It was almost noon-time, and Alder was still asleep. Avery sat there,
awake, clutching the covers around her. It was a beautiful morning; the sun
streamed in and surrounded her in its warmth. She looked down upon Alder's
serene face, and got up to leave. She entered the Common Room yawning and
stretching, to find Damon at his usual spot by the fire.
"Alder's room?" he asked, and raised his eyebrow.
"No- nothing happened. I couldn't sleep," Avery said, and blushed.
"Is there anything between you and Alder?" he asked.
"No." Not yet.
"You like her, don't you," he said, more of a statement than a question.
"I- yes. Damon, you don't understand. This is the strongest I have ever felt in my life for someone else," Avery said, almost hysterical. "And I didn't go to her room in that sense. I was- scared. I felt as though Tyrel was every shadow."
"I believe you," he said, and at that moment Alder appeared in the doorway, yawning. She leaned on the doorframe and rubbed her eyes sleepily.
"Good morning. Good afternoon," she corrected herself. "I surely slept late. What news?" she asked.
Good. She didn't hear our conversation. I suppose it's for the better. For now, Avery thought.
"Keren got home past midnight. no sign of Tyrel. He is going to Tonnar, presumably," Damon said.
"Is there any more orders on where we can and can't go?" Alder asked.
"Well, absolutely no Court. No Ambassador's Hall (but I don't know why we'd go there in the first place), basically the only places we can go are the Stables (where Kat can watch our backs). I think we can also go to the gardens," Avery said.
"Well, just because it's not snowing now doesn't mean it won't and it's still cold out there. I'll just have to deal with eating lunch here for now," Alder said, and smiled.
"Offensive horse riding. You've become excellent at humping. You all have good balance. Now it's time to use that. I've told you that these horses have special battle training. So, let's start. When you want your horse to go up in battle-stance, you first lean forward, of course. On a rearing horse, you don't want to lean back or you'll fall. Not fun. So squeeze your knees, learn forward, hold on tight, and say 'up' to your horse," Kat said. "There is no better way to explain it. So you all better just try it. And if you do fall, try to roll out of it."
"Good enough," Alder said, and before she gave herself time to worry, she leaned forward, and squeezed her knees into Kai. "Up!" she commanded, and Kai obeyed. Kaila launched herself onto her hind haunches, and balanced perfectly. Alder clung to the reins, and released her tight grip. She nudged Kai and commanded, "Forward!" and Kaila hopped forward awkwardly. "Down!" Kai gently plopped herself down again.
"Good job!" Kat yelped, quite impressed. Avery was up, and finding her balance. Damon was still watching her, with unshielded awe in his eyes. He then followed her example, and attempted the trick.
Alder practiced with Kai until she was comfortable with balancing on a rearing horse, and then Kat let her go for the day. Instead of going to the Stables, Alder decided to go by the hot springs to soak her feet. She tethered Kai to a tree and took off her boots, rolled up her riding leathers and dipped her legs into the hot water. It was incredibly relaxing, and Alder lay down with her legs submerged, looking at the snow covered leaves overhead.
"Hey Alder," Damon said, startling her by coming up behind her. "Just wondering where you went." He sat down beside her and dipped his hands in the water. "Wow. time has really flown. You've been here forever. What do you think?"
"I love it here. I am doing what I want to do, and not what I'm told to do by my Father or Aunt. Magic is so fun. and so are the riding lessons. I feel at home here with you, Keren and Avery. This is the home I never had."
"I'm glad to hear it."
"Callista never had any hot springs. They are so beautiful," she said, and a thick silence fell between them. Alder looked up at him, to find him staring at her.
"Alder, YOU are beautiful. No amount of hot springs could have been made in Callista to replace your beauty," he said seriously. And it was all Alder could do to keep a straight face.
Wow. Now wasn't that corny. I could have lived a happier life without ever having heard that! She thought, guarding her thoughts carefully. "Thank you, I suppose," she said, and turned her face from him.
She felt his warm hand brushing against her cheek. He put his hand under her chin and turned her face towards him. He leaned in towards Alder, and she felt his lips press to hers as he kissed her. She turned pale, and her body froze. She didn't want this, but how could she say so without seeming rude? She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but he was imposing on her personal space, and she just wasn't interested.
She put her hand to his chest and pushed him away gently. She immediately got up and went to where she had put her shoes. She didn't even wait to put her shoes on, she just picked them up and went to Kaila. She pulled open her saddle bags and shoved her shoes into them, as she prepared to mount.
But Damon interrupted her. "Alder, wait. What's the matter? Please stay."
"I- I can't stay. I can't do this," she said, and mounted Kaila.
"You don't feel the same way?" he asked.
"I don't know what I think. I don't know WHAT to think. I really don't know what I want. Give me some time, please, Damon," she pleaded, and turned her horse and trotted away.
What is WRONG with me? That makes every other girl happy, to find an attractive guy that likes them. except Avery. But she is different.
