Out of the Mountain (3 page)

“Spoiled brat,” I hissed at it before finishing my food and gathering my pack. I had never been truly alone before this trip, and it was daunting. I was also frustrated and a little anxious to finally reach my guide, Rowan, and hopefully get some straight answers. I really pushed myself to keep going throughout the day. I again stuck to focusing only on the obstacles directly in my path, which helped to keep me from sighing when I glanced up at the rest of the climb I had yet to make. I stumbled, drenched in sweat, legs and feet aching, when I finally reached the peak of the mountain. I bent over, heaving in deep breaths before I stood and let my eyes sweep over the sight ahead of me.

A loud gasp escaped, cutting through the silence I had spent the day in. I had never seen such beauty. Land was stretched out as far as I could see: trees, rivers, rolling hills. Living in the mountains and valley, I had never realized how much space there really was. I mean, logically I knew . . . but knowing something in theory and knowing something by experience made all the difference. I had never seen this far in any direction before. My knees felt weak, and I slid to sit on the rocks at my feet as I continued to take in the view. Slowly, reality set in, and I began to panic. I had been going on pure adrenaline and excitement to this point. But looking out in front of me, I was overwhelmed. How would anyone ever be able to find me out there? I took deep breaths as I tried to keep calm and remind myself that the masters had sent me on this journey, and they would be certain that no harm would come to me. They would have seen, and they would be sure that someone would come for me.

I stood back up, dusted myself off, and took in the view awhile longer before I began the trip down the other side of the mountain. Determination settled into my bones, and I descended with speed, entering the state of mind Master Tatsu had taught me during training. I made it most of the way down before dark fell. The night was clear of clouds, and the stars were shining bright, complementing the waxing moon. I decided to continue my trek down the mountain and find somewhere to rest in the forest that was ahead.

All my knowledge of the outside world had come from books. I had never set foot in a forest, and I wondered what it would be like to be under the cover of trees. Surely wildlife would abound. My experience with animals was limited to livestock and the occasional pet owned by the citizens of Velia. My mind reeled with the possibilities. There was so much to be seen. So far, though, all I was seeing was a lot of rocks and every once in a while a few random trees.

I traveled most of the night, and when I finally made it to the bottom of the mountain, I yipped loudly with pleasure. It echoed in the distance, and I winced, realizing that probably wasn’t my smartest move. When I heard a twig snap, I twisted toward the sound. I caught a glimpse of what I thought were bright-yellow eyes reflected in the moonlight, but within a blink they were gone. I stood perfectly still, eyes scanning the forest for so long that my body ached from the tension. Finally, satisfied that I was alone, I walked back against the foot of the mountain and leaned my back against the rocks. My body sighed in relief, and exhaustion pulled at me hard. I kept my eyes on the trees, but eventually I dozed off.

When I woke it was daylight, and it hurt to breathe. Every muscle in my body was sore. I had thought that the descent had been much easier, but clearly my body disagreed. I winced as I tried to stretch out some of the pains. I looked out into the trees and felt discouraged. There was a long range of forest ahead, and I could have come down at any point of the mountain. I put my head in my hands, tugging at the tangled strands of hair that were still damp from sweat. I focused on wrapping the dark strands into a braid, concentrating on the repetition to keep me from panicking. How long should I wait here? Should I go in search of my guide?

A throat cleared loudly to my right, and I jumped and squealed in the most embarrassing way. My head bounced off the rock behind me as I turned quickly toward the sound. I grabbed my head, grimacing as I shook off the dizziness, and took in the sight that was now in front of me.

Tall, tawny-haired, and gorgeous, dressed in head-to-toe black with lean but hard muscle as far as the eye could see. His skin was tan, and he had blond scruff on his jaw that somehow managed to make him look even more alluring. His eyes were bright and intelligent, the lightest shade of brown I had ever seen. Like two drops of honey glistening in the sunlight. I realized I was practically drooling and tried to pick my jaw up off the ground.

“Um, hi?” I said rather intelligently, still rubbing the back of my head.

“Hello.” His voice was deep and rumbly. The sound of it was almost a physical thing, trying to pull me in closer. I swayed on my feet and shook my head to clear it. I needed to pull it together.

