Chapter 19
As Rovin left her room, leaving Daniel asleep. He started drifting off after another ten minutes or so. Rovin decided to leave and let him sleep. They had talked more, and Rovin got to know a small amount about his life, but it wasn't enough. She needed to spend hours with him in order to find out if he is the man she wants to be spending the rest of her life with. Rovin turned from her door and saw Christian striding down the hall away from her, carrying a bag, which looked like it was full of something.
"Christian!" Rovin yelled racing after him and catching up to him at the stairs. Christian turned around and looked at her, which sadness in his eyes.
"Hey kid," he said softly
"Where are you going?" she asked trying to ignore what he looked like
"I'm going back to my home, to get my son, but I'll be back next week, don't worry" he replied with a soft laugh
"Wait--your son? Christian what aren't you telling me?" she asked grabbing onto his sleeve before he could turn away and continue down the stairs.
"I respect your choice Rovin, but I don't think it was the best." he said before pulling his sleeve out of her grasp and heading down the stairs, without a backwards glance.
Rovin knew he thought she had chosen Daniel, he must have talked to Noah, but she still wasn't sure if Daniel was who she was going to choose. She felt tears start filling her eyes as she watched Christian's back as he left. He just got back, and there were many things she needed to talk to him about, but first, she had something that had been nagging her in the back of her mind, ever since Daniel and Noah fought in the common room. She needed to know more.
Walking down and stairs, she entered the common room and searched around for Noah. She spotted Candle, Tyger and Reed sitting at the usual table, talking to each other and laughing over their ales. Rovin walked towards them, and Candle was the first to spot her, waving as she drew closer. Rovin leaned her hands on the table and bent closer to the three, so as to speak in a whisper.
"Have any of you seen Noah around?" Rovin asked. The three boys shot hesitant glances at each other, not sure if they should respond. "What are those for? Just tell me where he is!"
Candle was the first to speak up, and his answer didn't help a lot. "Well, that last time I saw him he was out back in the ally with Christian,"
"Yes, but then I saw him come in, "Tyger continued
"And I saw him leave, going out onto the street somewhere," Reed finished
"So all three of you saw him go from the back ally, into the streets. Perfect!" Rovin said angrily "He could be anywhere if he went into the city."
"Umm, Dodge," Reed pointed out "We're technically part of the city,"
Rovin glared at him, before she turned around. "You're such an id--" as she turned she almost collided with Noah who stood there with his hands hanging limply in his pockets. Rovin was stunned at his appearance, he had actually shaved, because there wasn't any stubble, and his hair had grown longer, so it was shaggy around his forehead and ears. He wore a loose tunic, that was un-tucked and had some stains on it, his breeches were dirty as well, as they hung out of his boots, which hadn't been polished like usual. He gave Rovin a half smile, and she felt her heart melt, but she knew there could never be anything between them. Right then she was almost positive about who she would 'choose'.
"Looking for me?" he asked staring at her as if nothing had happened between them, and they had always been friends. As if Daniel never existed, and they still had they're petty fights and staring contest. Everything was fine. Life had gone on.
"Yeah," she replied crossing her arms.
"C'mon," he muttered, nodding his head towards the door leading outside. "We can talk while I make some deliveries."
"Sure," Rovin replied following him towards the door and just then realizing the pack he had picked up, which had sat by his feet obviously. She glanced back at the three sitting at the table, and all of them had huge grins on their face. Sharing a secret. Rovin glared at them, and pretended as if she hadn't noticed when she turned back to Noah. He opened the door and ushered her out first, acting like a real gentleman. They emerged into the brightness of the sunlight, on the streets of Corus, as people rushed passed doing one thing or another. She saw a little girl run passed them, as if she was running from someone. She didn't look like a peasant, as she was dressed in rather well clothes, but she didn't have the look of a noble either.
Rovin stepped out further onto the street, as someone came barreling into her, knocking her to the ground and pinning her under the man. She let out a harsh breath of air, as the wind was knocked out of her by large amounts of metal. She heard Noah burst out laughing, and the girl turned around, squeaked at the person who ran into Rovin, and continued running away. The man who ran into Rovin started swearing and yelling threats at Rovin. She pushed him off of her and lay on the street trying to catch her breath again. When she took a closer look at the man, she noticed that he was a guard of the palace. The guard, who was wearing full armor, pushed himself off the ground and took off after the girl again. Rovin knew he would never catch her, not with his armor on. Rovin clutched her stomach for a minute, as the pain of breathing again ceased. Noah bent over her, reaching down to help her stand. She grabbed his hand and he helped her up again, clapping her of the back, as she bent over with her hands on her knees, breathing deeply.
