Hello, and (a bit belated) happy Valentines day last week, I hope you all had a nice day and thank you for reading. All material is owned by Brent Weeks
The snow fell to the frozen ground in a gentle white veil, emphasising the breath of a hooded man stood in the icy turf. He lent against the thick trunk of a tree and stared into the distance like a statue. His lack of movement, beside the steady rise and fall of his chest, belied his racing thoughts. His mind churned with the details of his situation and how best to escape them. The most frequent, and most unbidden, thoughts were of Tamara. The scars he'd earned defending her were still etched into his flesh, a visual reminder of his stupidity. What did he care for her welfare? He'd managed to wash the blood from his borrowed clothes, but the internal wounds had lingered far longer. They always did. His reverie was broken by Sophita shouting for him to come out of the cold. He had taken up temporary lodgings with her after Tamara had refused to shelter a murderous animal in her barn. After one faltering attempt to speak to her after a long silence between them, Jason had given up trying to show affection towards Tamara. He knew it wouldn't last, and he always think affectionately of her no matter how hard he tried not to. He hated this permeating feeling she created in him. Despite this, he still couldn't turn this anger onto her to ease his wounded emotions. This wasn't something he could slay with a knife in the dark; his modus operandi was useless here. He'd not have to deal with her long, just until the snow thawed. Then he'd be gone. As he walked past the kitchen where Sophita was preparing dinner, he thought despondently that he'd probably miss Sophita when the time came to go. He began to pile logs into the fireplace, wishing the flames would consume his problems as well as the wood.
"I thought you were very brave…" Sophita spoke softly as they ate mostly in silence. Jason stared into the fire, and replied dismissively "I wasn't brave. Those men had no idea how to hold a blade, let alone how to use one." Sophita shook her head. "Tamara thought you were brave." Jason snorted in reply. "I know exactly what she thinks; she's more transparent than she likes to believe. If she thought positively about what I did, why'd she kick me out of her barn?" Jason toyed with his stew as he awaited a response. Sophita sighed, "She needs some time to think. She's confused right now and it's complicated with you around. Just give her some time, she'll let you back in." He snorted again, replying "I don't particularly care if she does or not, when the snow thaws I'll be out of here anyway." He stood up and walked to the kitchen depositing his empty bowl in the small sink. "I'm going for a walk; I'll be back before nightfall." Before waiting for a reply, Jason stepped out into the cold air and walked towards the edge of town with short, weary strides.
He found a solitary tree and decided to take a brief respite from his journey around the village. The chattering of birds and the wind whistling through the leaves filled his ears as he sat against the trunk of the tree and closed his eyes, his other senses heightening to compensate. He used the Talent to further increase his perception of the world. A sudden anomaly of crunching leaves reached his enhanced hearing; he rocked on his haunches and settled in a slight crouch. "Jason…?" He relaxed and sighed. "Here, pet." Tamara sat down next to him, pulling her knees up to her chest. "Sophita said you'd be out here somewhere. Do you talk to the wild beasts, being one yourself?" Her tone was jovial yet reserved; she was only lightly teasing him this time. He smiled weakly and replied "No, I just prefer being outside. It's relaxing." The wind blew a little stronger and Tamara shivered slightly. "I prefer inside. It's warm inside." Jason chuckled and sprang to his feet, noticing Tamara's slight flinch at his sudden burst of movement. "Subtle. Fine, I'll walk you home." Tamara stood up and put her hand on her hips, mouth opened in protest. "I was not trying to steer you inside, and I don't need anyone to escort me home. I can look after myself, thank you very much." Despite herself, she trotted after him as he started to walk towards her house. "Sure you don't, but you're following anyway." His smile was replaced with mock pain as she punched his arm and ran to get level with his loping strides. "You're too arrogant Jason, I'm going take you down a peg or two before you know." She elbowed him gently as he laughed softly at her, before holding the door to her home open for her. "Here you are milady, home safe and sound. No fierce beasts in there." She mirrored his smirk as she curtsied. "My thanks, kind sir." She hesitated slightly, her demeanour becoming serious. "Would you like to come in out of the cold?" Jason stroked his chin, and then nodded. He stepped inside and Tamara busied herself with boiling water for tea. Jason explored the small bungalow while they waited, he'd never been inside the house before. There was a kitchen, a small living room and a bedroom with a double bed. Jason raised his eyebrow, Tamara lived alone. Why would she need a double bed? "I need some room when I sleep, I move around a lot in the night." Tamara answered the unspoken question as she walked past him to light a candle on the bedside table.
The flame flickered into life and she gently cupped her hand around the flame to blow it out. His eyes grew dark as he appreciated she caught the light in the most attractive way. She caught him staring and she turned to stand with her back to him. She whispered quietly "Why are you looking at me like that…?" She couldn't hide her blush, and her stance widened slightly as he stepped in behind her and placed his hand on her waist. She took a half step back into him and murmured as he planted kisses on her neck. She rested her head on his shoulder as his hands glided over her, occasionally guided by her own. She turned and pushed him back half a step, before sliding off her reserved clothing and getting into the bed, still facing away from him. She smiled as he blew out the recently lit candle and climbed in with her, his skin warm against hers.
Jason woke up and blinked, clearing his eyes. He stretched out his sore muscles, wondering briefly why they were sore, and looked around. Then he remembered and smiled. He turned and stroked Tamara's hair, and she mewed and wriggled under the bed sheets. He lent down to kiss her cheek, which had turned a deep crimson, and spoke gently to her, "Good morning, pet." She smiled and turned to kiss him back. "Good morning." She shifted her body to rest her head under his chin and yawned. Jason broke into a grin and clutched her hand as he talked to her. "When I leave this place, I'd like you to come with me. If you'd like." She frowned and breathed in deeply, squeezing his hand. "Maybe, I don't know yet. But I think I'd like that."