The next morning most of the day went normally until a draftee for the camp arrived.
Most of the orphans grow up here, but some joined mid-way.
Their joining means that they had been either sold to the city lord, who owns the camp and its people or they are criminals.
The person who is the new addition doesn't seem to be the second case, though looks can be deceiving, she should be sold.
That's what he got by seeing her, but she looked like an odd thump among the group of tattered individuals.
"Hello everyone, I'm Kate, please take care of me"
'And she is naive as a fool' Kai shook his head, the camp would destroy her in hours.
The group of orphans laughed out loud.
Her dress while looking old is complete and neat. Her brown hair dangled from side to side as she looked around confused at the laughing people.
The coach waved his whip eyeing the girl like prey, but suddenly he felt something and turned around looking scared. Eventually, he regained his composure and continued on.
Couch signaled her to join the ranks of orphans as they proceeded to leave the camp.
Mae orphans didn't spare another look at her even though she is beautiful as hell.
They had not had much time for things like sex, they got to save energy as much as possible, and spilling vitamins and proteins is not the exact way to save them.
The girl followed over unsure as everyone remained close yet distant.
Close to drag someone else as a shield and distant enough if anyone tried to do the same to them.
All in all, everyone is wary of everything.
They continued on until they reached a somewhat thicker forest area. The trunk of the tree is more significant than the width of a car.
Thick leaves cast darkness under it, they proceeded carefully.
Even though the couch is a strong person as far as Kai could say, it's not absolute for a hungry beast to try its luck.
And the couch would not help in any way.
They continued on until Kai saw the new girl Kate try to pick up a flower.
"Don't touch it!" Kai said it even before he could help it.
The girl stilled, 'Wait when did she even come here?' Kai walked in the middle of the line, and the girl Kate as the newcomer should be in the end, yet here she is beside him.
Kate looked at him quizzingly but Kai refused to speak or look at her anymore.
If he helped her once, she will expect help once more.
He is not providing charity here, nor was he able to.
Seeing him ignoring her the girl pressed on, "Why can't I touch it?"
He ignored the question and proceeded silently but the girl was a stubborn one.
She repeatedly pressed him with questions until he had enough and said it was because anything can be dangerous in this forest.
'So shut it and move on!'
That's what he said.
The girl fell silent the entire trip until they reached the place where the hunting usually begins.
The coach didn't even say a word and jumped on top of the tree branches and in quick lightning-fast steps, disappeared into the forest.
"Wh-Where did he go?" Kate asked him again, but Kai got no time to answer.
He quickly ran away just like everyone else.
'The dumb idiot would die even before she knows' Kai thought and for some reason, he felt sad.
He entered the thick forest and chanced a look behind him.
'F*ck why does she keep following me' Kai decided to take a roundabout way to his destination, but no matter how he twisted and turned she kept following him.
'Sh*t, if she kept following me like this when will I shake her off and go to my hideout'
"You why are you keep following me?" Kai finally broke the silence in irritation and startled the girl. But both of them got startled by the other sound as the girl held onto his shirt in fear.
"ROWR"
"ARGHHH"
Soon the sound of screaming followed and stopped followed by sounds of munching.
The sound is too close, Kai signaled the girl to be quiet. If not it would be a death sentence for them both.
He decided to go to the hideout, it's either that or spend time in the dangerous forest and die.
He reached a cliff with a withered tree at the tip. Even though the tree is withered it still stood strong against the high wind.
He reached there and mechanically started to pull out a rope made of vines from under the tree roots.
Kate watched this as she didn't hide her trembling.
Then Kai used the leaning branch as a pulley and started to climb down, the girl didn't wait and followed him soon.
Kai reached a slight prodding out of the cliff wall, there is a small cave that could serve as a shelter from both sight and beast. Once down, he moved in allowing the girl to climb down, and watched everything with a complicated feeling.
This hideout was something the body owner find very young, and he used them to hide and so his survival until now.
Both Kai's had never even dreamed of showing this to anyone else, because the people may decide to silence them if need be, to keep this place a secret.
Yet, here he is easily showing it to a girl.
After the girl climbed down, she looked around startled. Her fear eased somewhat as she asked "Where is this?"
"My hideout, so you better don't tell anyone"
"OH!" the girl looked delighted as she looked down the edge.
"OMG! There is a river below" the girl said yelling.
"Shut it!" Kai said unhappy, and proceeded to meditate, to find the magic.
But as he closed his eyes, he heard the sound of phasing around.
'Ah damn it, can't she stay still' he cursed, and eventually, it did stop for a movement or two.
Then, *Torn*.
'Wait, what is that sound?' Kai questioned, and then soon some more sounds followed.
*Slurp* *Slurp*
An image of the girl holding something nasty appeared in his brain.
'Is there someone else here?'
He quickly opened his eyes to see the girl quietly sitting on a rock and watching him.
Her left side cheek is bulging and a thin plastic tube is sticking out of her mouth.
"Wah?" Kate asked as she saw him watching her mouth in disbelief.
"You…Where did you get it?" Kai asked pointing at the lollipop which she took out to speak.
"Oh…this.." Kate asked nodding, "I smuggled it"