Ka’ya waved her hand at the wolfhounds. The alpha snorted and settled down closer to her while the other two moved out to scout the area. She walked over to the wolfhound and ran an affectionate hand over its muzzle before turning to look at the unconscious male.

“He doesn’t look like much of a raider,” Ka’ya remarked, tilting her head to assess the man. “His clothing may be filthy, but it is of excellent quality. I wonder if he stole it.”

The wolfhound sneezed at Ka’ya’s quiet musings. She had found the three orphaned pups before they had been weaned from their bitch. She had come upon their mother after she had been killed by a more aggressive bitch. It was obvious she had still been nursing.

It had taken Ka’ya a day and a half to find the den. The bitch that had killed their mother had found the den before her. From the signs of blood and fur, Ka’ya had suspected all the pups had been killed and eaten.

She had been surprised when she heard the sound of whimpers coming from the ground. A portion of the den had collapsed, trapping the last three remaining pups but saving them from the bitch’s teeth. Ka’ya had dug them out and placed them in her knapsack.

She had just reached for her bow when she heard the faint sound of a branch crack in the bushes behind her. Reaching over her shoulder, she silently drew an arrow and fitted the notch onto the string. Her fingers tightened on the grip and she balanced herself.

She rose and twisted at the same time as the massive wolfhound leaped from the pile of boulders not more than a stone’s throw from her position. She pulled the string back and released the arrow before twisting away and pulling another arrow and readying it. There was no need – the bitch was dead.

She had handfed each pup, nursing them back to health and teaching them to hunt. A year after she found them, she tried to set them free. They came back – again and again and again. She had finally given up. They were smart, affectionate, and very protective.

“Well, should I kill him or see if there is a reward for him? I could use the gold for passage and supplies,” she said, glancing at the wolfhound who silently returned her gaze. “Reward, it is.”

Ka’ya bent and rolled the man over onto his side. Pulling a length of rope from the pouch at her waist, she deftly tied his wrists. She would need to leave his feet free unless she wanted the wolfhounds to drag him. Where they were going, there wouldn’t be much left to collect on if she had to drag him.

Glancing up at the darkening sky, she calculated she had less than an hour to set up camp for the night. She stood up and returned her gaze to the wolfhounds. They knew the routine.

“Stay and guard him,” she instructed the alpha before looking at the other two who had returned. “Food!”

In a flash, the two wolfhounds took off in different directions. Ka’ya glanced around the rock ledge then back up at the sky. She would need to drag the man further under the ledge. There was rain in the air. First, she needed to gather the wood for a small fire.

Ka’ya stared at the man for a moment. There was something different about him. It was more than his clothes. There was a feeling of power and something she couldn’t quite put her finger on…. Her gaze moved back to the wolfhound. A frown creased her brow and she shook her head. The man made her think of the wolfhounds.

Ka’ya shook her head again in exasperation with her musings. “I should have eaten the food mother gave me. I’m touched in the head,” she said out loud. “Keep him safe.”

Ka’ya didn’t question why she instructed the wolfhound to keep the man safe instead of ordering it to guard him. It wasn’t like the man would be much of a threat. She had given him the bruise on the chin, but the large knot on his temple had come from something else. She would see if she could make a salve to take the swelling down and heal some of the bruising.

“If I have time before the rain,” she qualified.

* * *

The loud sound echoing around him pulled Alexandru awake. He didn’t know if the crashing explosion was coming from his head or from the weather. He decided it was probably a combination of both when he felt a damp mist coat his face.

Forcing his heavy eyelids to open, he lay still, waiting for his mind to clear enough so that he could assess where he was. His first thought when he saw the bright yellows, reds, oranges, and blues of the flames was that he was in hell about to meet Hades. He was pretty sure of it when a pair of dark eyes, glowing red with the reflection of the fire in them stared back at him. The short snout and four tusks told him that he was staring back into the face of one of Hades’ hellhounds.

His body jerked when he tried to lift a hand to run it over his face. Tugging at his hands, he realized that he couldn’t move them – well, he could move them, but not very far. They were tied behind his back. Why in the hell would Hades need to tie his hands?

“Kala ta may lei. U’tama ke j’lee?”

