Ch. 6: The Bonfire

"We will rest here tonight." Liam's voice carried down to the other riders of the party as they slowed down from the gallop they had been brutally riding at. The silence of the road made it easy for his voice to travel. They pulled their horses off the road, heading into the woods. After a few minutes of walking into the woods, they cam upon a large clearing, big enough for all of them in their party.

Everyone swiftly dismounted, except for Caliana. She was still in shock, even a few hours after having left her village. She had hardly felt the ride, too lost in her thoughts to even notice the scenery changing around her. She blinked slowly as Liam put his hand on her leg, looking at it then at him. "Come." His hands reached for her waist, and she put her hands on his shoulders, allowing him to help her off his horse.

Her feet touched the ground, but her legs collapsed on her, her body falling against Liam's. A whimper escaped her as her bruised abdomen collided with his arm. She coughed a bit, covering her mouth with her hand. Pulling her hand away, her and Liam both stared at the blood on her palm for a moment. Suddenly Caliana felt her legs going limp, her eyes closing as she fell towards the ground.

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Caliana woke with a groan, her eyes opening up to that of two men, one who was putting a poultice on her abdomen and Liam who was glaring at her in anger. She whimpered and tried to move back, but was stopped by the rough fabric of the tent. "You need to stay still. You're lucky you don't have any broken ribs, but your abdomen is severely swollen. Well have to travel at a slower pace if your to heal properly." The man putting the poultice on her stomach said.

He carefully helped her sit up, wrapping bandages around her stomach. She looked down and realized that her breasts had been modestly covered by the cloak she had been given, and it relaxed her. "Who beat you?" The cold voice came from the man who was glaring at her, his eyes filled with rage. "M-my brother, Seth." Her voice was weak and raspy, but she did her best to talk clearly. "I-I don't even know your names."

"I'm Glen. I'm the healer and herb specialist for the Hunters." The man wrapping her abdomen said, bowing his head. "And he is Liam. He forgets proper manners sometimes, but once he warms up to you, you won't notice."

Caliana noticed how Liam watched Glen carefully, glancing at her curious eyes for a moment before looking away. "I'm Caliana. But you know that already." She blushed a little, looking down.

"You should rest. I'll check in on you later." Glen smiled at her and left the tent, leaving her in the tense silence of the tent. She could feel Liam's eyes on her, but she was scared to meet his. She bit her bottom lip, chewing on it as she thought of what to say. But it was Liam who broke the silence first.

"Stop biting your lip." Startled, she turned and looked at him, wondering why he had asked her to stop, but was greeted by the sught if his back to her. "Why didn't you say anything back at your village. Surely your father would have at least done something about it." Celeste looked down, running a hand through her hair, forcing herself not to stare at the ugly bruise on her wrist.

"My father would have done nothing. In fact, he very well may have helped him." Celeste didn't see the way Liam's hands clenched into fists, nor how he spun and stepped towards her. "Why? Why do they beat you? Why did your brother do this to you?" She looked up as he knelt down on the grass by her, glaring at her wrists.

"Why do you care? It's not like you know me." Caliana's voice didn't hold any malice as she spoke, just sadness. She was used to people turning a blind eye to her suffering. So for him to ask about it, shocked and saddened her. He thinks I'm pathetic and weak. The thought made her eyes water, and she didn't realize that she was crying until she felt a warm hand on her cheek, wiping her tears away.

"Because you are my apprentice. Because you will be one of my subjects." Caliana lifted her eyes at his gentle tone, seeing something flash across his eyes, something almost possessive looking, but he said nothing more. "Do you feel strong enough to eat with the rest of us, or would you like me to bring you something?" His voice returned to the cold one she was used to hearing.

"I think I can join you. I-I just don't... umm... have any clo-" Before the words finished leaving her lips, a hunters pair of trousers and a shirt was handed to her. "You will wear these. They are typical Hunters attire. You'll find it's easier to move and a lot less restricting than a dress." Turning to leave, he almost didn't hear her as she called his name.

