Chapter Five - A Dream or Reality?

(Pardon the orange tiger pics, it is extremely hard to find pictures of black tigers so until I can get a hold of a tablet pc or something to draw decent pictures of Saeron with you'll all have to make due with what you can imagine him looking like in your minds eye.)

Chapter 5 – A Dream or Reality?

Was it morning already? My eyelids fought to stay shut, but I eventually managed to force them open. Saeron was laying beside me where I had thought he wouldn't be judging by his disappearance last night. Last night. Had that all really happened? Had I really seen that unbelievably hansom guy? I tried to recall the previous events. They seemed so vivid in my mind that there was no though in dismissing them as dreams. It had all happened. I had seen him, seen his angelic face, his soft blue eyes.
Saeron's own blue eyes suddenly startled me as they shot open. They locked onto me and once again I felt like prey to a beast holding me captive. I turned away from the intensity the blueness gave off. As I stared off into another direction my mind continued to hold the image of those blue eyes. I wasn't sure what it was, but those eyes now held a different feeling to them. They didn't seem as frighten anymore, but somehow different. I couldn't put my finger on it.

“How's your wound?” He inquired, interrupting my thoughts.
Without turning to face him I replied with a meek response. “It's fine.”
It startled me when he leaped from bed, but I didn't turn to look where he was going. Already knew he'd probably be heading to the jungle where he always went. I waited a few minutes, jerked the covers off my body, then headed for the kitchen. To my surprise Saeron stood just outside the doorway of the kitchen. I smiled halfheartedly and entered the kitchen, Saeron following after me. I prepared my meal, some small cooked fish and fruits then headed for the pond to feed the fish. To my surprise Saeron followed me out to the pond and then to the garden where I weeded out the yard. I felt like asking why he hadn't left, but I was too afraid of him getting angry with me.

I began brushing Nara's light mane, hoping every second she'd refrain from kicking up a fuss. With Saeron next to me the horses were all but calm. They neighed uneasily, keeping on they're toes in case this “predator” decided he wanted to make them lunch. I knew better than to think Saeron would eat his own horses, but his pets didn't seem to be as educated.
A snarl echoed off the rocks and I felt Nara's mane slip away from me as she reared in the air. I quickly jumped to dodge her hooves and nearly landed on a pile of jagged rocks. My eyes immediately locked on Saeron's curled body, bristling fur and teeth bared. Though his stance seemed very aggressive, the look of pain in his eyes made me question what was really going on. Before I could call out to him, Saeron had bolted straight into the jungle at lightning speed. I sat on the ground stunned at what I had just witnessed. Had he gone mad? Could he have turned on me if I had tried to help him? I suddenly felt dizzy with fear. I had to leave now! If I stayed her any longer I may end up killed. No! I know I'd be killed!

I rushed to put reins on Nara, my sweaty palms beginning to shake with fright. I need to get out as soon as I could before that monster returned. It didn't matter if I found my village. All that mattered was that I found my way away from this beast.

Nara's little body moved just as frantically as my heart raced, but her pace was fast. We soon made are way through most of the jungle and I began to realize I had never been through this part of the jungle. I took it as a good sign because if I didn't know where I was I must be getting further from the temple.
Less and less light crept through the cracks in the jungle until there was no light except the bright moon hanging overhead. I halted Nara to a slower pace, feeling secured by the darkness and its ability to conceal.

Surprisingly it was quiet, except the sound of insects in the night; a calming sound. Nara trotted in absolute calmness making me somewhat tired. I slid off Nara's back and tied her reins to a tree. I then slumped down next to the same tree and rested my head on its smooth trunk. My eyes began to get heavy and I eventually gave into sleep.

I felt him. I felt his arm around me. His kiss on my cheek. “Dad!” I had finally found him! I had finally found home. It had taken me so long to get there, but I had finally found it.
“Dad, it was horrible. I tried to get back to you guys sooner, but the tiger wouldn't let me.” I told him through sobs.
“What tiger?” He asked with great interest. “Do you mean the tiger at the temple?”
“Yes of course Dad, what other tiger would I be talking about?”
“I can't believe the tiger actually kept you alive. It's a miracle!” He was so overjoyed he called our entire family over to celebrate. I had never been so happy in my life. I was free from the tiger and free to live as I pleased.
I was heading outside after the party when my ears heard a familiar voice calling my name. I quickly turned my head and my eyes caught sight of the one person I had hoped to see again.

