The tips of his ears turn pink. "I've always paid attention! I notice things! I was just...curious...is all...and just wanted to make sure you knew I saw these things so you know...you don't think you're doing them for nothing or something..." "
She smiles shyly, and it's obvious how pleased she is even without the mudra she makes. "I daresay you know me well enough to know what I'm thinking most of the time anyway," she says, blushing slightly. "Even without the mudras."
"You're lying," Goddard scoffs as he steps out of the carriage. "Gath? I know you're out here..." Goddard lets out a yelp as Gath quietly walks up behind him and pokes him in the middle of his back.
"I told them what was in the carriage. They didn't want you."
"What have I ever done to you! Lecai! What wrong have I ever done to him? Am I missing something?"
She follows him out, wrapping a scarf around her head and face against the cold. She looks up as Two jumps down, buttoning his coat. "Nice ride?" he asks, gently tucking her scarf into the back of her coat.
"Mmhmm," she murmurs, stretching her arms over head head and bending backward. Without another word, they both set to stretching and warming their muscles.
Gath softly talks to the horses in druhiir as he unhitches them and leads them toward the water. "My lord, I know you don't weight much, but if you step out on that ice, it will break...hold on...go ahead."
"I know. I know what ice is Gath! I know how it works!"
Aara hears Goddard shouting about ice during her backbend and falls over, knocking into Two and dissolving into a pile of giggles. "What's so funny?" he grunts from beneath her.
Gath puts a foot out over a patch of ice and puts slight pressure on it.
"Don't!" Goddard blurts and Gath laughs.
"Do you know how lakes work?" He stomps down on the ice, breaking it, still standing in very shallow water. One of the horses turns it's head and drinks from this newly made pool of water.
"You're the only one, love," she laughs, running her nails across his scalp gently. "Two, get the waterskins, will you?" she asks. He walks off, and she squats next to Goddard. "He's going to let his hair grow," she whispers.
"Of course it's because I asked him." She stands when he comes back and takes a few of the water skins. They go off away from the horses and fill them.
"Is something wrong?" She asks softly.
"I just don't know what you see in him, is all," he mutters. "The Khalif I could see, hell even Gath wouldn't be too surprising. But he's so..." His scowl returns. "So damn pitiful."
Aara smiles softly. "I've asked myself the same. But Rafiq, Uzzaya put him in the center of my path, and there was no going around him. I was in love before I knew the fall had even begun." She puts a hand on his arm. "Can't you be happy for me?"
Two glances at her as they kneel by the lake. "Did I just her you say that you think he's pitiful, too?"
She snickers. "No. He's not pitiful at all. Just like you aren't the idiot you pretend to be. It's my lot in life to be surrounded by men pretending to be what they aren't."
"And why do you think we do this?" he asks, amused.
"To lull others into a false sense of security."
"You know I'm not going to stop seducing you."
She laughs and stands. "You should, but you won't. I know."
He follows her back to the carriage, replacing the water skins. "I can't help it, Four. You make my heart race and my stomach feel strange. I'm sick for you, Aara."
"I make you sick?!" she gasps dramatically, slapping his chest. "That is not how you seduce a lady!"
The tips of his ears turn pink. "I've always paid attention! I notice things! I was just...curious...is all...and just wanted to make sure you knew I saw these things so you know...you don't think you're doing them for nothing or something..." "
ReplyDeleteShe smiles shyly, and it's obvious how pleased she is even without the mudra she makes. "I daresay you know me well enough to know what I'm thinking most of the time anyway," she says, blushing slightly. "Even without the mudras."
ReplyDelete"Like I said, very observant. Nothing gets past these eyes."
ReplyDelete"Nothing? Are you sure of that?"
ReplyDelete"Nothing." He narrows his eyes. "Are you hiding something from me? Or attempting to because I'd notice eventually..."
ReplyDeleteShe grins. "Nuur'eni," she says sweetly, "you're just too observant for me to hide anything from you. Why would I even try?"
ReplyDelete"I'm watching you...and I have sethai too. He helps me see everything."
ReplyDelete"Watching me?" she laughs. "I'll have to make sure I'm worth watching, then."
ReplyDelete"And what is that supposed to mean? You're fine enough to watch making tea and swinging your sword."
ReplyDeleteHer grin doesn't waver. "Surely that gets boring," she chuckles.
ReplyDelete"No no it's fine. Always entertaining. Especially the tea part."
ReplyDeleteShe shakes her head, laughing. "Whatever you say, love."
ReplyDeleteThe carriage slows down then eventually comes to a stop. Goddard peeks through a window. "What happened?"
ReplyDelete"Thieves. They want the whole carriage so I figured I'd just give it to them."
"Poor Two," she giggles. "He's going to have to carry me because I'm not walking."
ReplyDelete"You're lying," Goddard scoffs as he steps out of the carriage. "Gath? I know you're out here..." Goddard lets out a yelp as Gath quietly walks up behind him and pokes him in the middle of his back.
ReplyDelete"I told them what was in the carriage. They didn't want you."
"What have I ever done to you! Lecai! What wrong have I ever done to him? Am I missing something?"
"How can you miss something? You're too observant for that."
ReplyDelete"No...but...I...he..." Goddard's face turns bright pink and he turns around in a huff, walking toward the partially frozen lake they stopped by.
ReplyDelete"I hate you but this is a really nice spot!" he yells back annoyed.
Gath sighs. "Oh finally. He hates me. Good. I just thought the horses could use some fresh water."
