Sabrina and Snowstep plunged their faces into the glimmering stream. It was gloriously cool.
"Hey, miss," she heard a boy's voice.
Sabrina jumped back in surprise. A teenage boy around her age, with earthy dark skin and scintillating hazel eyes, was sitting cross-legged on the bank across from her.
What is it with boys sneaking up on me?
"What?" She hissed.
The boy raised his eyebrows, "just wanted you to know, you're drinking water from downstream."
"So?"
"So..." the boy looked at her like she was dumb, "when people from the village dump their sewage and food scraps, it travels downstream."
Sabrina was dumb. She gagged.
"It tastes fine though!" She exclaimed.
The boy shrugged. "You can drink it if you want, I'm not your dad."
Sabrina frowned. The boy laughed.
"Who are you?" He asked.
Sabrina was taken aback by his frankness.
"Pr-" she stopped herself, "Normal Sabrina."
The boy cocked his head, "that's a weird name."
"It's better than yours."
"You don't know my name."
"Yeah, well it's probably dumb."
"James Blackmoon."
That's a cool name.
"That's a stupid name. What are you, a werewolf?"
He narrowed his gorgeous eyes, "now that you know... I have to kill you."
Sabrina gasped reflexively. He grinned cheekily.
"Okay fuck you."
"Woah, profanity."
Sabrina rolled her eyes. She got up off the spiky grass.
"Where are you going?" James asked.
"Away from you."
"Aww." He watched as she prepared to mount Snowstep. "Do you want some... clothes?"
Sabrina glared at him, "why do you think I want clothes."
James looked her up and down, "like, no offense..."
Sabrina scoffed.
"Look, I'll go get some stuff, and you can either leave or wait for me to come back."
"Fine."
Sabrina watched him go. She didn't know why he was being so nice to her. She didn't trust him. She mounted Snowstep and watched him walk towards the village, enter a house, and come back out with a bag. No-one was following him.
Strange guy. Sabrina thought, though, she was grateful for it.
He reached her and handed her a ratted cloak, "I've got you some apples and shit, too." he said, handing her a sack.
"Why are you doing this for me?" Sabrina asked.
He shrugged, "you look like you need it."
Sabrina sniffed, not sure if he was insulting her, "thank you."
James gave her an exaggerated bow. She trotted off.