Chapter 103
I turned in the direction of the voice, grabbing an arrow out of my sheath while I did so and staring at a shadowy figure standing in the trees with gleaming red eyes staring straight into my soul.
Rowa growled and lunged toward the figure only to be stopped by something wrapping around one of her paws and pulling her toward the ground.
"Settle down, Shifter," the creature said, merely looking in her direction before they looked at me. "I am not going to hurt her. I am not that stupid."
"Who are you?" I asked and grabbed the bow tighter in my hand. "How do you know the shifter tongue?"
The creature grinned, showing me sharpened teeth. "I am a mimicker," it said, bowing toward me. "I can mimick those around me."
"Stay away from him," Argorn said. "He is dangerous."
I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line. I didn't say a word to Argorn, not caring if this creature was dangerous or not.
"Oh, I am not going to hurt her, Shifter," the mimicker said and shook his head. "I can't."
"And why can't you?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.
"Because of what you are," the creature said, and I lowered the bow just a tad because I had a feeling that he was talking about the fact that I was supposed to be a princess.
"He is lying. He doesn't know what you are," Argorn said. "Shoot him with your bow and be done with him."
"I know more about her than you do," the creature said and rolled his eyes while he pursed his lips in annoyance.
The hair on the back of my neck stood at attention. "How?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "How do you know?"
"I am good at finding information," the creature said and sneered. "I give this information for a price."
Of course he did...
I rolled my eyes and scowled, pressing my lips into a thin line. "I am not interested," I said, and the creature raised an eyebrow in question, mildly impressed.
"This is the only time you will be getting information out of me, Princess. Are you sure that you want to give it up?"
"I do not trust you enough to ask you what you want for the price of the information," I said coldly.
"Princess?" Argorn asked and furrowed his brows, looking at me.
"It's just a nickname that I am giving her," the creature said and shrugged.
"What are you called?" I asked.
"I am called Toreck, Princess," the creature said and bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you."
"I would say the same thing, but I am not so sure," I grumbled under my breath while I pursed my lips in annoyance, and Toreck grinned.
"Oh, you will think that once you get to know me," the creature said and bowed. "But for now, I must bid you adieu. I have other business to attend to that doesn't include killing a Shifter, who needs to learn how to mind his own business."
Argorn muttered something under his breath that had Toreck grin with sharpened teeth.
"Next time mind your own business, and I wouldn't have tried to kill you, Shifter." Toreck turned to look at me and bowed grandly. "If you need me, just yell for me. I will come to help."
I raised an eyebrow in question but didn't say a word, not knowing what he meant or why I would need his help.
"I can shift into anything or anyone," Toreck said. "And as stated before, I give information out for a price. One of these days, you are going to need it."
"I still won't be interested in it," I said and rolled my eyes while I pursed my lips in annoyance.
Toreck grinned and didn't seem to believe me. "One of these days you will. He bowed before he disappeared into thin air, and I sighed and rolled my eyes while I pursed my lips in annoyance.
Rowa grumbled and sat down, licking her paw that had been caught by something, unamused.
"Why did you not shoot him? That creature is dangerous and could have killed you," Argorn asked, looking at the spot where Toreck had disappeared from before he looked at me.
"It's the same reason why I haven't shot you," I said with a small grunt in my voice. I looked around to make sure that we were alone before I looked at him. "He wasn't a threat."
"He used magic to hold me in the middle of the lake and in a way that I couldn't escape. If that isn't a threat, then I do not know what is."
"There was a reason as to why he did it. He didn't attack you now that you were free," I pointed out. I stuck the arrow back into the quiver before I tucked my gem underneath my shirt.
"What did he mean by calling you a princess?" Argorn asked. "Are you a princess?"
I shrugged and grimaced, pressing my lips into a thin line. "I am not so sure," I said. "There is stuff that is being hidden from me as well, even though I am a part of the Hargen Tribe."
He grunted and studied me with a small frown on his face. "What are your plans now, Human?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question.
"That is something for you not to know," I said and shook my head, deciding that it might be best to get changed into some drier clothes before I did what I needed to do.
"I think that this is where our time ends with each other. I hope that you don't piss off anyone else by doing whatever it is that you have to do."
Argorn scowled and narrowed his eyes. "And aren't you worried about someone attacking you?" he asked. "You are merely a human girl."
I scoffed a laugh and rolled my eyes, pursing my lips in annoyance. "If I was just some human girl, then I wouldn't get the respect that I have from others," I said. "Remember, I am part of the Hargen Tribe, so I am not "merely a human girl" as you liked to put it."
"But my question still stands. Are you worried about someone attacking you?"
"No," I said and shook my head before I started to make my way toward the hovel so that I could get changed into drier clothes before I started working. "Come on, Ro, let's go."
My Dire Wolf looked at Argorn before she started to follow me back to the hovel without another glance.
"Wait, can't I come with you?" Argorn asked, and I paused and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
He cleared his throat and shifted on his feet, and he looked away from me before he looked back at me.
"You seem interesting enough, and I might be able to be of service to you," he said and bowed his head.
"I want to pay you back for saving my life from that mimicking creature. If that means hanging out with a human, then so be it."
Oh, for the love of the Great.
Can't I have one day without any distractions from what I needed to do, or was this going to be a new thing when I go out into the woods because I do not like it one bit...