The Labyrinth Queen

1. Meeting Mate

This morning she woke up under a rock ledge that was just big enough to shelter her 5-foot 4-inch, 125-pound body from the outside dangers and weather. Without fire, it was a frosty night, but she knew better than to light a fire at night because it draws the worst monsters. As she emerged from her shelter, she packed up the few things she had and shook off the dreams that plagued her. She pulled out the berries and roots she had set aside for breakfast and ate them while she went over the areas she had mapped out. The process took longer than it did the first time she tried to remember those areas. Three weeks after her parents’ deaths she decided she needed to start mapping the area and find a way out. She had been able to make a map from the hides of the animals she had caught and skinned. She used the coals from the minuscule fires that she was forced to make occasionally to draw on the hides. As she created the map, she would add each section to it. She would add to it as she ran along and then would go over it in the morning making sure not to overlap the previous areas she had run.

            At first, she only would walk far enough that she could be back at her main camping area at night, but over time she decided that she needed to move until the section she was running became a dead end. She would then back up and try another route. Eventually, she started to find new camps every night. Now and then she would come across people with whom she would exchange information and move along. The people in The Labyrinth could not be trusted, so she never spent long with them.

            She came across two towns where she was able to get food and shelter for the night. The first one had three buildings that were old and falling apart. The people allowed her to stay the night and gave her food when she offered a trade of leather scraps. In the second town, she worked in a make-shift tavern for a room for the night and food. The bar made warned her to not stay more than a night because the bar owner would force her to work forever if she were not careful. The next morning, she woke before the sun and snuck out of the hovel before the town started to wake up.

            After her quick breakfast, she rolled up the map, shoving it in on the top of her pack. She stood and started down the path she intended to run for the day. As she would run past other paths she would stop and mark them on her map and then run some more.

            Just before midday she spotted a bird and decided it would make a lovely lunch. So, she pulled her bow and arrow from her pack and quickly strung and shot the arrow. Scooping up her prey, she looked around for a good place to rest and make a small fire. She decided she would also take the coal today as her supply was beginning to run low. She prepared the meal and ate it while letting the coals cool and making notes and adjustments to her map. Just as she was putting the map away, she heard the distinctive snapping sound of a twig being stepped on.

            She looked up and there he stood. A tall handsome man, with muscles that were so well defined they would make any girl swoon. His hair was dark, and his eyes were the color of the bluest pools of water she had ever seen. She had never seen him before, even though he had been following her since before her parents were murdered. He stood there staring at her not saying a word.

Jason

            Today was the day I was going to complete my mission. No one was supposed to leave The Labyrinth, by order of the Queen. I had been watching this girl for three years. The day she was born the oracle had had a vision and a guard was dispatched. His mission was to stay in the shadows, to follow, and to watch until the time came to put an end to her life. We needed information, and she would find it. Three years ago, I turned eighteen and was sent to work with that guard, Peter. Peter was my mentor, he taught me how to stay in the shadows and keep from being detected. Two years ago, his mission changed from watching to killing the girl’s parents. My mission was simple. I was to follow her until she was within the outer ring and then kill her. For two years I watched and waited. Then finally this morning I received the word that would send me back to the castle, to be a hero. This morning my mission was to kill the girl.

            When Peter completed his mission, he chose to complete it in wolf form, and I had planned to follow his pattern. I planned to shift to my wolf form and attack at night just before she bedded down. Fortunately, I made a mistake that would change my life forever. This mistake put me on a collision course with the love of my life. I lost sight of my target and in my rush to find her I walked unwillingly into her line of sight. As our eyes locked my wolf screamed “Mate” in my head. I stood stock-still and stared dumfounded. I knew I could not kill her. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her scent was amazing, and I knew that I would help her. She would escape this wretched place if I had anything to say about it.

            Her voice was so soft as she said “Sir, are you okay? Don’t hide in the shadows like a creeper.”

            I realized I had been standing there for far too long without saying anything. I had seen her interact with a few people along the way and knew it would not be long before she would find a reason to leave my side. I could not allow that to happen. I had to think quickly to get her to allow me to accompany her on her journey.

            “Sorry, you startled me. I thought I was alone in this area.” I replied.

            When she laughed it was the best sound on the planet. “I get that a lot.” She said.

            “What are you doing here?”

            “I was just traveling to my grandmother’s place. I got turned around, so I stopped to have a snack and get my bearings so I could get there before dark.” She lied.

            How ironically funny that she would use a fake grandmother to keep herself safe from me, the big bad wolf who had come to end her precious little life. My wolf, Blaze. growled in my head at the thought of my mission. “Harm her and you will regret it, Jason,” he said. “Don’t worry, I could never hurt her! I have been waiting for her for three years. She is mine.” I told him. “Then we will need to find a way to stay with her and protect her.”

            Allowed I say, “Well, I don’t think I have seen any grandmothers around this area, would you like some help?”

            She tried to politely decline my offer and started to leave, so I followed her. “Do you mind if a tag along for a while?”

“I suppose it's fine for now.” Came her flustered reply. “Keep up, and don’t hold me back, I have a long way to go this afternoon.”