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Authors: Maia Underwood
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told Dan as he grinned broadly up at Selena, “We believe you.”
After deciding to post a night watch as a safety precaution, the party started to break up. Dan volunteered to take the first shift so he headed up the hill right away. As the others left, some waved to Selena up in her tree before filtering out to their respective cabins. They looked less disturbed than she would have expected, considering her strange introduction.
Blaire doused the fire and bid her goodnight with a wink. Only when everyone was gone did Selena make her way down from the tree and in the direction of her cabin. When she reached the steps, she found she wasn’t ready to retire for the night. Feeling restless and thinking on everything that was said at the fire, Selena made her way up the path on which they had ridden into camp.
Dan’s actions were making less and less sense to her. Why did he drag her here against her will and then dump her in this place where she was free to leave at any time, especially when they thought their community might be threatened? She resolved to get some answers. When Selena reached the top of the hill, there was no sign of him. He knows I’m here, she thought impatiently, wishing he would give her some sign. She was in no mood for hide-and-seek.
“Dan,” she called out quietly.
“Here,” came a reply from a low growing oak.
She worked through the bushy, hanging branches. The dead leaves crackled loudly underfoot. (That was the problem with oaks.) He was sitting on one of the lower boughs, leaning against the trunk, and made no move to climb down. He didn’t even look in her direction, focusing instead on his view of the land outside their sanctuary.
“Can I ask you a question?” Selena inquired, trying to start tactfully.
Dan turned his eyes to her now and waited silently.
“Why did you bring me here if you knew your community might be in danger? If you’re so worried about my safety, why didn’t you let me go my own way?”
“You were in the middle of their turf and you didn’t know it.”
Before she could argue, he went on, turning his gaze away again.
“They camp out over there on and off. It was such a long time since I’d seen them, we hoped they’d moved on for good. I had no reason to think you wouldn’t run into them again, and there are some smart ones. After you behaved like a wild animal,” he said looking back at her pointedly, “I knew I couldn’t reason with you, and you’d never accept help. You’re at a safe distance and now you know the situation. You can decide for yourself about the people here. If you want to leave, then you can. Just don’t go in that direction,” he gestured back toward the town.
Selena was suddenly angry with his dismissive attitude. At the same time, she was frustrated that she cared. She took a deep breath and when her emotions were under better control, she tried to piece it all together.
“Why didn’t you let me go before we got here?”
“Would have been stupid. You should know what you’re missing before you decide.”
“That’s the reason you chased me when I ran?” she asked quietly, reddening at the memory and staring down at her feet.
“There was camp smoke not far off. Could have been one of ours, but I didn’t know for sure. You didn’t notice it or you’d have headed in the opposite direction. You were going to get yourself into trouble again.”
Selena frowned at him in the darkness. He had the nerve now to sound amused.
“For your sake,” he added, “you might want to stay, even if we go to war.”
Her temper was beginning to rise again, so she spoke slowly.
“I have been avoiding people at all costs for the past nine years. Can I help it if fifteen men ride right to the house I’m at? That’s what happened and it was terrible luck. If I missed the smoke it was only because I was too busy dealing with a closer threat—”
“You can’t help it, Selena. You can’t be blamed for what you don’t
After deciding to post a night watch as a safety precaution, the party started to break up. Dan volunteered to take the first shift so he headed up the hill right away. As the others left, some waved to Selena up in her tree before filtering out to their respective cabins. They looked less disturbed than she would have expected, considering her strange introduction.
Blaire doused the fire and bid her goodnight with a wink. Only when everyone was gone did Selena make her way down from the tree and in the direction of her cabin. When she reached the steps, she found she wasn’t ready to retire for the night. Feeling restless and thinking on everything that was said at the fire, Selena made her way up the path on which they had ridden into camp.
Dan’s actions were making less and less sense to her. Why did he drag her here against her will and then dump her in this place where she was free to leave at any time, especially when they thought their community might be threatened? She resolved to get some answers. When Selena reached the top of the hill, there was no sign of him. He knows I’m here, she thought impatiently, wishing he would give her some sign. She was in no mood for hide-and-seek.
“Dan,” she called out quietly.
“Here,” came a reply from a low growing oak.
She worked through the bushy, hanging branches. The dead leaves crackled loudly underfoot. (That was the problem with oaks.) He was sitting on one of the lower boughs, leaning against the trunk, and made no move to climb down. He didn’t even look in her direction, focusing instead on his view of the land outside their sanctuary.
“Can I ask you a question?” Selena inquired, trying to start tactfully.
Dan turned his eyes to her now and waited silently.
“Why did you bring me here if you knew your community might be in danger? If you’re so worried about my safety, why didn’t you let me go my own way?”
“You were in the middle of their turf and you didn’t know it.”
Before she could argue, he went on, turning his gaze away again.
“They camp out over there on and off. It was such a long time since I’d seen them, we hoped they’d moved on for good. I had no reason to think you wouldn’t run into them again, and there are some smart ones. After you behaved like a wild animal,” he said looking back at her pointedly, “I knew I couldn’t reason with you, and you’d never accept help. You’re at a safe distance and now you know the situation. You can decide for yourself about the people here. If you want to leave, then you can. Just don’t go in that direction,” he gestured back toward the town.
Selena was suddenly angry with his dismissive attitude. At the same time, she was frustrated that she cared. She took a deep breath and when her emotions were under better control, she tried to piece it all together.
“Why didn’t you let me go before we got here?”
“Would have been stupid. You should know what you’re missing before you decide.”
“That’s the reason you chased me when I ran?” she asked quietly, reddening at the memory and staring down at her feet.
“There was camp smoke not far off. Could have been one of ours, but I didn’t know for sure. You didn’t notice it or you’d have headed in the opposite direction. You were going to get yourself into trouble again.”
Selena frowned at him in the darkness. He had the nerve now to sound amused.
“For your sake,” he added, “you might want to stay, even if we go to war.”
Her temper was beginning to rise again, so she spoke slowly.
“I have been avoiding people at all costs for the past nine years. Can I help it if fifteen men ride right to the house I’m at? That’s what happened and it was terrible luck. If I missed the smoke it was only because I was too busy dealing with a closer threat—”
“You can’t help it, Selena. You can’t be blamed for what you don’t
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