No wonder this took me so long... nearly 7000 words... well, I hope it's worth the wait.

Chapter X

"There are things in this world

you can only see if there is two of you..."

Golden daylight was still seeping through the twigs of my home when I awoke. I curled up, making an uncomfortable sound upon realizing I fell asleep without covering myself, just hugging the pillow. Despite the slight chill on my skin though, I felt cozy inside, a pleasant, tingly feeling keeping my heart warm... I wasn't even bothered by that memory making the blood go up to my cheeks. I wanted to treasure it, not be ashamed of it.

Hearing the energetic chirping of some young sparrow nearby, I decided to stop being lazy and peeked outside, squinting sleepily. Almost immediately, I spotted that lively, purple tunic, its owner sitting not too far away by a tree and fiddling with a stick again. This time though, it didn't look like a replacement for a sword though. He had a string with him.

I got out of the hovel and approached quietly, not wanting to disturb whatever he was doing.

"... I could make a hole and put it through..." Light's quiet muttering started to reach me. "... this would be so much easier with a reel... how could that work though..."

Evil as I was, I just kept listening, doing nothing to announce my presence.

"Hmmm... maybe the net would be a better idea..." he continued, his eyes wandering up slightly. "I don't know..."

I had to smile at how innocent he sounded, mumbling to himself like that. "We don't have to do this if you're unsure."

To my disappointment, he didn't jump up in surprise. I guess his senses really were better than he himself realized. "It's fine, it'll work," he smiled, not even looking up.

"Okay," I just said, letting him work.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked after getting the string through a little hole.

"Yes, I feel really good now."

"That's good," Light got up and started to swing the stick along with the string. It looked funny. "Yeah, this should work."

"Ooh..." following the branch with my eyes, I finally felt like understanding, "it looks good. I think I know where you're going with this now."

"I'll put a hack on it when we go down to the fishing spot. Maybe we can use some of the bread as bait..." Light's eyes wandered up and down the rod again as he began thinking. "Only issue is that this design needs two people to operate."

"Two? Why?"

"Well, when you cast the line in, someone needs to hold the stick," he gripped the part serving as a handle firmer with one hand while the other caught the string that still dangled between us. Despite that, his eyes never met mine. "And when you catch a fish, the other person needs to pull the string through the rod."

"Oh... I can help if you would let me?"

"Sure, if you want. Do you want to hold the rod or pull the string?" This felt like a part of a conversation where you would look your interlocutor in the face. But Light still refused, like something bad would happen if he dared but a glance at me.

"Um... which requires less strength?" I asked, starting to feel uncomfortable. I had a hunch where that reaction was coming from...

"Probably the stick then."

"Okay..."

My hushed reply caused him to dare a look at last, a worried one. "Um... are you alright?"

"I am, just..." suddenly it turned out that it was me who wasn't able to endure his stare, so I dropped my eyes to the soft grass beneath our feet. "I'm sorry..."

"For what?"

"For what I did earlier..."

I could feel I nailed the reason when Light twitched almost unnoticeably. "It's okay..." he tried to reassure me.

"It's not. I see that you're uncomfortable with it..."

"It was just... a little unexpected, that's all."

Was that the truth? Or did his kindness go too far to admit I did something wrong? "If you're sure."

"Yeah..." I looked up slightly just in time to notice a small blush on his cheeks as he turned away yet again.

Which my own face mimicked like an annoying child bored out of its wits. "Should we... go then?"

Light nodded. "You should lead the way."

My body almost moved on its own to take his hand, but I stopped it at the last instance. I caused him enough embarrassment by now... Without further comment, I turned slightly and led him along the border of the camp towards east. He just followed quietly.

For a while, I just simply enjoyed that gentle breeze that was carrying the scent of leaves warmed by sun and the mushrooms that were just starting to grow. "Was it... difficult to make it?" I asked after a few minutes.

"Not really," Light promptly snapped out of some sort of daze, either too entranced by the surroundings, or too busy thinking about something. "It was mainly just trying to figure out how to do it without a reel."

