He saw the scar on the back of her hand. She was looking away into the golden lighted distance, but as soon as she turned back she knew what he had seen. How could she have let her sleeve uncover her hand? Had she not been careful to keep her sleeves long so as to not let this happen? It must have been the warm spring breeze rushing throughout her that enabled her mind to wander enough to raise her sleeves up her arm to the nice indent just above her elbows. She knew comfort came at a price, and this one happened to be at the expense of her secret.
"Who did this to you?" He grabbed her wrist, with the force of a star folding in on itself, just about to turn into a black hole. She looked away. She couldn't dare look into his eyes. What would she see? Sadness, discomfort, pity, consolidation. That's what she would wish to see. Instead, she would see anger, knowledge, and pain. She thought she was bringing him past these emotions, but with a simple glimpse into his eyes, she knew he was far from climbing over these obstacles.
"Please…don't…" a meager sound escaped the girl. She couldn't tell if she was saying this out of the pain currently inflicted on her wrist, or her fear of potentially being deemed as a traitor. No matter which it was, the boy tightened his iron grip, only for a moment, before releasing her now limp wrist.
"Was it him?" He almost growled. If there were any more anger in his voice, one would think he were a wolf. She brought her head up from the hung position it happened to take once her wrist was released. The thought of seeing him so infuriated troubled her, and yet she knew she had to confide in him in hopes of surviving that treacherous place. By luck of the higher power, he was gazing into the sunset, avoiding all eye contact, including hers. A sigh escaped her lips, of relief of avoiding his wondrously mysterious eyes or anticipation of knowing that she needed to tell him, one could not be sure.
Her eyes closed, in hopes of having all of this a dream, allowing her to wake up in her bed, warm as sand encased by sunlight, and as comfortable as falling asleep into a lover's arms, yet she knew the exact opposite would occur when she came back to reality. She opened her mouth, ready to speak, but her voice caught. She could not say his name. She could not confirm the information that was already known – at least not out loud. It would go against her truce, and endanger all those she held dear. The boy, upon hearing this hesitation, whipped his head towards her direction so fast one would imagine time had stopped, allowing only him to move.
"Was. It. Him." He was more firm this time, a surprise for the girl because she did not know that he could become any more distinct in his voice than what he had already displayed. She dared not look at him. Her head dropped. Her legs too weak to hold her up, she fell onto the luscious grass below her feet. This was the only way any answer would escape her body. She could feel the piercing gaze of his eyes upon her, searing through her back directly to her heart. Managing slight control over her mind, she nodded ever so slightly, indicating his suspicion was correct.
"I'll fix this. I can do it. I'll be back in due time, just try to keep your head up and your body out of danger. Do you understand me?" His voice struck the night air as though a bulldozer working its way through bricks, and yet there was still a calmness about it. She nodded her head, this time with more control and force.
"Good. Then I'll see you around. Don't you dare worry about me, just worry about yourself and staying safe. I promise I'll fix this." And with that, the boy flew off into the dusk, moments before the sun completely set.
"I'll do my best…Peter."