Tiger's Blood
Chapter 5 -Ethan

I push the leaves and branches out of my way as I walk forward. The brown leaves crunch beneath my feet as I stomp on the ground. I must be close, Kira shouldn’t have gone too far in this part of the woods. “Ugh Noah keep up with me, please.” I hear a familiar voice not too far. “Kira?” I yell hoping for a response. I look through the trees and see a small figure. “Ethan?” She replies. I see her body hidden in the trees and I smile. Thank goodness she’s alive.

I walk her way and I stop when I see her face staring angrily at me. “What are you doing here?” She sneers. “I came back to warn you about more Lions coming,” I say truthfully. She crosses her arms in front of her chest. “Why did you really come back?” She scowls. “I came back because I worry about you. You are a Tiger, anybody out here could kill you or take advantage of you,” I confess.

“That’s funny, cuz I could have sworn that last time we talked you said that you would kill me next time you see me in the woods,” she smirks. I open my mouth to say something when a tall, tan stranger with thick black hair walks out of the bushes and stands next to Kira. I close my mouth and watch him closely. “Hey Kira look what I found,” he says holding out small red and blue berries in his hand. “Put them back, they are probably poisonous. I’ll do all the hunting and scavenging,” she says not taking her eyes off of me. “Who is this?” The mysterious male looks at me curiously.

“This is Ethan; he’s a Lion Blood,” Kira says calmly. The dark haired teen grabs Kira’s arm and takes a few steps back. Kira rolls her eyes. “Noah, if he was going to kill us then he would have done it already,” Kira says sarcastically. Noah steps forward again hesitantly. I nod and I glance at Kira. “Could I speak to you alone Kira? Please?” I beg her. She eyes me carefully then glances over at Noah. He looks back at her nervously. “Will he hurt you?” I hear Noah whisper. “No he won’t, it’s safe. Go build us a fire while I talk to Ethan,” she commands. He nods then disappears in the woods.

Kira sits down on a muddy log and looks up at me with her greenish-grey eyes. “Tell me everything. Why did you come back?” She asks again. I thought I told her twice already. Maybe she just doesn’t believe me. I sit down on the muddy log next to her. “I was walking along a trail when I saw five Lion Blood guards walking towards me and I climbed up a tree. I fell out of the tree and they saw me and tried to kill me, but I ran away from them. They chased me for a little while but they gave up and left. I then heard your voice, so I followed it. I honestly did come back because I wanted to warn you, but also because I thought that they would replace you before I did and replace out your Blood,” I say. She nods then stands up. “Ok, I believe you. Are the Lions that chased you close?” she asks.

“I don’t think so,” I say and stand up next to her. “Ok, let’s go eat I’m starving,” she says then walks over towards the fire. I sit down close to the burning orange flames and look around the area. Kira’s purple backpack sits next to me while Kira cooks up a part of a fish. I notice a slip of paper fall out of the side pocket of the bag and I pick it up. I walk over to Kira and nudge her shoulder. “This fell out of your backpack,” I say and hand it to her. “Thanks,” she opens it up slowly. When she opens it, I notice that it is a letter with a symbol at the end of it. I examine the symbol closely and stand back appalled. I know that symbol. Kira turns around to me. “What is it?” she asks.

“That symbol on the letter, that’s the symbol of the Lion Bloods,” I explain to her. She looks at me confused then examines the letter over. “I got this letter four years ago after my father disappeared and right before I discovered my Tiger’s Blood,” she says. “I don’t know why it’s on there; all I know is that is the symbol for Lions,” I say. She grumbles frustrated then puts the letter back in her backpack.

Kira looks up to the darkening sky and sighs. She takes a blanket out of her backpack and curls up on the short, green grass and closes her eyes. I feel myself smile when I look at her sleep. I glance over at Noah and he looks back at me. He gives me half a smile then looks at the ground. He still fears me. I walk over to Kira and lay down next to her. She breathes softly as she sleeps. I gulp nervously hoping not to wake her up. I think about the Lion symbol on her letter. What was that? Did my father send that letter four years ago? If he did why? He doesn’t use the Lion’s symbol unless it’s for something important.

I sit in silence and watch her sleep silently. Noah fell asleep about an hour ago. Most of the time I don’t sleep; I just can’t fall asleep sometimes. The sun starts coming up and the fire is barely lit anymore. I get some more sticks and wood and throw them in the weak fire. I hate that I’m a Lion. The Lions are cruel animals. Once they replace out about that Kira is a Tiger Blood, they’ll replace a way to kill her. I should be the one to protect her, but she is heading straight towards the danger.

I don’t know if I should tell her to turn around or to lead her towards the Lion’s Kingdom. Maybe I could do something else. I know exactly where my dad and brother are. Kira still doesn’t know that I am King Andrews’s youngest son. Well how would she know? My father doesn’t really talk about me much in Kingdom or in general. He hates me. She might freak out if she she replaces out or not trust me anymore. If she even trusts me now.

Maybe I could lead her and Noah in the wrong direction. I could lead them, but then I would have to leave them. I have to go back to the Kingdom and go to my dad and show him that I am ok. He wouldn’t send so many Lion’s if he didn’t want me back. Would he even care if I’m ok? He has always hated me my whole life. I am curious about that note that Kira has. I want to ask my father about that. I must get back to my family somehow before the reward for me gets higher. It’s going to take a while to figure out, but this plan just might work.

“Hey Kira get up,” I say lightly shaking her shoulder. She yawns then stretches out her arms. She stands up then looks at me. She then walks over and taps Noah on the head. “Get up loser we are traveling early today,” she says humorously. Noah then stands up and walks slowly to Kira. She bumps my arm and starts walking with Noah following behind her. “Wait Kira, I know where we should go,” I say. She turns around to face me. I point behind me. “The Lions chased me that way, so I think we are close to the Kingdom,” I tell her. “Fine, you lead the way then,” Kira irritatedly says.

My father will kill me if he replaces out that I’m traveling with a Tiger Blood. He expects me to kill Bloods that are not Lions, especially Tigers. He hates Tiger Bloods. I don’t know why he had to kill off the Tiger population, but I don’t see anything bad about them. Kira could actually benefit the kingdom. She could show the Kingdom that Tigers are good Bloods and that my father was wrong to kill them. I can’t take her back now though, there are too many guards searching for me. I can’t risk them replaceing Kira. I have to go back home and show him that I’m ok and alive.

We walk for what seems like hours and we come to a place to rest. I glance over at Noah and I see him flirt with Kira a little bit. I hardly know Noah, and he is already annoying me. Kira should be smart enough not to flirt back with him or give him the attention he wants from her. I don’t think she feels the same way as he does. She doesn’t seem like the person who likes to date. I don’t know though, girl’s feelings can be confusing, very confusing. I never got along with the girls back at the Kingdom.

The only things the girls saw in me was my royalty. All the Lion girls back at the Kingdom wanted to be a princess. I don’t understand the big deal with being a princess. I hate being a prince already, and I don’t want to marry a girl just because she wants to be a princess. I don’t want someone to date or marry me because I am a prince either. I especially don’t want to marry another Lion unless they are like me and hate other Lions. My thoughts disappear as I continue walking with the beautiful girl alongside me.