Two: Zahra

I had waited for those eyes to appear again, sat by the river until the moon was high and the night creatures began their chatter. It was cold and I couldn't build a fire to warm myself. I couldn't hunt to fill my stomach. I couldn't build a shelter to block the chilly wind. I knew soon I was going to die. I couldn't live on water forever. I had little strength anymore to walk or keep my eyes open. I had little energy to even lift my arms to push my hair out of my face. 

Lying down, I gazed at the river, seeing fish swim and bubbles float up and pop. Lonely, that was how I felt. Lonely and afraid. If my father did come back, he would find a dead body decaying, being eaten by scavengers. Whether or not he cared, I had not a clue.

I must have fallen asleep because when I opened my eyes, there was an orange glow behind me and warm furs wrapped around my body. The smell of roasting fish swarmed my senses and my stomach protested. 

Sitting up, I turn and see a small fire with a stack of wood nearby. Over the fire was a fish on a stick. I gazed past the fire and the delicious looking fish to see a figure just beyond the light. I widened my eyes as I saw the same eyes as before. "You came back!"

The figure nodded and gestured to the fish. 

"You did all this?"

Again, it nodded.

I frowned. "Why don't you show yourself, or maybe speak? I want to hear someone besides myself."

The figure tilted it's head as if curious then shook it. I slumped, saddened that I only had my voice to listen to. Taking the fish, I bit into it and moaned as it melted in my mouth. Those eyes watched me with acute awareness before I heard a rustle and they disappeared. I was about to get up and go after it, begging for it to not leave me alone, but then they appeared again with something like delight. 

From beside those eyes, there appeared another set, these gray and smaller. I went still, realizing it had brought a friend. I wanted to be the only one those hazel eyes seemed to like, but I was wrong. Of course I was wrong...even though I didn't see another human doesn't mean there aren't others around. 

Unlike the first figure, the second figure came closer until I saw a woman with brown hair in a braid and weapons strapped to her body. She was scary but beautiful. I was afraid she was here to slice me up, but was too transfixed by her beauty to run. She sat down on the other side of the fire and glanced behind her to the other figure. It seemed to nod, and the woman turned back to me. "My friend tells me that you are alone out here by yourself. Is that true?"

"It talks?" I blurt, then slap a hand over my mouth. 

She laughs, and it makes her seem less dangerous somehow. "Yes, he talks. He just likes to be mysterious sometimes."

"Why?" 

The woman smiles and leans forward with her arms on her knees. "Because he's a male."

A stone comes flying to hit the woman in the back of the head. She whirls around with a scowl, but I stand and angrily snarl, "That wasn't very nice!"

Those eyes locked onto mine and seemed to be shining with delight for some reason. I scowl and I hear a low chuckle. The woman grins at me. "It's fine. He was just teasing me like I was teasing him."

"Teasing?" I say, not familiar with the term.

She nods. "You know? Playing around, joking?"

I furrow my brows and stay silent. 

The woman sighs and sits down. "My name is Juniper, but you can call me June. What's your name?" 

"June?" I glance at the pair of hazel eyes. "What's his name?"

"Tell me yours and I'll make him introduce himself."

I hesitate but give it to her. "Zoe."

Her brows furrowed and she looks at her friend. His eyes are narrowed at me and I feel like I did something wrong. June turns to me again and smiles. "I know you don't trust me. I'm sure you're really scared of seeing another person whose packed with weapons, but I need to know your real name, please?"

"That is my real name."

"Are you sure?" she asks.

"Of course I'm sure!" I spat. "How would I not know my own name? My father has called me Zoe since before I could remember."

June frowns and turns again to her friend. I look at him too and gasp. He was standing in the light now and I swear I was seeing a ghost. "Father?"

He smiled. My father never smiled!

I back away slowly. "You're not my father. Who are you and why do you look like him?"

"Calm down," he said, hands up. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Who are you?" I demanded. I look down and pick up the large branch beside my feet, and get ready to swing it. 

"Roan, let me handle this," June hissed. 

"I can't stand it! She doesn't even know her real name!" he snarled back then looked at me again. In a soft voice he said, "Why don't you come back and sit down. We can talk and I will tell you who I am."

I shake my head. "I am not talking to you! You're exactly like my father!"

His eyes darken at my words and I back away some more. "I'm not like him!" 

"You're scaring her!" June hissed and got in front of him. "Look, he's not going to hurt you. I promise you, he would never harm you."

"He looks ready to strangle me!" I snap.

"Please, just let me talk to him. I'll calm him down and you'll see he isn't so bad."

I don't say anything or move, which she must take as my answer to stay. She turns and starts pushing Roan away from my campsite and into the darkness. As soon as I hear her voice fade, I grab my pack and run.  

I don't look behind me or even try to listen to know if they're following. I just run. 

Unfortunately, I run into another human. Big, strong arms catch me as I fall backwards to likely land on my butt. I look up and immediately struggle. "Woah!" he says, catching a fisted hand in his own. "Calm down, Dove."

"Let me go! Please!" I cry. 

"Hey, relax and talk to me. What's going on?"

I shake my head, glance behind me and then try to escape again. "I need to go, please!"

A hand goes to my chin and makes me look up into his dark eyes. I pause my struggle to see them go gentle as his hand on my wrist does. "Calm down. Tell me what's happening."

"They're coming after me! He looks like my father! He wants to hurt me! She says I can trust them, but he wants to hurt me!"

"Do you know their names? What they look like?" 

I hear crashing footsteps behind me and slip from his grasp, only to hide behind him and hold onto his shirt. The man stares at me for a moment before June and the man who looks like my father appear. They catch sight of me and try to come for me, but the man holds up a hand and they halt. "I'm sorry for the intrusion, but my friend here scared her when we were introducing ourselves," June explained. "I just want to make sure she's okay."

"She's fine," the male said. "You may go now."

"I am not leaving her alone," said June's friend.

"Too bad! She isn't going with you if she chooses not to. Leave, or I will personally escort you in pieces."

June widened her eyes. "We just want her to listen to us. He has something important she needs to know!"

The male guarding me crosses his arms. "Not tonight. I will make sure she is taken care of, and you may return tomorrow afternoon. If she decides to talk, then she will. If she doesn't, then I'm not going to make her."

"Promise me you'll keep her safe? Promise you won't let her get lost?" the man who looked like my father said. 

The male glanced at me with questioning eyes, but turned back to the others. "I promise. Now go."

Both June and the man turned and started walking away, but before disappearing, the man looked back at me one last time with those hazel eyes. 

Once he was sure they were gone, the male who was my guard turned and held out his hand "Let's get you something to eat."