“What?.... What did you say?” Alexandru asked, struggling to sit up.

“Kala ta may lei,” Who are you? Ka’ya demanded.

A string of words danced through his mind. They moved faster than he could grasp them. The strange language she spoke sifted into his brain, flowing until they formed into a pattern he understood. The moment the words became clear, his stomach rebelled at the intense pressure that built in his brain until he knew he was going to lose whatever contents he had in his stomach.

Alexandru slumped forward at an awkward angle. He really wished his hands were free. It would make what he felt like doing next a lot easier. He pushed up until he was on his knees. Struggling to stand, he realized he wasn’t going to make it. The woman must have realized what was about to happen because she moved with a speed that surprised him. Grabbing him from behind, she steadied him when he turned and stuck his head out from under the thin sheet she had erected as a barrier against the rain.

Alexandru’s stomach heaved in protest, but the cold rain quickly calmed it. The icy drops coated his hair and ran down over the throbbing knot on his temple. Once again he wished his hands were free.

“Come back inside before you get completely drenched. You are no good to me sick or dead,” the woman stated, pulling him backward.

“Where… Where am I? Why… Why can’t I…? Why are my hands tied?” Alexandru choked out.

The woman pulled him backwards away from the sheet and raging storm until she could prop him against the hard rock wall of her makeshift shelter. Alexandru tilted his head back against the rock and closed his eyes as the last of the nausea faded. Droplets of cold water ran down his face from his hair. He wanted to shake them free, but seriously doubted his brain would survive the movement.

“You are in my shelter. You are my prisoner,” the woman stated, moving back to the other side of the fire and sitting down.

Alexandru slowly lowered his head to stare back at her. In the dim light of the fire, he could see the blue in her hair shimmer. She stared back at him with intense green eyes. He swore if he had to die, he could do so willingly in the cool, green depths. Shocked by his thoughts, he frowned.

“What the hell are you talking about? Prisoner? I haven’t broken any laws – well, except for trying…,” Alexandru’s voice faded and the frown deepened. “Where am I?” he asked in a suddenly quiet, cautious voice.

“The forest of Vail,” the woman replied.

“Vail, as in…?” Alexandru started to ask before his voiced died again.

“As in what?” the woman responded.

Alexandru shook his head. Pain splintered through it, but he forced it aside. Vail…. He’d heard the name before but he couldn’t remember where. His gaze moved back to the huge animals lying near the woman.

“What are those... animals called?” he asked.

The woman glanced at the massive beast beside her. Her hand rose and she stroked it behind the ear. A low rumbling sound escaped the creature.

“They are tusked wolfhounds. It is best not to enter the forest if you have no knowledge of them. They can rip your throat out before you even know they have done it,” she said.

Alexandru’s eyes locked with the woman’s. Something was wrong – very, very wrong. Sitting forward, he stared unblinkingly back at her.

“What is your name?” he demanded in a low voice.

She returned his stare with a more cautious one. He wanted to force his body to relax, but the panic beginning to darken the edges of his vision made that impossible. He needed to know who she was. He needed to know where he was. He needed… to know what in the hell was going on!

“I am Ka’ya Stargazer. I am called the Huntress,” she responded, lifting her chin.

“Ka’ya…. I am….” The name danced on the tip of his tongue. An image flashed through his mind. The name was being screamed at him. “Alexandru… My name is Alexandru.”

The pain in his temple grew as he choked out his name. The brief picture of a large beast flashed through his mind. That beast was similar in some ways, but also different in many ways from the three lying next to the woman.

“Alexandru… Alexandru….”

His head began to dip again. He tried to force it up when he heard Ka’ya calling his name, but it was impossible. He felt his body sliding to the side. Surprise washed through him when warm hands caught him and gently lowered him to the ground.

“Thank… you,” he muttered before releasing a long sigh. “I need….”

He didn’t know what he needed. There was something that if he knew what it was could help him heal faster, but he couldn’t remember what it was called. Giving up on the confusing thoughts, he allowed his body to relax. Sleep – that was probably what he needed. Tomorrow, he would deal with the blank gaps. Tonight, he would enjoy the warmth of the fire and the soft, tentative hands stroking his throbbing temple.