Chapter 8: The Shack in the Middle of the Forest

Chapter 8

Valen is still stroking the horse's head when she felt someone is looking at her. She stopped stroking the horse and lifted her face. Her eyes widen at the sight of Edward in front of her. She then realizes that the horse belongs to the prince. She quickly takes a look at the horse, she now only notice that the horse has a saddle which means someone owns him. She tries to stay calm so as not to let the horse feel frightened. She takes a small step backward, putting some distance between her and the horse and then walks hurriedly back, crossing the stream to go far away from him.

"Wait!" Edward shouted. The lady continues to run away so he runs to follow her across the stream, leaving Spirit behind.

"Wait please...I mean no harm." Edward pleadingly shouted. "You have black hair; I just wanted to know who you are. I mean no harm I promise!"

The black-haired lady continues to run and is already a bit further away from Edward. Edward cannot seem to catch up as he already has some bruises and cuts due to the vines and twigs along the way. He then decided to stop chasing her as he also does not want to leave Spirit in the forest alone and it's already late in the afternoon and will very soon get dark.

Edward faces the other way, heading back to where Spirit is, to go home and he hopesthat he will be able to sleep properly that evening.

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Valen is panting so much that she's already short of breath. She was able to, once again, escape from Edward. She goes inside her house, places the two satchels and her bow and arrows on the table. She started preparing the fish to be cook in the small fireplace while she's deep in her thought; someone has seen her! Edward saw her as a black-straight haired lady! Definitely, he will try to search for her again; he being in the forest a while ago was also a mystery.

Few hours later, after eating dinner and after placing the ingredients and prepared medicines in the medicine cupboard, she lies down on her bed and still thinking of a way for her not to meet Edward again.

"Do I have to leave this house?" she asked herself aloud. However, she already knows the answer...she will not be able to leave just like that. Almost all of her belongings are already here. Once she leaves, she must not leave anything behind, which means she will have to carry all her belongings, medicines and ingredients all at once as she can no longer return because in no time, the shack will probably be found.

Valen was so confused of what to do; she was so tired and exhausted, she fell asleep.

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Edward's cuts and bruises were already treated upon his return in the mansion. He told his parents how he got those few bruises and what he found in the forest.

"Are you sure about that Edward? That the lady you saw has a black and straight hair?" Lord Thomas asked him.

"Yes, father, I am sure. I was not able to properly look at her face, but I am sure that her hair is a straight-black."

"Well, if that is the case, we must find her! There must be others who are still alive. We must arrange a search party and they should depart immediately!" His father was about to ask a servant to summon Sir Friedmore but Edward halted his father in doing further action.

"No father! You must not."

"Why Edward? Why should I not? All these years we have been thinking that there are no single soul survived from Yel. Give me a good reason. You know how much it saddened me that I was not able to help them." His father said with sadness in his eyes.

"Father, I was the only one chasing her a while ago and she's already frightened; what more if there are too many chasing her, armed knights, she will more likely be too terrified. I believe you do not want that to happen father." His father sighed. His son has a point.

"Do you have any plan then, son?"

"No, I honestly do not have yet, I am not too sure if she lives in the forest; but what I know is, I must find her the sooner the better, because if she really lives in that forest, she might think of leaving that place which will make it more difficult for us to find her. I will leave tomorrow morning to search for her. This time I will not take Spirit with me. Just let me find her father. If I will not be successful, perhaps then we can arrange some knights for a search."

"Alright then Edward, I will entrust the search to you. I will ask for the carriage driver to take you to the entrance of that forest and will wait for you to return."

Edward was able to sleep well last night, probably due to exhaustion. He woke up so early before dawn to leave the mansion and go to the forest. He thought that if she really lives in the forest and decides to leave her place, she will more likely to do so at sunrise; therefore he needs to find her early and as quickly as possible.

He arrives at the entrance of the forest at dawn. Ben escorted him there and will wait for him to return so he can escort him back to the mansion. He goes deeper into the forest taking the same path leading to the stream seeing different creatures along the way from beetles and spiders to four-legged, harmless animals like squirrels and rabbits which seems he did not notice if he encountered one yesterday.

Crossing the stream, he continues to walk deeper, looking around for any signs of a lady, or a house or anything that will probably give clue that someone lives here. Somewhere up ahead, something caught his eyes, a huge tree, though it is not the biggest tree he has ever seen; it is the biggest among the trees in this forest, and just beside it is a small cabin! Someone really is living here in the forest!

He continues to walk heading towards the tree, then suddenly, he felt a movement somewhere on his right, within the tall grasses and plants. He decides to check it out but as soon as he comes closer, he hears a growl coming closer towards him - and in just a few seconds, a huge brown grizzly bear appears.

Edward moves slightly backwards as he draws his sword. The bear seems irritated as it lets out an angry howl and pounce him. Edward was able to dodge the bear's pounce and he quickly positioned himself into his sword fighting stance. Edward swings his sword once trying to threaten the bear thinking that it will back off and move away, but the bear becomes more enrage that it let out an angry-sounding roar.

Valen suddenly woke up as she heard a bear's roar which seems not too far away. Thinking that the repelias planted outside seem not enough to let the bear back off; she quickly gets up, ties her hair, finds the cloak, grabs it and puts it on as she no longer wants to be seen in the open with her black hair. She also grabs her bow and arrow, just in case.

Valen opens the door and goes outside. She now hears a growling sound somewhere near. As she walks a bit further, he sees a man lying down just a few feet away from the big tree. There is blood gushing out his left arm! She was relieved that the man is still moving; he is still alive! A few feet further, away from the repelias and in front of the man, is a huge brown bear, growling at the man.

She runs towards the man and stands in front him. She looks at the bear, staring directly at it, directly on its eyes; and the bear looks back at her with angry eyes.

"Valen? Is that you? Stay away from it. The bear is in rage, it will hurt you." Edward instantly said upon seeing the black cloak, but the cloaked lady in front of him did not seem to hear him.

Valen is too focused looking directly on the bear's eyes, thinking that the bear should back off, be calm and return to where it should be. In just a few seconds, the bear's stare softens, walks with his four legs away from them towards the tall grasses and plants.

"How did y..." Edward was not able to complete his question in amazement. How was the lady able to make the bear back off?

Valen remembering the injured man behind her; thinking that it no longer matter anymore if someone finds out about her shack as she will be leaving it, this time for sure. She quickly faces him to attend to him and heal him but was rather surprised as the wounded man is no other than the prince!

"Edward!" Valen said in surprised. That's the only thing she can say as she was too surprised to see him this early in the morning; but she thought there's no need to think of the worst right now, she needs to stop the bleeding. She helps Edward to stand up and they go inside her shack.

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