Three: Zahra

He rumbles. "Come and eat."

The male's shelter was not like my father's. It was standing on it's own...it looked like a big weaved basket and it was wood. He even opened a door instead of a flap. It was swinging on it's own like I had never seen before. He chuckled when he saw the shocked expression and ushered me inside. There was a wooden table, also standing upright. A chair. And a bed against the wall. Even a window to let in light.

I stood awkwardly inside his shelter while he asked someone for food and then set the chair at the table with a waterskin of water. I hugged myself and stayed against the wall until he finally turned to me. "Come eat something. I know you're hungry."

There was a knock on his door and I waited for the shelter to come crashing down, but it didn't. He went over to open it and thanked the man on the other side. He turned with two bowls in his hands and set them on the table. Again he turned to me and raised a brow. I shook my head.

"Will you sit down then?" he offered.

I glanced at the chair and widened my eyes, shaking my head vigorously.

"It will hold you, I promise." Again, I shook my head. The man sighed and grabbed the chair and sat in it himself. I gasped and waited for it to break, but it didn't and he chuckled. "Do you believe me now?"

I blinked, but made no move to get closer.

He smirked. "You can stand there all night or you can come over here and eat so we can sleep for the little time we have left before the sun rises."

I find my voice I hadn't known went missing and say, "How is that possible?"

He raised his brow. "The chair?"

"Everything!"

He chuckles. "I built them. If I am staying somewhere for a while, I build a shelter that will last for the amount of time that I need." My stomach growls. He chuckles. " Eat, please."

"But, what if it's poisoned?"

"I am not going to poison you. I'm not cruel like that. I just want to help you."

"How do you know that man didn't poison it?"

"He's my friend."

I hesitate before going over and standing at the table. But the male gets up and puts the chair behind me. "What are you doing?" I ask, startled a little.

He gives me a small smile. "Sit down before you fall over. I'm heavier than you so the chair can take your weight."

Gingerly, I sit. It doesn't collapse and the male pushes it closer to the table. I grab the bowl and smell delicious food. He sits on the bed and lies down. I eat slowly and watch him.

The male had very dark brown hair that needed to be cut because it got in his eyes a lot. He was much bigger than June's friend, and seemed like he could win any fight if it came down to it. He was quiet and seemed polite, but knew more than I thought was possible. He was intriguing.

"Are you comfortable sleeping on the bed with me, or do you want to be alone?" he asked, startling me out of my thoughts.

"What if they come back?"

"They won't be able to reach you, Dove. I have very good senses and my friend is hidden in the trees, watching for anyone who might intrude."

"What if your friend doesn't see them?"

He sits up and looks at me. "I won't let them near you, Dove. That's a promise. I keep promises. You're going to be safe while you're with me. I'm not going to let anything or anyone get close enough to harm you."

I nod, trusting him. He lays back down and I finish my food, then drink the water. Only then did I ask him, "If you're not with me, where will you be?"

"I'm going to be with you, but I won't be on the bed. I'll sleep on the ground."

I hesitate for a moment then slowly walk up to him. He turns and gazes up at me, those dark eyes intense. "I don't want to be alone, not even in the bed. I'm scared."

Slowly, he sits up, then stands. "Wait here. I'm going to get a few things."

My eyes burn. "You're leaving me alone?"

He puts both hands on my shoulders and gently says, "I will not be long. I promise. You need new clothes and we need a bigger blanket." I nod, trying to keep myself from panicking, but I think he senses it. "If something happens while I'm getting these things, my name is Tobyn. Scream my name as loud as possible and I will come."

"Tobyn?" He nods. I wipe my eyes and straighten up. "Okay. But please hurry?"

He lifts my face so I can see his face. "I'm not going far. Just some clothes for you and another blanket, okay?" I nod. He squeezes my shoulders and runs out the door.

I stand there for a moment, then sit on the bed. It's surprisingly comfortable and I lay down. My body relaxes a bit and my eyes grow heavy. I'm just about to close them when Tobyn reappears and closes the door. I blink up at him and manage to get out, "You're back."

