Lira's head snapped up she he looked around frantically searching if anything was nearby.
The clearing was still as empty as before. She didn't mean to fall asleep, her body was just worn with exhaustion.
The zombie wolf still had smoke faintly curling from its body. She hadn't been asleep for long.
After a quick check she saw that all her things were intact. She breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.
She needed sleep, real sleep. But could she risk it? She brought out her map and looked at the nearest pack. It was still a long way from the clearing.
A rustle sounded behind her and her body tensed.
She whipped around to the sound of a collective growl and a rotten smell hit her nose.
There was not one, but several zombie wolves trotting into the clearing.
Lira swiftly started shoving the map and her water back in the backpack. Lira considered shifting but she was too weak.
Lira's stomach dropped as more of them padded into the clearing in a loose circle. Their bodies were ragged and twisted, some had broken limbs.
They all looked at her with hungry eyes that could barely focus on anything.
Lira lifted her two ands and tried to summon magic. Her palms glowed faintly and then flickered out.
"No, no, no. Not now-"
The first wolf lunged at her and she barely dodged, rolling across the forest floor. Its claws slashed through her cloak, shredding the fabric at her shoulder.
She scrambled to her feet but another wolf pounced on her forcing her backwards into the tree stump.
The impact knocked the air out of her lungs. She swiftly forced her leg outward, kicking it away.
It didn't go too far but it seemed to be disoriented. It shook on its legs and growled at the air.
She grabbed her backpack and darted left, sprinting between two snarling bodies. The air really stank.
Lira gagged as the collective odor from the zombie wolves hit her nose in waves. She ran straight into the woods, if only there was a cave where she could rest until she recovered her energy.
She ran downhill with no thought to where she was going anymore. Her heart pounded as her knees buckled. She had to keep going.
She pushed herself to run faster and cursed as a branch nicked her thigh. There was blood. She heard a yelp as one of the zombie wolves rolled past her. It must have slipped.
Then she heard another and watched the same thing repeat.
The terrain was rocky; being fast and uncoordinated would lead to a split open skull.
Lira felt them coming closer, they weren't letting up.
They really wanted to eat her. She was warned about zombie wolves in the pack as a child.
She was told that they simply eat and hunt blindly, becoming slower and slower until the magic in them fizzles out and they stop moving.
Lira's knees buckled again and she tripped, falling hard on the ground.
The rocks scraped her forearm as she rolled violently until her back hit a tree. Her vision blurred as she saw the zombie wolves bounding after her. 'Get up! Get up!' She desperately willed her legs to move.
She felt a warm liquid trickle down into her eyes. Her head was bleeding. She raided an arm to attempt one last surge of power. Nothing happened.
She closed her eyes and slumped as the zombie wolves surrounded her.
********
Lira felt the warmth of fire before she saw it. She opened her eyes and looked around slowly.
She was in an unfamiliar place. It was an abandoned cabin with musty walls and a broken ceiling. She was on the floor, laying on a blanket and using her backpack as a pillow.
"Oh you're finally up." A thick voice drawled out.
Lira flinched and looked to her right.
Illuminated by the crackle of the fire was a stunning man with storm gray eyes and a boyish grin.
His dark hair fell down to his shoulders with a few strands covering his eyes. He was wearing a black t-shirt with a dark green quilted jacket.
He was surrounded by her rations, water bottles and her map was in his hands. No wonder the bag didn't poke her.
She jumped up and immediately regretted it as the room started to spin.
"You shouldn't move just yet."
"Who are you?" Lira demanded, "Give me back my stuff."
"Finders keepers love." He droned and took a bite of one of her snacks.
She stomped over to him. "You don't know who you're messing with. This is the last time I'm asking. Give me back my stuff."
"I know exactly who I'm messing with." The stranger smirked. "A hungry weak ungrateful girl who can't even outrun a horde of zombie wolves. I saved you, you know."
"Yeah, and then you stole from me." She screeched.
"Calm down. You haven't eaten all day." He pointed at the thick cut of meat roasting over the fire.
Lira stared at it and salivated. The flesh was sizzling and it had the aroma of wild herbs. She looked closer and noticed a familiar green fabric.
"You burned my clothes?" she yelled.
"A volume" he winced. "You don't even need that many."
She reached out and grabbed him by the collar. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Careful, love." He warned. "You aren't exactly strong enough for a fight. Eat first, then we can take it outside. Eat real food, you can't survive on field rations."
Lira weighed her options and walked back to the blanket and sat down.
"So, what's your name?" he asked.
"I'm not talking to you." Lira snapped.
"Ouch." He placed a hand on his heart. "But I'm bored. I've been waiting for you to wake up all day. I was scared you died."
Lira was conflicted on what to make of this stranger. It was true that he had stolen her rations and burned her clothes. But he had also saved her, tended to her wounds and offered his food to her.
She sighed and asked, "What's your name?"
"I'm not talking to you." He replied with a grin.
"You ass!"
He simply laughed.
Lira decided to just ignore him until she was strong enough to leave. She stared at the fire but suddenly sat up straight as she stared at the stranger.
"It was you." She got up. "You were the one watching me in the trees"