with the turn of events. Hakken wanted to take care of another? And not just anyone. He self-imposed the responsibility of caring for a human girl!

  Understandably, he had every doubt about Hakken’s capacity to uphold this endeavor. Maybe this could be his chance to leave the mournful life he led behind. The tricky part being; a life depended on his success.

  Kniv
turned serious again, sighing and sending a sorrowful smile to the girl. Hakken brought this troublesome situation upon himself and the tribe, so he should be the one to fix it. “Why do you want to keep her alive? Isn’t it better to give her a quick death and prevent her from suffering needlessly?”

  Harming the human girl was the last thing on Kniv’s mind, but he needed to know to what extent Hakken was willing to go to work out this madness. The answer came out abruptly and determined. One glance at Hakken’s murderous stare convinced Kniv changing his mind would prove impossible. Not risking any harm to the human girl, Hakken dismissed him with a snort and took her back into his arms.

  He cradled her with a gentleness Kniv would have thought inconceivable for him. Dumbfounded, Kniv watched his young friend smiling down at the timid young woman.

  Hakken only had her for a few hours, and he was acting all smitten. “How can I kill her? She is so pretty.”

  Maeve

  The half-breed hands tightened on her shoulders after the man with the braids addressed him one last time. The pack had discussed much, but Maeve didn’t understand a single word. Half-breed’s language sounded curt and loud to her ears. The cause of the debate was her presence in the Forest. Of that, she had no doubts.

  Could she survive this? Would they at least be merciful and give her a quick death? She wondered if Finn had been as scared as she was, facing his demise. A weakening fear gripped her limbs, and she began trembling once more. Before her knees gave in, the half-breed snorted, taking her back in his arms and cradling her against him. Her body was tight with anxiety, and the coolness of dawn didn’t do much to help. The heat radiating from him helped her unwind, and she almost nuzzled against his chest.

  The uncertainty sent waves of panic through her, threatening to make her lose the little control she had over her emotions. Maeve needed an answer, any answer, so her eyes searched for her captors. When she discovered the tenderness with which the man looked back, her breath caught in her throat. It was the last thing Maeve expected, and she had no idea what to make of him. He spoke again, holding her gaze. Whatever his words were, the braided-haired man smiled, apparently satisfied.