The Huntsman

The heavy branch caught his hand clutching a kitchen knife and I heard the bone break. Howling like a demented lunatic he leaped back from me and I turned warily in a circle ready to hit again.

The one I took to be the leader of the pack grinned wolfishly and stuck his hand into the rags he wore and of all surprises pulled out a handgun. He pointed it directly at my head and laughed and the others did so with him.

I was dead, it was as simple as that. In supreme anguish I waited for the bullet.

Something whistled past my ear and in a daze, I thought for a moment he had missed me at point-blank range, but instead I received the shock of my life when I took in the stunned cross eyed gaze of the cannibal holding the pistol, who now had an arrow sticking through his forehead. He dropped to the snow and with two more harrowing whistles of foreboding two more of my assailants fell with grunted gasps of dismay.

The other two broke and ran in a bid of desperation to escape. An arrow found the neck of one and he pitched forward with a squeal into the snow as blood sprayed out across it in a wide arc. The last one took an arrow to the hip and collapsed to the ground growling with both anguish and rage.

Numbly I stood as I had been with the club gripped in my hands staying absolutely still. Slowly I turned my head and saw the figure of a man approaching at a swift pace that had woodsman written all over it.

His pace eating stride had him on the scene in no time and tomahawk raised he hacked it down repeatedly upon the wounded cannibal until his cries stopped. Completely shook to my core by the situation and the violence of it, I wasn't prepared for when the man straightened from his grisly task and threw his tomahawk straight at me.

As it whistled by me by the narrowest of margins and I was just seizing on the reality that the man meant to kill me too, when I heard the bone crushing smack of steel connect with human flesh. With a start I dodged out of the way as one of the first victims fell back down to the snow with the hatchet stuck fast in his chest, which this time had finished the job that the arrow hadn't completed the first time. He'd been coming up behind me to no doubt use me as a hostage or just kill me out of spite.

I turned back around only to behold the man who had dispatched five cannibals, in what seemed like just as many seconds, standing less than 10 feet away from me. Slowly then he began to approach and I almost felt like screaming, but there was no one to save me.

Coming close he gripped the club I held and tugged and I let it go. I cried out softly then with startlement as he pushed on my shoulder, which caused me to fall back-ward into the snow, only to land sitting on a boulder that I hadn't seen was there. Shaking and not sure what was about to happen, I sat still.

The man turned away and started pillaging whatever was of interest to him from the dead. Still dazed, I glanced away from him and my gaze landed on the gun lying in the snow not far from me.

I wanted to grab it and shoot the man as he completely terrified me, but in effect he had saved my life and even as wild as he was he had nothing of a cannibal in appearance about him. However, that was no assurance that he wouldn't rape me though.

Be that as it may, I let the gun lay where it was. I looked to the man and contemplated my options.

In effect I was at the end of my rope. I needed food, well, I needed everything. I had done alright up till now, but truly I did not know how to survive on my own in the forest let alone in wintertime.

I needed help and like it or not this man had helped me. Would he help me again?

At least he hadn't killed me yet if that was any assurance of his intentions. Looking down his tall frame I noticed his hands that were now free of the gloves he had been wearing earlier.

They were very strong looking and articulated as if used to doing fine tasks. As a whole the man was very well put together and while he wasn't what many would call handsome, he had dependable, hard worn strength written across his features, and in this upturned world where survival was everything he struck me as being extremely desirable.

He would father strong children. My children.

The truth was plain to see for me as his hands were the ones from my dream of several days before. Not knowing how to accept and deal with the situation, I prayed quietly for strength to come and firm me up to the inevitable that had my insides feeling like jelly.

Done with his task of looting the dead, he came to-ward me and I felt an even higher pitch of nervous apprehension radiate through me as I fully took in this man who I knew according to God's plan would soon possess my body and daily control my fate. Stooping, he picked the gun up. He'd known it was there all along I suddenly realized.

Holding the gun out to the side, he pulled the trigger repetitively and emptily the hammer clicked down in repetition. The gun was empty!