"Who the hell was that?" she coughed.
"Who cares." Noah responded still chuckling a little "You still going to come with me? Or do you need to stay here?" Noah indicated the Dancing Dove behind him and waited for her answer.
"No, I'm still coming with you. We need to talk." Rovin replied straightening up and looking at him.
"Fine," Noah said taking off through the crowd, with Rovin following behind him. They walked along in silence, stopping occasionally at some of the other inns and bars in the city, while Noah made deliveries. What he was delivering Rovin would never know, she wasn't about to ask either, a thief never knew who was listening to their conversations. Rovin and Noah walked around most of the day, double backing and taking allies in order to make sure they weren't followed. Finally, when the day started to come to a close, Rovin stopped Noah outside of their last delivery, and talked to him.
"Why?" she asked knowing she had confused him, yet wanting him to know what she was asking him about.
"Why what?" he replied looking down to where her hand rested on his arm, where she had left it after stopping him. He had acted like nothing had happened between them all day, thoroughly annoying Rovin.
"Why are you threatened by Daniel? We never did finish this conversation." she replied letting her hand slip off his arm and held it limply at her side.
"I don't know what your talking about," he answered turning from her and slinging the empty pack over his shoulder. Rovin ran after him and grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to turn back and face her. He looked at her the same way he'd been looking at her all day, and it hurt her more than he could ever imagine. She wanted to know, and here it from him, if he did or did not love, yet she couldn't tell him.
"Noah," she began in a whisper crossing her arms and staring at the ground.
"Forget it," he said turning from her again and leaving her standing there. She cried, she cried whatever tears she had left, and she knew then. She definitely knew who she was 'choosing'. The one who could provide for her, the one who would always be there, and who wouldn't turn up dead one evening. The one she knew would make her happy, and that one was, and probably always had been, Daniel.
As Rovin left her room, leaving Daniel asleep. He started drifting off after another ten minutes or so. Rovin decided to leave and let him sleep. They had talked more, and Rovin got to know a small amount about his life, but it wasn't enough. She needed to spend hours with him in order to find out if he is the man she wants to be spending the rest of her life with. Rovin turned from her door and saw Christian striding down the hall away from her, carrying a bag, which looked like it was full of something.
"Christian!" Rovin yelled racing after him and catching up to him at the stairs. Christian turned around and looked at her, which sadness in his eyes.
"Hey kid," he said softly
"Where are you going?" she asked trying to ignore what he looked like
"I'm going back to my home, to get my son, but I'll be back next week, don't worry" he replied with a soft laugh
"Wait--your son? Christian what aren't you telling me?" she asked grabbing onto his sleeve before he could turn away and continue down the stairs.
"I respect your choice Rovin, but I don't think it was the best." he said before pulling his sleeve out of her grasp and heading down the stairs, without a backwards glance.
Rovin knew he thought she had chosen Daniel, he must have talked to Noah, but she still wasn't sure if Daniel was who she was going to choose. She felt tears start filling her eyes as she watched Christian's back as he left. He just got back, and there were many things she needed to talk to him about, but first, she had something that had been nagging her in the back of her mind, ever since Daniel and Noah fought in the common room. She needed to know more.
Walking down and stairs, she entered the common room and searched around for Noah. She spotted Candle, Tyger and Reed sitting at the usual table, talking to each other and laughing over their ales. Rovin walked towards them, and Candle was the first to spot her, waving as she drew closer. Rovin leaned her hands on the table and bent closer to the three, so as to speak in a whisper.
"Have any of you seen Noah around?" Rovin asked. The three boys shot hesitant glances at each other, not sure if they should respond. "What are those for? Just tell me where he is!"
Candle was the first to speak up, and his answer didn't help a lot. "Well, that last time I saw him he was out back in the ally with Christian,"
"Yes, but then I saw him come in, "Tyger continued
"And I saw him leave, going out onto the street somewhere," Reed finished
"So all three of you saw him go from the back ally, into the streets. Perfect!" Rovin said angrily "He could be anywhere if he went into the city."