"You mean like a reel of thread?"

"No..." Of course not, silly, it would look ridiculous. "It's a thing that allows you to quickly wind up the string, so you can retrieve an object from the distance."

"Oh, I see."

Light's gaze wandered away, to the greens around us and browns of passing by sparrows. "So do you do fishing often?"

"Every two days in summer, once a week in winter. I usually don't participate in it though."

"So lucky me I guess if I've managed to get you to do it."

"I'm just curious I guess," I hopped over a tree root, making sure to scan for any useful herbs hiding in the shadow of the trunk as I went.

"Oh? Why's that?"

"Because I've never heard of that way of fishing before. And I would like to know more about you and your world." After all... if he was going to try to adapt to my world for me, the least I could do was try to understand him as best I could so he didn't feel alienated.

"Well... in comparison to this world, mine is pretty boring," Light admitted, not sounding bothered by it at all. "We have no magic, and everywhere looks pretty much the same," his expression turned a little duller as he became absorbed in watching the path we were following. "Which I guess is why I prefer to visit other worlds, that can only be found in other's imaginations."

"Wait, you can visit worlds that others come up with too?"

"Well, the world I told you about before, that was made by someone like you or me," Light chuckled for some reason. "Well, probably not like you. You know magic after all."

I let out a short laugh. "I really understand less and less instead of more." It really felt like I was missing some fundamental piece of information about his world that would make understanding everything else tremendously easier. Or he already gave it to me and I just didn't get it.

Which made me feel guilty when his expression faded into a sad smile. "I wouldn't mind taking you to one of them if I could... The adventures you can go on are like no other. Even this adventure I'm experiencing in this world, I doubt I could see it anywhere else."

"I wish I could too... hopefully, this one will be unforgettable for you, in a good sense." If you could classify living in a forest, collecting herbs and fishing as an adventure that is.

"I've already met some unforgettable people."

I smiled, grateful he thought that way despite some of them giving him a hard time at the beginning. "I had an unforgettable encounter as well."

He was already returning the smile before I could realize how daring that statement was. "I'm glad..."

I quickly turned my gaze away to not let him see the heat that crawled up to my cheeks again and was surprised to see the glimmering ribbon of the river shining through the trunks ahead. Time really seemed to flow differently when one was engaged in something... The way to the river always seemed longer to me.

The moment we came out into the open, the air immediately felt warmer, the sunlight not being absorbed by the greedy leaves trying to get what they could before autumn came. There was just a narrow band of grass and an even narrower one of golden sand between the forest and the broad river, its waters deep and strong here, not far from the spot where it met the sea. A pair of does stood by the opposite bank further to our right.

Light set down the rod by the birch peeking out the farthest into the open from the mass of trees. "So what type of fish is usually here?"

"We catch mostly perches and tenches, but there are also pikes and eels."

"I see... I hope the string doesn't snap then..."

"I could strengthen it with a spell," I offered carefreely, which of course backfired.

"It's okay. I wouldn't want to cause you unnecessary fatigue."

"You know I need to practice to find my strength again. I need it to be able to protect you..."

I immediately felt guilty at the look of guilt that appeared in his eyes. Paradox... "Right... sorry."

"I... don't have to if you would prefer it that way."

"No, you're right... I should be helping rather than discouraging you."

"I just don't want to worry you... will you be able to bear it for a little longer?"

"Well, we're not too far from the camp, and there are a few other druids around."

He didn't seem to realize how much distance we actually covered, probably for the same reason as me, and... it felt like he trusted my friends and family more than he trusted himself. It was strange, but... heartwarming. "So what do we do first?"

Light reached into a pouch that dangled by his waist and took out a small, metal hook. Where and when did you even get all that? "Well, I need to tie this to the string. Can you break up the loaf of bread in here?" he added, extending the hand with the pouch to me.

