When she died, she imagined that when she woke up in that the Eternal Garden would be green and full of plants of all kind of colors. Her family would be there to greet her and she would be in her younger body from before the troubles started. They would take her hand and lead her to their new home where they would all live in peace.
It was a comforting fantasy and thought.
Imagine her surprise when she woke up to a wooden ceiling, the smell of pinecones and the feeling of a fur blanket placed over her carefully. Groaning, she turned to her left and saw a sliver of light come through the leafy wall beside her.
'This wasn`t the eternal garden,' she thought as she tried to sit up but then winced as pan overtook her left side. Glancing down, she tried to push herself up so she could see what was causing her pain. Slowly, she also used her other arm to pull the blanket away.
A bandage was wrapped around her left shoulder.
Then it came back to her. Her escape. The guards killing Yang and her stumbling run into the forest.
Why was she still alive?
How as she still alive?
Pulling the blanket up, she lied down and stared at the ceiling. She didn`t want to cry. She had been crying for a what felt like forever. All she felt was numbness.
Mouchim.
Prinka.
Her little sister or brother.
Jayl.
Fader
And now, Yang.
There was no one left in her family.
She was the last.
There was no one in the land left for her to live for.
Even though she felt that she didn`t have the energy to cry, a lone tear still fell from her eyes and it rolled down onto the pillow she had. Blinking slightly, she sniffed and instead focused on her surroundings.
She was inside a sort of bush tent. One made similar to one her family carried around but there were changes. It was made for three people. There was a rope at the corner that had some clothes and herbs hanging.
A fire was lit a few feet away from her. One of the mats was rolled up and neatly stacked. There were wooden plates on the ground and a pitcher to the far corner. At the foot of her bed was a role of brown cloth. The more she studied it, she realized that it was her rags from the prison camp.
Eyes widening slightly, she peeked under her blanket and was relieved to find her bindings in order.
The sound of branches snapping had her turning onto her side and frowning as a man entered the tent. He was tall and long locks of hair that fell down to his back. He was dressed in animal skin and cloth. His feet were covered and he looked like one of Kalen`s people.
He was also carrying three furry little creatures, all stung up. When he saw that she was awake, he slowly put down the creatures and held up his palms, "It's alright. I mean you no harm."
Dev frowned and croaked, "You speak my language?"
She then coughed slightly. The man stepped to the side and poured some water from the pitcher into a cup of sorts. He then drank from it before passing it to her," Are you able to sit up and drink?"
She tried to sit up but winces. Seeing her discomfort, he slowly made his way over and held the cup up for her to drink from. With every sip, her throat felt better and she realized how thirsty she was.
When she was done, he put down the cup and went back to the animals before sitting near the fire. Taking out a knife, he began to skin them.
Dev watched him with caution before finally speaking, "Who are you? Why did you save me?"
"You can call me Hunter," the man, known as Hunter, replied, "As for why I saved you," He paused as he looked up from his work," I needed assistance and you were there. Just barely dying and living at the same time."
Dev`s heart raced and she started to feel sick, "Am I to be your prisoner?"
So soon after escaping one prison?
Hunter shook his head," Not prisoner. Assistant. Like a helper."
"Why?"
"Do you have any family, girl?" Hunter asked instead.
Dev looked away and instead focused on staring at the ceiling.
The man made a clicking sound," I thought so."
He then stood and took some water out to wash the meat before continuing to speak," Let me tell you the reality of what your land has come to. All your tribes and all your people are either dead, or in prison camps. A small number of them are behind your barrier. But even they will die soon."
Dev frowned at the word 'barrier' before realizing he must mean Ulsa. That means the rumors were true. Those that reached Ulsa were safe.
"In any case, if you go around by yourself, you`ll be captured and brought to the camps or killed on the spot. I`d imagine the latter seeing as you must be an escapee. This is all I gathered from your dressing and the fact that I was sure that there was camp nearby the forest I found you in."
Dev turned to him," We are no longer there?"
They had left the camp behind?
Yang`s body was still there.
Hunter shook his head as he stood with the meat and loaded them into a pot before throwing some herbs into it as well. Once he was satisfied with whatever was in his pot, he hung it over the fire and sat down. While stoking the fire, he started to speak again," I left as soon as I got wind of the soldiers scouting the area. When they came across the camp, I told them that I was travelling with my slave and he was sleeping a drink, "He looked up and caught her eye, "It was either that or something more worse..."
Dev nodded slightly.
