Everyone Lies

From the moment Lyn woke up she knew what she had to accomplish today. She energetically jumped out of bed, got dressed in her usual long green dress, and headed out the door. After breakfast Lyn decided that she had to find him. Casually strolling around the temporary camp, she tried to spot out a certain nomad with emerald green hair wearing a familiar Sacaen outfit. At last she found the person she was looking for hidden behind a thicket of bushes and lofty trees. He was as usual, practicing his already perfected archery skills.

"Rath, do you have time today?" Lyn softly asked him.

The nomad slowly turned around to face her and then replied, "Good morning Lady Lyndis. What do you need?"

Lyn gave him a cheerful smile and explained, "Will you teach me how to use a bow and arrow?"

Rath blinked and sighed before answering. "Of course my lady. Do you want to start the lessons now?"

The princess of Caelin nodded eagerly and hopped over the waist-high bushes to join him. When she was over the vegetation, Rath handed her his trusty bow and a handful of sharp arrows.

"Be very careful with the arrows-I don't want you getting hurt." He warned.

Lyn promised she would and swiftly stood up to try shooting.

"Wait!" Rath instructed. "I need to set up a target for you."

He walked over to the closest tree that was twenty feet away and pointed to a fairly large knob on the front side of it.

"Try aiming for this."

Lyn placed the arrow in the middle of the bow and pulled her arm back. Somehow she just could not keep the arrow straight.

"Here, let me help you." Rath offered as he placed the rear of the arrow between a few of Lyn's dainty fingers. "You also need to straighten up your posture."

The green haired Sacaen woman did as she was told and released the arrow, hoping that it would soar into the air. Lyn was quite disappointed when she found the arrow had landed only a few feet in front of her brown boots.

"Ummm…"

"That's all right considering you are a beginner." Rath said, trying to encourage her. "Why don't you try it again?"

He handed her another arrow and Lyn repeated what Rath had taught her. This time the arrow went a little farther, but it still was nowhere near the target.

"May I see an example?" Lyn requested as she handed the bow to Rath.

Rath lifted the bow until it was in a comfortable position and effortlessly shot at the tree's knob. He glanced back at Lyn and found her staring at him with admiration.

"Can you shoot with two arrows at the same time?" Lyn curiously questioned.

Rath pondered for a second and decided to try it. Once more he aimed for the tree and sent two arrows flying, both of them landed on the bump. Lyn seemed very impressed at Rath's talent and continued to watch him shoot one by one-never missing. Finally he handed the bow back to her and asked her to try again. When she unsuccessfully attempted several times, Rath decided to shoot with her.

He had to admit that it felt awkward with his arm around her and his hand on hers, but he had to do what he had to do in order to get her to learn to use the bow correctly. Nevertheless, Lyn didn't seem to mind at all. Instead, she seemed as if she had gotten her way…

When Rath pulled her arm back and let go, the arrow whizzed through the air and landed perfectly in the right spot. Lyn looked up into Rath's deep green eyes and suddenly realized how close they were.

"This is my chance…" she thought, but she resisted.

Lyn could easily see how tense Rath looked when she gazed up at him although he tried not to show it.

Blushing, she politely asked Rath to guide her again, but this time she was going to make sure that what she wanted would happen. Of course, Rath had to obey her even though he had a dreadful feeling about this. Just as predicted when he was about to pull her arm back and glimpsed down at Lyn to see if she was paying attention, Lyn seized her chance and pulled him into a passionate kiss.

When it was over, to Lyn's disappointment, Rath's expression remained emotionless. They both looked away-Lyn secretly blushing and Rath glanced away in shame. After what seemed like hours, the Sacaen nomad decided to break the discomfited silence.

"Um…………so as I was saying…" he continued in a tongue-tied voice.

Towards noon Lyn was beginning to get a bit more skilled and she solicited one last example. Rath hesitantly took the bow from her and fired the arrow. It still landed in the right spot but while in midair it had been soaring in a wobbly pattern and the landing was not firm. The second after it landed, the arrow dropped to the ground.