"Sure," taking the soft leather band, I sat down on the warm grass near the line where it thinned out, fading into the band of sand hugging the water. Light meanwhile started the arduous task of tying the hook to the string. I had to admit, I enjoyed watching his deeply focused expression while my hands subconsciously worked on the bread. Only when he cautiously pierced a small piece of meat with the already ready to use hook, I snapped out of it. "Oh... will you be going for the pikes?"

"I don't know. I guess we'll just see what we can catch."

"Okay," giving him a smile, I tore up the last of the bread. I ignored the small mouse that sneaked up between the blades of swaying grass and stole one of the bigger bits.

Light grabbed the rod right above the spot serving as a handle and extended it to me hilt first. "You ready?"

"I think so," I took it and almost smiled at him, feeling the slight, helping pull as his hand stayed on the rod, guiding me up.

He then took my free hand and lead me close to the silvery water that called us with its quiet song. "You'll want to grip the stick with both hands, one foot in front of the other."

I gave into the temptation of squeezing his hand gently before letting go and asking: "Which one should go forward if I'm right-handed?"

"Left foot first. And it will be more comfortable if you put your right hand further up the rod."

"So... like this?" I shifted my palm to the spot where Light's was just seconds ago and spread my legs just a little.

"Perfect," he nodded and went a few steps back to grab a handful of the breadcrumbs. Rejoining me by the water, he threw them into it, waited a moment and nodded once more. "Now, to cast, just lift the rod over your shoulder and sharply throw it forwards."

I had to give it a brief thought, trying to imagine that motion in my mind before hesitantly executing it, the hook with the bait landing not very far from the shore, but enough to not hit the bottom of the riverbed after just a few seconds. Only after doing it I realized that swinging a stick with a hook attached to it around was potentially pretty dangerous and I was lucky to not injure Light with it.

But he just smiled, holding onto the rest of the thread that still remained with us. "Seems like a good start..." When I giggled, he gave me an amused look. "What's up?"

"Nothing, it's just kind of funny. I don't really know why." I imagined we would look interesting to any passerby's at that moment. Two young people with a stick by the river, waiting for who knows what.

"Well, I guess it is a little strange," he agreed with my thoughts, smiling, but his eyes soon turned from soft to alarmed as he returned his full focus to the water. "Oh, make sure to hold on tight. If a fish bites, it'll yank the rod extremely quickly."

I followed his gaze, searching for what caught his attention among the calm current. There were shadows beneath the small waves, some of them betraying themselves with an occasional, swift twitch. "I'll try."

"Any second..." Light's narrowed eyes never left the water, even when the rod in my hands suddenly bent towards the dark surface and he shouted: "Now!" already starting to pull at the string.

I tightened my grip on the branch, not wanting any of Light's efforts to go to waste. All the time I felt the fish struggle, trying to escape him as he skillfully and patiently let some of the string loose every time our catch pulled too strongly, putting the rod in risk of snapping. I quietly whispered a few words to strengthen both it and the string, not letting Light notice so I could still watch the interesting technique of fishing in his world.

Soon enough though, the fish gave up and let Light pull it onto the shallows, where he quickly caught it with his bare hands, getting his pants wet halfway up his calves. The sight was almost magical... The fish was a tench, the size of Light's forearm, its scales glimmering in the sun along with the droplets of water that both it and Light had sprayed up into the warm air, but... none of it matched Light's eyes. So lively, so happy with the success, so carefree even if for just this one moment...

"Phew... that was good for a first catch," I almost didn't register his praise. "Good job."

"It was you mostly," I smiled in response and looked at the branch in my hands. "This works really well."

"I wouldn't have been able to without you. I'm surprised that worked. I'm not great at fishing... must be you..." his voice trailed off as he gave me a shy smile, making me more embarrassed than he probably was.

"Only because you told me what to do."

Light shook his head, determined to disagree with me, his hands starting to carefully work on removing the hook from the poor fish's mouth. "Either way, I wouldn't have done that alone. Do we have a bucket or something to put this little guy in then?"

