Chapter 3

I turned away from Marcus and looked up to the star filled night. I could still feel his gaze on me. “Its late, aren’t you tired?” he asked me. I looked over at him and looked into those eyes that I had fallen in love with over 500 years ago.

“I am just a little. I’m staying in a cave about half a mile from here. Its quiet cozy.” I stood and almost fell but Marcus was right behind me and holding me still. “Be careful, I don’t need to save you again anytime soon do I?” he joked around

“Maybe I’m more tired than I thought.” I smiled at him. He held out his hand and I just stared at him then realized that he was telling me to lead the way. So I stared down the hill that we sat on and the rest of the way was right through a big meadow, across a small creek and hidden in the bushes a few feet from the creek was an opening to the cave where I had made home for a few nights now.

“Well Marcus, welcome to my home.” I spread out my hands and twirled around showing the entire cave. “Oh drat, the fires out. I’ll get a new one started then I’ll make us some dinner if you want.” I turned to look at Marcus but he was leaving the cave and I heard him say one word, “Wood.” I smiled at his retreating figure. “That Marcus hasn’t changed in over 500 years. The same man that I fell in love with.” I sighed. My whole body ached with every move I made.

Just a week ago I had finally caught up with Zanna. He still hadn’t found any part of the staff or even a clue to where one half of it might be. We fought for hours and in the end he ran off, no he didn’t run off, he just disappeared into thin, leaving no trace that he was ever there behind him. I could tell that I was getting to angry just thinking about that last fight with Zanna. The sound of many heavy logs hitting the dirt scared me out of my reverie.

“Firewood. And I would to love to have some dinner. I’m starved.” he looked at me with a confused look. “Everything okay? Your eyes were turning bright silver.”

My hand went to my eye. Whenever my emotions got the best of me my eyes turned to pure silver. “Yes I’m fine Marcus. Now dinner. I should have it done in no time.” I went over to the back of the cave where I had a long pole with two small rabbits hanging off of it. I took them off and turned around to show Marcus. “Do you like roast rabbit?” I grinned. Marcus just nodded. I looked in front of him to see he had the fire ready and the roaster already set up as if he had read my mind.

After eating the rabbits we set up our beds and lay there and talking, well I talked, Marcus would grunt every once in a while or sometimes even say a sentence. It didn’t matter though, I was just happy to have Marcus so close to me after all these years of being apart.

“Marcus?” I whispered in the night

“Yes Rose?” he sounded so distant from me

“What have you been doing since you left me in the cave all those years ago?” I told him what happened to me but not once did he offer to say what he had been doing.

He sighed. “Its complicated Rose. Maybe one day I’ll tell you. Goodnight.” and with that he fell asleep. Leaving me in darkness to think. I couldn’t sleep at all so I just lay there and thought about my past. I never tried thinking of my past or else I knew that I’d start to cry. Suddenly my mind flashed to a picture of Ayrus smiling at me. It was the day he proposed to me and I accepted. That was the happiest day for both of us. I felt something rolling down the side of my cheek. I went to wipe it off and realized that it was a tear, after so long of building a wall around my heart, I had just broken it. For the rest of the night I cried. I awoke with a start, I didn’t remember falling asleep. My eyes were sore and I wondered why. Oh yeah, I was crying last night. I looked over to Marcus and saw he was still sleeping. I got up and walked to the mouth of the cave, the sun was just rising. The horizon was a light shade of pink and when you looked up to the sky you could still see some stars shining.

I decided that I should bathe before Marcus woke up. I grabbed a set of clothes and walked a ways away from the cave. The water was so cool but the air was already getting thick with humid. I undressed and got in the river. As I went under it felt as if all my worries were simply disappearing. The water was about 5ft deep so I was able to swim a little. Its funny how free you feel when you swim. So I stayed under until my lungs burned for air. I came up for air and gulped it in. Sighing I went to the edge of the river and got my scented oils that I used in my hair. As I scrubbed the oils into my hair I could feel eyes watching every move I made. I looked over to my right, to the cave entrance. Nobody was there. I giggled. Most likely my imagination.

I calmed down and relaxed again. Washed out my hair and lay in the grass behind some rocks to dry off. When my skin was dry enough I changed into the clothes I had brought along. My black and crimson red kimono that went to about my thighs then I put on my black shorts. I strapped on so many different weapons on the thigh holders such as daggers, poison gas balls, some herbs and the most important thing of all, the locket that I had given Ayrus that he had given back to me the night he died. I tied my sword onto my back and tied my hair back into a messy bun.

I tied on my sandals and went back to the river to try and catch some fish for breakfast. I took out two daggers from my thigh patch and spotted two fish that were of perfect size. Without thinking I threw the daggers and they both hit a fish. I walked a little into the water and retrieved the fish. I went back to the cave smiling. Marcus was still asleep so I decided to go get some firewood.

As I walked I started o wonder about things Marcus would have been doing in the last 500 years. “He was most likely sleeping most of the time.” I joked around with myself. After a few minutes of walking I found the perfect dead tree with good sized branches for a fire. I took out another dagger and cut some branches off.

Suddenly I sensed a demonic aura, and it was close. “Has a little princess lost her way? Maybe I can show her to my fire pit.” this demon laughed an evil and annoying laugh. I turned around and smirked at him. “What is so funny human?!” he was such a weak demon this wouldn’t even break a sweat. “You should be trembling in fear! I am the mightiest demon in these woods. For I am Bryanic of this forest.” I laughed out loud.

“Then I guess you don’t know who I am either. I am Rosalie Montgomery, the strongest demon slayer and a priestess. You’re so weak I’m just gonna let you turn and leave and I won’t chase you down. Deal?” I turned around and started gathering all the branches I wanted.

“How dare you!” Bryanic roared and jumped to attack me. As he neared I held out my hand and grabbed his throat. He made a choking sound. I turned my head and said, “Be gone demon.” and I closed my hands and choked him till he stopped moving.

I looked down at his body and shook my head. “If only you listened to me.” I shrugged and went back to the cave. Marcus was awake this time I came in.

“Mornin Marcus. Did you sleep well?” I set the branches down and started to light them. “I caught fish for breakfast.” I beamed at him.

“Good morning Rose. I didn’t sleep that well, your crying woke me up a few times.” all the blood in my face drained.

“Oh I’m so sorry I woke you. Its just that I’ve been trying to forget about what happened that night and when I told you it just hurt me so much. I try not to cry but what can I say? I’m a girl.” I tried laughing but it came out like gasp for air. I covered my mouth and looked away from Marcus. “Excuse me a moment please.” and I ran out of the cave. God I’m so stupid. I’m weak. I sat by the river. I closed my eyes and listened to the rushing river, the sound of the birds. I slowed my breath down and calmed down.

“Rose?” Marcus was right behind me. “I’m sorry.” he sat down beside me

“Its okay Marcus. I get this way some days.” I looked down, ashamed

“Does it hurt? Losing a loved one I mean?” he looked sympathetic

“Yes it does. It hurts a lot. But no matter how hard you try to forget you just can’t. I wanted to die after that night. Just so that I could see Ayrus’s smiling face once again. But I had a duty, so I lived in this hell.” I felt Marcus’s hand on mine, I realized that they were clenched shut and my nails were digging into my palm.

“Better?” Marcus smiled at me

“Yeah. Lets go get breakfast. Then get out of here.” I jumped up and pulled Marcus by the hand to follow me. After eating we packed up and left the cave.