15. Danger! Lila's Pov

I woke up feeling refreshed. Happy for some unknown fact. For the first time since I slumped into this new world dimension, I had a good night sleep, despite the cold hard ground. 

 Derek's cuddle did some magic last night. We stayed in each other's arms for a long time until dawn came.

 Aurora was still fast asleep when I woke, I yawned, stretched and gazed out of the cave. The sky was lit. Green leaves reflected well and I couldn't be more pleased.

 I was thirsty and needed to bath so much. I planned to carry that out when I stepped out of the cave.

 "Morning Lila." I heard Aurora's sleepy voice a while later.

 "Good morning. Did you sleep alright?" My smile went through the air at her.

 "I don't know. Did you? I guess you did." She returned my smile.

 I sighed and rolled my eyes. Wasn't ready for the details, I made a quick change of topic.

 "What's for breakfast?" My eyes darted over to the pots and pan.

 She slowly rose on her feet. "Porridge. We're out of meat though." She picked her beddings.

 "Hmm. Someone will go hunting then?" I glanced around. Derek lay peacefully asleep.

 Ondine was nowhere to be seen. Derek was the overly covered figure by the wall of the cave, he must have snuck in this morning. Orion was sharpening his sword outside.

 "Yeah. Ondine might be right to go." She exhaled and made for the entrance of the cave.

 My voice called after her. "Ondine? A lady can go hunting by herself?"

 Her stare was strange. I threw it back with a shrug. 

 "I can say Ondine is more skilled than most warriors in our village." She remarked.

 I wondered if she was more skilled than Derek but I didn't let it past my vocals.

 "Your village? Where's your village?"

 She made a disgruntled sigh. "We're really far away from home. Been travelling for months now. I miss home so much." Her voice took a pathetic turn, hands on her waist in some sort of hopelessness.

 I swore, I could relate to what she said, the feeling of home, being comfy in the midst of your loved ones; Grandfather, Mason, Head maid Ophelia, Morrey…The gush of air from my lung was sad.

 "I want to help too. I can't keep being a liability. The more stronger I am, the lesser the burden." I said matter of fact.

 She pouted her lips and I saw a mocking grin. "You look like you can't hurt a fly and honestly, I prefer it to remain like that."

 "No. I don't want to remain like that. What if a wolf attacked me out of nowhere one day, how am I going to defend myself?" I complained.

 She'd started twisting her long brown hair. 

 "I'm going hunting!" We heard Ondine's yell from a distant.

 "Wait for me!" I yelled back and made an attempt to go after her. I didn't think twice before I gave up our conversation and sauntered off.

 "Lila, no! Don't go out there, it's dangerous." Aurora screamed but I ignored.

 I managed to catch up with Ondine, closed the distance between us, and the rush of air from my lungs couldn't stop.

 "Go back while you still can." Her raspy unbothered voice broke out.

 I wasn't listening. I didn't want to listen. I wanted to fend for myself, grew a strong mind and courage. I wanted to gather all the bravery I could to find my way back home if these weirdos weren't going to help me.

 "What animal are we hunting?" I struggled to ask while jumping over grown grasses and clearing paths.

 "Go back Lila." She warned again.

 "Please, let me go with you. I want to be of help too."

 I shouldn't be trusting Ondine and I know that but what hurt could a little risk do? After all, I've got no choice.

 She stopped walking and was staring into my eyeballs now. "Listen, I won't be responsible for anything that happens to you out there. And if you have a little plan of yours that's a threat to me or others, I'll be sure to squash them." She warned sharply.

 "I'm not a threat." I just said simply.

 We were deep into the forest and considerably far from the others. The morning was quiet with fogs and dew covering our sight. 

 We were on our toes now, tiptoing and squinting our eyes to see through the cloudy part. I was beginning to regret my guts. I shouldn't have run after Ondine!

 I pictured this moment as one of the episodic movies of ancient times. I watched it sometimes on our big flat screen TV back at home. In my weirdest dream, I didn't think this would be happening to me!

 Faint rustlings were heard. Ondine raised a hand to hush me. She squat, I squat. She pulled out a dagger, I picked a wet stick. Luckily for me, it was lying down by my heels. Soon enough, the trees shook and we heard a deep loud grunt coming towards us.

 My heart was pounding frantically. My chest rose and plummet equally and every adrenaline rush that my body needed to secrete was let out and settled on my belly. Alert, I stood behind Ondine as she paused probably thinking of a stance to subdue the predator or prey.

 The animal came into sight real soon and we were unto a wild big boar, the fucking size of a motorcycle approaching us with such speed that my eyes couldn't keep up with such fast pace.

 My throat released a wheezing sound of screams, I fell right behind Ondine, absolutely giving up and totally depending on Ondine to take control of the situation. I didn't have the nerve to watch what she was doing, my eyes were fixed on the source of danger and now, what I thought was the boar running towards me in a rage.

 "Ondine! Ondine do something! Ondine?" I turned my head to Ondine's direction and to my utmost shock, she wasn't there, was nowhere to be seen. Not even a trace and I could see the boar up close now, running to me, thinking I was a prey!

 Was this how I would die? Gnashed by a boar, in the middle of a forest where noone would find my corpse and vultures would feast on my remains?