The Quest for Paradise

She nodded and then somewhat prophetically sounding she said, "You here now. I take you home."

She got up and started off again and I had very little else to do but follow my somewhat enigmatic little companion. She'd helped to save my life and the least I could do was extend her a little trust in return.

That said the future opening up before me was one of imposed worry over all the things that could happen.

Several hours passed by and in consternation I broke the silence of our journey to ask, "Your parents let you travel so far from home?"

The girl shrugged, but offered no comment. Then the girl spoke, "You uplanders make unsafe. I know forest. I safe. Your kind kills."

How true that was. "I'm sorry. I…. I'm not like that."

She looked back and viewed me for a moment before succinctly saying, "I know. That why I take you home."

She went back to leading the way forward and wearily I continued to follow.

*****

Rocky upthrusts of stone rose all around us like great teeth and as we made our way through the silent citadels of rock I asked worriedly, "You live here?"

The girl nodded and made the motion for me to be quiet, but it was too late. I barely had time to take a sharp indrawn breath before I felt the piercing quality of the sharp spear points being pressed against the skin of my belly, back, and throat.

I held my breath in fear that to breathe I would impale my throat on the sharped stone point held pressed to my throat by one warrior of but several which had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. The little girl was shrieking out excitedly and jumping up she latched onto the spear shaft connected to the spear at my throat and forcefully tugged it away.

I had the impression that the muscled warrior allowed the action more than it being a case of being overpowered by the little girl. I watched him reach forward and grip the girl by the top of the head with one hand and lift her up towards his face to angrily shout into her face.

Her response was to spit full into his face and kick him so hard in the groin that I found myself involuntarily flinching at the look of pain that passed across the warrior's face. The spear points ringing my waist held by the other phantom warriors relaxed just slightly as they all broke into laughter and called out taunts to their companion writhing in agony upon the ground.

He'd dropped the girl in order to clutch at himself and now my rescuer stood feet spread wide as she faced the recovering bully who even now was making the attempt to get back on his feet. It was clear that he wanted to hit the girl, but something held him back and so he settled for a spiteful glare that had heat to it.