The Mountain's best kept Secret

Lost everything, but found him

(Isabella's POV - BACK TO THE PRESENT)

She clutched the branch in her hand. ‘Faster!’, but her tired limbs made her to stumble repeatedly. The dosage of adrenalin numbed the pain in her ankle. Fight-or-flight-mode pupped her body, yet flight was her only choice. ‘I can’t go any further! She gasped for air as she leaned against a tree with her back. “Ouch”. Blood streaked from her hand down her arm. A large splinter penetrated deep into her palm from using the rough branch as a cane. Her eyes welled up, and a whimper left her lips as she recalled Travis’s urgent plea before his recapture; “Bella, go! Find help.” He told her to go, but she returned to the campsite moments later. That’s when the dark-skinned man kicked his head.

“You have to do your best now, ok?” Agony slashed her heart as she realised he sacrificed himself to be her saviour. She didn’t deserve to live more than any of her friends! She took a sharp breath and wiped the tears from her eyes. ‘Control yourself’. She made Travis a promise to do her best, and she intends to keep it. Determined to keep going, she gathered herself, wiped the blood away and bound her hand with her hair scrunchie. This time, the pain in her ankle returned as the adrenalin wore off. That’s when she noticed her body shaking; side effects of the adrenalin or chilly night? No time to ponder, because she had to discover someone to rescue them. If they were in the same mountains as before, her attempt would be in vain, yet Grace confirmed they weren’t. There could be a town nearby. The hope of recovering her friends motivated her to push through the physical and mental pain.

Grace… Something was off with her from the moment they climbed into the car. She cannot put her finger on it, but she realized she had an ulterior motive. Did she also hear the whispers in the wind, is that how she knew? “He will soon reveal himself” Grace’s words still lingered in her mind. Himself? Was she talking about Travis? He revealed himself to be a hero today, that’s for sure. Now it’s her time to be one, no matter how painful or cold her body was. The dark night ruled the sky, as there was still no sign of dawn.

Cold… Isabella shook uncontrollably against the icy breeze. ‘Find help’, but her body could not hold on. After a while her stiff limbs refused to carry her any further, although her mind kept course. Suddenly, galloping horses came closer. Her frantic eyes scanned for a hiding place close by. Her only refuge stood as a thorn bush not too far away. Holding her breath, she used all of her remaining strength to slide underneath the thorns. They came closer, but the dense bush made it challenging to make haste, so by using her unharmed foot, she gave one last push. “Ah!” She screamed out in torment. Her hand cupped her mouth to muffle herself. A large thorn cut deep into her arm and left a burning sensation behind. Without a sound, she let herself sob; not because of her physical injuries, but the bitterness of loosing her friends. She caused this…

Blinded by tears, numb by pain and a dried up mouth left her with only her smell and hearing intact.

The horses quieted down in the distance. They trotted closer to where she hid. “Whoa, lula!” The rider calmed down his horse. “Mlawuli, kutheni uyekile?” “Ngaba ikho into oyibonileyo ishukuma kula matyholo?”. That was the voices of men! Have they found her? But there were no horses at the campsite, so can it be someone else? After they spoke for a minute, the horses became agitated from standing still too long. “Jah!” The smell of dust came to her nose as the horses suddenly galloped away. ‘Ok, breathe! They are going on their way.’ Her tense muscles could not relax as the cold still dominated the night. Her entire body trembled, but especially her injured arm. Frozen, blind and dehydrated, Bella’s eyes fell close. All her efforts to keep on moving faded with the break of dawn. Exhausted, she drifted away for a moment.

Vague images replaced her memory afterwards. Some of dark eyes reaching out to her in the thorn bush, and another of the white horse regularly visiting her dreams. Se couldn’t recall their first encounter, but the electric shock delivered by his touch was as clear as day. Eventually she pieced some events together. Weak, she hesitantly took the hand that saved her from the thorns. He covered her frozen body with a blanket of some sort. “Thank u”. His gentle eyes returned a smile.

Fixated on her and with one great move, he settled her on his horse. Still dizzy from the cold, she could have sworn this was the same white horse she saw so many times before. But how could she trust herself when delusional from exhaustion? “Jah!” the man sat closely behind her and nudged the horse to move. After a while, they moved faster, and he wound his arms tightly around her. She felt safe pressed against him.