Who is to say that I'm not different too? The thought crept into her mind as she reached the stables. She put all of her energy into grooming Kai. She mindlessly groomed her as quickly as she could. She didn't want to face Damon again until she figured things out. Once she got into the suite, she immediately got a clean set of clothes and set out for the bathhouse to soak and mull things over.
"Alder's room?" he asked, and raised his eyebrow.
"No- nothing happened. I couldn't sleep," Avery said, and blushed.
"Is there anything between you and Alder?" he asked.
"No." Not yet.
"You like her, don't you," he said, more of a statement than a question.
"I- yes. Damon, you don't understand. This is the strongest I have ever felt in my life for someone else," Avery said, almost hysterical. "And I didn't go to her room in that sense. I was- scared. I felt as though Tyrel was every shadow."
"I believe you," he said, and at that moment Alder appeared in the doorway, yawning. She leaned on the doorframe and rubbed her eyes sleepily.
"Good morning. Good afternoon," she corrected herself. "I surely slept late. What news?" she asked.
Good. She didn't hear our conversation. I suppose it's for the better. For now, Avery thought.
"Keren got home past midnight. no sign of Tyrel. He is going to Tonnar, presumably," Damon said.
"Is there any more orders on where we can and can't go?" Alder asked.
"Well, absolutely no Court. No Ambassador's Hall (but I don't know why we'd go there in the first place), basically the only places we can go are the Stables (where Kat can watch our backs). I think we can also go to the gardens," Avery said.
"Well, just because it's not snowing now doesn't mean it won't and it's still cold out there. I'll just have to deal with eating lunch here for now," Alder said, and smiled.
"Offensive horse riding. You've become excellent at humping. You all have good balance. Now it's time to use that. I've told you that these horses have special battle training. So, let's start. When you want your horse to go up in battle-stance, you first lean forward, of course. On a rearing horse, you don't want to lean back or you'll fall. Not fun. So squeeze your knees, learn forward, hold on tight, and say 'up' to your horse," Kat said. "There is no better way to explain it. So you all better just try it. And if you do fall, try to roll out of it."
"Good enough," Alder said, and before she gave herself time to worry, she leaned forward, and squeezed her knees into Kai. "Up!" she commanded, and Kai obeyed. Kaila launched herself onto her hind haunches, and balanced perfectly. Alder clung to the reins, and released her tight grip. She nudged Kai and commanded, "Forward!" and Kaila hopped forward awkwardly. "Down!" Kai gently plopped herself down again.
"Good job!" Kat yelped, quite impressed. Avery was up, and finding her balance. Damon was still watching her, with unshielded awe in his eyes. He then followed her example, and attempted the trick.
Alder practiced with Kai until she was comfortable with balancing on a rearing horse, and then Kat let her go for the day. Instead of going to the Stables, Alder decided to go by the hot springs to soak her feet. She tethered Kai to a tree and took off her boots, rolled up her riding leathers and dipped her legs into the hot water. It was incredibly relaxing, and Alder lay down with her legs submerged, looking at the snow covered leaves overhead.
"Hey Alder," Damon said, startling her by coming up behind her. "Just wondering where you went." He sat down beside her and dipped his hands in the water. "Wow. time has really flown. You've been here forever. What do you think?"
"I love it here. I am doing what I want to do, and not what I'm told to do by my Father or Aunt. Magic is so fun. and so are the riding lessons. I feel at home here with you, Keren and Avery. This is the home I never had."
"I'm glad to hear it."
"Callista never had any hot springs. They are so beautiful," she said, and a thick silence fell between them. Alder looked up at him, to find him staring at her.
"Alder, YOU are beautiful. No amount of hot springs could have been made in Callista to replace your beauty," he said seriously. And it was all Alder could do to keep a straight face.
Wow. Now wasn't that corny. I could have lived a happier life without ever having heard that! She thought, guarding her thoughts carefully. "Thank you, I suppose," she said, and turned her face from him.
She felt his warm hand brushing against her cheek. He put his hand under her chin and turned her face towards him. He leaned in towards Alder, and she felt his lips press to hers as he kissed her. She turned pale, and her body froze. She didn't want this, but how could she say so without seeming rude? She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but he was imposing on her personal space, and she just wasn't interested.
She put her hand to his chest and pushed him away gently. She immediately got up and went to where she had put her shoes. She didn't even wait to put her shoes on, she just picked them up and went to Kaila. She pulled open her saddle bags and shoved her shoes into them, as she prepared to mount.
But Damon interrupted her. "Alder, wait. What's the matter? Please stay."
"I- I can't stay. I can't do this," she said, and mounted Kaila.
"You don't feel the same way?" he asked.
"I don't know what I think. I don't know WHAT to think. I really don't know what I want. Give me some time, please, Damon," she pleaded, and turned her horse and trotted away.
What is WRONG with me? That makes every other girl happy, to find an attractive guy that likes them. except Avery. But she is different.
Who is to say that I'm not different too? The thought crept into her mind as she reached the stables. She put all of her energy into grooming Kai. She mindlessly groomed her as quickly as she could. She didn't want to face Damon again until she figured things out. Once she got into the suite, she immediately got a clean set of clothes and set out for the bathhouse to soak and mull things over.