The Meeting

                                    

                                          
Ferox and I came back late that evening, and the evening after and the evening after that. 
                          
Tonight is the last night before he goes back to normal and I will be free. He was making the most of it too. 
                          
As soon as we got into our bedroom, my clothes were off and he was on top of me again. 
                          
***
                          
As Ferox pushed Hilda onto the bed, he was hoping for the day when he would find out she was with child. Their child. 
                          
It was early summer now, the nights were shorter and the days were warmer. He did not want to have to go to the dungeons everyday but it was expected of him and he had to live up to expectations for the King.
                          
Hilda lay breathing next to him. Her hand on her stomach, probably thinking about baring a child and becoming a mother.
                          
"My love, I am sorry this will be over at dawn." Ferox said, rolling over and brushing her face. 
                          
***
                          
As Ferox brushed my face, I lay with my hands resting on my stomach. I was hoping and praying that my bleed would come.
                          
I closed my eyes and tried to let my breathing level out.
                          
***
                          
At some point, I fell asleep because I awoke to the brightness of the moon streaming through a gap in the curtains. Then I realized there was a knocking on the window. I raised my head to Ferox and he was not stirring. Slowly, I clambered out of bed, gathered a robe around me and pulled the curtains apart.
                          
Below the window was Wymond and another man who I guessed was Kamden. I looked back to the bed and rushed out of the room, down the stairs and outside. 
                          
"Hilda!" Wymond whispered as I jumped into his arms. 
                          
"Wymond. Oh, Wymond." I breathed before I began shaking.
                          
He hushed me before saying, "meet me tomorrow morning at the lake, bring Lena with you. We need to fill you in."
                          
"I will. I love you. I love you."
                          
"Wymond, my Lady," Kamden said, "we need to get going before he wakes."
                          
"No. Please no." I said panicking. "Please, don't leave me."
                          
He hushed me again by kissing me before saying, "I love you. This will all be over soon, I promise."
                          
I nodded and turned to Kamden, "don't call me my lady - I hate it." I smiled, trying to make myself feel better.
                          
"See what I mean?" Wymond said, "they are definitely sisters!"
                          
***
                          
Ferox said something about not being in for the morning so as soon as he left, I went straight to the castle. There I picked Lena up and we headed to the lake on our horses.
                          
As we made our way to the waters edge, I could see Wymond and Kamden under some shade, awaiting our arrival. Storm had not even stopped moving and I was off her back and in Wymond's arms. 
                          
"Lena," Kamden said, then turned to me, "Hilda."
                          
"Kamden," I said, disentangling myself from Wymond's arms. "Sorry, I believe we have not properly been introduced."
                          
"What is there to say? I am Kamden. I am a Hunter. I am your husband's friend." He said simply.
                          
"Well, you have more to say about yourself than I!" I said, with a wave of my hand.
                          
"Let us not waist time." Lena said hurriedly.
                          
"Yes, we must tell you everything." Wymond said and we all sat on the shore of the lake.
                          
And tell me everything they did! 
                          
***
                          
"But how do we know that it isn't just a myth?" I asked after they had finished.
                          
"That's what I said," Lena remarked. 
                          
"We cannot be sure," Wymond said, "but we have seen Ferox enter the dungeons multiple times. What could be so important?"
                          
"What if," I said, "it is not one of those creatures? What if it is... a person? Or... an object?"
                          
"I think we will have to find out what is down there." Kamden said simply.
                          
"Oh, just like that!" I mocked, "shall I just wonder on down to the dungeons, take a good nosy round and wonder back out? It is not that simple."
                          
"You can fight." This was not a question, rather a statement, that came from Wymond.
                          
"I can. We both can." I added gesturing to Lena. 
                          
"At least, I could." Lena said. "It has been a while since I last used a weapon. I mean, when did you last fire an arrow?"
                          
I smiled. "Not that long ago, Lena. You know me I-"
                          
"Don't say that you have been practicing." She interrupted.
                          
I looked away. In truth, I had been practicing. Almost everyday in the woods - out of sight. 
                          
"I will be useless if you want me to fight." Lena said grumpily.
                          
"Then you retrain." Wymond suggested. "Hilda, you should go to the place you used to train in secret."
                          
It felt like the whole world paused for a second. "How do you know about my training?"
                          
There was colour rising into Wymond's cheeks. "You were the girl in the woods."