The Choosing by Annabelle Jacobs Read Free Book Online Page A

and flows directly down from the edge of the Arachia Mountains. Jerath had never known anyone to cross it before. But it was a particularly bad winter that year and food was scarce, Jerath remembers. Both their fathers were killed protecting the village’s meager supplies, and the thought of asking the Southern lands for help again dredges up all sorts of awful memories. Jerath and Serim weren’t old enough to be involved with the fighting then—not like now—and Jerath can’t really remember much about the Southern men who came to their village and offered their help.
    Serim shifts off his lap and sits beside him again. “How do we even find them?”
    Five years ago the Southern men had been hunting out on the plains that lie beyond the forest of Arradil. They’d strayed into the forest and run into some of the villagers who’d managed to escape. Jerath still doesn’t know why they offered to help—no one talks about it even after all this time—but they did. With the aid of the Southern hunters, the villagers were able to rid themselves of the men who raided their homes—but not without cost.
    “I guess we just head south and hope to run into them.”
    “What if we run into those others first? That’s a great plan, Jerath.” Serim glares at him and Jerath glares back.
    “Do you have a better one?” he snaps and immediately regrets it as Serim’s face crumples.
    She’s normally so strong and feisty. Jerath hates seeing her like this.
    “We need to get them back,” she whispers.
    “I know. But we’ll need help for that too.” It’s all too much for Jerath to think about.
    They need to help free their village from the armed strangers. They need to rescue their friends and the others who’ve been taken prisoner, but they have no idea where they’re being taken. Jerath feels everything slipping through his fingers and he needs to stop it before he falls apart.
    “We’re going to leave and head south until we find help.” Jerath is surprised at how confident he sounds, when he’s anything but that. His heart is pounding and his palms are slick with sweat.
    It seems to be just what Serim needs, though. She nods at him and slowly gets to her feet before shaking her whole body out and turning to look at him with fierce determination in her eyes. There’s the Serim that he knows and loves. The one he needs right now .
    “Let’s go,” she says and stalks off into the trees with Jerath scrambling after her.
     
     
    T HEY only manage to get in a couple hours of traveling before the sun begins to drop low in the sky and darkness starts to creep in. It’s worse under the cover of the forest, and Jerath is well aware that it’s dangerous to travel at night. They need to stop and make camp.
    “Serim?”
    She pauses in front of him and sighs. “Yeah, I know. We need to stop.” She looks up at the sky through the thick branches overhead and then at the surrounding forest. “Not here, though.”
    Serim has much better instincts than Jerath, even when she’s in her human form, and he trusts her to find them somewhere relatively safe. There are dangerous creatures this far out in the forest—not as many wildcats as there used to be, but there are still plenty. They wouldn’t hurt Serim, but Jerath hasn’t come into his fangs yet and would be considered fair game. There are also wild boars and bears, and Jerath has no wish to meet any of them.
    He follows closely behind Serim as she searches for somewhere to rest.
    “Here,” she says eventually.
    Jerath surveys the area she’s chosen. It’s a small clearing, about ten paces across, but there are two large boulders at the edge that will give them a modicum of shelter. Jerath walks over and leans against one of them. He’s so tired he could probably sleep standing up. He unhooks his waterskin from his belt, thanking the Goddess that he thought to take one on their fishing trip, and has a small sip. It’s enough to wet his mouth, but no more. He