"Liam." Turning to look at her, she struggled to get up. "I... will you help me. I d-dont think I can get dressed on my own without help." Her cheeks flushed pink as she spoke, looking down. Liam clenched his jaw, nodding and gently helping her to her feet. Once she was standing, she tried to turn her body away from Liam, but found it was difficult to stand without her hands on his shoulders.

Silently, after making sure Liam wasn't watching and had his eyes closed, she dropped the cloak that was covering her chest, reaching for the tunic she was given. It had been cut shorter than most tunics were, so instead of hanging down to the knees, it only fell her hips. Lifting her arms over her head, she paused for a moment as pain shot through her side, making her gasp.

Liam's eyes opened instantly, running over her body to assess what may be wrong. In the process, he got a decent look at her chest, but hid any reaction in his face he may have had. Instead his eyes shot up to hers, meeting her startled and embarrassed ones. Mumbling softly that she was fine, and turned her head and tried to slip the tunic on. Her body began to sway a little as she had stopped gripping Liam's shoulders.

Two warm firm hands landed on her hips, holding her steady and making her gasp. Blushing a dark red, she quickly slipped the tunic over her body, thankful once the cloth covered her chest. Carefully grabbing the trousers, she slipped them over her legs, pulling them up. She tried to ignore Liam's hands on her waist, holding her firm, but she couldn't. She had never had a man touch her so firmly yet gently.

Shaking her head of her thoughts, she pulled the pants up and tightened the belt on it. The pants were almost a perfect fit, and the tunic was as well. "I'm done." She said softly to Liam.

"Let's go." Liam's voice was rough, and had a slightly husky sound to it. Confused, she glanced at him, then gasped as she noticed the large bulge in the front of his own trousers. Surely she hadn't caused that!

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Stepping out of the tent with Liam, Caliana was surprised at how late the evening had gotten. "How long was I asleep for?" She asked quietly, looking at the small campsite. A large fire had been built, and turning on a spit was a large deer, slowly roasting over the fire. The smell was mouthwatering, watching the fat drip off the meat and sizzle into the coals. Around the fire, the rest of the Hunters from the party say in a large circle, laughing and talking. She shrunk back a bit when she noticed everyone else staring at her, but then realized they weren't staring in anger or malice, but curiosity.

"You were out for a couple hours." Liam answered her, guiding her to sit by Glen before going up and cutting some meat from the spit, putting it on a small wooden plate and carefully carrying it back to her. Sitting beside her, he handed her the plate, taking a piece for himself. Everyone had gone silent for a moment as the pair arrived, but they quickly resumed eating and talking as Liam sat and began eating.

Caliana watched the group carefully, meeting the eyes of one of the members occasionally and receiving gentle smiles and nods of acceptance. Blushing, she began to eat, her stomach growling in approval at the meat. The flavors hitting her tongue had her almost moaning, and her mouth was indeed watering for more.

By the time she finished the plate, the group had begun to settle down, and looked expectantly towards her and Liam. She felt her nerves begin to rise, but didn't say anything, unsure what was happening.

Liam stood after a few moments, clearing his throat. The remaining conversation died down, and she looked up at him. "We found an apprentice this year." Everyone cheered, smiling and clapping at Liam's words. "However, things this year, will be different. There will be many changes. First, with the fact that our apprentice is a female, she will not go anywhere without a senior member or myself. We have too many rogue attacks on our lands, and she will need to train twice as hard to learn to defend herself.

"Second. She will be my own personal apprentice. If anyone has a problem with my choice, speak now." He waited for a few moments, watching quietly. When no one spoke, he nodded. "Good. Lastly, she was injured by her brother. Her training will be off schedule by a few weeks due to this. If any of you ever hear, or see, anyone being violent towards her, and refuse to inform me, you will find yourself stripped of your ranks and go back to apprentices again. And if I hear any of you have touched her, violently or inappropriately, you will answer to me directly."

Everyone bowed their heads in assent, and watched as Liam turned to Caliana. Extending his hand to her, she gently took it, and slowly was helped to her feet. Standing confidently, she hid her fear and nerves. She had been chosen to be here. She now had to earn her place. "Everyone, welcome our newest apprentice, Caliana!"