Treachery

In the woods.

"Where are you taking us to? We are not your sheep to be led to the slaughter. How can we even be sure that you aren't even working for Athena as an undercover?"

"Would you just shut the fuck. Would you bathe me with your saliva now?!!"

Prium snapped at Ivan, the same guy who had been at odds with her since she joined the group of the five men. She stopped walking and turned to the leader,

"I see no reason why I should do what I'm about to do for your group. This retard is getting on my nerves. Pissing me off real hard."

The leader walked closer to her to put his hand on her shoulder but then she snapped,

"Don't even dare."

He looked away and nodded his head. Then he turned and walked to Ivan. He punched him in the face, that his nose cracked and blood swelled at the base of his nostrils. He held firmly unto him,

"You won't distract my group again, alright? That's if you want to remain a part of it. Don't you learn?"

He pulled Ivan closer to himself. You couldn't had guessed that such an old a man would have had such strength.

He brought his face closer to Ivan's, then brushed their cheeks as he brought his lips closer to Ivan's ear.

"Let's tolerate her for a little longer."

He whispered and let go of Ivan in a rough nudge. Then he turned back to Prium,

"I can assure you that he won't get in your way again, Princess."

Prium rolled her eyes and bit the words,

"He better not."

She turned and began to walk away as the lot of the men followed her in close proximity. Not too far from her, not too close. Distance enough to present her as their leader and initiator of decisions.

The day was at its prime. The sun was high and its rays were splattered on the heights of the trees. Some florescent could fight their ways through the leaves to the moistured earth of the forest.

The birds were warbling and the firs doing light dances to the tune of the wind. There was a sudden movement in the forest and everyone looked. The leader placed one of his fingers of his lips to command their silence. It turned out to be a wierd type of rooster with blue crown instead of red.

The rooster vanished almost immediately, and none of them could say to where. The lot gasped and Prium seemed startled. They continued in the journey.

There were crunches of dried fallen leaves under the sandals of the groups. The orangutans were going to and fro on the trees. The young ones taking to the sways of their mothers. And the mothers keeping a close watch on the group.

Then suddenly, one of the monkeys, reached down through the branch of a tree which reached from one end of the path to the other. Its legs were supported by the branch preventing it from falling. Twas drooping from the branch right before the eyes of Prium.

Prium screamed as it reached out its hand to grab her but the leader of the group was swift enough with the arrow. A blow sent the Orangutan wrenching as it almost lost its grip but its members came to its aid and took it away.

The leader helped Prium up as she straightened her white long gown.

"You see what I'm saying. We never had this kinda monstrous monkeys ever before in our land. But her witchery had brought curse upon us in a borrowed vessel of blessing."

She argued.

"Let's keeping walking when we still have the day."

The leader dismissed and they resumed walking. Soon she got to the base of a large oak tree and stood under it,

"There's something I've got to tell you."

She said, pressing her back to the tree. The men got to her. The leader complemented,

"Do not hold it back."

"You see, those I'm taking you to are my worst enemy, but for now, I think we share the same enemy. So, I'm not so sure how welcomed I would be when we meet."

The leader stepped closer,

"That shouldn't be a problem. We would talk to them. I will! Let's just go."

"One more thing."

She objected and walked away from the tree towards the leader.

"I don't know where they are precisely. But -- I'm certain they are here in the forest."

She added. Ivan grunted and shook his head. He turned his back on them and began to pace the open space. The leader looked away from him to her,

"What do you suggest we do now, princess. Walk around this large forest like wanderers? Knowing fully well that we might accost even more deadly creatures?!"

"Wait! I saw something move just now!"

Prium yelled, walking past the leader and pointing towards another oak tree which was few metres away from them. No path led to that tree, but thick shrubs.

The leader looked in the direction as well as the rest.

"What?"

"Just watch closely. I saw something moved very fast past that tree."

Then suddenly there was a movement past the tree she was pointing at again.

"See? See that?"

Ivan stepped forward at once. His face was stern and unapologetic.

"This nonsense stops today. What the fuck is happening here? Are we your toy or something? Is it because I've been quiet all along just respecting Hava?!"

He turned sideways to the rest,

"Isn't it obvious, she doesn't know what she's saying. She's just leading us on. She saw something moving? Is there no wind blowing in the forest anymore. What could had moved other than the wind or are you so delusional. See, I've heard about how you --"

"Look!"

She pointed and walked past him again. Ivan, so pissed turned in rage,

"I said stop this --"

He choked on his words. The rest of the group gasped in surprise too. None of them seemed to believe his own eyes. The only person less jumpy was Prium.

"The fuck?!"

Ivan cussed as his eyes left the beautiful but pregnant lady standing before that oak tree, to another lady beside her who had the body of a lady but from the waist down, that of a goat.

"Isn't that the princess?"

Hava, the leader asked and suddenly, the two ladies started walking towards them.

The men shuddered and few took to their heels.