"Um... not really. How about we bring it to the others, they must be about to finish their fishing," I pointed up the river. The voices of a few of my friends came from there, muffled by a thin screen of trees that grew by the gentle curve of the riverbank, hiding them from our eyes.

"Sure. Do you want to grab the rod?" Light put the fish down for a moment to gather the remaining bread.

"I will," I picked up the string that he dropped into the sand before running into the water and started coiling it up more neatly. After a few moments though, I noticed Light stopping what he was doing and looking up to the rustling tree crowns, squinting at their beauty. "Something wrong?"

"It's nothing..." he didn't look at me, eyes focused somewhere between the sky and the first visible branches. "It's just... sometimes I hear something whisper..."

"Whisper...?" I wasn't able to conceal the worry in my voice. "What does it sound like?"

"I don't know. Almost like it's the wind. It just says 'You are not alone'."

"Oh..." I felt a touch of relief as that statement plucked a string of understanding in my mind. "I'm not entirely sure, but that might be the spirits of the forest."

"Spirits of the forest?"

"Yes, there are a few of them, they guard this place. But like I said, I cannot tell if it's them who you hear."

Light gave me a pale smile, though I wasn't sure if it was the presence of beings similar to ghosts or something else that made him feel uncertain. "It's kind of funny. I feel like I've learned so much about this world, and yet there's still so much unknown." He paused, as if some memory came back to him. "So is it those spirits that make the forest sentient then?"

"I will gladly help you understand it more," I reassured him with a smile before looking into the forest, where the first leaves fell slowly one by one, be it due to a hasty squirrel bumping into them or simply their own weakened state. "Yes, it's them. They are the souls of creatures that died despite the desire to do something in this world still. They weren't able to be at peace after death, so they became spirits who protect us."

It wasn't the best or most accurate way to put it, but such things weren't easy to explain. Almost every being in this world died while still having dreams and wishes. What made the spirits of the Silivren Forest special was the fact that their only or main desire was to protect... Protecting was what brought them most joy and made them forget about the other needs most of the time...

"That's... kind of tragic..." I heard Light's quiet murmur.

"It is... but most of them are souls who wanted to protect. Who wished for peace in this world, a place where others don't need to experience fear." I got shortly cut off by the wind picking up, caressing my skin and playing with my hair for just a second before it snatched one of the freshly fallen oak leaves and placed it right on the top of Light's head, making me smile. "And some of them just wanted to keep having fun."

Light smiled too, removing the leaf from his dark bangs. "Well, if they can protect us now, I suppose that's good. And it can't be a bad afterlife if they're protecting you all."

"I think so too. And we are grateful to them and try to carry on what they wished for. So I think most of them are happy the way they are."

"That's good then... Should we get going?"

I nodded happily, so Light picked up our catch again and headed north, towards the voices coming from the younger parts of the river. As I followed, I pulled on the hem of my overdress slightly so it would lie better under my corset as it liked to shift, but then felt a small pain in my palm. I raised it slightly to look for the source of the tiny sting, but Light must have misinterpreted it, because he gently slipped his hand into mine, causing me to flinch. I didn't protest though, happy to make this connection again.

But Light, perceptive as ever even though he wasn't looking probably out of embarrassment, still noticed. "You okay?"

"I am, it's just a splinter... it's too deep now anyway, nothing to worry about."

Light's hand immediately backed away and he stopped, putting the fish down again and turning slightly to face me. "Was it from the rod?" it was touching how even something so small could cause worry to surface as he looked me in the eyes.

"Yes, it must have gotten in when the fish first started pulling. But there is not much to do about it now."

In response, Light gently took my wrist and turned it so he could see my palm and find the intruder. "It shouldn't be left in there, you could get an infection..."

"But what can you do now..."

His finger stopped drawing a pattern on my skin as he found the dark speck beneath it. "It'll hurt a bit, but I could get it out."

I hesitated shortly, my heart picking up speed at the idea for many positive and negative reasons. "Then try, please..."