“Hello,” I finally replied, and immediately wanted to bang my head against the rock again. Instead I finished the braid and secured it as he raised an eyebrow. He looked me over, and I tried to breathe evenly.

“My name is Rowan. I have been sent to collect you,” he said quickly. He had a reserved air about him. He seemed cautious as his eyes met mine, brow furrowed.

“Vivienne,” I replied, reaching my hand out to him a little too enthusiastically. He eyed it for a moment before he reached his out as well. When our hands touched, I felt a jolt of electricity and jumped, pulling my hand back. His eyes flashed to mine, and I saw recollection there. Did he know me?

“Vinnie?” he whispered blinking rapidly, his hand still extended toward me.

“Vivienne,” I replied, and watched him visibly collect himself before he turned and began walking into the forest, leaving me confused in his wake.

“Follow me,” he rumbled, and I hurried to gather my things and catch up.

He was quite a bit taller than me. I would guess he was at least six and a half feet. My skin was as pale as snow in comparison to his golden tan. It almost seemed as if we were the physical representations of winter and summer; we couldn’t have looked more different.

I quickly realized that I had never truly been concerned about my appearance until this moment. Sure, I had straightened myself up in the mornings, but I was rarely concerned with the state of myself beyond that point. I was riddled with insecure thoughts, and I wondered how he saw me . . . I was sure I was dirty and messy. The clothes I had treasured just yesterday now seemed embarrassing and ratty next to his pristine uniform of black.

I grumbled to myself before I laughed at how ridiculous I was being over this man I didn’t know. This was exactly the silliness I had made fun of the girls in Velia for. Who cared what he thought of me? I barely knew him! What was getting into me? All these feelings were confusing and new.

When he turned to look at me, I realized I had laughed out loud.

“Do you find something amusing?” he asked drily, and I frowned.

“Not particularly,” I grumbled, and his brow furrowed before he turned to continue his journey. I hurried to keep up with his long stride. He seemed to know exactly where he was going, and he was in an awfully big hurry to get there. I sighed loudly, and when he didn’t pay any attention to me, I grew angry with myself. Here I was in the middle of a beautiful forest. Trees in full bloom, birds singing, moss lining the ground, and all I could stare at was the line of Rowan’s back and the way his neck looked strong and thick beneath his mane of tawny hair.

“Do you require rest?” he asked, coming to a stop and facing me after my fifth sigh. The tone of his voice was impatient. I didn’t like it.

“No, I require an explanation,” I said, narrowing my eyes.

“I owe you no explanation. I was to retrieve and deliver you safely. That is what I intend to do,” he replied sharply as he turned and continued his trek through the never-ending forest.

“Is it too much to ask for a little conversation?” I muttered mostly to myself as I tried to keep pace with his stride. My eyes caught sight of the line of his long legs again as he moved, and I could tell they were just as toned as the rest of him . . . Ugh, there I went again! I released another sigh, and his back flinched in agitation. I grinned.

***

We continued through the forest all day, and I could have sworn we were going in circles, but Rowan’s determined steps never faltered. He neatly dodged every attempt at pulling him into conversation I made, and eventually I tried to ignore him as well. It was a lot harder than I would like to admit. My feet were past the ache and finally starting to feel numb when we reached a stream, and he stopped. I admired the quick-flowing water as it cut a path through the trees, as determined to reach its destination as my guide.

“Are we resting here for the night?” I asked, looking around for some form of shelter as I dropped my pack to the ground.

“No, we are to eat, and then I will continue to lead you to our destination. It is best not to sleep in the forest,” he said as he pulled food out of his pack and handed me some bread and cheese. My stomach growled loudly, and I flinched at the cramp there.

“If you required sustenance, why did you not say so?” Rowan glared at my stomach like he had taken offense personally.

“I was trying to keep up with you. I didn’t really have time to think about food,” I snapped, taking a bite of the bread to keep my mouth from running. The monks had never been able to teach me to control my quick temper, though they never stopped trying. I had a feeling it was going to get me in trouble out here where people would argue back.

“I am not all-knowing. If you cannot keep up with my pace, you must tell me. If you are hungry, you must tell me. If you are tired and need rest, you must tell me,” he scolded me. My temper flared, but I bit into the bread and turned away.