How had he known that? Had he been testing me?

Slowly his fingers reached into a pocket and pulled out a captured bullet and he loaded the gun with it. Raising the gun he aimed it directly at my head and shuddering I fell forward onto my knees in the snow and closed my eyes and waited for the inevitable. Nothing made sense at all!

I waited, but no shot came. I opened my eyes slowly only to see that the man was gone and that the gun was lying on the rock that I had been sitting on. Glancing about wildly I saw the man fading away into the forest and be-fore I could think better about my actions I grabbed up the gun and ran after him.

Catching up to him completely out of breath I came to a stop as he turned to me with a knife in his hand. Breathing heavy I extended the gun out to him handle first and said, "You forgot this."

He stared at me incredulously for a moment, then taking the gun he pitched it away into the forest. Then he spoke for the first time, "Are you crazy black bitch whore!"

Feeling a calm that I did not claim to possess in and of myself, I said, "I can assure you that I am not a bitch and while I am black I am not a whore, because if I was a whore I would still be in a camp cozied up to a guard and better off food wise than I have been, because of sucking off every sadistic excuse of a man this world seems to be populated with. You sir, however, are not sadistic and that is a relief as is the fact that I'm pretty sure you haven't eaten anyone."

His initial rage with me seemed to have departed and now almost dispassionately he asked, "What do you want?"

"I want to come with you." I managed to force out past my lips even as I felt that I had spoken a lie and yet I knew it was the truth.

His face was completely closed off in terms of readable emotion or at least anything that seemed favorable to me as he said, "I don't need a woman."

"I'm not offering to be your woman as you put it. I do however want to be your wife."

Suddenly his face was nothing but emotion as he ex-claimed, "What!"

"You heard me. If that doesn't suit you then please kill me now. I can't survive on my own out here any longer and starving to death is not to my liking or for that matter being eaten. Also, I intend to be no man's whore as I was raised to be a lady and I've kept myself as such and if you find me to be any less than virgin you have my per-mission to slit my throat. While it's obvious that you are a prejudiced man against people of my color I can assure you that as a female of the same species that I'm still quite beautiful as is attested by the fact of how erect you are right now with the desire to have me even though you deny it with your words."

The man's hard gaze shifted away and he looked at a lack for words, as it was impossible to deny how tented out the front of his pants were and the reason for it. In a softer voice I said, "I want you to know that I respect you."

His gaze came back and with it the force of his presence as he asked, "Why?"

"We are out here alone and there is no force of law or any stricture holding you back from doing whatever you want with me and yet you were going to leave me un-touched despite the fact of how much you want me. I know what I've said is weird, I mean about being your wife, but everything in this world is different now and I'm just trying to do my best to survive with dignity."

Tears falling down my cheeks, I continued on with, "I don't want to die, but I'm not going to give up my faith in Jesus or be someone's whore just so I can see one more day's light."

I stopped talking and a long moment passed by. In desperation, then I asked as the cold wind burned against the tear trails on my face, "So how about it?"

He'd never stopped staring at me, but now he broke eye contact and looked away. His head gave a nod and in surprised shock, I heard him say, "I accept."

He'd accepted!

Oh God, what had I done!

Not saying another word he turned away from me and headed off quickly into the gathering shadows of the for-est. As if coming out of a trance, but not really believing yet that he had accepted my proposal of marriage, I hurried after him in order not to be left behind. Oh God, what had I done?

To some effect that remained to be seen, but I was sure of two things. Soon I would have food and tonight I would be warm.

There was also one more thing that I was sure of. Soon I would know exactly what it felt like to have a man inside of me.

With a quiver that surprisingly spoke more of anticipation than of fear I did my best to keep up with the stranger who had just accepted the responsibility of looking out for me from this day forward. Maybe he wasn't the man my mother had wanted for me to marry, but he was the best example of a man that I had seen in a long time and while I didn't know much about him, in some ways I knew enough.