"Just squeeze my arm with your other hand if it hurts too much," he gave me a last warning before starting to slowly push the splinter out of my palm.

A tiny whimper escaped me as I felt the sting again, sharper this time, and reflexively grasped Light's arm, but didn't squeeze like he asked. I wondered if it were my recent injuries that made me oversensitive to pain, because this was really nothing compared to them.

I soon felt the little piece of wood slip out from underneath my skin and it vanished among the grass beneath our feet a second later. "There, all done," Light sounded pleased with himself.

I let out a sigh, not even having realized I was holding my breath. "Thank you..."

He took a moment to examine my expression, as if making sure there wasn't any pain left in it, then looked away, smiling but in a very unconvincing way. "You okay now?"

"Yes, but... are you?"

Light sighed, probably annoyed that I could read his emotions every time he tried to hide them. "Yeah... I'm fine..."

"You're not, but... you don't have to say it."

"Sorry... I've just been thinking a lot, about what you told me of your past earlier."

"What exactly do you mean?" did some of that other pain really show on my face as I thought about it...?

"It's just... sad to think about... that someone could do that to you, when you've done nothing but help everyone..."

"I don't regret it..." I said slowly, quietly, not exactly sure how to express what I felt in a way that wouldn't sound wrong. In search for help, I gently freed my wrist from his grip and embraced his hand with mine, reassuring him it didn't hurt anymore. "No, actually, I do, in a way, but... it has lead me to this moment... which I am grateful for."

It lead me to you...

Light's eyes started to shimmer with tears, revealing a deeper sadness just like water made thin parchment semi-transparent... "I'm glad you survived..." There was so much joy and gratitude, but also so much bitterness, pain and despair in his words... It almost sounded like he sometimes imagined what would have happened if I didn't... like that thought plagued him at night...

I carefully touched his cheek with my free hand, making sure he knew I was right there, and I wouldn't leave him. "I am too... and I feel like I still don't know about a huge part of your suffering, but... I'm really happy you didn't give up and fought through it..."

Maybe I shouldn't have said that... the pain in his irises became clearer than ever right before he closed his eyes, one tear escaping to stain his warm cheek... But I felt like it had to be said... someone had to make him feel like everything he went through wasn't for nothing, that it had a meaning... and that someone was waiting at the other side of that dark curtain, ready to finally give him the comfort he deserved... "Yeah... I'm happy too..." even his voice was weak by now... I just wanted to hug him and protect him from the rest of the world so badly...

And there were so many things I could do to help his heart heal... I leaned closer and kissed that lonely tear away, putting all the tenderness I could into it. The gesture almost made him gasp a little, earning me a surprised look. The look of someone who long forgot what it's like to have someone caring this much, cherishing him this much... loving him...

"Yasenka... I..." something different stained his voice. Something that made it clearer, like all this time until now it had been muffled by that infinite darkness he kept mentioning...

"Yes...?" I asked softly as I backed away.

The most evident of emotions in his pure eyes was confusion. It wasn't strong enough to conceal the hope and something akin to a desperate plea though... I could see them so clearly when he moved closer, slowly, placing both his hands on my shoulders before his lips brushed my forehead.

It was something so simple, yet sent a small jolt through my entire body. It was a promise... a silent vow that made my very soul relax with the feeling of safety it brought with it. "I promise to protect you forever..." Light confirmed it with more determination than ever before. I suddenly felt a tear fall down my cheek...

I couldn't... I couldn't keep this up and make him feel like he has to stay here more and more just so I would be safe and happy... A whole world was waiting for his return, he had a home, a place he belonged, people who loved him... But the desperate longing for this warmth that invaded this forest alongside him was too strong. For the first time in my life, I wanted someone to really allow me to be selfish... Even if it meant I would be damned...

"Please do..." I asked quietly, feeling my body almost shiver at the foreign sensation that came with putting my needs before those of others.

