Staying at Camp Exodus was the last thing I wanted to do. I didn't believe their intentions were as heroic as they made them out to be, and I'd prefer to be out on my own with Oak, but for some reason that God-awful man got in her head and made her feel all inspired. If she were anyone else, I'd have scoffed at her and made us leave...but she was my Oak, and I would do just about anything for her.

"I'm glad you decided to stay," Lydia said, offering me a small smile.

"Yeah, well, it's undecided how long that will be," I replied, my gaze still lingering on the tent entrance.

"I hope it's for a long time. As a healer, I live here, but most of the women stay in the village. It would be nice to have more of us around," she shared.

Beginning to feel uncomfortable, I changed the subject, looking for a way to escape this conversation.

"Is there a place I can go to get some rest?"

"Oh, of course. You must be tired from the morning you've had. Follow me."

As we walked through the camp, I kept my eyes forward, ignoring the stares from the men we passed. The deeper in we went, the more I began to see what Lydia was speaking of. I had only seen a handful of other women, and wasn't sure how I felt about that. Most of my encounters with men had been brief, just in passing as I traveled—staying in a settlement full of them was not appealing. 

And you still want to stay here?

Oak's purr resonated within me, even from the great height she flew above me, causing me to roll my eyes. 

Okay, but don't complain to me when you realize this is a waste of time.

I was brought out of our mental conversation when Lydia halted, swiftly turning on her heels and grinning at me.

"This is one of the better tents," she explained as she gestured to the tan tent beside her. "It's a little further away from the heart of the camp, so most people never come down here, but I thought you'd like the privacy."

"I would, actually. Thank you," I replied, feeling like that was the first good thing I'd heard all day. 

"Okay, then. I'll let you get your rest. If you need me, you know where to find me," she concluded, starting to walk away. "You too, Oak," she called out, cupping her hands around her mouth and looking up where she hovered. 

Once she was gone, I went inside, scoping out the place I'd be staying in. 

"What do you think, Oak?" I asked as she landed on the small bed. "You sure you don't want to leave?"

The sound that erupted from her was likened to a laugh, as if she was scoffing at me.

"Just try to get some rest," I said, lightheartedly glaring at her before crawling into the bed. 

There wasn't much the rough burlap blanket could do to keep me warm, but it was more than I'd had just the night before, when I was sleeping on the cold cave floor. Laying down, I replayed the events of today, realizing so much had happened and it wasn't even noon, yet. Eventually, though my mind was busy, my body gave in to exhaustion and I sunk into unconsciousness.

My heart rate beat rapidly as I felt like I was falling. Opening my eyes, I expected to find myself on the cold tarp floor, but instead I was flying. Blinking to clear my vision, my mind adjusted to its reality. 

What the hell, Oak?! I was sleeping!

She had forced a tether while I was asleep, which was one of the most discombobulating things that could happen through the bond. Because of this, I was already upset, but the fact that I could feel how amused she was made me want to order her back so I could chastise her in person. However, before I could do that, she pressed for me to see something.

Reluctantly, I followed her unction and looked in the direction she wanted me to. For the first time, I realized just how late it had gotten. The sun had already set, and the snowy ground looked blue as the night sky reflected off of its icy texture.

Honing in on what she was flying down toward, I could make out the figures of two men, sparring amongst the cold. One was dominating the other, his movements fierce and bold, while the other tried his best to counter his attacks. I was drawn in to the fight, but didn't expect for Oak to dive straight for them.

Woah, woah, what are you doing?! Do not go down there!

Ignoring my protests, she gently landed on the ground just a few feet away from them and tilted her head curiously. It was then that I realized I had already met one of the men before, and I really would have preferred not to meet him ever again.

Oak, let's go.

And yet she walked forward. The blonde man had managed to pin his opponent to the ground, shoving his face into the snow until he surrendered. Once he secured his victory, he stood to his feet and brushed the cold residue off his pants, just now noticing Oak.