I had no sooner than caught up with him when he stopped causing me to bump awkwardly into his back. He was quite tall and solid as a rock. Both of my breasts tingled from where they had smashed into the hard plain of his back.

Awkwardly, I stepped back and shyly brushed at my hair very much unprepared for the reality that soon this man would be touching the very areas of me that now tingled as if on fire with just the briefest of contacts.

Extending his hand he offered me a clump of plucked pine needles and said, "Here chew on these. Lots of Vitamin C in them, which you're likely depleted of." Silently I took them from him and placing them in my mouth I chewed as he had directed.

Speaking around the needles I said, "Thank you.", even as the rich flavor of pine burst freely across all my senses to an almost overwhelming degree. He grunted and moved on even as I experienced the feeling that maybe things weren't as crazy as I thought they were.

CHAPTER FOUR

Honesty First

About the time the pine needles were gone from repetitive chewing upon them the man stopped briefly and reached into a pocket and pulled free a handful of dried meat cut into thin strips. I stared at the dried meat that he had offered out to me. It was simply too much to take in.

Yes, I'd known he was going to feed me, but I hadn't expected him to do it so unasked for. He wasn't making me beg for anything.

Numbly I reached out and took the dried meat, even as several tears made their way down my cheeks. Overcome as I was emotionally it was still all I could do not to tear at the meat like a vicious animal, but instead to bite it off and chew in a controlled fashion.

He grunted and I forced myself to make eye contact with him. His gaze was enigmatic as he said with a voice that sounded rusty from lack of use and all the more gruff because of it, "This is the second time you've impressed me. Most people as hungry as you are would gobble that down in two seconds."

His expression, then turned quizzically curious then as he asked, "Why on earth are you crying though? I assure you that that isn't human you're eating right now if that's what's got you so concerned."

I shook my head and quickly wiped at my tears as I said, "No, I know it isn't human. I've had deer jerky before. It's just this is the first real food I've had that came directly from nature and didn't smell horrible in a very long time. Thank you for sharing it with me!"

"Where have you been held up?"

I hesitated to speak the answer not feeling entirely sure of him, but God had chosen him so I had to trust him like it or not, "A FEMA camp."

His one eyebrow rose, "And you're still a virgin?"

"Yes, I am." I responded steadily with assurance as I met his gaze head on.

He nodded and asked, "How did you get out?"

"I heard two guards talking. They were going to take us out of the camp and shoot us the next morning. I went along the next morning, but I hung to the rear of the group."

"And made a break for it?"

"Not exactly." I whispered before quickly looking away.

He stayed where he was and it was clear to me that he wasn't moving until I told him everything. Twisting my hands together nervously, I said not looking at him directly, "In the camp in order to avoid interest I made myself look bad with extra clothes and I gave myself a hunch and well anything to make me look... unappealing. Because I knew I had to run that morning I took most of my outer clothes off and I guess I wasn't paying attention to how I walked or acted because a guard noticed me. He held me back and the others went on without us. He forced me down onto my knees and it was clear that he wanted me to use my mouth to suck his... thing, but I wouldn't open. He had his pistol pressed to the side of my head and I knew he intended to shoot me as soon as I'd done what he wanted me to do, but that didn't matter as I would as soon as die anyway. The other guards had started to shoot the people further on away from us and he got distracted by that and when he did, I grabbed his hand and turned the gun into his belly and I managed to pull the trigger. He let go of me and I ran for it and here I am four days later."

I took a quick peek at him and was surprised to see something close to admiration being reflected in his icy hard eyes. We stared at each other for a long moment and then he asked, "Did he get it in past your lips?"

I flushed completely red at his question and face burning I whispered, "No."

"So tell me Princess will you open your mouth up for me?"

"Yes." I said numbly even as I acknowledged that I was experiencing one of the most embarrassing moments of my life.

He stared at me for a while longer and then as if to himself, he said, "That's the third time you've impressed me."

"Because I didn't let him use my mouth?"

