Love initially gulped when she saw the large rats surrounding her, then she finally thought:
"How and why am I in such a mess?"
She finally recalled the final moments leading to her being surrounded by such large rats and thought:
"Why did I do such a thing?"
She knew the answer to her question but asked anyway.
After a few moments, the rats finally surrounded her and were ready to pounce on her.
Love looked around, believing this was the end of her life she slumped on the floor ready to take her last breathe.
***
While Love was busy smashing the little bear's head a while ago, a dark figure was busy looking for food in another part of the forest, having no luck finding food in that part of the forest, the dark figure proceeded to go into the forest Love was in.
After walking around for a while, sounds of splashing water was heard. The figure then decided to investigate the source of the sounds by going near the stream the sound was coming from.
There she saw a pale yet beautiful girl with dark hair and bright yellow skin wearing leaves trying to lift a slightly huge brown bear, mesmerized by the sight, the figure was stunned for just a second.
The dark figure then proceeded to look around the surrounding for any cause for disturbances while preparing to snatch the Pale One's kill.
The dark figure was about to take a step when the large rats were found surrounding the Pale One.
The dark figure then decided to leave the scene and hunt for another meal because of the large amount of enemies.
The dark figure was preparing to leave the hiding spot when the Pale One slumped on the ground revealing a pair of pointed ears.
The dark figure was shocked for a moment and almost exclaimed;
"What is an elf doing here?"
The dark figure hesitates for a moment to decide whether to help the Pale One or not.
As the rats were about to pounce on the Pale One, the dark figure finally made a step.
Armed with a crude bow and a pair of daggers tightly bound around the waist with a pair of tinder, the dark figure sprang to action, drawing two stone arrows on the string of the bow, the dark figure aimed at the two immediate threats to the Pale One and shouted:
"Stand up and fight!"
***
Love was waiting for her death as she slumped on the ground but death never came only a shout was heard;
"Stand up... fight!"
Stunned by the sound, Love sprang to action and neatly evaded the sharp paws of a clumsy rat.
Seeing a piece of stone nearby, Love aimed it at the back of another rat.
A few rats were greatly confused and started squeaking loudly while an especially large one with only one eye screeched loudly organizing 5 or so uninjured rats to chase the intruder.
The injured rats were left with Love, although they were injured they still showed a will to fight and swallow up their prey.
Love eyes wavered for a while, but she never gave up she saw the weakness of the rats at a glance and gathered some stones to aim at where she believed were the weak spots of the rats.
After most of the rats were beaten badly, Love then started running away to her camp, her stomach grumbled a little and her mouth was sour but she gave everything up to stay at a save place far away from the rats.
***
The dark figure was glad the Pale One didn't give up and decided to fight until the end.
Glancing at where the Pale One stayed a while ago, a smile curved on the face of the dark figure as she discovered the Pale One had escaped.
After fighting a few more rats, the dark figure sliced up a few pieces of rat meat and kept it in a leather bag while running away from the scene.
***
Love returned to her camp safely, after resting for a while she stood up and started looking for smooth stones to add into her basket in case the rats followed her.
A few seconds passed, then minutes, then hours but there was no screeching or squeaking near her camp but Love didn't leave her post, her stomach grumbled and her joints ached but she didn't leave her post.
It was until night came that Love's determined eyes started dropping, giving in to sleep, unable to open her eyes anymore Love finally slept off.
***
The dark figure watched the Pale One sleeping, admiring her beauty and then decided to watch her until daybreak the next day.
The next day came but the Pale One was greatly fatigued unable to stand upright, the Pale One shouted one word weakly:
"Water..."
The dark figure hurriedly rushed to the side of the Pale One handing her a piece of roasted meat and flask of leather skin filled with water.
The Pale One hesitated for a moment but finally decided to accepted the dark figure gifts.
The Pale One ate the meal hurriedly not sparing the dark figure a glance, after eating the meal the Pale One looked at the dark figure with surprise, guilt, fear, admiration and confusion and asked.
"Who are you..."
The dark figure then answered:
"You can call me Willow"