The Flame of Catalina

Prey

Finnr's POV

I watched the girl climb down the tree after evading my men. Considering she looked like she hadn’t had a proper meal in days, I was impressed she thought to do that. I followed her as she made her way back around the farm fence and into Ravensthorpe. I kept a healthy distance between us, but I knew if I didn't keep my eyes on her, she could disappear. 

She was clearly far more familiar with these woods than me. The girl, Chay, walked for hours consistently checking her back to see if she was being followed. She limped as she walked and picked up snow to eat to keep herself going. Finally, I smelled fire and watched her take off towards a cottage huddled in a clearing through the trees. I slipped behind a tree and watched the door to the cottage open. A boy, who was her spitting image, threw his arms around her and cried. The door closed and I took the opportunity to get closer to the small wooden house.

I crept up to a window and watched Chay gather clothing and a bucket before walking to the back door. I walked around the house’s perimeter and watched her walk back through the tree line. I went back to following her, hoping this was my chance to confirm she was who the queen was looking for. From my understanding, she had been looking for a girl with a specific birthmark for many years now.

While training with General Ashton, he let out that she sent him and a group of men house to house throughout the capitol looking for any young or infant girls who may have had it. The king ended up getting involved and called the whole thing off. And the only reason Guntherson sent the raven to the castle in the first place was that he was part of Ashton’s squadron back then. But the queen demanded I go and fetch the girl to be examined. I still didn’t know what the mark was though, and I wasn't even sure she had any.

After a few minutes of walking, she made it to a stream. While there was snow on the ground, the moving water wasn’t frozen yet. I watched as she removed her cloak that Guntherson gave her, to reveal a destroyed shirt. I hadn’t noticed what she was wearing before because the cloak swallowed her up. 

The garment had been ripped up on the back and tied to stay up. She unwrapped it and let it fall to her side. I focused in on the dark finger marks bruised along the waistband of her pants. They were too pronounced against her pale skin. I felt an instant pang of anger burst in my core. Whatever way Guntherson found the mark hadn’t been gentle. I took a breath to calm down. I did not know this girl and until I confirmed anything, she should mean nothing. I let my eyes rake across the rest of her back, looking for any birthmark that Guntherson might have seen. 

She turned to use a rock to steady herself to take her off her boots, then pulled down her trousers. I silently scanned the front of her body. Her exposed breasts were covered in chills, and I could see her pink n*****s pucker in the cold. She was too thin and so pale but there was something about her that captivated me. I adjusted my growing c**k as I watched her bathe, telling myself it was to find the mark Guntherson saw. She turned to around again to step deeper into the water. As my gaze moved down her back and just above the curve of her ass, I saw it. 

The flame birthmark. It was red against her pale skin.

I turned at once and made my way back to the cabin. She was the girl the oracle spoke about that the Queen was looking for.

I went to a window and peered inside to get my bearings in the space. It wasn’t a big cottage but there was wooden furniture that covered the space. It was one room with a fireplace towards the front of the room. That was where the boy kneeled, getting some form of meat roasted. Two beds were to the left of the fireplace and to the right of the front door was a second door. I turned away from the window and started making my way back through the forest back to the farm property.

I had to prepare to get her back to the castle.