Her Fierce Protector

Chapter 7

ASHERA decided to leave Alawin forest and went to a spring just near the Alawin forest, that's where she soaks her feet. She felt so glad feeling the cold water on her skin, she sat on one of the rocks there as she was trying to rest. Later, she will go back to Alawin Forest, she just wants to distract herself from remembering that rude guy she met there.

He is rude… but sweet. He knows how to give compliments, though he is so blunt.

She winced when remembered that gray-eyed creature again. Is he even real?

She sighed and started playing with the cold water though she was also careful not to get her clothes wet. She looked around and she felt something touching her heart with the beauty around her. This cold spring is one of her favorites. On the upper part of where she was sitting is also where they get their drinking water, it was so clear and clean, very comforting to drink. It is flowing water that's why they believe it is clean. It is also where the irrigation for their planted palay came from. This spring is what they call fuente de vida spring or source of life because it is where their life depends, it is their main source of water, for them, for crops, and for the animals… it's way farther from their village. It couldn't be seen from their village, but it is just a walking distance.

She remembered when she was still young, she used to come with her father to fetch water from the spring, and every time they got there, her father would always tell her how important the spring is to them.

All of them were thought to care for the spring, that's why even after years, the spring is still as clean as before.

It has seemed like it is connected to their life, the destruction of the spring will also be their death.

AFTER relaxing in the fuente de vida spring, she decided to go back to the Alawin forest. She wants to pick some fruits that she will bring home for her sister, Zelda.

When she got there, she immediately took a long straight branch of a tree and used it to get the fruits she wanted. She really enjoys this kind of pastime, it entertains her and at the same time, satisfies her stomach. She does not know why fruits from Alawin forests taste more delicious than those from the trees they've grown.

"I thought this forest was dangerous, why are you still here, Lady?"

She stilled for a moment after hearing that familiar voice. She turned around and there, she saw the gray-eyed man earlier.

She rolled her eyes for him, "Why are you asking? This is not your forest!"

She turned and continued hitting the green mango using the long branch she is currently holding.

"Do you really like sour things?"

"What if yes? So, what?" she asked, raising her brows, then continued doing what she was doing.

"I'll get it," the guy said, "You're doing it wrong!"

"Excuse me?!" She got offended by what he had said, "I've been doing this for my whole life!"

"Still… you're doing it wrong," he said without any glint of emotion, "Stay there, Lady. I'll get it for you."

"No!" Ashera said, showing how stubborn she is.

"Ashera!"

"I said I'll get it, myself! I don't need anyone's help! I can always do it by myself! I don't need you!"

"Sure…" the guy said, crossed his arms on his chest, and watched her as if he was challenging her, his way of looking at her is as if he could burst out laughing anytime.

She kept hitting the green mangoes, she hit them as hard as she could but the green mangoes just swayed. She took a deep breath and massaged the back of her neck and her arms.

"You can do it, huh?"

She turned to the man who is now sarcastically chuckling at her, making fun of her. This jerk!

She continued hitting the fruits, still, nothing happened as if the mangoes just tightened their hold making them impossible to get.

Ugh! I hate this!

The rude guy kept on watching her moves like she was just pulling a stupid act, that made her feel annoyed and irritated. She continued what she was doing, she needed to prove to the guy that she can do it, that she is doing it right.

She almost jumped in so much happiness when she finally saw a green mango finally fall.

"Yes!" She punched in the air and ran towards the mango on the ground. She looked at the rude guy who is now leaning his back on the tree, crossing his arms on her chest while watching her with a playful smirk on his lips.

She waved her hand with the mango and stuck her tongue out trying to annoy the rude man.

The guy suddenly climbed to the tree, he was so fast, his hands and arms were so firm as he climbed up to the mango tree, she was not expecting that in just a blink of an eye, the guy yelled calling her name.

"Ashera!"

She looked up.

"Catch!"

She hurried to catch the mango that he passed. She got some of them, but most just fell on the ground. When he got enough, he just jumped from where he was standing while picking the fruits.

Ashera's eyes popped out in shock and her mouth dropped open in too much admiration and amusement.

"Wow! How did you do that?" Ashera asked in total awe, "That was… amazing!"

