Friend in the Forest

*Lyra*

“What the hell are you doing here?”

That was the question. A man dressed in ragged clothes with dark hair peppered with gray on the sides steps out of the woods. 

I’m in a panic, and he’s far away, so I’m not sure who I’m looking at. “Go away!” I shout. “I’ll kill you!”

“You’ll kill me?” he snickers and walks closer. “With all due respect, darling, you’re the one chained to a tree. I don’t think you’d have much luck with that.”

Slowly, I stand, not to try to prove him wrong but because I think I recognize him. “Jorin? Is that you?”

“Yes, Lyra, it is me,” he replies, stepping even closer. “Why are you here?”

“Why am I here?” I repeat, so thankful to see someone I know. Really, what are the chances out here in the woods. “I’m here because I was framed for murder,” I reply. “Why are you here?”

“Framed for murder?” He doesn’t answer my question because he’s so shocked. “Who died?”

“Arica,” I tell him and instantly watch his face fall. “I’m sorry. I know the two of you were friends.”

“We were.” His eyes focus on a spot on the forest floor near our feet. “But then… it’s not as if she did anything to help me when I was banished.”

“Neither did I,” I admit. “I mean, I did continue to tell everyone I thought you were innocent, and that’s part of the reason why Alpha Kaelen hates me so much. But I didn’t bring anything out here to help you, either.”

He shakes his head. “I was taken too deep into the forest for you or anyone else to venture out to help, Lyra. I don’t blame you for that.”

I’m not sure what to say to that, so I tell him, “Henry threw the key to the chains over there somewhere. Do you think you could find it and set me free?”

“Why would I want to do that?” he asks, folding his arms across his chest. He’s still muscular, despite being out here on his own for so long. I can’t remember exactly when he was banished for allegedly burning his neighbor’s house down, but it’s been a while.

“Because, if you don’t, I’m gonna die,” I tell him.

Jorin starts laughing, and I see he hasn’t lost his sense of humor. “I’m just messing with you, Lyra. Of course, I’ll find the key or otherwise figure out a way to set you free. I won’t leave you there to die.”

“Thank the Goddess,” I murmur. “Try over there by that cedar tree with all the needles beneath it.”

“That’s every tree in the forest,” he reminds me, but he sees which one I’m trying to point at with my head. 

Jorin spends quite a bit of time looking around underneath the trees for the key. It’s getting darker by the moment, which isn’t helping the situation any. I keep looking around, waiting for a rogue or two to jump out of the woods and attack us. With every passing second, I get more nervous that he’s not going to find the key. Henry did toss it, didn’t he?

“Aha!” Jorin finally exclaims, coming over to me. “Got it.”

“That’s great news,” I reply, saying a gracious prayer to the Goddess. 

He comes over and unlocks the chains around my hands that are wrapped around the tree and then my cuffs. Finally, I’m free of all the chains. I rub my aching wrists. They are bloody and rubbed raw, but now that no silver is touching me, I’ll be able to start healing soon. “Thank you so much.” I give him a tight hug. “You’re a lifesaver.”

“It’s no problem,” he says, his cheeks turning slightly pink. “I’m happy to help.”

“Now, tell me what you’ve been doing out here all this time,” I say.

His eyebrows raise. “Why tell you when I can show you? Come with me.” With that, he starts walking into the woods, and I follow. I don’t really have any choice, after all. I can stay here by myself and hope that I make it through the night or buy in that there’s safety in numbers and stick with the one person I know who’s managed to survive in these woods for all this time.

“I guess they didn’t chain you to a tree when they brought you out?” I ask as we crunch along on two feet through the forest. I take it we’re not going that far since we didn’t shift.

“No, they didn’t, but I was only accused of arson, not murder. I bet they wanted you dead,” he reminds me. 

“But Arica’s parents said they didn't want me to die. That’s what Alpha Kaelen said he was going to do at first.”

Jorin pauses and turns to look at me. “You know he was just putting on a front for them, right? Pretending to honor their wishes? He wants you dead, Lyra. You’ve been a threat to him for years. Hell, you’re more of a threat to him than I am.”

“Why would I be a threat to him?” I ask.

“Lot’s of reasons,” Jorin replies, beginning to walk again. 

“Like what?”

He doesn’t answer me, though. Instead, he leads me around a corner so we can see behind a large copse of trees–and there stands a cabin.

I can’t help but gasp. It looks like an actual cabin, too, not some sort of sloppy lean-to that can’t handle the weather. No, it looks like any other cabin in our village, maybe even better than some.

“Did you build this?” I ask, shocked.

“I did.” He smiles proudly, putting his hands on his hips. “Took a while, and a lot of foraging, but I managed.”

I step over and inspect it closer. “Where did you get the nails?” I ask, seeing that it is actually nailed together and not tied or mortared with mud.

“I told you, I foraged,” he says with a shrug. “I have my sources.”

I arch an eyebrow, but I decide not to ask any more questions. 

Jorin opens the door, and I follow him inside. There’s a rough-hewn bed on one side, a table and two chairs on the other, as well as a fireplace with a big black pot. “You must be really good at foraging,” I mutter.

He laughs. “I like to think so.”

There’s even some sort of a mattress on the bed as well as a blanket and pillow. They’re not very clean, but they will definitely work. Much better than sleeping in a cave or on the forest floor.

“Looks like I need to make another bed,” he says. “I mean, assuming you’re gonna stay.”

“I can stay?” I turn to him with tears welling in my eyes, which is unusual for me. 

“Of course you can,” he says. “I reckon you want revenge on Alpha Kaelen as much as I do.”

“More,” I tell him. “And we’re going to get it.”