"What's wrong Rath?" Lyn inquired innocently, still appearing flustered.

"I…ah…"

Rath found himself speechless for the first time in a long while.

"Perhaps you are just tired from lack of sleep." Lyn finished for him. "I guess I will go then."

She placed his bow on a tree stump that was next to him and crossed over the bushes to get to camp for lunch. While she was leaving she couldn't help but notice that Rath appeared to be very bothered by something.

Late that night Rath was still awake sitting on the soft grass where he and Lyn had their archery lessons that morning. He felt he couldn't sleep from what happened earlier. The cool night breeze swept through the air, causing him to shiver slightly. Now he truly regretted how he didn't bring his robe. However he wasn't the only one who was still wide-awake. Lyn crept out from her tent with a warm blanket in her hands. She was looking for Rath again and she just knew that he had to be somewhere in that clearing. At last she found him gazing at the stars under a giant sycamore tree. The princess gently draped the fuzzy blanket over his shoulders and sat down next to him. Rath shifted uncomfortably and scooted away from her while he tried to make it not so obvious. Lyn looked surprised but she didn't understand why.

"Rath…" Lyn started to say.

"I'm sorry my lady." Mumbled Rath. "You know I can't."

"But Rath, who cares?" Lyn protested. "It doesn't make a difference."

"It does make a difference. How could someone with royal blood like you get along with some worthless person like me?" Rath said dimly.

"You are not worthless. Everybody is useful in some way. Besides, you are considered royal blooded in your tribe. You are the chief's son are you not?" Lyn insisted, and then she paused and nervously asked, "Rath, do you love me?"

The dark-green haired nomad suddenly felt dizzy and Lyn could see his face ashen. He did not answer for a long time so they sat there in an embarrassing stillness, not wanting to look at each other.

At last Rath sighed and said, "No, I don't."

Lyn's forest-green eyes widened as she whirled around and stared intensely at Rath, whose head was buried under his arms.

"W-what?" Lyn questioned incredulously, not wanting to believe what Rath had just said.

"I said… I do not love you." Rath softly repeated.

"Sacaens don't lie!" Lyn shouted while running back to her tent with tear-streaked eyes.

All Rath could do was stare hopelessly at the retreating figure of Lyn.

Even later that night….

Rath lay on his bed in distress. He still could not get any sleep due to two things-Lyn and the endless sound of crying coming from two tents over. Rath really had not wanted to hurt Lyn but he had no idea that she even had feelings for him until she had kissed him. He always have had a crush on her…but did he love her? Rath felt so confused and miserable…

Ultimately he settled on apologizing to her as soon as he could. Still hearing crying, Rath followed the sound down to Lyn's tent and quietly went in to find Lyn sprawled on the bed crying into her fluffy pillow.

"Lyn, I am very sorry about everything." Rath whispered, hoping that she would hear him between her sobs.

"Go away!" Lyn cried.

"Wait, please let me explain."

"There's nothing to explain!" she yelled and started sobbing all over again. "You lied!"

"Then wouldn't that be a good thing? Wouldn't that mean that I love you?"

"B-But you sounded so s-sure of yourself. It sounded as i-if you really didn't l-love me." Lyn said quietly.

"I am half sad to say that I did not lie to you Lyn. I don't love you…but I do like you." Rath uncertainly replied.

"T-Then how is our relationship s-supposed to work?" Lyn inquired with sorrow.

"Well…I am sure that over time…I gradually might change my mind…" Rath started slowly.

That seemed to perk Lyn up a bit. She sat straight up in bed, wiped her soggy eyes, and took two small steps over to Rath who was now sitting on a chair next to her bed.

"W-Will you really change your mind?" she whispered as she placed one hand on his shoulder.

"Of course." Rath answered and drew her closer to him.

"When?" asked Lyn who began to feel a bit exhausted from all that weeping.

"Sometime soon." He responded just as he felt Lyn's head leaning against his chest.

"Even as soon as…" Lyn yawned and sleepily said, "now?"

"Yes…maybe even now." Rath managed to say before his eyelids drooped and he too fell asleep.