“Dante,” he called out to me again. I went to him with a smile. He smiled back and took me in his arm. My heart rushed with adrenaline and I could feel my temperature rising.
“I'm so sorry,” he began, confusing me. “I didn't mean to scare you off.”
“Huh?” I looked up at his brilliantly blue eyes. “You could never scare me away.”
I thought I had sounded sincere, but I caught a glimpse of sadness his face suddenly turned away.
“Stay with me here.” I encouraged, but he continued to look away. He then let go of me and slowly walked away. I followed after him, trying to get him attention.
Before I could blink his figure turned into a ghastly dark shape, his eyes bright with rage. A loud let out from his mouth just before the darkness that had consumed crashed into me.

“Are you alright?” I heard his voice suddenly in my ear. My eyes shot open. Had I been dreaming the entire time? Was I still running away from Saeron? Was I in the nameless strangers
arms?
“I found you lying by a tree and figured you were lost so I'm taking you back to the temple.” He said softly.
“Thanks,” I said, without any real gratitude in mind. My heart began racing faster than it had already been when I realized I was in his arms. The realization of where he was taking me was setting in.
“Why were you so far from the temple?” He asked, but I could see the wisdom in his eyes. Somehow I knew he knew I had run away.
“I'm afraid the tiger in the temple is going to kill me,” I blurted out. I looked at him, suddenly realizing his face was fixed in something close to shock. “Please don't take me back.”
“You can't stay out here though, its dangerous,” his voice carried with it much worry. I almost smiled at the thought of him worried for me, but the thought of being killed continued to overpower my actions. I struggled to get out of his arms so that I could run away, but instead found that our feet were several feet off the ground. I looked in front of us and recognized the black mane and pointed ears.
“I hope you don't mind me borrowing him to rescue you,” he said noticing my realization of what we were riding. “He's very well behaved.”
Well behaved? He was the horse I was always so afraid riding because I couldn't trust him and this stranger from out of no where was able to ride him like he'd had him for years.
“How did you--
“Don't worry about it, lets just worry about getting you home.”
“Home? You mean like where I live? My village?”
He didn't say anything. I looked up at his face and his eyes were gazing forward obviously lost in thought. The moon reflected off the light blue irises and my heart suddenly jumped as he looked down at me, his eyes staring deep into mine. At that moment I forgot all I was going through.
“I thought about you,” he began, and my heart raced faster. “All last night I could hardly sleep.”
He touched my cheek, where I sat sidesaddle in front of him, and I blushed with embarrassment. I had been thinking about him as well. All that day and night as I rode into the jungle I had my thoughts, when they weren't on the fear of Saeron finding me, stuck on him. Had he really been thinking of me too?
“I've been thinking about you too,” I said without thinking. I quickly looked up to see what he thought about what I had said. “I'm sorry, I mean, we've just met. It probably seems so weird to you that I'm sharing this stuff with you.”
“Not at all.” I was surprised by his response. “I'd love to hear what you've been thinking.”
His eyes seemed to beg me to continue. But I wasn't about to tell him what I thought. I would be so humiliated if he thought the things I said were stupid. Did he even feel the same way I did?
“You must have something you want to tell me.” He brushed a strand of my hair from my face and lightly patted it back into place. “Am I really that bad? Is that why your not saying any thing?”
“No! Thats not it at all! How could you think that?”
“No reason,” he said through sad eyes. I looked into them, they seemed deep and lonely. “He he, your cute when you worry.” His face lit up with a smile.
“Sorry,” I turned away just before he could see me blush, but before I could figure out what was happening his hand found my face and brought it back to face his. My face now burned even more under the warmth of his hand. He probably saw that I was blushing because he smiled, then chuckled just before releasing my face.
“You don't have to be ashamed of being cute. I like girls that are cute, if you find that hard to believe.” He said with a chuckle. “Especially when the girl's so beautiful.” Just hearing this just about knocked me off the horse. I felt dizzy and the sky was beginning to turn. He caught me just as I was leaning to the side. I thought I was going to die of a heat stroke. I tried to look up at him, but my vision suddenly faded to black.