Safe?

In a man’s arms? When last did she feel comfortable with anyone except Penny? Grace was right all along, he revealed himself—as her saviour.

Not knowing where he’s taking her, it sure took a while. She needed a way to communicate with him; to explain her situation and convince him to save her friends. But for now, content consumed her as her body warmed up against his. Up, down, up, and down they travelled through the forest. Her head rested on his chest as she fell asleep, although the day just woke up from its slumber.

Before long, they came to a halt. Drowsy, she pried open her eyes against the sharp light, but could not remain attentive. He scooped up her sluggish body and glided off his horse. He took her into a small dark cave and laid her down on an animal skin. She didn’t even noticed he left for a while and returned with sticks. Within seconds, he’s able hands made fire that illuminated their surroundings to reveal the contents of the cave. It seemed to be a second home of some kind.

Quietly, Isabella dozed off close to the fire. She needed to rest her tired body. Although she drifted in and out of sleep, he never left her side. Unfamiliar herbal smells drifted around her, and then something cold covered the cut on her arm. The smells reminded her of grandmother’s bathroom cupboard where she kept all her homemade remedies. A faint smile appeared on her face, as her mind drifted to memories of her grandma baking cookies in the kitchen. Her belly grumbled at the thought of her delicious chocolate cookies. Weakly, she shifted her head to discover him binding her arm. Next, he turned to her foot and again, he applied a cold paste to her ankle. That’s better… Whatever he did, eased the pain.

In and out of her trance, he stood up and walked away. ‘No! Come back…’ but only a whimper escaped. He got busy with a pot on the fire, making metallic sounds as the spoon scratched in its bottom. Next, he returned and helped her sit up straight. So weak… her back arched against the cave wall, because her tired muscles offered no support. “Apha” He gave her a spoon full of broth after lightly blowing on it. Salty and alien; the warm liquid trickled down her dry throat and the side of her mouth. “Mmm” she welcomed the comfort it gave her. Another spoon, and as it filled her rumbling belly, she could only thank him with a smile. After a few spoons full, he paused and put it back into the bowl. Without making any sudden movements, he brought his hand to her face, and gently wiped some broth from the side of her lips. “Thank u, I’m full.” She laid back down with her back to him.

Moments later, she inhaled his muscular scent and realised he came to lay next to her. His body warmed not only her skin, but her heart. She wished him to get closer—desired him to hold her. His presence settled her troubled soul, and so she shifted up against him, reached out and touched him. Tenderly, he stroked her face and whispered; “ungubani”. “I… don’t understand…” She struggled to create the words in her dry mouth. “Ufuna amanzi?” He pointed to his water satchel. “Yes, um, please.” He placed it at her mouth. A simple act such as sipping water proved more difficult lying down, so she choked. “Ngononophelo!” He worryingly grabbed her head to help. “I’m fine, thank u.” Isabella replied after giving another cough.

Staring into his eyes, she asked; “Who are you, and where did you come from?”. But she could not ask the most important question out loud - ‘were we meant to find each other?’ In the dim light, dark circles around his eyes were visible. His breathing slowed down and soon fell asleep next to her.

Guilt filled her now satisfied belly; how can she find comfort in another man’s arms while her friends are still out there. He’s most probably part of the group that captured them and assaulted Travis. Was he softening her up to get information? Why else would he want to help her, while he also held the others captive? On the other hand, it seemed as if he preferred to hide her by taking her here. Why not deliver her to the campsite where they kept her friends? Earlier, she thought him to be her saviour that will help rescue her friends. But looking at him closely, she noticed the same marks on his skin. None of this made sense, but she must find out. Staring into the flames with a heart filled with unanswered questions, she soon closed her eyes.

They slept next to each other for the entire day. At dusk, a hand lightly shook her awake. “Where am I?” Isabella pushed herself up into a sitting position. Rested, her physical and mental strength returned. She had to find the others as soon as possible. Who knows what they have already done to them? She shuddered at the mere thought of it. “My friends—do you know where they are?” He didn’t look up, but gathered some loose items in haste, stopping twice to peek outside. What’s he looking at?