Light must have sensed it, because his arms wrapped around my body to hold me close, allowing me to sink into that warmth like it was really the right thing to do. "Then I'll do it, so you never have to suffer like that again..."

It was then that I understood that reaching out for what I desired alone wasn't wrong in itself... Rather taking what I longed for and not giving anything in return... that would have been unforgivable... "I want to protect you too..." I whimpered, burying my face in that soft tunic, "never let anyone hurt your heart ever again..."

When Light's body relaxed slightly, I knew this was the right thing to do. "Thank you..." his breath gently caressed my hair.

"I..." I started, but immediately stopped myself. There was such a thing as taking it too far. I couldn't just seal his fate permanently like that... I knew his kind heart wouldn't be able to ever break free if I said it...

Light's grip loosened slightly as he leaned back just enough to be able to look at me. "Yes?"

It was tempting... stronger than any temptation I ever experienced, but I fought it back. For Light's sake. I just gave him a small smile instead. "No... it's nothing."

"If you're sure..."

"I'm not, but... I shouldn't be saying stuff like that..."

"It's okay..."

I dared to look up shortly. No, it's not...

"You can tell me anything you know?"

Stop tempting me... I could, but... it would be cruel... in a way..."

Light shook his head, the sun that was starting to set giving his messy bangs an enchanting, fiery touch. You're too kind to say something cruel..."

"Sometimes the kindest words can be cruel..." I felt my eyes starting to sting again as emotions tried to take over rationality, "if they would cause someone to be torn between two things he longs for..."

"Maybe I should say them then... so you don't have to worry about tearing me in two directions..."

I almost didn't understand what he said. "What...?"

Light's cheeks suddenly turned a deep shade of brilliant red as he looked away, his voice dropping to a shy, almost helpless whisper: "I... l-love you..."

I was conflicted before... but at that moment, my mind just went blank.

Light... returned my feelings... it was more than just a long desired wish becoming reality. It felt more like a door that was in front of me all this time suddenly opened, revealing an entire, new world, with hundreds of paths to take and thousands of miracles to be seen... and yet... my heart was unable to accept it... Now that it received what was necessary for the scars of the past to heal... the first thing it tried was to push that gift away...

"You can't..." I hung my head, feeling the inside of my chest starting to ache as tears ran now uncontrollably, vanishing in the soft soil, "you have a home to return to... I... I don't have the right to keep you here, no matter the reason..."

But Light just shook his head again, calm and composed somehow. "Like I've said... I don't even know if I can return home. And... if I can't... I don't know anyone else who I'd rather spend my time with..."

"And if you can...?" the question I feared the most just slipped out.

Light's gaze focused on the ground for a few seconds, as if this was the first time he actually thought about it. "I... I don't know... Maybe I'd head back for a while, but I'll always find my way back here."

I felt a tiny urge to smile, but wasn't able to just yet. "It... it would be wonderful if you did..."

"Though home... this could be home..." he interrupted his quiet whispers with another shake of his head. "Sorry, spacing out..."

But I wasn't going to let him just throw that thought away. "If you wanted to...?"

"I..." he seemed slightly surprised at the suggestion, but soon smiled. "I wouldn't mind that at all..."

"I wouldn't either..." I managed to honestly answer that smile, even though I still couldn't stop the tears. They were starting to taste sweeter and sweeter as I finally allowed myself to say the words we both longed to hear for so long. "I love you too..."

Something new shined in Light's warm eyes as he leaned forward slightly to plant a shy, but so affectionate kiss on my cheek. It was then that my control slipped just enough for my instincts to take over...

When he was about to retreat, I tilted my head just slightly and caught his lips with mine, my heart almost stopping. They were so warm... so soft... I never before kissed anyone, but already knew that nothing would take my breath away more than this for the rest of my life...

Light's hand quickly found its way to the back of my neck, not wanting me to escape, but he soon broke the kiss, moving away just slightly to lean his forehead on mine. "I really don't want to ruin the mood... but this fish is starting to smell..."

