Bonnie

(the next morning, still a little dark out)
"Are you certain no one is following us?" I whispered as I peered back over his shoulder. I could have sworn I heard something.

"I still feel bad we had to ditch the child, but I am not used to children. She was so agitating. Back in my village children were not allowed near warriors, no matter how young the warriors are."

A sad expression came over William's face. I confirmed what he suspected before he could respond, "after my mother left, the chief started training me to be a warrior. I was forbidden to play with any of the children. Oh, how my heart yearned for their companionship, but the chief would not have it. He wouldn't even allow me to call him father. I was to address him as a warrior. Until I met you, I always assumed he was not really my father. You see, all the children called him father, out of respect. When I was with my mother, we lived in a separate dwelling. It all makes sense now. I guess, maybe in a way, Tami annoyed me because she has something that was stolen from me: innocence."

Will just wrapped his arm tighter around my shoulders and kissed my forehead. *Crack!* We both jumped and shot a glance in the direction of the noise. A young man fell from a tree branch above us and behind where I was sitting. His face was adorned with paint and he was wearing an animal skin for clothes. He put me in a headlock and thrust his spear in William's face.

"Why have you kidnapped our Princess?"

"What?" I grabbed the young man's arm and flipped him over my shoulder (a maneuver Will had shown me). And looked at the boy now hanging from the cab of the carriage.

"Anuja? Little Brother!"

He laughed at the scare he had caused as he climbed up onto the cab, and the expression on Will's face.

"I recommend you don't try that again." Will threatened.

My little brother and I laughed, as Anuja sat in between Will and I.