"Oh yeah?" I asked. "Then what's with your people holding weapons?" I shifted my stance, lowering my center of balance.

  The pseudo-amazon snorted. "Says you." Her fingers tightened around the spear. She leaned forward ever so slightly, ready to pounce.

  I cleared my throat. "Well there's more of you, and you snuck up on us. Not really acting in good faith."

  I clenched my fingers around the leather straps of the heater shield. I'd never been in a fight for real before, but plenty of spars. Based on their movements, the only one in their group who was a fighter was the amazon. She eyed me like a predator would its prey.

  The man laid a hand on the freckled woman's bow, making her point the nocked arrow to the ground. "You guys, calm down," he said with an amicable smile.

  I still didn't trust them. I couldn't. Aubrey wouldn't be of any help if a fight broke loose. I'd be outnumbered three to one. I clenched my hand around the sword.

  He eyed my weapon and stepped closer. He reached behind his back. I swallowed dryly and resolved myself to fight. My fingers whitened around the sword's leather grip.

  "Look," he said and presented a metal box. It was faded and yellow. "We found a supply box too. With yours, that makes two. Ours didn't come with camping supplies, but with tools and timber." He gestured at his vest and hard-hat. "And as luck would have it, I'm a carpenter. If we join forces we'd be safer."

  Aubrey peeked out from behind me.

  "Aubrey n-"

  I was too late. "Ours came with food!" she exclaimed and hurried forward.

  Once we decided to go look for water, she'd been the one to carry our supplies. We couldn't leave them in camp, and they would weigh me down if I needed to fight.

  The man's eyes lit up. He moved to meet her. "That's great!"

  "Aubrey!" I roared.

  Her shoulders flinched, and she stopped midway between me and the new group. She turned stiff as a stick to face me.

  "W-what?"

  I stepped forward, reached my shield hand out to beckon her. "Come back."

  She swallowed, her gaze jumping between me and the new group.

  "We can't trust them just like that. Think of what we saw in the woods."

  She tilted her head and looked at the newcomers. "But I don't think they're bad people? They have the same objective as us. I can't see a reason for them to hurt us?"

  Naive. I ground my teeth.

  The man chuckled. "We wouldn't. But I commend your friend for being wary."

  He showed no fear and sauntered over to Aubrey and reached out a hand. She eyed it, then me, before shaking it.

  "I'm Tom," he said with a smile and gestured at the women. "These two are, well... were my employers. The short one's Trish, the tall one's-"

  "I'm Aya," she interrupted. She didn't move from her spot, still fiddling with the spear.

  Trish, on the other hand, sighed and slung the bow over her shoulders. "Can you get this over with? I really have to use the restroom, and I'm tired."

  Aya's eyes widened as if she just remembered the fact. "Of course, miss. Right this way."

  I looked on in bewilderment as the two left Tom with us. Their figures disappeared among the trees in no time at all.

  What little control I'd had over the situation was ripped from my hands by a thoughtless gesture from Aubrey.

  She beamed. "I'm Aubrey. We just set up camp," she said and showed Tom to the clearing.

  He whistled in appreciation of the crude structure. I followed the two from a safe distance, never turning my back to where I last saw Aya. She was dangerous.

  "Not bad, but we can do better," Tom said and knocked on a tree, sporting a satisfied smirk.

  Aubrey crawled inside our shelter to relieve herself of the supply box, turning her back to him. Tom reached for his hammer.

  No!

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  I rushed forward with speed unfamiliar to me, crossing the distance in a second. I placed my sword on his collarbone before he could undo the sling. "Not another move."

  He froze. Aubrey turned to us with a confused smile. It fell the moment she saw the trickle of blood running from his neck onto my blade.

  "Calm down." His voice shook. "I meant no harm. The hammer is heavy. That's all."

  I stared at the line of blood coloring my sword.

  "Jax, let him go!" Aubrey pleaded. I couldn't understand why. She didn't know these people. Did she?

  I pressed the blade into his skin and eyed her. "Why do you trust them?"

  "They seem like good people!"

  I snorted. "How could you possibly tell from that short interaction?"

  "For one, they didn't shove their weapons into our faces to steal our supplies!"

  "She's right, you know," Tom added dryly.

  "So the others aren't setting up an ambush as we speak?"

  "I swear..."

  "Aubrey, take his weapon," I ordered. The coldness in my voice surprised me.

  She nodded and whispered to Tom. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry."

  He shook his head and reassured her that it was fine.

  She struggled with the sledgehammer and placed it by my feet with an accusatory expression. "Happy?"

  I considered the question for a moment before answering. "Yes." Tom wasn't a threat without a weapon. I still didn't trust him, but at least this way my odds improved.

  Tom gasped and rubbed his throat in relief as I removed the sword from his neck. He eyed me warily as I distanced myself, then he nodded at the trees.

  "If we get our hands on an axe, we could build an elevated structure."

  I raised my brows. "A treehouse?"