Before I could force myself out of the tether, he grinned, walking over to her. Kneeling down so he was eye level with her, he chuckled, causing my lip to twitch in contempt.

"I'm assuming your lynk is watching us right now," he stated, and I cringed at being found out; even more so when Oak nodded.

"Well, I hope you paid attention, because tomorrow morning, you're going to be my partner."

Like hell I will.

"See you then, Sparrow."

Breaking the tether, I let out a groan of aggrivation as my physical surroundings came back into view. There was no way I was spending the morning with the likes of him, and the moment Oak got back, I was having a stern talk with her.

I waited up for almost an hour before she finally returned, slowly walking in with her feathered tail tucked between her legs and her head down. When she looked at me, her dark eyes were wide and glossy, and I knew what she was trying to do.

"Oh no, don't you dare go looking at me like that. I don't care how cute you are, you are in big trouble, young lady," I scolded, crossing my arms.

You know how I feel about forced tethers.

When that was said, she dropped her little act and jumped onto the bed, ignoring my mental disciplining.

"Okay, be that way. Just don't be surprised if you wake up on the floor in the morning."

As the sun shined through the thin fabric of the tent, I opened my eyes, rubbing them to get the layer of sleep off that had settled on them.

"Good morning."

Not expecting the presence of another person, I snapped up, looking around until I found the intruder.

"Lydia," I sighed, letting my heart rate calm down.

"My apologies," she began with a sheepish smile. "Avery sent me here to escort you to the community tent for breakfast."

"Avery sent you?" I questioned, raising a brow. When she nodded her head in agreement, I stated, "Then I'm not going."

"What?" she giggled, as if I had said a joke.

Staring at her with a cold, blank expression, she sobered up.

"Sparrow, we only serve two meals a day because of the last famine. You shouldn't miss a meal."

"I've missed plenty of meals before," I confessed without thinking, earning me a sympathetic look from her that made my stomach turn.

Standing up, I walked over to the tent flap and opened it up, turning to look at her.

"Thank you for stopping by, but you can let Avery know I wasn't hungry," I said shortly, ignoring the disapproving look Oak gave me.

Clearly not sure of how to respond, Lydia just nodded her head with a weak smile before walking out. As I was about to close it, she hesitated and turned around to face me.

"If you change your mind-"

"I won't."

Letting the flap close, I sat back down on the bed, wondering why I was still here. I was lost in thought until a sharp pain pricked my knee and I found Oak hovering over it with one of her talons extended.

She was upset by the way I treated Lydia, and I could feel her wanting an explanation.

"You know how I feel about pity. I don't want it," I shrugged.

Still not satisfied, Oak pricked me again.

Hissing slightly, I glared at her and said, "I'll apologize next time I see her. Okay?"

And just like that, she was sweet again, purring as she cuddled into my leg, avoiding the spot that was stitched up.

Not even ten minutes later, I nearly jumped from my bed when a man barged in, his dark blue eyes looking into mine with disdain. His large build was covered by just a long-sleeved ivory shirt and dark pants. Looking at the thin leather boots strapped onto his feet, I'd expect him to be shivering from the cold, but his skin was lively, and his demeanor was calm, as if the environment did nothing to him.

I was about to question why he was here, but he spoke first.

"I said I wanted you at breakfast," he stated, his tone almost scolding in nature.

"No. You sent a woman to do that for you," I countered, standing up and crossing my arms, umphased by the harshness of his stare.

"You need your strength if you're going to help us," he continued, choosing not to acknowledge my comment. Dropping a metal bowl onto the table, he added, "Eat."

Scoffing I turned around, focusing my attention on Oak in hopes he'd just leave when he saw I was no longer entertaining his presence.

I could hear him suck his teeth in irritation, but I hadn't anticipated for him to grab me. Hoisting me over his shoulder, I shouted for him to put me down, but he just grumbled, "Maybe if you ate more, you wouldn't be so easy to lift."

Growling, I looked at Oak as she followed us out into the snow.

"Oak! Don't just watch, help me!"