"No. It's because I don't think you've lied to me yet. You don't know me from Adam, but you know I'm your only chance at survival and yet it's hard to admit to having been in a FEMA camp or almost being raped. For all you know I could be a government agent. I respect you for not lying to me. My biggest word of advice to you is never do it. Got that honey?"

I nodded, even as I saw firsthand that honesty meant a lot to this man. He turned to go and I asked, "What was the first time? The first time you were impressed with me."

He glanced at me and said, "When you didn't run. You faced your enemy head on. I respect that. If you'd run I wouldn't have intervened to save you."

My breathing stopped and gathering in air shallowly I breathed out, "Why wouldn't you have saved me, if I'd made a run for it?"

He gave me a hard look and said, "Because this life is full of victims, but short on fighters. You staying put told me that there was something worth saving in you, even though you are black. Now enough talking Princess and let's get going."

He turned forward and calling out I said in a surprisingly good mood, "My name is Tamara."

"Okay, Princess." He grunted in response and far from being offended I smiled softly.

I'd never had any man call me Princess before, but that wasn't why I was smiling. No, I was smiling because he had just confirmed my faith all over again.

God had said not to leave until it was time to follow and that was exactly what I'd done. The broad strides of the man ahead of me breaking trail were easy to follow because I knew for sure that it was a path God was leading me down. The man was scary to be sure, but God was in control.

Suddenly, what had been a terrible day had become a good day. I nibbled on the jerky and did my best to keep up with the quickly evolving future.

*********

I had thought myself proficient the past few days at making myself cozy shelters, but this man's efforts put me to shame. For starters, he had a tent. A very small tent.

There were no wasted moves on his part, as he went about making camp. For such a big man he moved with the grace of a cat. He asked for no help from me and so in order to be productive, at least in something I went about gathering firewood. To which at the completion of he seemed marginally pleased with.

I was finding him to be a very hard man to read and what was available to discern was that he was short on temper and quick to be wrathful. I did not want to be on this man's bad side to be sure. The problem though was did he have a good side? Time unfortunately would tell the truth of that one.

He already had a fire going and a broth of some sort brewing in a metal cup held over the flames to which he continued to add items to. Several of the items were those which I had seen him stop and forage for today.

Awkwardly, I squeezed by him into the far side of the tent, which wasn't saying much as I was still right beside him. Trepidation at what would occur tonight was high, but I was committed. I was his wife for better or worse.

He was certainly doing his part to care for me and so I would care for his needs. I waited silently in surrender for what would come.

The smell of the broth was pungently awful and I wrinkled my nose at the herby smell of it. He'd taken it off the fire and was stirring it. He stopped stirring it and turning to me he handed it out to me. I didn't want it, but I took it. I starred at the dark, strong smelling fluid and then glanced up at him.

His expression was surprisingly rueful in appearance as he spoke, "Given the diet you've had and the poor quality of water along with close proximity to diseased people it's highly likely that you've picked up some parasites along the way. You need to get rid of them and that broth will do it in short order. I'm not going to lie to you; it tastes worse than it smells."

I glanced down at the cup. I'd had worse. Softly I said, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Caring for me." I didn't wait any longer, but bringing the cup to my lips I drank from it.

Oh, it was awful! Apple cider vinegar tasted better!

I had to do it though, and half gagging I got the whole cup down. I did something then very unladylike and belched quite loudly. He chuckled even as I felt complete mortification. He was handing me something and feeling very much sick to my stomach I took it as I focused on not throwing up all over everything. Fighting to keep the vile stuff down I glanced at my hand to see several clean looking rags lying across it. What were they for?

I glanced at him for an explanation, but right about then it occurred to me exactly what they were for. Oh God!

I forced my way past him as only a desperate woman in need of a bathroom could be. I made it a grand total of 20 feet to some larger bushes before I had one of the most painful experiences of my life.

I was there for a long time during which time I think I died several times over. When it was finally over though I knew one thing for sure. I was very clean inside and in a way that made me feel better.