7

As night fell, Alyssa crept back to their camp. Jarod and Allen had been busy during the day and managed to slide the gryphon onto a makeshift wooden stretcher. They were both sitting near the fire eating while the gryphon, too tired to fight, lay there watching. It was a sad sight. She had grown quite fond of the beast during their stay in the woods. He was unlike any other creature she had ever seen, domestic or wild. She might even consider him intelligent.

Alyssa found a perch not far from the camp to watch. It was growing colder and she curled up to try and keep warm. She knew that after a long day lashing together that skiff they were probably both exhausted and would soon retire. Of course, if she knew Allen, he wouldn't just leave his quarry out in the open to be poached. And of course, both he and Jarod shared some words before Allen ducked into their tent. He didn't come back out. They were going to take turns watching the gryphon through the night. As tired as she was, she knew that they were more so. She had to try and rescue the gryphon. It didn't deserve the fate Allen had planned for it.

She leaned against the trunk of a tree and waited. Once it was assured that Allen was asleep, she climbed down from her perch and sneaked toward the campsite. Alyssa was as much a hunter as them and could creep up on even the most wary of deer in the woods, so Jarod was no challenge. Of course, the gryphon might rouse when she got close since he did seem to see her as an ally. And she also might have to confront Allen, which would probably end badly considering how she departed the camp. The asshole actually shot at her. It kind of felt like revenge at this point to her that she should release his trophy catch.

Jarod looked rather comfortable beside the fire, fur tugged up around his shoulders to fend off the chill in the air tonight. This was the coolest night they had experienced since arriving. She honestly didn't have anything against him, but he did pick his friend's side. He could have at least stepped in. She scooped up a branch and stalked toward him. She pulled back her arm and stepped right up to get ready to swing. But he was asleep. The campsite was asleep. Even the gryphon.

Alyssa crept alongside the gryphon and crouched down to keep herself hidden from view. The rustle of her clothing caught the beast's attention and he opened his eyes, ears perking. There was a low rumble from him, but he calmed when he saw it was her and not one of the men.

The ropes had been reattached to the wooden frame and were tied down tighter to keep the gryphon from moving. She drew her knife and looked across at the tent to make sure Allen wouldn't catch her. The gryphon stirred as she sawed at the rope. Alyssa stroked his shoulder to calm him. She wanted to cut him free and didn't want to get caught doing it. The gryphon seemed to understand that and remained as still as possible, though his tail-tip did curl.

Once she had the last cord severed, Alyssa moved to the gryphon's front and started tugging at the cords to free him. His muscles flexed and he let out a throaty sounding rumble as he fought the urge to just rise and escape from the camp, but the soothing petting the human gave him was reassuring.

She stepped away and beckoned to the gryphon. The beast tilted his head and slowly stood. He stepped away from the frame and shook off, shedding the netting. The sound shot Jerod from his sleep and he rolled to his feet. Allen tore open the flap of the tent and rushed out.

“Fly! Go!" Alyssa shouted at the gryphon and waved her arm. He turned, hissed at the two men and stood between them and her.

She came up alongside the gryphon and tugged at his shoulder. He whirled around, unfurled his wings and ran for the trees. Allen had retrieved his bow and knocked an arrow in the string, pointing it at the gryphon. Alyssa stepped over to get between the gryphon and Allen and held up her hands. In that moment that Jerod rushed over and tackled Allen. She turned and fled after the gryphon as they rolled around on the ground trying to pin each other, only stopping to look back when she heard the struggle.

Jerod let out a cry as he rolled over the hot embers of the fire. Allen punched him in the face. In his struggle to get Allen off, he kicked embers all over the campsite. Allen fell off and Jerod scurried to the side, brushing at his sides to flick off the embers that clung to his tunic. Smoke rose from the edge of Allen's tent. They didn't notice it yet, but their whole camp was about to go up in smoke. There was so much dried kindling and oil-soaked fabric in the camp that the fire quickly grew and spread.

She spotted the gryphon up the hill from her as she turned to leave. He was watching and chirping at her. His tail was flicking anxiously behind him when he noticed the fire spreading. Alyssa ran up the ravine and climbed up to the gryphon's perch. He glanced at her briefly before his attention returned to the scene in the campsite.

Allen and Jerod realized that there camp was about to burn up and stopped fighting each other. But their efforts were futile once the fire spread to the oiled skin of the tent.

“Get water! Get water!"

Jerod opened his water skin and flung the contents at the tent, but there was no stopping this fire. As soon as the fire hit the pile of kindling it turned into an inferno. They had to retreat from the camp. The flames spread outward into the surrounding debris on the ground and licked along the trunks of the trees cradling their campsite. Jerod ran for the footpath to get away from the heat while Allen tried to duck in and grab for his pack. After a few attempts, he cussed and turned to look up the hill at Alyssa and the gryphon.

“You dumb bitch! Look what you did!" He clenched his fists. He had no weapon to threaten her with this time.

The gryphon tucked his beak under her arm and chirped at her, turning away to get away from the campsite. She gave Allen a dirty look and then followed. The fire was growing behind her, flames lighting up the path ahead as they overtook the trees and spread outward. The dry summer paved the way for the flame.

“Don't think about coming back!" she heard Allen screaming at her. “I'll end you."

She had no intention of returning - not to her hometown - and certainly not to him. But she noticed the urgency in the gryphon's steps that told her he did not want to linger. The sound of animals waking up to the smell of the forest burning increased as the flames grew higher. She ran up alongside the gryphon and held onto him as he led her through the woods. Even though he was nothing more than a beast, she felt safe.

Epilogue

A few weeks passed since the day the fire started. Alyssa stayed with the gryphon in a lair he'd found upstream. It wasn't a very large place - not as large as his previous den - but he seemed content to share it with her. The fire had ripped through half of the woods before burning itself out, but she could still see the darkened patch from his new home. She didn't know if Allen made it out of the blaze that night. But knowing him, he probably returned to the town with a tale about the gryphon in the woods.

Rain drizzled down on them as they picked through the trees back to the base of his new lair. The storms would come again as the rainy season started, so she had to be extra careful around the river's edge. The gryphon had become her protector and companion. There were few places she could go without him coming along. And when he left her alone at the lair, he often brought back small things for her to clean and cook. Hunting for her had become too difficult a task - it was hard stalking game with a gryphon's egg developing in her belly.

She rubbed her stomach and looked at her gryphon. Even wet, he was still the most majestic creature she'd ever seen. And she wondered often about what the future would bring. Would she remain with the gryphon after she birthed his clutch? Or would she return to her home and try and make something of herself? Could she go back to that life? Could she even leave him? Life with him might mean more eggs.