Well, you killed the mood still... I guess I couldn't blame him. All of this was still new to us, and my heart was reaching its limit too. "I don't care... but I guess you're right..."

"I wouldn't either, but I don't want to smell of fish forever for you..." I wasn't sure which was clearer in his voice: the joy that almost made it tremble, or the amusement he tried to hide it underneath. He then gently retreated his hand from my neck to wipe my cheeks dry, which I accepted gratefully, closing my eyes.

"Let's get rid of it and just hide somewhere then..."

"Sounds good..."

"I don't want to leave your side today..."

His hand almost immediately slipped into mine in response. "You don't have to."

Gently squeezing it, making sure he really was there, I started to lead him towards the voices coming from behind the trees up the river. My friends were already neatly folding the nets, all but one linen sack already closed and ready to be carried to the camp. Light took the lead for a moment, approaching Arneth and Noavrel who were in charge of the last open bag, and handed Arneth the fish, not even an ounce of pride on his face. "Sorry it was late."

"No problem, thank you," Arneth took it and examined the catch shortly. "That's a big one, you really managed it with that stick?"

"Yeah... it wasn't too bad catching it," again, no hint of pride.

"We'll see you back at the camp then," before he turned away, Arneth cast an amused glance at mine and Light's entwined hands, then hurried to help Noavrel. They soon vanished into the forest.

Once they were out of earshot, Light shifted his gaze from the darkening trees to me. "So... where do you want to go?"

"I'm... not sure. I feel a little drained again... would you mind lying down in the sun somewhere for a little while?"

"Sure," immediately accepting, he let go of my hand and did something familiar - he crouched, his back to me, offering a ride.

"You don't have to..." I muttered, weirdly enough feeling something different about this situation now.

"But I want to."

It wasn't hard to figure out what the difference was. Now I could be sure... I didn't have to hesitate when seeking support in him anymore. With those three simple words, it turned from a matter of courtesy into something obvious and welcome for both of us. Feeling that new warmth spreading in my chest, I carefully wrapped my arms around his neck, stepping closer so he could grab my legs.

"Do you have a particular spot in mind?" Light asked once he lifted me off the ground.

"Maybe... just a little up the river is a spot where it splits in two with a tiny island between... Want to see?"

"Sure. Tell me when you need me to slow down," and with that, he started to walk along the riverbank, the mixture of sand and grass beneath his feet causing soft sounds for the current to take back in the direction we came from.

"Rather you tell me when you can't carry me anymore," I warned before leaning my head against the back of his neck like the first time, though it was astonishing how natural it felt now.

"You're fine right where you are."

I bet you would say that even if we walked from here to Leeshan, I thought to myself, closing my eyes. For a little while, I simply enjoyed the coziness, the faint echo of his heartbeat against my chest, the evening breeze that smelled of cold water and the occasional chirps of less and less active birds. When I heard an almost inaudible sight of awe, one of so many Light let out since coming here, I knew he spotted it. A tiny island, almost completely covered with tall trees, except for the sparse space on the southern side, where a small hill presented a lush carpet of grass and herbs to the setting sun. And when he stopped, I knew it was in front of the plank that connected the shore with the small patch of land.

"Are you okay with the possibility of falling in?" he asked hesitantly. "I don't know how stable this plank is."

"I can get off for a moment," I offered. I could imagine better ways of spending the first romantic evening together than being busy drying our clothes or fighting another cold. "Thank you," I added once he crouched down so I could get off easily. "Should I go first?"

"If you want to. Just be careful."

I walked over to the other side without really thinking much, having done it so many times before. As soon as my feet reached the other shore, Light stepped onto the plank and carefully made his way towards me. Like with many physical activities, he didn't seem to have much of a problem, only three steps before the goal he wavered slightly and I quickly reached for his hand, but he regained balance before I even registered the feeling of panic overcoming me. Nevertheless, he accepted the help and was soon standing next to me on solid ground. "I'm okay."

I smiled at him, glad that he was. "Does that hill look good for lying down?" I asked.