Underneath me, I could feel Avery's body vibrate as he laughed, and that seemed to amuse Oak as she kept her distance.

You're unbelievable sometimes.

"Your shadoe knows you are not in danger," he said.

"I can see that," I said lifelessly. "You can put me down. I'm not going to run again."

Pausing in his walk, he looked back at Oak, who nodded her head to show him I was being honest. I swear, she was having too much fun.

Dropping me, without warning, my wounded leg gave out and I fell on my rear, causing Avery to laugh.

Too frustrated to reject his extended hand, I let him pull me up, dusting myself off before asking him something.

"So, where's your shadoe?"

"He's around here somewhere. If I need him, I'll send him a message through the bond," he answered, walking ahead of me.

Gazing back at Oak, she tilted her head, mirroring my confusion. I had assumed lynks and shadoes were practically inseparable. It seemed that wasn't the case for Avery and his shadoe. I wondered if other bonds were like his, or if he was an exception.

Now stuck in silence, I began to wonder if he was purposefully just wasting my time. We were almost to the edge of the camp, and by now we had passed all the tents, leading us to stand in an open field of white. As he stood with his back facing me, I drilled holes in his head, my patience thinning with each second that passed.

"I don't have time for- Hey!" I shouted, narrowly dodging his fist as it lightly grazed my cheek. The feel of his skin was warm to the touch, another thing I found odd considering the temperature.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

The second that question left my lips, another punch was thrown, and this one didn't miss. Connecting with my shoulder, I grumbled over my yelp so I would not sound feeble in front of him.

"Are you going to fight back?! Or just let me hit you?!" Avery questioned, walking closer and shoving me while I was checking to make sure my stitches hadn't busted.

Tumbling to the ground, I fought the urge to wince, too stubborn to do so. I heard Oak screech from a few feet away, but I silenced her with just one look.

Don't.

I didn't need her to step in and make me look even more incapable. Standing to my feet, I let out a deep breath, shaking off the pain. The moment I did, he charged at me. Not versed in combat, I racked my brain for what to do. Drawing from Oak's reflexes, I managed to dodge him as he lunged for me, leaving him grasping at nothing but air.

I felt accomplished for a moment, but then he chuckled, causing my spirits to dive.

"Nice trick," he shrugged, wiping his upper lip with his thumb. "But, can you do it again?"

Unsure, I bit my inner cheek, refusing to answer him. This time as he bolted toward me, I braced myself, waiting for him to get close enough. Just as he dove forward, I juked to the right. Thinking I had evaded him, a smirk started to form on my lips, until I was yanked to the ground by the hood of my coat.

"Ughhh," I groaned, arching my back up as pain shot through my body.

Squatting down next to me, Avery watched me, nodding his head like he was assessing my performance.

"You fight like a blind child," he stated bluntly. "I didn't even have to try."

"You fought an injured woman and won. Congratulations. Do you feel like a man yet?" I retorted, rolling my eyes at him as I sat up, feeling sore from all the trauma my body had taken in the last twenty-four hours. "I didn't stay here for this."

Now eye-level with him as he stayed in his crouch, I could see that he didn't appreciate my snarky remark. His mouth was turned to the side and I noticed the way his jaw clenched.

"You were well enough to make a run for it yesterday," he countered, looking me in the eye. "This was my way figuring out where to start your training."

"And did you?"

"Yes, I did," he nodded, looking off to the left. "You have to start from the very beginning. My concern is that, even with my teaching, you'll still be subpar."

I could sense Oak urging me not to react, but his smugness was infuriating. Quickly reaching my hand up, I yanked on his beard with all my strength before getting up and storming off. I could hear him cursing under his breath, and I knew that I'd caused him pain because I managed to pull some of his hairs out.

"Hey! We aren't finished, yet!" he shouted after me.

Not bothering to look back, I muttured to myself, "We are now, you cocky bastard."

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Author's Note:
Soooo...I think Sparrow's warming up to him. 🙂

Did you enjoy this chapter?
-Mac