"Anyway, let`s make the story short. I nursed you back to health and kept you away from the guards' eyes. In return, I ask that you travel with me as a helper. Just until I`m done with this land."
Dev swallowing a lump before speaking, "What do you mean 'when you`re done'?"
Hunter gestured to the walls of the tent as if referring to something, "Your land has sort of become a sort of getaway for criminals of my land and I am tasked with finding them before sending them back home."
"Why do that?" Dev asked.
"It`s called being a Hunter of sorts."
"Hence your name."
Hunter grinned, "Exactly."
Dev nodded. She then tried to move onto her side but the pain reminded her that she was still injured so she settled with turning her head towards him and speaking, "And when you are done?"
"I`ll bring you to the barrier and let you go off to your people," Hunter said with a shrug. He stood and looked into the pot as steam rose from it. Its aroma actually made her mouth water. Swallowing, she asked, "Just like that?"
"Just like that," He confirmed with a nod.
Dev mulled over his words in her head as Hunter focused on his stew. Whatever he was cooking was starting to smell even more heavenly to someone who had lived on bread, a sliver of fruit and water for some many years. What did being a helper mean? Did that mean that's he would some digging, moving objects and get beatings when she made a mistake or tried to escape?
She then voiced the most pressing thing on her mind by asking, "Will you beat me if I try to run or do something wrong?"
Hunter frowned and shook his head, "No. Because even if you run, you`ll be discovered by someone worse than me. Your land isn`t the way it was before. There are people everywhere looking for your kind and hoping to sell you off."
Dev sighed. Whether in relief or disappoint, she didn`t know. She asked again, "But if I stay with you…?"
"I can guarantee that no one will be looking in your direction," Hunter promised. What kind of man was he? Just willing to take in a Zelowalli girl? So strange. However, staying with him might be better than living in a prison camp again.
"What will you have me do?"
Hunter stirred the pot as with a hum before speaking, "Help me find my bounties. The criminals. Help me capture them and turn them in. From time to time, act as my translator and help me with the day-to-day things. Like a girl normally does."
Dev nodded but then froze. Licking her lips, she spoke, "I`m not…"
Hunter cut in with a hard stare at her, "That won`t work on me. I changed your bandages. I also know the signs of someone who`s taken a hormone drug to stop them from going through puberty."
A pause.
Dev heard birds from outside cry and she turned back toward the ceiling, "I had to not be a girl to be safe inside the camps."
"And that`s fine. I would ask that you keep taking it your drug but allow your hair to grow."
This made her turn back to him with a frown, "Why?"
"Your tattoos," He said as he used his spoon to gesture towards her face.
Dev nodded. Once his meal was done, the place got cooler and the creatures of the night started to cry. He made poured a bowl for her and spoon fed her before eating his share as well.
When he was done, he looked to her as he tended to their fire," Do we have a deal?"
Dev nodded. Sealing her fate.
Satisfied, he then gave her instructions to rest while his herbs healed her. They would travel when she was better in order to get more of the Makena for her to eat.
Even though he gave his word that he wouldn`t do anything to hurt her, she stayed awake until she was sure he was asleep before sleeping as well.
The next morning when she woke up, the tent was open and she could see him brushing his horse. When she tried to sit up, the usual pain from the day before didn`t hit her as hard as it did so she was able to sit in her bed. Feeling how sticky she was, she tried to push back her blankets and reach for the pitcher but stopped when she saw two cups of water near her bed.
"Good morning, I brought the water closer for you to drink," Hunter called out from near the entrance. Dev noticed that he was done brushing his horse and was now focused on his weapons.
"Thank you," Dev called out before drinking the water. The second cup she used to wash her face slightly. Regardless, she still felt sticky and she was sure that she smelled badly.
When Hunter entered the tent, she looked up at him hopefully," Is there any way for me to bathe?"
"We might. We`re a few hours ride away from a river but I don`t think we should move just yet, you`re still healing," Hunter revealed with a frown as he gestured to her bandaged shoulder.
"I can heal better whilst washed," Dev insisted.
Hunter continued to frown.
"Please…"
Finally, after a tense moment, he nodded. He then left to go and saddle up his horse before attaching a sled to it. He came back into the tent and lifted her up in one go," You`re too skinny. We need to fix that."
Once she was inside the sled. He broke down his camp, packed what needed onto his horse and then they set of for the river.
At river, he fed her Makena, allowed her to wash and then tended to her wound like he said he would.