Free Redemption by Erica Stevens

faint beat of her heart.
    William was smiling confidently as he strode toward the young woman. Jack shook his head and began to weave through the racks of clothes to the back of the store. His fingers trailed over the wool clothing that wasn't as fine as the wool and sometimes even silk cloth in the towns closest to the palace, but it was a far sturdier quality than the flaxen materials he'd worn while he'd been with the rebels in the woods. His fingers idly rubbed at the material as his mind drifted away to another time and place...
    "Here you go."
    Jack stared at the young girl that thrust the clothes into his hands and gave him a lopsided smile. Her auburn hair gleamed in the sun's rays, dirt streaked her freckled face but her teeth were good and she appeared healthy even though the edge of her collarbone stuck out from beneath her shirt. She didn't look any older than thirteen or fourteen but there was an air surrounding her that made her seem twenty years older.
    In fact, there was something about all the humans gathered within the woods that made them seem at least twenty years older. He glanced at the faces surrounding him. Though he saw pride and determination in their set chins and steadfast gazes, he also saw an air of acceptance that their lives would never be any better than this, that most of them wouldn't live past fifty, and that if they were caught they faced a fate worse than death.
    "They might not be the right size but given time, and proper measurements, someone should be able to make you something that fits you better. I don't sew but there are some other women in the camp that can help you with it when the need arises," the girl continued. She thrust out a slender hand that was marred with scratches and cuts. Her palm was rough against his when he took hold of it and shook it. "Aria."
    "Jack."
    She nodded as she released his hand and hefted a bow onto her back. "Welcome to the forest, Jack."
    "I've been in the woods for a couple of years now."
    The smirk she shot him made him realize that though she looked innocent, there was a mischievousness within her that made him want to hide his meager belongings. "But you haven't been here before, and this is where all the fun is," she told him.
    "Aria, be good." David stepped forward and rested his hand on her bony shoulder. "You don't want to scare him off before he gets to know everyone else."
    She shrugged but love radiated in her gaze as she tilted her head to look up at David. "William is the one that scares everyone off."
    "Sure he is. Go on now, William is looking for you. He's going on a hunting trip with Max."
    "Ok dad." She squeezed David's hand before darting away with the grace of a cat. Jack frowned as David watched her go with a look of adoration that he'd never seen on his father's face, and never would. David turned back to him. "The twins are a handful but they mean well."
    Jack nodded and adjusted his grip on the new clothes in his arms. He hadn't been living in the lap of luxury these past two years, but he'd at least had a roof over his head and a cot to lie on. Looking through the trees he spotted scattered beds made out of leaves, worn blankets, and rolled up clothes being used for pillows. He caught a glimpse of Aria making her way through the woods with a redhead that he assumed was her brother William, and a slender blond boy that must be Max.
    "I'm sure they do," Jack assured him.
    "Maybe one day, if we're successful, I'll be able to give my children a better life. The life that they deserve." Jack didn't know how to respond to that so he remained silent. "We have even less here than what you're used to, but there are nearby caves that we also use for shelter. In the spring and fall we tend to spend more time outside, but a lot of our supplies are stashed within the caves. I'll show them to you at some point. Daniel has a talent for designing traps and latches that is ingenious, and keeps our supplies protected."
    Jack's ears pricked at