"Shit, shit, shit."

Sara cursed out in frustration, the knife dropping to the floor with a clatter, this was the third time that day she cut herself while trying to chop vegetables.

Blood seeped out slowly from the cut, she quickly put the finger in her mouth, the sting reducing a bit, the metallic taste of blood filled her tongue. She felt unsettled like something bad was going on. She was by no means a superstitious person, but she had a sinking feeling in her gut which was weird, what could possibly happen in the middle of a forest? It didn't matter though, whatever it was she would fend it off.

She took a look at the vegetables scattered around the table all cut unevenly, she sighed, cooking will never be her forte. "I guess I'll have to eat fruits and nuts for dinner again." She said to herself. At least she could roast meat over a fire, a skill she was well versed with.

Sara went over to the balcony and sat on the rocking chair, the night was cool, a gentle breeze blowing in the air. She could hear the owls hooting and the sound of the crickets, she loved nights like this, peaceful and calm. She looked at her cut finger, the blood had stopped flowing out, the redness of the wound the only evidence of an injury. There were several other fresh cuts aligned on her finger just from trying to chop a vegetable. She sighed again.

She looked up at the sky, there were lots of stars that night. She wondered if the spirit of the dead were really watching over their loved ones from the stars, "I do need a watching over." Ha, who was she kidding, there was no such thing.

Meow, meow meow

"Oh pardon me Cece, of course I have you to watch over me." A small smile played on her face as she saw her little furry pet. It came close to her, rubbing the side of it's body on her leg. She picked it up and let it nuzzle into her, it's white fur tickling her neck. She laughed loudly, Cece was a bundle of joy.

"I can't forget about you girl." She continued. She couldn't forget her only company in her old cottage in the middle of the forest. Well if she was going to be honest, it wasn't much of a company but she was fine with it.

Her stomach growled from hunger she reckoned, she began to wonder how she had survived alone this long  with her cooking skills. Cece nudged her stomach with her paws peering up at her innocently, she was such a cute little thing.

"I'm tired of eating nuts too girl. How about we go for a hunt tomorrow?" Cece tilted her head to the side like she was considering Sara's request, she then turned away licking her paws delicately, Sara envied her peaceful life.

She turned away to look back at the stars trying to remember the few constellations she had tried to learn as a child. The chair rocked her back and forth as she whistled a soft tune she learnt from her childhood while the creatures of the night made soft noises.

****
Sara woke up to an inviting smell coming from the sitting room of her house. The sun's rays forced itself through the curtains into her room with a soft golden light, she realized it was morning and she was on her bed. Last she remembered, she was out at the balcony with Cece. She wondered how she ended up there. Where is Cece? She looked around her room, she found Cece lying awake in the corner of her room. It seemed she wasn't fully awake.

She heard footsteps coming from outside her room, someone was in her house which put her on instant alert. Strange, no one from the city came this far into the forest, something about Silvanus the forest god's wrath coming upon them. She was going to show this person her wrath was much greater than a god.

She quickly left the bed and grabbed her dagger from her wardrobe, whoever was in her house was unwanted and they were going to leave. She walked slowly to the door, making sure she was quiet. Slowly opening the door, she came to face with the back of a person, from the outline she saw it was a man. He was dressed in simple tunics but they looked too clean for him to be a commoner. If not a commoner, then who was he?

With an angry huff, she aimed and flung the dagger at the man, it sailed through the air and just at the last minute the man turned and the dagger embedded itself to the wall. Sara groaned annoyed, she lunged at the man with speed sending them both crashing on the floor, spreading her legs apart so she rode him, she bunched up his clothes in her fist throwing a punch at his face. She smiled as she heard a resounding crack, she may look frail but she wasn't weak.

"Shit, Sara, really?". The man called holding his nose.

Sara was about to throw another punch when the man spoke, "Alexander?" She asked her fist still suspended in the air. What?

"Yes it is me, who else would come find you in the middle of the forest." She immediately stood up from his body, surprise filling her. What the hell was he doing in her house. And when did he get there, her mind took her back to the sinking feeling she had the night before.