He gives me a smile then kneels beside the bed. "Can you sit up and get into these?"

I frown, but do as he says and sit up. The world spins for a moment and Tobyn has to catch me before I fall over. "I can't."

"You're exhausted," he murmurs. I feel a tug around my stomach and then hear, "Arms up."

And it's like I'm a kid again, only this time, I didn't feel like my father was annoyed. I felt cherished, loved, wanted. I liked this feeling, and I didn't want it to end. My eyes told me that the man in front of me wasn't my father, but my brain wouldn't listen. "Thank you, father."

"Stand up for a minute so I can pull these off."

I struggle to my feet and use his body to steady myself as he slides my pants off. Then I sit back down and let him put on new. He asks me to stand again, but my body goes limp instead.

"Dove, put your arms around me." I open my eyes and lift my arms to slide around his neck. His breath is warm when he whispers, "Hold on," then I'm off the bed. He pulls the clean pants up all the way then gently lays me down again.

"That feels better," I yawn.

A warm blanket envelopes me and then a body weighs the bed down behind me. Arms go around my waist, then all I feel is blissful heat. "Sleep, Dove. I won't let you go."

I wake to warmth and sunshine. When I open my eyes, I find I'm alone and jump up. "Tobyn!"

No answer.

I rush out the shelter and slam into a large body. "Woah, easy there. I was just getting food."

I look up and see him with two bowls. "You weren't there."

"Relax. I was just coming back." He puts one bowl in with the other, then wraps an arm around my waist. "I wasn't gone long."

We enter his shelter again and I sit on the bed, wrapping the blanket around me. He hands me a bowl and sits in the chair in front of me. We eat in silence and I wolf the food down until there isn't a drop left. I frown at my empty bowl, then it disappears. I whip my head up to see Tobyn handing me his, half eaten. "Aren't you hungry?" I ask.

He smiles. "I ate earlier. I knew you'd be hungry so I brought two and ate half of one so you wouldn't get sick."

For the first time, I smile back and take the bowl. I eat the rest of the contents and hand it back to him. He puts them on the table and picks up a pile of clothes I hadn't noticed on the end of the bed. "Thank you," I say.

"I'll step outside. Come out when you're ready, okay?" he says and I nod. Dressing, I take my time then do my hair, which I put into a braid down my back. When that's finished, I open the door and peek outside. Tobyn was sitting next to a man on a log in front of a fire pit, except the fire was out. The other male was less bulky, had green eyes and light brown hair. He was laughing and Tobyn chuckled. I stepped outside and they turned to me. "Dove, meet Flint. He's my friend and the only other person here with us."

I give the handsome man a small smile and a tiny wave. He stands and walks over, holding out his hand. "What's your name?"

I keep my mouth shut, but shake his hand anyways. Tobyn comes up and puts a hand on my shoulder. "She hasn't been forthcoming with her personal life, but I'm not going to force her."

Flint nods. "No problem. May I call you by a different name, then?"

"You'd accept that?" I blurt.

"Not if you aren't willing. I'm not going to make you do something you don't want to do."

I glance at Tobyn and he nods. Turning to Flint again, I say, "Marian."

Flint grins. "Well, Marian, it is wonderful to meet you!"

I smile and feel relaxed for the first time. Tobyn ruins it though by saying, "I have an errand to run. Do you think you could keep her safe until I return? A few people are looking for her and I don't want her leaving without knowing it was of free will."

He starts to walk away but grab his arm. He looks back at me with confusion and I let go of him quickly. "I'm sorry. But, you can't leave me here."

"You won't be alone, Dove. I'll be back before they get here, I promise."

"Take me with you, please?"

Tobyn hesitates but then seems to get an idea. Turning, he nods to Flint behind me and then puts a hand on my lower back, leading me into the forest. "I will take you with me, if you do something in return."

"What?" I ask softly.

"Tell me your name."

I stay silent.

He glances down at me with a smirk. "If you want to come, you have to tell me. I have to know who you are. A name is important when seeing someone for the first time."

