Princess in the Rough
Chapter 18

Amber

Bye Amber! I imagined Echo saying to me as I walked down several flights of stairs. Or maybe: Wait, Amber! Don’t go yet! The best one would’ve been if she had explained the whole, freaking book thing to me! I don’t like feeling like I’m missing out! I was raised around wolves and there’s a reason they call it a pack. I sighed.

“Turn right and go straight and you’ll have left the castle.” The guard said to me. Oh, now that I got a look at his face, I realized he’s kinda cute. He’s probably too old for me though.

“Thank you.” I replied and followed his directions. I didn’t need a guard. I could’ve sniffed my way outside. Oh well.

I walked until I got to the city gates where, lying in wait under a shady tree was Green Paw and Night Cry.

“I’m back!” I giggled and ran up to them. Their heads shot into the air and when they saw me, they pounced.

Soon, I was dripping in slobber.

“I missed you too.” I said in disgust and wiped it off. “No need to give myself a bath anymore, though, I prefer swimming to get clean.

“Where’s Echo Kaya?” Night Cry asked.

“She’s with the wizard who turned out to be a sorceress. I think this is a pretty safe place, I feel almost at home here, I still prefire the comforts of a den though. You guys can go home if you like.”

“For real?” Green Paw asked and cocked his head.

“Sure.” I said carelessly. “I have Echo, a town, and a powerful sorceress. You guys can’t do much but sit and wait anyway.”

“You’ve got a point. It is pretty boring. Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Night Cry asked for confirmation.

“I want you guys to have just as much fun as I am, and today has been the best day ever! Run home, I’ll be fine.”

“Thanks Amber!” Green Paw yipped.

“We’ll see you soon okay?” Night Cry said and licked my cheek.

“Okay.” I giggled and they ran into the trees. Once again, I was alone. At least they said goodbye.

Oh, wow, I’m hungry. My tummy growled as if agreeing.

I looked around for something that could satisfy the beast of hunger when I saw a thing from heaven. A big, ripe, blackberry bush!

Now normally I would eat a rabbit or a bird for a snake, but when there’s ripe blackberries, I, cannot, resist.

I ran over to the bush and gorged myself on as many blackberries as I could pick, ignoring all the cuts and pricks I was getting from the thorns. By the time I was almost full, my fingers were stained a nasty mix of black, purple, and red.

I was going to walk away and clean myself off when I saw it. The biggest, ripest, juiciest, blackest blackberry to ever be. Right in the middle of all the thorns. Forget it. It’s not worth it. I thought and pulled back my hand which was reaching out to it against my will and averted my gaze to my hands.

I looked at it again. It was right there, almost calling to me. Screw this. I thought and grabbed a thick stick and thwacked at the thorns in my way, careful not to hit the berry.

Once I had a small path carved out, I took off one of the ridiculous layers of clothing, I think it was a jacket, and threw it into the path so I could walk over to it. All this for a single berry? I thought to myself. Worth it! I shot my hand out at the berry. I grabbed it, but what felt like an extra large thorn pricked my finger. With a grunt of pain, and droopy eyes, I fell to the ground.