"Umm, Dodge," Reed pointed out "We're technically part of the city,"
Rovin glared at him, before she turned around. "You're such an id--" as she turned she almost collided with Noah who stood there with his hands hanging limply in his pockets. Rovin was stunned at his appearance, he had actually shaved, because there wasn't any stubble, and his hair had grown longer, so it was shaggy around his forehead and ears. He wore a loose tunic, that was un-tucked and had some stains on it, his breeches were dirty as well, as they hung out of his boots, which hadn't been polished like usual. He gave Rovin a half smile, and she felt her heart melt, but she knew there could never be anything between them. Right then she was almost positive about who she would 'choose'.
"Looking for me?" he asked staring at her as if nothing had happened between them, and they had always been friends. As if Daniel never existed, and they still had they're petty fights and staring contest. Everything was fine. Life had gone on.
"Yeah," she replied crossing her arms.
"C'mon," he muttered, nodding his head towards the door leading outside. "We can talk while I make some deliveries."
"Sure," Rovin replied following him towards the door and just then realizing the pack he had picked up, which had sat by his feet obviously. She glanced back at the three sitting at the table, and all of them had huge grins on their face. Sharing a secret. Rovin glared at them, and pretended as if she hadn't noticed when she turned back to Noah. He opened the door and ushered her out first, acting like a real gentleman. They emerged into the brightness of the sunlight, on the streets of Corus, as people rushed passed doing one thing or another. She saw a little girl run passed them, as if she was running from someone. She didn't look like a peasant, as she was dressed in rather well clothes, but she didn't have the look of a noble either.
Rovin stepped out further onto the street, as someone came barreling into her, knocking her to the ground and pinning her under the man. She let out a harsh breath of air, as the wind was knocked out of her by large amounts of metal. She heard Noah burst out laughing, and the girl turned around, squeaked at the person who ran into Rovin, and continued running away. The man who ran into Rovin started swearing and yelling threats at Rovin. She pushed him off of her and lay on the street trying to catch her breath again. When she took a closer look at the man, she noticed that he was a guard of the palace. The guard, who was wearing full armor, pushed himself off the ground and took off after the girl again. Rovin knew he would never catch her, not with his armor on. Rovin clutched her stomach for a minute, as the pain of breathing again ceased. Noah bent over her, reaching down to help her stand. She grabbed his hand and he helped her up again, clapping her of the back, as she bent over with her hands on her knees, breathing deeply.
"Who the hell was that?" she coughed.
"Who cares." Noah responded still chuckling a little "You still going to come with me? Or do you need to stay here?" Noah indicated the Dancing Dove behind him and waited for her answer.
"No, I'm still coming with you. We need to talk." Rovin replied straightening up and looking at him.
"Fine," Noah said taking off through the crowd, with Rovin following behind him. They walked along in silence, stopping occasionally at some of the other inns and bars in the city, while Noah made deliveries. What he was delivering Rovin would never know, she wasn't about to ask either, a thief never knew who was listening to their conversations. Rovin and Noah walked around most of the day, double backing and taking allies in order to make sure they weren't followed. Finally, when the day started to come to a close, Rovin stopped Noah outside of their last delivery, and talked to him.
"Why?" she asked knowing she had confused him, yet wanting him to know what she was asking him about.
"Why what?" he replied looking down to where her hand rested on his arm, where she had left it after stopping him. He had acted like nothing had happened between them all day, thoroughly annoying Rovin.
"Why are you threatened by Daniel? We never did finish this conversation." she replied letting her hand slip off his arm and held it limply at her side.
"I don't know what your talking about," he answered turning from her and slinging the empty pack over his shoulder. Rovin ran after him and grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to turn back and face her. He looked at her the same way he'd been looking at her all day, and it hurt her more than he could ever imagine. She wanted to know, and here it from him, if he did or did not love, yet she couldn't tell him.
"Noah," she began in a whisper crossing her arms and staring at the ground.
"Forget it," he said turning from her again and leaving her standing there. She cried, she cried whatever tears she had left, and she knew then. She definitely knew who she was 'choosing'. The one who could provide for her, the one who would always be there, and who wouldn't turn up dead one evening. The one she knew would make her happy, and that one was, and probably always had been, Daniel.