The guy sighed and didn't speak, then picked those mangoes on the ground and put them in one place.

"How did you do that?" she asked again, the guy looked at her for a while like he did not know how to answer her question, like it was very unexplainable.

"My… father trained me for years to do that," he said in a stable emotionless tone.

"Since you were young?"

"Yeah…"

"Wow!" Ashera gasped.

"Eat it…" the guy said.

"T-thank you," Ashera said sweetly.

The guy smiled at her and watched her eat the fruit he got for her. They decided to sit near the tree. She was enjoying eating the green mango. She looked at the guy who was just watching her eat. She picked another fruit and offered it to him.

"You want?" she asked.

The guy gulped and shook his head. Ashera pouted and continued eating as she roamed her eyes around.

"You really like it here, huh?"

Ashera's smile escaped from her lips, her eyes twinkled, "I could live here forever. This is where my heart belongs… since I was young, I always wanted to visit this place, but my father forbade me to."

The guy sighed and looked at her, "Why?"

"Because… This place is dangerous for us. We never know what's in here."

"So, why are you here now?" the guy asked.

Ashera smiled again, she suddenly stood up and turned around, taking a deep breath, taking in the fresh air.

"Because this… everything in here… is worth taking a risk," Ashera said and silat again, "My parents used to scold me… but I don't care. I love seeing this beautiful forest, Alawin is always worth it."

Ashera turned to the guy who is constantly staring at her as if something interesting is being posted on her face.

"How about you? Aren't you afraid about the ferocious werewolves they say that are inhabiting here?" she curiously asked. She never expects that she can see someone in the forest because, in their village, it was only her that believes that Alawin forest is not the place they thought dangerous.

The guy looked around just like what she did earlier.

"You like the beauty of Alawin forest as well?" she asked.

"I like your beauty more," the guy suddenly and bluntly said, forcing himself to not show a smile, though it was obvious.

Ashera rolled her eyes thinking it was just a joke from the guy. She pouted, "I just wish I can live here forever… but that cannot be… my family will never allow me."

"Choose a man that will build you a home to stay here then..."

Ashera chuckled and took that as a joke, "Who's the brave man who will choose to stay in this dangerous forest then? Tell me, and I will marry him in no time."

She sighed and leaned her back to the tree, then she felt the guy's stares again, he just couldn't keep his eyes away from her, though it wasn't bothering her, she felt comfortable and calm with it.

"Someday… I will live here in the Alawin forest. I want my future family here… my kids playing and laying in these grasses, being full and satisfied with these fruits… breathing this fresh and cold air… that's… amazing!" She smiled and closed her eyes imagining those times, "This forest is my first love…"

"What about your future husband?"

"Well…" She giggled, "He will be my last."

They fell in deafening silence, they could only hear their breathing and the wind blowing. Ashera felt sleepy with the relaxing feeling.

"How about you? Do you want to raise your future kids here?" she asked while smiling sweetly, her eyes were almost closing, her eyelids felt heavy.

"I never thought about it before," the guy said calmly and breathed, "But now… probably, yeah."

"Is Alawin forest your first love too?"

The guy went silent, she hadn't heard any response from him. She smiled and took a glance at the gray-eyed guy, only to see him look at her softly.

"Why are you always looking at me like that?" Ashera asked the guy.

"I told you… you're beautiful."

Ashera chuckled sarcastically, "Most of the people in the village told me that already. They kept telling me that I'm beautiful… telling me that maybe the reason why my parents are very careful of me is that they care for my beauty… a lot of guys admire me, and care for me like I'm a damsel in distress… they care about my skin, my face, my hair… everything that they see in me… but never cared about my feelings...

"That's also the reason why I am not interested in a lot of my suitors… they're all the same… and I'm afraid for the time that I will lose my beauty and they might not care for me anymore," she said and smiled weakly… she uttered those words slowly. She sighed remembering her experiences. She gently closed her eyes, she felt so sleepy now.

Then she heard a voice in her ears, "I will always protect you no matter what… but that doesn't mean that I'll take your freedom away, Lady."

There, she lost hold of her consciousness, and didn't know if those were true or a product of imagination… she fell asleep and dozed off.