The Untold Forest by Elisa Menz (web ebook reader txt) 📗

to order shut everyone up. Since he held the highest rank, the others trusted him to make Hakken come to his senses. Easier said than done.  One peek at his young friend, and he knew he wouldn’t budge. Damn, this boy is stubborn! 

“Who is she?” First things first.

He would never admit it out loud, but he enjoyed Hakken’s talent for storytelling. It didn’t matter how pissed off everyone was. As soon as Hakken began his story, all mouths shut, and all ears strained.

He told of the events after his capture. How he faked being badly injured and scared, hoping to be taken into their castle. Join the attack from within.

He described the conditions in which they imprisoned him and how easy it would have been for him to escape. Then something happened he never foresaw, and he ended up being ‘rescued’ by a child. How he affectionately rubbed her shoulders didn’t go unnoticed to Kniv.

“She has no family, no tribe... or people. I don’t know what they call it. She is a weakling, but I have never seen such a brave human. And at least she respects the laws of the Forest.”

Hakken looked around, stern. “If I send her back to live among humans, she will not survive. So I will keep her.”

“You’re as dumb as you look!” Kniv flinched when a new voice blared in the clearing. A confrontation he hoped to avoid. Too late. Hurtig stomped forward with an impressive scowl.

The young huntress stood in front of Hakken, hands on her hips, glaring at him. “No matter how brave you think she is, a human does not belong in the Forest. Your stupidity condemned her to starve to death in the wild!”

Hakken sighed. “Hurtig... you’re the living proof wisdom doesn’t always come with old age,” he said before ignoring the outraged woman. “I won’t leave her to fend for herself. She can’t survive on her own, so I’ll take care of her.”

Kniv cackled, interrupting their banter. As all eyes turned to him, he shrugged and placed a calming hand on Hurtig’s shoulder, delighted with the turn of events.  Hakken wanted to take care of another? And not just anyone. He self-imposed the responsibility of caring for a human girl!

Understandably, he had every doubt about Hakken’s capacity to uphold this endeavor. Maybe this could be his chance to leave the mournful life he led behind. The tricky part being; a life depended on his success.

Kniv turned serious again, sighing and sending a sorrowful smile to the girl. Hakken brought this troublesome situation upon himself and the tribe, so he should be the one to fix it. “Why do you want to keep her alive? Isn’t it better to give her a quick death and prevent her from suffering needlessly?”

Harming the human girl was the last thing on Kniv’s mind, but he needed to know to what extent Hakken was willing to go to work out this madness. The answer came out abruptly and determined. One glance at Hakken’s murderous stare convinced Kniv changing his mind would prove impossible. Not risking any harm to the human girl, Hakken dismissed him with a snort and took her back into his arms.

He cradled her with a gentleness Kniv would have thought inconceivable for him. Dumbfounded, Kniv watched his young friend smiling down at the timid young woman.

Hakken only had her for a few hours, and he was acting all smitten. “How can I kill her? She is so pretty.”

Maeve

The half-breed hands tightened on her shoulders after the man with the braids addressed him one last time. The pack had discussed much, but Maeve didn’t understand a single word. Half-breed’s language sounded curt and loud to her ears. The cause of the debate was her presence in the Forest. Of that, she had no doubts.

Could she survive this? Would they at least be merciful and give her a quick death? She wondered if Finn had been as scared as she was, facing his demise. A weakening fear gripped her limbs, and she began trembling once more. Before her knees gave in, the half-breed snorted, taking her back in his arms and cradling her against him. Her body was tight with anxiety, and the coolness of dawn didn’t do much to help. The heat radiating from him helped her unwind, and she almost nuzzled against his chest.

The uncertainty sent waves of panic through her, threatening to make her lose the little control she had over her emotions. Maeve needed an answer, any answer, so her eyes searched for her captors. When she discovered the tenderness with which the man looked back, her breath caught in her throat. It was the last thing Maeve expected, and she had no idea what to make of him. He spoke again, holding her gaze. Whatever his words were, the braided-haired man smiled, apparently satisfied.

The pack cut through the Forest. The receding darkness gave way to a myriad of wonders. Their discussion in the clearing ended hours ago, and Maeve fought against exhaustion, nestled in the arms of the half-breed. She was still scared, but didn’t know what to expect anymore.

“W-where are we going?” The look in the half-breed eyes was inscrutable. He ignored her question, too focused on dodging branches and skipping boulders. Their speed was dizzying.

They must have been several kilometers inside the Forest because she had never seen such magnificent trees.

The trunks were the size of a house near the roots, and the leafy canopies covered an inconceivable space. Overgrown with thick foliage and bestrewn with lichens of every imaginable color. The aroma of the dark and damp earth was intoxicating, intensified because of the fine dew that glazed the surface and cooled the air.

Maeve wore only a slim nightgown, and her boots and coat were not warm enough to protect her from the crisp air of the morning. She shivered when goosebumps took over her body. The half-breed tightened his embrace and brought his lips to rest over her forehead. His warmth was pleasant, but this proximity made