Suddenly it dawned on her—he’s leaving. Obviously, he came to his senses about saving her. He will lead the other men here to find her, or they’re already on their way. It’s over… He’s abandoning her. “Are you going to leave me here?” She sniffed back her tears. Her supposed saviour only glanced at her and then left. “Stupid naïve girl!” her words echoed against the cave walls. ‘How could I trust one of them would help me? Because of a short-lived moment between them? Because of his electrifying touch? Stupid me!’ She went on in her head. Determined to not let her friends down, she stood up and leaned on her good leg for support. Surprised, her ankle got getter and the cut on her arm almost healed! ‘Good, at least he left me able to get away.’ she thought.

On her way to the exit, her runaway hero almost knocked her to the ground. Baffled he threw her a scolding look as if to ask, ‘where do you think you’re going?’. Huh? Without warning, he clutched her waist and flung her over his shoulder. He seemed irritated with her insolence and carried her to his horse. All packed and her seated in front of him, he glanced at the star-filled sky. Involuntary, she followed his line of sight—the moonless night favoured the stars to shine bright tonight. The milky-way clearly detectable. “Wow” slipped from her lips. In the city, she couldn’t stargaze, because light and air pollution dominated the sky. His icy glare from earlier softened when he saw her reaction to the flawless night sky, utterly enchanted by this blue-eyed beauty. The way he gathered and braced her against his bare chest revealed he never intended to leave her behind. Her imagination became victim to the communication barrier between them.

“Blanca, jah!” Off they rode into the misty forest to who knows where.

After about an hour, they approached dim lights in the distance. All Isabella’s muscles tensed up as they moved closer to the quaint village. Holding her tight against him, he instantly detected the sudden shift in her posture. “Shh” he whispered and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His reassurance meant little to her. Her heart craved to trust him, but her head refused. With her friends still missing, she can’t let down her guard like before. Back at the cave, delirium clouded her judgement, but not again. Not before she leaned more about his motive for protecting her.

She should devise an escape plan if he deceived and handed her over to the enemy. Her ankle healed enough to make it into the woods and find a hiding place. But he previously found her, so maybe that wouldn’t be the best idea. Plan B would be to fake a heart attack from shock, but they’ll see right through her bluff. Suddenly, by twisting her around to face him, she couldn’t focus on her plans any longer. Butterflies rushed up from her belly as his heavy breathing made her tremble. His breath brushed over her face and changed it to the colour of a delicate red rose. “Yonke into iza kulunga.” he mumbled, staring down at her perky lips.

‘WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?!’ She exclaimed out of sheer hopelessness. Unexpectedly, he grabbed the back of her head and covered her mouth with his hand. Quickly, he glanced around to see if someone noticed them, then frowned at her frustrated expression. His thumb traced her bottom lip as he lifted his hand from her mouth. He then gestured for her to keep quiet. “Stop touching me this way” she said and swung her body to face away from him. She came to notice he enjoyed teasing her; to watch how she would react. And she was failing indeed, because her face burned red with every stolen glance.

To her surprise, he turned off the main road and proceeded into the rocky terrain before the village’s entrance. His tongue clicking sounds made his trusty steed slow down minutes after pursuing the alternative path. On heightened alert, he studied all angles and picked up the blanket from her shoulders over her head. Content by hiding her blonde hair, he steadily continued, more relaxed. If she doubted his intention to protect her, his current actions proved it false. Suddenly, the cold didn’t bother her anymore, because she gleamed at his affection. The moonless night shrouded them with darkness and gave passage to a modest cottage at the edge of the village undetected.

She stared back at the village’s dim lights in the distance. Puzzled, she studied the cottage hidden deep in the forest and not built within the village. ‘What secrets hid here? Are the cottage’s owners shunned from the rest?’ Still dark, she couldn’t make much from her surroundings and trusted her saviour’s lead after he pulled her down. Stiff from their tedious journey on horseback, she carefully limped forwards. He offered assistance, but she refused, because the sooner she claimed her independence, the better.

Reaching the cottage, her heart skipped a beat in anticipation of what fate waited inside. She still only partly trusted this stranger that took her wherever he pleased. Her mind ran wild with different scenarios that could go wrong, yet never felt so at home as with him. As soon as she reached the top with much difficulty, the door creaked open. “You!” Isabella gasped in disbelief.