Read Online Red Fox by Lara Fanning - Free Book Online

compartment next to him. Eventually he smiles, revealing straight white teeth and a grin that completely knocks the breath out of me.
    I tear my gaze away from my only comrade and focus on our situation. Hands bound, in the middle of the wilderness with six armed guards. We’re about to be dumped here, apparently without any tools or weapons, and are expected to survive. Whil could be the most handsome man on earth, but that won’t help us live through the next two weeks. Maybe if he were someone a bit more rugged—like a brawny, man-of-the-land native hunter—then I’d be truly grateful for his presence.
    Seiger pulls a knife from his belt and cuts my hands free. The ropes slither from my wrists, and I rub the raw, red marks that are left there. The rope burn stings, but it is tolerable compared to my head wound. I don’t think either will hinder my chances of survival. They aren’t deep enough to get infected and not painful enough to slow me down. Seiger then goes to Whil to cut him loose, and I glance around, examining our precarious situation.
    Aside from Seiger, there are five more guards with rifles—all of whom look very much the same to me in their ridiculous maroon jumpsuits and helmets. My mind hands me the image of the red Power Ranger from a TV show I used to watch. Under different circumstances, I might have laughed at the thought. The guards are young, probably in their late twenties, but look extremely fit and strong. There are two Clydesdale horses pulling the caravan, both sweating so bad foam has begun to form around their leather harnesses. They must have been towing for a long time. Seiger tells the caravan drover to water the horses, and Whil walks over and stands beside me like a bodyguard, folding his arms over his chest. Instantly, I’m too aware of him standing there. His presence is strong and overpowering. A distraction.
    “Alright, you two,” Seiger says when he has finished bossing the other guards around. “This is the ring, and the test begins as soon as we leave. In a fortnight’s time, meet us back here or we will come searching for you with tranquilizers.”
    I touch the spot on my neck where the dart hit. It is swollen and sore. The impact of it hitting wasn’t enough to hurt me, but that isn’t what bothers me about being tranquilized. It’s the thought of being unconscious and unaware while at the mercy of another vicious person. I don’t want to feel its effects on me ever again. I also don’t plan on returning to Seiger’s care when this test is over. I will escape. I could live in the high country forever without a problem. I look around but see no sign of a ring or arena. We are standing in open bushland, with snow beneath our boots, and there is not a fence in sight. The area we have to explore must be huge.
    Seiger walks in front of me and Whil with his hands clasped lazily behind his back. He stops and looks at us out of the corner of his eye. Then under his breath he mutters, “There are plenty of water sources here, but not food. Don’t eat any of the dark purple berries that grow here. They are Nightshade berries, and they will make you violently ill. What will kill you is the cold and wet, so find somewhere dry and warm to sleep.”
    I grimace at him and narrow my eyes suspiciously. His face is void of emotion, but he gives a curt nod to confirm that he did just give us helpful, if not life-saving, advice. He clears his throat, like he’s embarrassed by what he’s just said.
    “Off you go then,” Seiger says with a wave of his hand.
    This movement, like he is raising his hand to strike, jolts me to life. Like a scared rabbit, I turn and I bolt into the trees. This time Seiger doesn’t follow me, but Whil does. He falls into stride beside me and our legs move as one; a blur of desperate, fast moving limbs beneath us. When we come to thick bush, he falls behind and I hear him struggling to keep up. I’ve always been agile and swift but Whil is taller and