Three

“Has she regained consciousness?” I heard Jonathan ask me. It took a moment for his words to register before I could answer.
“Huh, oh no. Not yet. Dr. Haylen says it will be at least a few days before she’s recovered from all that blood loss and we can find out who she is.”
“Strange,” he muttered. Everyone thought it was strange.
It had taken me at least a half an hour to return to the camp, I hadn’t realized exactly how far I had gone. The girl was no trouble, she only woke once while I ran, muttering something about an unfinished order before she slipped back into unconsciousness. When I arrived I went straight to our doctor, Alec Haylen, and he got to work with removing the arrow shaft and cleaning the numerous wounds. He told me that the girl’s chances of survival were not very high, but if she did live she should awaken in a few days. I had spent an entire two days waiting for that to happen.
The girl herself wasn’t very important in my view. I was more concerned with the mystery that was her; I needed to know what she was doing in the woods dressed like a foot soldier, and running on her own in the dark. And I needed to know what those wounds were; they still haunted me in my dreams.
But I would need to wait.
“So where exactly did you find her, Jasper?” Jonathan asked casually as he drank his ration of wine.
“Oh, out somewhere in the woods. A wide clearing.”
“I’ve never heard of that,” he said as he furrowed his brow in thought. I shrugged. He said no more, and soon excused himself to bed. I stayed at the dining tent as long as I could, thinking over the many problems in my head.
We had gone no closer to finding the creature or the wolf-thing (which I strongly suspected were the same thing), and we had a 24-hour watch, just in case it decided to attack. And the girl. There were rumors going around camp that she was a spy for a neighboring kingdom because of the way she was dressed, but I didn’t really believe it. After all, what could a girl like her do?

Two more days passed in utter frustration. My combat skills were noticeably becoming more and more unfocused due to my lack of concentration, and I found it hard to think about much other than the girl. My thirst for the truth behind her mystery was overwhelming; I had to find out soon, or I would lose my mind.
On the fourth day I decided to go see her. After morning practice I made my way through the busy camp to the doctor’s tent, but I couldn’t find Dr. Haylen at all. His daughter, Marianne, was there cleaning medical equipment, and she told me her father was out by the river taking care of Kernos, who had fallen and hit his head on the rocks leaving a nasty gash. I thanked her and left. If the doctor wasn’t there, I was going to go see the girl on my own.