This guy was even weirder and more formal than the monks. When was I going to be around normal people like the ones in Velia? If it wasn’t for my interactions with them throughout my life, who knew what I would be like by this point. Probably just like him, formal and stiff. There was no lifetime where I would pretend I could have ever turned out like the monks; it just wasn’t in me.

“I will try to keep you informed, sir,” I growled, and he frowned in response. I sighed again in frustration (my go-to move), and he glared.

“Must you continue to make that noise?” he griped, so I sighed again more loudly.

“Childish,” he grumbled, and I was about to come up with a smart remark when I felt a sharp pull from my navel. I yelped and jumped up from where I was sitting.

“What is the matter?” he asked as he began looking me over. I gasped when I felt the tug again.

“It feels as though I’m being pulled . . .” I puzzled slowly, pulling my shirt up to check my navel and make sure there wasn’t in fact a hook attached to it. That’s certainly what it felt like.

“What are you doing?” Rowan huffed, pushing my shirt back down. I glared up at him and pulled it back up to inspect it again as I felt the tug once more. There was nothing there; I saw no visible movement, but it was almost painful this time. He stood rigidly watching me, and when I felt the tug once more I pulled backward and let out a cry of pain. Rowan tugged my shirt up again, and I shivered when the warm and rough skin of his hand slid across my bare stomach. I blushed when visible chill bumps spread across my skin. He seemed to realize what he was doing and dropped my shirt before jumping back.

“Why are you acting as if you are in pain?” he growled.

“I can feel something pulling me, and if I pull back, it hurts!” I cried, embarrassment quickly replaced by frustration. Why was he acting as if I was crazy? His eyes narrowed, and he scanned the area. The tug was a jerk forward this time, and I fell to my knees crying out, tears springing to my eyes.

“What do I do?” I panicked, trying to blink them back. Was someone doing this to me to harm me?

“We must see who is calling you. I will make sure no more harm comes to you when we do,” he growled, pulling me to my feet. His words were a promise, and I felt his sincerity.

“Follow the pull,” he barked, and I flinched at the anger in his voice. How could he possibly be mad at me? I was the one who was in pain here! When the pull came again, I followed it, and it softened its hold, seemingly happy that I was obliging. This was magic, but I didn’t know what kind. I could feel it surrounding me, reacting to me . . . almost in glee. It was hard not to feel it as well.

“Why are you smiling like a lunatic? Is your mind still intact?” Rowan asked sharply, and the smile I didn’t realize I was wearing slid from my face.

“Are you always this abrasive?” I snapped, and he looked as if he was honestly trying to figure out if he was. I rolled my eyes.

I followed the magic pull until we came upon a small cottage. It was tucked under a copse of thick trees, illuminated from the inside. Rowan pulled me to a stop and looked around for signs of life. I looked at the little stone cottage and smiled. It looked comfy and safe out here in this forest. I felt the urge to get closer.

“Stop! What are you doing?” Rowan hissed, grabbing my arm as I brushed past him, heading for the cottage.

“I’m tired. I’m sure whoever is in there will allow us a safe place to sleep,” I said simply, and he blinked looking suspicious.

“You look at that place and feel as if it’s welcoming you?” he asked, eyeing me warily.

“Yes, I can’t wait to see who’s in there. Can you?” I asked, excited. I had the feeling of familiarity surrounding me.

“When I look at it, I feel its magic trying to push me away. I’m not welcome.” He narrowed his eyes at the cottage again.

“Well, that’s because I wasn’t calling you,” came a melodic voice from behind us. I jumped with a yelp as Rowan pushed me behind him, crushing my back into a tree. I craned my neck to the side, trying to peek around his arm and ignore the feel of his body, to see who had snuck up on us.

A man stood across from us, leaning against a tree looking positively relaxed. His hair was long and black, braided, and tied with a piece of leather that nicely matched the pants he was wearing. His shirt was tight enough to reveal the taught muscle beneath. His blue eyes shone bright from beneath thick lashes, and a grin was on his thin lips. He looked absolutely mischievous. I liked him immediately. When his eyes met mine, a smile bigger than I’ve ever seen split his face, and I smiled back. I felt the magic that had been pulling me along release me.