Dwellers of the New World Chapter Nine ( Pt 3 ) Danger Lurks!

Cinnamon worked hard that very same day. Cook had asked the two girls to work late, as there was much to do, with the weather turning.

Cinnamon was unusually quiet, due to the fact she had a lot on her mind and just wished for her day to be over, so she could meet up with Varden.

Cook ordered the girls to move everything into the lean-to, she knew when the weather was going to turn really bad, she said she could feel it in her bones, especially when the fog lifted and the prevailing winds came off the moors from across the sea.

A temporary fire would need to be built at the edge of the lean-to, which Cinnamon hated, because it would get very smoky. Working conditions would become unbearable, but at least they would be dry, although the cold wind would bite.

The girls wished they'd worn their fur wraps, instead of the deer skin capes, which would only keep them slightly warm, but at least they were able to keep on the move, which helped.

By the time Cinnamon was ready to leave the barracks, the rain was coming down with a vengeance. This did not put her off going to meet Varden though, as she had it in her mind and wanted to follow through.

After saying her goodbyes, she left her work. Making her way across the sodden ground, she noticed there were no candles burning in the window, which meant her mother was not in.

The girl walked into their cabin, she hated when it was empty. The table was clear, the fire was all but cinders, so she stoked it and placed some logs on to warm up the room.

There was no aroma of welcoming food, so she took off her cape and ate some corn bread by the fire to dry off, thinking her father would probably be eating around at Meradith and Nathen's cabin with the rest of the family.

She knew her mother and father would be expecting her, but the girl had other plans. This was her opportunity to go and meet Varden, without being questioned by anyone. She thought to herself, 'I'll be home before anyone else and tucked up in bed.'

After placing some more cornbread in some skin, she picked up her fur winter wrap and put it around her shoulders, knowing that the hood would keep out the rain and cold wind.

Putting the cornbread in her pouch, she wondered what Varden had been up to that day. Leaving the cabin, she made her way along the path, the wind and rain combined were at her back, the bear skin kept her dry though.

Cinnamon noticed a lot of the cabins had candles burning in their windows. 'Most people would be in the warm, by their fires,' she thought to herself.

Finally reaching the river, she searched around for Varden, she dare not call out his name, in case anyone should be around, not wanting to draw attention to her friend.

The weather became more and more atrocious, she wondered if it was worth turning back and going home, but knowing there was so much to tell the boy, Cinnamon decided to go further in amongst the trees to find some shelter.

Time passed as she wandered further and further into the forest. The trees without leaves didn't give her any kind of protection, she wondered how Varden would survive a night like this.

The mud caked around her boots, as she continued to trudge, the rain whipping at her face, she decided to call out. “Varden! Varden.” Her voice all but lost with the sound of the wind and rain.

She looked around, the trees seemed so tall, Cinnamon had never been into the forest before, it was the one place her father had told her never to go.

Walking deeper and deeper in amongst the trees, looking around the girl realised she didn't know where she was, a panic washed over her.

As the rain soaked her, she pulled her wrap further in around her shoulders, finding small comfort. The trees blew around, making her feel small and inadequate.

With heart beating fast, the path she was following, suddenly became all but lost.

Turning to go back the way she had come, she looked into the distance, when she saw a disturbing sight, a huge bear was padding between the great forest trees.

Cinnamon turned to run, leaving the path, she began traipsing through the wet mud, until she could hardly walk, it was so deep.

Moving across to the edge of the mud, she used the branch of an overhanging tree, to pull herself out onto a small bank, not realising what a mistake this was.

Brambles began to attack her from every direction, thorns gouging at her skin. Very soon she became entwined and tangled, the undergrowth pulling her further down, as she stuck fast.

Cinnamon tried to disentangle herself, but the more she struggled, the more the brambles took hold, they were all around her. Every move, caused the thorns to lacerate her legs, working their way through her muddy, skin leggings.

Panicking, she became frightened, her face flushing as her heart began racing, tears filled her eyes, as the thought of not being able to escape and of the animals of the forest that could kill her.

Beginning to cry, the girls tears mixed with the rain, Cinnamon tried again to free herself, but gave up when once again the thorns dug deep into her fingers.

All she could see, were the brambles all around her, it was as if they had a mind of their own and wanted her prisoner, a warning to all those that dare to come into their territory.

She screamed out. “HELP! HELP...HELP!” but her cries again got lost in the wind and rain. Cinnamon sat there in the mud, hoping for a miracle, taking no comfort in her sodden bear skin, her legs still bleeding.

A little later she all but gave up hope, laying down and crying out, her sobs made her eyes sore and tired, her spirit dwindling, she became unconscious, then the rain brought her round again and she began to hallucinate, she saw herself racing up and down the great trees of the forest, searching for a way out, or for shelter.

The undergrowth beckoned...brambles holding her prisoner, she thought she would die that night, as darkness approached.

Dwellers of the New World Chapter Nine ( Pt 4 ) The Storm Goes On | ABCtales