  "Yeah."

  I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a little excited at the thought. Who wouldn't? Living in a treehouse was like a childhood dream come true.

  Tom removed a hammer, some timber, and nails from his supply box. He fastened the tool to his belt with practiced ease and tossed the box inside our shelter. He turned to me, the smile starting to slip from his face.

  "Are you ever going to put your weapons away?" he asked.

  "Not sure yet. Your friends are still out there."

  He scoffed. "Not friends. Employers. Trish is a rich kid, like crazy rich, entitled too. Couldn't hit the side of a barn with her bow. Her bodyguard though, Aya, she's a force to be reckoned with." He placed a nail in his mouth and used another to fasten a thick plank between two trees.

  "What are you doing?"

  He took the nail from his mouth and secured the plank. "Building a fence. Aya killed a horned rabbit on the way here. Don't want them sneaking up on us."

  Aubrey clapped her hands in admiration. Tom puffed up his chest, obviously enjoying the appreciation.

  I watched the two warm up to each other from a safe distance. Before long, the rustle of branches warned me that Aya was returning.

  She held apart a bush for Trish to pass through, like a princess' knight. Trish marched forward with a satisfied smile and wet hair. Aya stopped her mid-step and pulled her back, her eyes glued to the blood on my blade.

  "Tom?" Aya shouted.

  Trish looked between us, unsure of what was going on.

  "He's fine," I said. "He's teaching Aubrey how to build a fence."

  "Where?"

  I nodded my chin to the side. The two of them were huddled next to a bush, inspecting berries earnestly.

  "Tom!" she shouted again, making the man jump.

  His eyes lit up at the sight of the two, and he hurried over with Aubrey in tow.

  "Welcome back!" he greeted.

  "What happened?" Aya asked.

  "Oh, nothing serious. Had to give my weapon away for..."

  "Jax," Aubrey cut in.

  "Ah. For Jax to trust me."

  I didn't, but I saw no reason to correct him.

  Trish rolled her eyes and tore herself free from Aya's grip. "I'm so over this. Either kill each other, or don't. Just leave me the hell out of it. I'm tired and wet. I need to dry my hair."

  My heart skipped a beat. "You found water?"

  "Yeah, it's just down the way over there," she said and pointed, then pinched her nose and waved her hand theatrically. "Though I'm not sure a simple bath would be enough for you."

  Aubrey jerked a hand up to cover her face. I scowled at her shoulders convulsing suspiciously.

  "Good to know," I muttered.

  "I'm with Trish on this. Enough already. Just go and take a bath," Tom said. "You smell worse than you look."

  That was the final straw for Aubrey. She burst like a bubble, laughing uncontrollably.

  Tom grinned at her. "We won't hurt Aubrey, and we won't take your stuff and leave. That would render all time spent here useless. If you let me have the hammer, I'll have the fence ready before evening."

  I glanced down at the weapon. Giving it back would be the same as giving up my only leverage over Tom.

  "We'll trade you the bow for it."

  I looked at Aya in surprise.

  "Whatever," Trish shrugged and tossed me the bow. It clattered against twig and stone as it struck the ground.

  She entered the campsite before I could point out that she still wore the quiver. The arrows wouldn't be any use without the bow anyway.

  I shifted in place. "Are you sure about this, Aubrey?"

  "Yeah," she managed through giggles.

  "Alright then," I conceded and picked up the bow. I slung it over my shoulder and stepped away from the sledgehammer.

  "Need me to show you the way?" Aya asked.

  I creased my brow. Was that a challenge? "No. I'll find it on my own."

  She shook her head with a sigh, short hair bobbing slightly. "Suit yourself."

  I lingered for another moment and watched Aya join her princess in the camp before leaving them to their devices.

  Twigs crackled underfoot, cutting my bare feet as I made my way through the forest. I still held both the sword and the shield. Tom and the others had run into a monster before meeting us. There were likely more.

  If their group could be trusted, they'd be useful. Aya seemed like a capable fighter, and Tom... well, having a carpenter around couldn't hurt. I only worried about Trish and Aubrey. Neither of them seemed to have any use at the moment. I couldn't let myself get bogged down by dead weight.

  After a few minutes, I heard the rush of water. I picked up my pace and pushed through the foliage. And there it was, a river. I took a quick glance at my surroundings and confirmed that I hadn't been followed, then I hurried down the riverbank. The small stones prickled at my feet.

  I didn't need to undress. I was barely clothed, and my pants needed a good washing. I dropped my weapons on the bank and stepped into the water, letting it submerge me up to my waist. The cold felt like bliss against my crusty skin. I closed my eyes and tried not to think of how the scrapes on my feet stung.

  I needed to find some clothes, and soon.

  For now, the weather was nice enough to rock the Tarzan-look, but there was no telling how long that would be the case.

  Stones crackled. I snapped to the sword, expecting to see Aya with her spear.

  Reality was much less upsetting.

  One of the horned rabbits.