For The Country

Secrets Revealed

Ella, this time dressed as Rose, spotted the prince leaving the castle grounds alone on his horse. She raced down to the stables, taking one of the horses and following, Robert keeping a respectable distance. He seemed to understand her and Kava were getting along best when nobody else was involved, but he couldn't leave her completely alone.

As expected, she found Rex tied by the entrance of the forest. She left her own horse there as well, following on foot. She had arrived right after, so he shouldn't be too far.

She found traces of a hunt, broken arrows and feathers, spots of blood from the game that was no longer there. Then she found the first torn apart body. It was a boar, they had really bred way too much. Something must have hunted it down and torn it apart. She was hoping Kava was safe. He probably was. He was an amazing hunter.

She followed the broken arrows, hastily making her way through the woods. She sneaked closer when she heard a sound ahead.

It was Kava, crouching down in the thicket. He didn't spot her, keeping his gaze on a large boar in front of him. He squeezed his hand on the arrow he was holding to the point of his knuckles becoming white. Instead of reaching for his bow, he jumped forward from the crouch, raising the arrow high. With a battle cry he brought the arrow down into the boar's head. There was enough force behind the swing to break through the animal's skull, falling it on the spot. Kava yanked the arrow out, flipping the animal over. He sunk the arrow into the flesh on the stomach, ripping it open. He fell on his knees in the pool of the boar's blood. His hands sank into the flesh, tearing it apart. With the wolf hide on his back he really seemed like he was a wolf himself, wild and animalistic.

He tore a long strip of flesh out, sinking his teeth into it. The blood ran down his chin, staining his body.

Ella gave a terrified gasp, watching the scene.

The man stopped instantly, his burning eyes looking exactly her direction. She hid behind a tree, her heart deafening. She wasn't supposed to see that. She shouldn't be here.

A hand slammed into the other side of the tree, claws running down with a terrible sound. The hunter leaned over the side, the wolf eared head appearing in her peripheral vision.

She was dead. She had to run and reach Robert. On a horse he wouldn't be able to catch her.

She broke into a sprint the other way. The Hunter turned her way. She couldn't look back.

She had never ran so fast in her life, but she wasn't sure if she was going the right direction. There were fast steps behind her, but she didn't want to see. She wanted to escape.

Something hit her back and she fell onto the ground, pinned to the ground by the weight. She struggled under the prince while he straddled her. He was terrifying, his clothes and hide soaked in blood that was seeping onto Ella. His eyes were darting around her body, his hands holding the hanging wolf hide tightly.

Ella's chest was raising and falling quickly, her heart slamming in her chest.

"No, no, no, no, why are you here? You shouldn't be here." He whispered feverishly, tugging at the hide. "Rose, why are you here?"

She couldn't speak, all of the words dying in her throat between her laboured breaths. She felt like a wide eyed doe trapped under a predator. The only thing preventing a full blown panic attack was the fact that the prince looked as distressed as her.

Something clicked in her mind and she took a deep breath, preparing to scream bloody murder.

"No, no!" His bloody hand covered her mouth and she gave a strained sound, thrashing weakly under the grip. "Please, don't scream! Just– just stay calm, please! I can explain."