She follows him out, wrapping a scarf around her head and face against the cold. She looks up as Two jumps down, buttoning his coat. "Nice ride?" he asks, gently tucking her scarf into the back of her coat.
ReplyDelete"Mmhmm," she murmurs, stretching her arms over head head and bending backward. Without another word, they both set to stretching and warming their muscles.
Gath softly talks to the horses in druhiir as he unhitches them and leads them toward the water. "My lord, I know you don't weight much, but if you step out on that ice, it will break...hold on...go ahead."
ReplyDelete"I know. I know what ice is Gath! I know how it works!"
Aara hears Goddard shouting about ice during her backbend and falls over, knocking into Two and dissolving into a pile of giggles. "What's so funny?" he grunts from beneath her.
ReplyDeleteShe just buries her face in his coat and laughs.
"Are you sure? Because you looked like you were about to go for a dip."
ReplyDelete"Of course I wasn't! I was just...standing! Shut up! I hope you fall in!"
"You would forget your fear and save me."
"No! I'd let you freeze!"
"I wish one of them would fall in and freeze," Two mutters as Aara climbs off him. "Give us all some peace."
ReplyDeleteShe frowns. "What's gotten into you?"
"It's cold and you've been inside snuggling up to the Khalid and your Sheik and I've been out in the cold."
She smiles and rubs his hands in hers to warm them. "Ride inside you dummy. Oh, and grow out your hair."
He scowls. "My hair?"
"Do you shave it for a reason? You'll want it in the Empire, it'll keep your head warm."
He raises his eyebrows and stares down at her. "I'll think on it."
Gath puts a foot out over a patch of ice and puts slight pressure on it.
ReplyDelete"Don't!" Goddard blurts and Gath laughs.
"Do you know how lakes work?" He stomps down on the ice, breaking it, still standing in very shallow water. One of the horses turns it's head and drinks from this newly made pool of water.
"I do!"
Aara and Two walk over, huddling in their coats. "Is he teasing you again?" she asks.
ReplyDelete"Yes!"
ReplyDelete"Never."
They speak at the same time. Goddard crouches on the ground and looks out over the lake.
"You two look cold," Gath snickers.
Aara strokes Goddard's hair silently.
ReplyDelete"Really? Araby always has this kind of climate," Two mutters sarcastically.
"I told you I'll get you a warmer coat."
"Yes, Araby covered in all that dry, irritating snow," Gath nods. "That is what all of that was right?"
ReplyDelete"There are some parts that have snow," Aara tells him. "It's very rare and in the far north. Our winters bring monsoons, and sometimes it freezes."
ReplyDelete"That hasn't happened in twenty years or more," Two mutters. "I was a child last time."
"Look at you, not being bothered by me. I must be losing my touch," Gath says.
ReplyDelete"One can only hope."
ReplyDelete"Gath, you make me mad but I still like you," Goddard mumbles. He grins when he hears the dismayed groan Gath makes.
ReplyDelete"You're the only one, love," she laughs, running her nails across his scalp gently. "Two, get the waterskins, will you?" she asks. He walks off, and she squats next to Goddard. "He's going to let his hair grow," she whispers.
ReplyDelete"Only because you told him to I bet. Tell him to stand on his head when he gets back?"
ReplyDelete"Of course it's because I asked him." She stands when he comes back and takes a few of the water skins. They go off away from the horses and fill them.
ReplyDelete"Is something wrong?" She asks softly.
"I just don't know what you see in him, is all," he mutters. "The Khalif I could see, hell even Gath wouldn't be too surprising. But he's so..." His scowl returns. "So damn pitiful."
Aara smiles softly. "I've asked myself the same. But Rafiq, Uzzaya put him in the center of my path, and there was no going around him. I was in love before I knew the fall had even begun." She puts a hand on his arm. "Can't you be happy for me?"
He sighs. "I will try."
Goddard's ears droop and Gath crouches next to him.
ReplyDelete"If we came across other druchii, you'd be on my side right?"
Gath nods. "Can't trust them."
"You'd help me...hmm...get rid of them?"
"Of course."
"I don't want to have to kill you because you swapped sides."
"I'd like to not get killed by magical ice thorns and other worldly crows. Are you expecting company?"
Goddard shrugs. "Maybe. I don't want to think about it. Be distracting again."
"I thought me simply existing was distracting enough for you my lord."
Goddard laughs and closes his eyes with a sigh.
Two glances at her as they kneel by the lake. "Did I just her you say that you think he's pitiful, too?"
ReplyDeleteShe snickers. "No. He's not pitiful at all. Just like you aren't the idiot you pretend to be. It's my lot in life to be surrounded by men pretending to be what they aren't."
"And why do you think we do this?" he asks, amused.
"To lull others into a false sense of security."
"You know I'm not going to stop seducing you."
She laughs and stands. "You should, but you won't. I know."
"It'll be fine." Gath gives Goddard a slap on the back, almost knocking him forward. "I honestly wasn't trying to..."
ReplyDeleteGoddard laughs and gets to his feet. "If you were trying, I'd be in that lake right now."
He follows her back to the carriage, replacing the water skins. "I can't help it, Four. You make my heart race and my stomach feel strange. I'm sick for you, Aara."
ReplyDelete"I make you sick?!" she gasps dramatically, slapping his chest. "That is not how you seduce a lady!"
"Well you aren't a lady, are you?"
"Two!