He stood up and straightened the crease on his shirt. Now that she saw there was no danger, she could take a good look at him. It was definitely Alexander, he looked more matured with a more defined body stature but it was definitely Alexander. His handsome face still familiar,  her heart skipped a beat. How many years has it been? She noticed his nose was bleeding as he tried to hold it up with his hands. He looked familiar yet different, the years seemed to have been good on him.

"The last time I saw you, you were nothing but a scrawny little fella". She said after her quick assessment of him, he was more than that if she were to be honest.

"Who is older than you, don't forget that." Alexander said while still trying to hold in the blood.

"Oh please." Sara replied with a small smile on her face.

"It's good to know you're still fierce", he pointed to his nose," and strong." His perfect nose would definitely become crooked, oh well.

She rolled her eyes at him not at all sorry for his bloodied nose. "Serves you right for barging into someone's house." Who are you kidding, you feel sorry for it. A nagging voice at the back of her head told her.

He laughed that same musical sound filling her ears, then winced and went back to holding his nose, "it isn't barging if the house belongs to an old friend." He said as she led him to a seat.

"An old friend who isn't pleased with your visit". Her heart would say otherwise with its rapid beating, she was glad he couldn't hear it, she didn't want to explain her beating heart at the mere sight of him. She was more confused at his presence though. It didn't matter if she was pleased or not, his presence meant something bad, something she didn't want to get involved with.

She took a bowl filling it with water from her barrel, she sat across from Alexander soaking a towel in the water. "Do not deceive yourself Sara, I have missed you too." He replied, as always acting like he knew her well.

"And I haven't missed you." Sara lied through her teeth, she thought of him from time to time but what did it matter. She leaned close to his face swiping the blood from his nose, her face mere inches from his. The rapid beating of her heart intensified. Will you calm down...

Alexander held her hand and she looked at his eyes, the icy blue of it drawing her in, they were more beautiful than she remembered.

"It is really good to see you, Sara". He said staring intently at her. She stilled, her breathing becoming shallow.

"That reminds me I cooked something, I noticed the semi - chopped vegetables on the table when I came in last night. Luckily they were not spoiled so I used them." He stood up to the kitchen, after a while he came out with two bowls of steaming hot soup and placed them on the table. The aroma wafted around the sitting room.

"So it was your cooking I woke up to." She said approaching the table and taking a seat, after trying in vain to calm her racing heart.

"I took the liberty after seeing the mess that was your chopping. I can't believe you still have bad cooking skills after living alone for the past five years." He continued sitting across from her at the other end of the table.

She rolled her eyes at him and digged into her bowl, the taste immediately flooded her senses, "I see you're still a good cook. Wonderful." Sara gorged more food to her mouth, she couldn't remember the last time she had a hot meal like this.

"Easy Sara, what have you been eating really." He chuckled while eating slowly.

"Mostly fruits and nuts and occasionally roasted meat."

"Oh. I'm sorry Sara." She stopped eating and looked up at him, she knew the reason he was apologizing, she saw the pity there in his icy blue eyes though he tried to conceal it.

"Save it! I've been doing fine on my own." The wooden spoon broke from the pressure of holding it tightly, she wasn't interested in his pity or anyone else's. She couldn't even understand what he was doing at her house all of a sudden looking at her with his icy blue eyes like he could read her.

After cutting ties with everyone, she had lived alone for five years without contact from the outside world and she was fine with that. She felt a painful tug, it didn't matter, there was nothing wrong with being alone anyway.

Sara stood up abruptly taking her bow and arrow from where it hung on the wall. Sliding it across her back, she pulled out the dagger and attached it to the straps of her pants.

She then put on her boots all the while aware of Alexander's stare on her, "I do not care why you are here but I don't want to see you when I get back. And thanks for the food." She smiled.

She got to the door and looked back, "Cece? Hey girl." Her furry cat came running towards her, she picked her up and went out the door into the expanse of the forest.

She had to hunt after all.

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So there you have it, the very first chapter..

I'm not sure how I really feel about this but I would really love your feedbacks.

And quick question, do you love cats? Well I do and Cece seems like such a good name for a cat.

Till the next chapter!