I look down and say, "What if my name isn't my real name?"

"Give me your name that you know. We'll figure out the rest later," he said and stopped to face me.

I still don't look up at him but I give him my name. "Zoe."

His hand appears under my chin and lifts it so I can see his face. "Well, it is very nice to meet you, Zoe." He smiles and I relax. "Do you know how to ride a horse?"

I shake my head and he takes my hand and leads me to a brown and white mare with a long white mane. "She's beautiful!" I gasp.

"I'm glad you like her," he chuckles, then puts his hands on my waist. "I'm going to lift you up. I want you to swing one leg over onto the other side of her so you're straddling her, understand?" I nod and he lifts. I do as he says, then hold on tight around her neck.

Tobyn gets on behind me and pulls me upright until I am leaning against him with his arms around me to hold the reins. "I'm not sure this is a good idea," I say breathily.

"We're just going walk. Don't worry, I got you." Clicking his tongue, Tobyn leads the horse into the forest and away from his campsite. I begin to relax a little when I'm not about to fall off, then begin to look around.

There were long moments of silence where I admired the view from atop the horse and Tobyn guided it around trees and through rough patches. The horse didn't protest at being told where to go, just obeyed. I looked down at the reins and realized he was just lightly tugging on it, not pulling hard.

"Do you want to try?"

I look at him. "Can I?"

He chuckles and hands them to me. "She's good at listening, so not much is needed for her to go where you want her to go."

I tug to the right just a tiny bit and she turns. I guide her some more before smiling back at Tobyn. "Can we go faster?"

He takes the reins and pushes me back against him. In my ear, he whispers, "Hold on." I grab both his arms and feel the tension in the horse before we're flying through the forest at a speed I hadn't known possible. I smile, feeling the wind in my face and the feel of excitement of doing something fun.

After a few minutes, Tobyn slows us down and chuckles. "You're braver than you think, Zoe. You are curious and are interested in experiencing things. It's a good sight compared to your shyness."

I smile. "That was fun! Can we do it again!"

He holds up a finger, then jumps down. Taking out a satchel, he starts picking something from a bush. When he returns, he holds out his hand, and there are tiny red berries. "Try one."

I pick one up and slip it into my mouth. A burst of sweet sings on my tongue. It's delicious and different from the heavy taste of meat all the time. Tobyn gets back on behind me and hands me the rest in his hand. I eat them greedily. "What are those?"

"Raspberries." He turns the horse and then we're flying again. I'm giddy with excitement as we pass trees and animals and bushes and many more things I couldn't discern. When we stop again, Tobyn helps me off this time and has me follow him.

"Where are we going?"

He smiles. "I want to show you something."

We walk for a few more minutes before he pushes away some branches and leaves and lets me walk ahead.

It was a clearing, and on the other side was a waterfall. It was beautiful and shone many colors in the light. Little creatures lounged in the sunshine, uncaring of our presence. And it seemed like a hidden world from the rest. "This is beautiful!"

"I thought you might like it," he said and took my hand. Tobyn led me to a rock where we sat down and gazed at the water. After long moments, he said, "Zoe, do you want to talk to those two people from last night?"

I glance at him and begin to feel my heart thrum with anxiety. "Are you going to make me?"

"No. But talking to them does not mean you have to go with them, you know?" He looks at me. "You can stay as long as you wish, and when you're ready, you may go wherever you want. I won't hold you back, but I won't force you to leave."

"Even if they try to take me?"

"I won't let anyone force you. All you have to do is say no to them. If they try to drag you away, I will carry you back. I won't let them hurt you, no matter their reasons."

I glance down at my hands which were clasped in my lap. "Do you think I should talk to them?"

"If you don't want to talk, then at least hear them out. Listen to what they have to say."

"You'll be there?"

He lifts my chin. "Of course I will. I won't leave you alone."

I smile and nod. "I'll listen to them."

He nods and we sit in comfortable silence, gazing at the water and the beauty of the world.