A Snippet from Thorn

“My, your hair is long. Won’t you let it down for me to climb?”

Prue straightened. “Absolutely not. I am a ladder for no one.”

“Then why is it so long? Your hair appears to be the perfect length for climbing.”

She stared at him, his shaggy hair dancing in the breeze. “I do not know. Only that I cannot cut it.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Now that is most unusual.” He tilted his head. “How do you propose I climb up to you then?”

She gestured to her right, where vines stretched up the tower, nearly to where she stood. “You must use the vines. There is no other way.”

“Alright, Miss. We will be up shortly.”

“We?” Prue sounded appalled.

“Pippa goes everywhere with me, including up vines and into strange towers where pretty girls live.” Prue flushed at the compliment, a hand rising to cover her cheek. She watched as the man pulled off his backpack and placed the canine within before pulling gloves onto his hands. The vines were rough, and she used gloves each time as well. Prue watched as he worked his way up the vined tower, and when he was close enough, she warned him to stay quiet.

“My mother is asleep, and she will not appreciate waking up to such noise.” She thought of Embla stuck in her bed, hopefully slumbering her way through this eventful day. “She would not appreciate a visitor, either.”

“What about a rescuer?” he grinned, then observed the distance between the top of the vines and Prue’s window. “What's next? There’s no path to you. Surely you’ll set your hair loose now.”

“No, I will not,” Prue said. “I have a rope attached to a column of the castle. If I offered you my hair, I fear you would pull us both down and we would be forced to climb the vines again. I trust you do not wish that upon either of us.” She couldn’t help but focus on the word rescuer. Perhaps Embla was wrong, and nobody would seek them out in Spyr. As much as she needed to leave this place, she had to trust him, even if only a little.

Prue gathered the edge of rope and ensured the other end was securely tied around the column. “Ready?” she called to the strange man. When he assured her he was, she hoisted the end of the rope at him and he latched on, swinging wildly until he landed on the floor of her bedroom with a thud.

“Quiet,” she hissed, an arrow still readied in front of her. “You do not know what trouble we may be in if she hears.”

With a mop of thick brown hair and eyes the color of moss, she had to admit he was easy on the eyes. His long brown coat seemed to be straining against his muscular frame, the shape of his biceps visible beneath the fabric. Unlike her colorful wardrobe, this man was dressed in bland neutral colors. She would never.

"I was doing my best to be quiet, Miss. Apologies to your mother if she wakes.” He ignored her arrow and glanced around the room, letting out a low whistle. “This place is fit for a princess. Whoa!” The man stumbled forward as his companion jolted from the backpack he wore and tumbled onto the pale stone floor.

Pippa circled Prue, barking wildly, and her brave facade faltered. The canine ran to her and jumped up, baring long, sharp teeth and pawing at her dress with lengthy claws. Prue loosened her arrow, replaced it in her quiver and dropped the bow to her side.

The man rushed over at once and demanded Pippa stand down. As Pippa refused to listen, Prue crashed backwards onto her bed, where the furry creature further made its way atop her. She guarded her face with her hands and arms, careful not to let the creature get too close in case she ended up wounded, but all Pippa did was lick her arms. At last the man pulled the canine from her lap and held her under one arm, then reached out a hand for Prue. “I’m sorry, Pippa becomes excited over new people.”

Prue shared the sentiment, but she didn’t say so aloud. She took his hand, warm and strong in hers, and allowed him to help her up from the bed before letting go and brushing her palms against the length of her dress.

Heat rushed to her cheeks as she realized this was the first time she’d ever had a man in her bedroom. Her gaze swept the entire room, trying to see it through his eyes. Discarded clothing lay on her dresser and the floor—underthings included—and she moved to pick it up before stuffing it all into a drawer. She swallowed, then spun around to face the stranger.

“I’m going to ask you a question for which I require an answer,” she said firmly as she held his gaze. “Who are you and why are you in my castle?”

He took a deep breath and dropped his gaze toward the floor, then moved a hand through his hair. “It’s a strange story, actually.” His eyes moved across her face, lingering on the scar upon her cheek, before he met her eyes again. Prue resisted the urge to touch her cheek, wanting to avoid drawing further attention to it. He studied her for a moment, then took another deep breath before he continued.

I know these woods better than anything. My whole life I’ve ventured into them, and there’s never been a castle here.”

“That does not answer my inquiry. Why are you here?”

He scratched his head and met her gaze. “Look, castles don’t just appear in the woods. If you were on a hunt and spotted an unfamiliar castle, you'd go explore it. Anyone would.”

“Do not tell me what I would do,” Prue stated, then realized she should hold her tongue. In all her years, she had never imagined herself to be so combative with the first stranger she met.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and shifted on his feet. “No one is gonna believe me back home when I say I visited a never-before-seen castle and met a girl.”

“What’s so unusual about meeting a girl?”

He laughed. “It’s always unusual to meet a girl.”