The infirmary tent was the largest in camp. It was actually made of several tents joined together, and so spanned about 25 feet. As a soldier’s camp, we obviously needed plenty of medical attention, especially after a battle. We were equipped for any situation necessary, and Dr. Haylen was one of the best healers in the kingdom. In my opinion, our infirmary was much better than the healer’s place back at my village. I completely believed in the girl’s recovery. I was just impatient to see her awaken.
Because there were no women in camp, (excepting Marianne and Juliana, Garrett’s young wife), Dr. Haylen had put Juliana in charge of keeping an eye on the girl, just in case the men got rowdy and disrupted her recovery. She was outside the tent washing some cleaning rags when I arrived.
“Good morning, Juliana,” I said casually.
She looked up at my voice and smiled politely.
“Mornin’ Jasper,” she said, making it sound like “Jas-puh” with her strong accent. She was very pretty; with an exotic mix of chocolate colored skin, bright green eyes and light brown hair; she was thin and graceful, and no other girl I’d ever met looked anything like Juliana. That was because she wasn’t a native to the kingdom of Calmar; she was from Yulai, a much stronger military country to the west of us, near the sea. She’d been a slave girl rescued by Garrett in a large battle a few years earlier. And although he was nearly five years her elder, they had been married and soon after had had their first son, Imelei, who was often seen clutching at Juliana’s skirt as he followed her around camp. Some people said his skin and hair resembled his mother, but those violet eyes of his were definitely Garrett’s.
“Watcha doin’ ‘ere, ah Jasper?” she asked as she continued her chores, carefully avoiding my gaze.
“I came to see the girl,” I said gesturing at the tent flap.
“She hasn’ got up jest yet. Ah saw ‘er a lil’ bit ago.”
“I know,” I answered pleasantly. “I just thought you might want to go look for Imelei, he’s gone and disappeared again.”
“Again? Dat boy oughta listin to ‘is mother. Ah told ‘im not to go wondrin round.”
“I’ll relieve you if you’d like, Juliana, go and look for him.”
She straightened and stared at my face, focusing on a point right under my eyes. Her eyes narrowed for a moment.
“Now duncha be gettin’ any ideas, Jasper. Duncha do anythin’ unpropriate to dat gurl.”
I widened my eyes at her accusation.
“Juliana, I wouldn’t. I’m only curious about her. I wouldn’t dare do anything like that! Soldier’s honor.”
She stared at me good and hard before softening her expression and pointedly turning her back to me so as to not meet my eyes.
“’right then, be back soon. Boy, don’ cum to meh laiter wit a’ ‘cuse. You gave meh your ‘onah, ‘member?” she said sternly as she started to walk off.
“Yes Juliana.”
She nodded and went off in search of her son. I stood outside the tent wondering if it was better to just leave, but finally decided that I might as well do what I came to do and stepped inside.
She was lying on one of the straw mattresses, and all her dirty and torn clothes had been removed. She was wearing a plain white tunic and a lot of her body was bandaged up. Now that it was daylight I could see her in a different way; how her face was very clear, except for a small birthmark beneath her right eye, how serious she seemed even in sleep, and how pretty she was, even though she was wounded. I’m not sure how long I stared at her, willing her to wake up, before I noticed the necklace once again.
The emerald crescent was shining brightly upon her collarbone, and it intrigued me. It was very fine, perfect in fact. I wasn’t aware that I had put my hand out to touch it until a firm but small hand snapped up to grasp my wrist.
Surprised, I moved a step back. The girl was still lying in bed, but her eyes were open. They were pitch black and cold, and they stared at me straight in the eyes with such ferocity that I couldn’t say a word. She didn’t let go of my wrist, and for several minutes she just stared at me with her eyes in mean slits. Finally I found myself able to speak.
“Uh, miss? My hand is falling asleep…”
Immediately she let go of my hand, but she stared at me with such intensity, that I was beginning to feel like her eyes were dark tunnels… She sat up then and continued staring at me.
“Who are you?” She whispered in a husky tone, almost like a boy’s voice. It had a slight accent, but I couldn’t place it.
“My name is Jasper; I’m the one who brought you here.”
She looked me up and down and scoffed.
“You? You’re hardly fifteen.” I stared at her. She was hardly a day over seventeen, maybe even sixteen, and yet she seemed amused at my age. I didn’t think it wise to talk back though, so I just shrugged.
“I’m just a soldier, miss. That’s all.”
Her nose wrinkled in distaste.
“Don’t call me miss. It bothers me.”
“Yes, if that’s what you wish.”
She narrowed her eyes at me.
“What are you anyway?” she asked. “You’ve got strange eyes. They aren’t normal for humans.” She spoke the word humans with distaste, almost like she wasn’t one herself.
“I am human,” I said surprised at her tone. “What else could I be?”
She ignored my question and continued staring. Finally after a few minutes of silence she spoke again.
“Where am I?”
“The southern soldier’s regiment in the kingdom of Calmar.”
“Calmar?”
“Yes mi-, I mean yes, this is the country under the rule of King Liatsna.”
She stared blankly at me.
“You have never heard of Calmar?” I asked incredulously. The kingdom was well known everywhere for its rich trade and fierce military power.
“No never,” she answered in a quieter tone. It suited her better, her voice was smooth, and it sounded wise as well.
“Who are you?” I asked curiously. She turned her deep black eyes on my crimson irises.
“I don’t know,” she whispered.

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