"Yeah, it looks great," he mirrored my smile, not bothering to let go of my hand, so I squeezed it gently and started heading to the open space. "It's very peaceful here..."

"Yes... and it's a wonderful spot for stargazing."

"Do you... want to do that tonight?"

"If you want to stay till night?"

"Only if you want to. I... I want to spend forever with you..."

I knew it... I knew that once I told him how I felt, he wouldn't be able to let go anymore... But right now, it suddenly didn't seem like a bad thing... No, it was what he needed. The last desperate attempt of his heart to break free from eternal despair... and I was blessed with the chance of saving him from it... and succeeded...

I stopped at the top of the tiny hill and looked him in the eyes. It was almost scary... The way he looked at me now... he already entrusted everything to me... his heart, his soul, mind, sanity and his very life... The amount of trust we were able to build up over just a few days was dizzying...

"I've never known a more kind individual than you..." he said softly, his eyes never leaving mine, "even though you have every reason not to be..."

"I don't... because your heart is the same," I reached out to place my hand on it, feeling the warm beat. "It's voice is so similar... like it's one of the breezes that wander this forest."

Light shook his head yet again. "I don't think I could've endured what you did and remained as kind..."

"You endured a different kind of pain... and yet you are still able to feel love, to recognize kindness... that's not something anyone could do."

"I was afraid of loving at one point. I wanted to push everyone away so I never felt that pain of losing them..."

Then it's even more of a miracle...

"Are you still afraid now?" I asked in a whisper, not really fearful. I already knew he broke that chain.

Sure enough, he gave me a sad smile, but there was no sign of him regretting or being scared of anything he did or said in the past few hours. "A little. I don't want to lose anyone else. But... I'll protect what I love... just like he did... So I don't feel the pain I did when I lost him..."

My other hand wandered to his cheek to give him the small comfort I could in front of that immense pain. "I'm so sorry... I wish you didn't have to go through something so horrible..."

His own palm soon found its way to mine, covering it and not letting too much warmth escape into the night, while his eyes drifted shut into an expression of calm determination. "I'll do my best to protect... no. I won't lose you. I'll protect you until the end of time..."

It was the same promise he already made... yet different. Deeper. Firmer. Eternal... "I know you will," I smiled. "I trust you... my life is yours Light..."

"And my heart is yours... forever..."

"Then I shall protect it forever," I closed the small gap between us to place a short kiss on his lips, still as sweet as before. I wondered if he would ever run out of that sweetness.

As if pulled by some spell that connected us now, Light leaned towards me to return the gesture, but all of a sudden stopped just millimeters from my lips. "Someone's watching..."

Just two words, in the quietest of whispers, yet they were enough to send a shiver down my spine. I moved away slightly and cast a glance around, at the oranges and yellows that were fading into silvers and blues around us.

Light turned with his back to me, instinctively shielding me with his own body. "It can't be anything bad, can it?"

My hand clenched slightly around the fabric of his sleeve as something stirred in my mind. I felt it... the flicker of a soul in the shadows... no. It felt like a human soul, but at the same time it didn't. It was rather like a fragment of it, a snippet, weak and dimmed... "It shouldn't be, I mean... well, someone with bad intentions would be able to get into the forest, but he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone..."

I felt Light's body tense up, taking away my confidence little by little. "This presence... it's so familiar... like a..."

"Like what...?" my whisper barely challenged the delicate rustle of leaves caressed by the first, night breeze.

"Like a Nightmare."

Phew...

Yeah, I said I would wait... but today I felt like I needed to cheer my wonderful husband up... so I finished it. I hope it was worth the big break between the chapters. It's actually kind of amazing how easy it was to describe Yasenka's feelings in this chapter. But they're so close to my own... But there will always be a story that easily challenges mine. Lost in Earlindon, the events described from Light's point of view. Please give it a try and give scrambled888 all the admiration he deserves for it.

Till next time, I wish you all favorable winds~