The lord stared at them for a few moments before turning in his horse and slowly wandering away. Cyril got down from the horse and unnecessarily held Kamila under the arms before dumping her onto the ground.
"Thank you, Cyril," said Kamila sweetly, thanking him for more than getting her down.
Cyril did not say anything, just led her a little away from the road towards the dense trees. Wind had started bending the branches and rustling the leaves. She shivered, always used to sitting in front of the fire in the cave that they lighted every night and sometimes even during the day when it got cold.
"You can go behind that tree." Cyril pointed towards one a little further away but still not enough.
She grimaced. "I am not comfortable with you standing right here."
Cyril's lips twisted. "It can not be helped."
Kamila's panic started rising again. She had finally been granted relief from the presence of the lord. What would be the point if she couldn't get some time alone."What do you mean that it cannot be helped? It's not like I am a prisoner."
"You might not be a prisoner but your current state of mind does not allow me to leave you unassisted."
Kamila's outrage shined through her voice. "Unassisted?? You plan on wiping my behind too."
As soon as the words left her, she knew it had been a mistake. Cyril's whole face turned red and he looked at her in utter shock. Kamila became aware that her comment was outrageous even for the standards of a peasant girl. Her being used to speaking with her father openly and finding humour in the most crass jokes had not estimated the kind of shock her simple words could produce in a different company.
"Oh. I am sorry Cyril. I should not have said that."
Seeing the shame on Kamila's face, Cyril's face slowly lost its shock. "I did not realize that farmer girls from northern villages had sailor's mouths."
She shrugged. "I grew up with five brothers. I am used to talking freely."
Cyril gave her a onceover. "Clearly."
Such attitude coming from someone who was relatively kinder than the lord made Kamila realize that the fault might lay with her. She needed to be careful with what she said. No one knew what one wrong step could lead her to.
"I would advise you to hurry. We can not wait for the nightfall."
She nodded once. "Can you at least close your eyes and put your fingers in your ears?"
Cyril looked at her frowning for a moment and then turned doing what she had asked. A small warmth filled her. Cyril was clearly a good man, not like the lord. She moved towards the tree. It only filled her with regret for what she needed to do. She looked around and finding no one started to run. It would be just a few minutes before Cyril checked up on her. She could not afford to lose even seconds. Breath heaving, she reached the middle of the woods which were turning dark with the arrival of dusk. A strange sound filled up the air. A howling of some strange beast. She looked around with wide eyes. Had she thought this through? Would she be able to find her cave? She closed her eyes and thought about the path that they took to reach this place. She had been vigilant in taking account of her surroundings. With a sinking heart, she came to the conclusion that she would have to wait for the men to leave before she could think of retracing their steps.
Finding a tall tree, Kamila climbed it up and tried to hide behind the dense leaves. If she could deflect them in the dusk, it would become quite difficult for the men to find her in complete darkness.
Having settled down in the most comfortable position she could find, Kamila took inventory of her surroundings.The trees were not quite far from each other. It was a dense part of the forest. If she raised a hand she was sure to touch the branch of another tree. Suddenly, her stomach growled and she put a hand against it. She had not eaten for some hours now since the bloody ordeal of the afternoon. The first thing she did when she went back home-
Her home! For some time she had forgotten about her father. What must he think of her? Would he imagine her being ripped by a wild animal or would he think she had been lost due to foraging far away? The possibilities were endless. But the most horrifying thought was that her father would leave the cave and immediately be attacked by the men that the lord had left behind. She just prayed that the men left before her father came in search of her.
The gentle rustling of the leaves lulled her like a soothing lullaby and her eyes closed without her consent. It must have been half an hour now and no man came near the tree. Somehow Kamila found it safe enough for her brain to shut down and for her to go into half sleep.
Her father had been adamant about taking some strange trips far away and leaving Kamila alone in the cave. Those were the times when the food had become scarce or their hand crafted clothes and makeshift shoes could not save them from the cold. He would always return with some items to relieve their colder months. Kamila always had mixed feelings about those trips. On the one hand, she became quite excited when he came back with those things that she had been deprived of her whole life. On the other hand, she could not stomach the lonely nights and the long days. Her mind would conjure up unspeakable fears that were always at the back of her mind.
Right now, in the midst of sleep, her mind had taken her into a dream in which her father had left and someone was trying to break into the cave. The voices of strange men. The growling of wild animals, all took on a predatory aspect. They were there to get her.
Suddenly, she felt hands grabbing her and she startled into consciousness with a small scream, about to fall down but held by hands that tightened on her and prevented her fall.
Her eyes opened lazily and she could make out the last person that she wanted to see. The lord was in the tree with her holding onto her waist, preventing her fall.
"Everything alright there?" She could hear Cyril say from somewhere down.
"I have got her, Cyril." The lord said softly.
Then he made a motion with his head and understanding it, she followed him down, gently, so as not to fall down and break her neck. When they had reached the last branch, the lord jumped down first then took a hold of her waist and helped her down.
Kamila tried to swallow. "Thank you."
The lord just raised an eyebrow. Kamila did not fail to notice that he did not let go of her waist. "Cyril, the rope."
Kamila began to struggle.