Robin was more than slightly surprised when Amon pulled away. Not
giving her (or perhaps himself) a chance to react, he rose and slipped out
of the room. Robin followed, pulling on a robe, to find him pulling a
carton of eggs and butter out of the refrigerator. As she watched in
surprise, the older hunter melted said butter and proceeded to fry eggs,
taking time away from the hot plate only to pop some toast into the toaster
and reheat the coffee left over in her pot. Per usual, all was done in
silence. She shook her head, amused at the almost domestic scene she was
involved in, and began to set the table for the two of them.
Over her breakfast, she couldn't take the suspense any longer. "Amon, how did you find me? What happened? What's going on these days?"
He swallowed, took a sip of coffee, then answered,
"I was found in a small air pocket after the roof collapsed inward. I survived and spent the last year in the hospital recovering from burns, and returned to work a couple of days ago. I was assigned to find the young fire-craft user in a small town in the Midwestern US."
Her eyes widened at the implication that she had been tracked so easily to the other side of the world by the STN-J, simply by using her gift to light a candle once in a while. He continued,
"I went to the theater last night when I felt you use your craft. You perform well. I followed you home, and entered last night after you had gone to bed. Your pet led me rather unerringly to your side."
"Some watch cat you are, Eve." She muttered, tipping a bit of her egg into the cat bowl by her chair.
"Our friends are all right. As to what seems to be going on in the organization, Solomon has ordered that the Factory be rebuilt, there is a man hunt for you, and I will soon join that list."
"Why would you?"
For the briefest moment, Robin felt the stir of a breeze near her ear, and would have sworn that the whisper came from Amon, had she seen that his lips hadn't moved.
"I am a wind-craft."
Robin stared at him in amazement, and then finding nothing else to say, murmured,
"I never knew."
"I hate witches: I was abandoned by one. My power has never done me any good, only brought me trouble. It didn't help me when I needed it most."
"To save yourself in the Factory?"
"No. To save you, Robin."
Her eyes registered wonder at what seemed to be implied in that simple statement. He took that as his cue to continue, and said very simply,
"When I thought you were dead, I realized that my life wasn't worth anything without you."
Robin stared at him in shock. Before either of them realized they had moved, they stood and wrapped their arms around each other. "You can't stay here. You're in danger, and I'm a hunter. Leave. I'll report a failure." He told her.
"Amon, don't leave me like this..."
"I can't support you. The organization would find you."
"I'm fire craft. You're wind craft. Fire puts out a heat wind, and wind fuels fire. Our abilities complement each other. We were a good partnership."
He looked down at her, and then made up his mind. "You always did want to travel." He told her. Amon pulled back, picked up the kitten, and slipped it into his pocket.
"Dress fast."
A few moments later, Robin was back at his side, hair up, dress on, and she was pulling on her black trench coat. The only thing missing were the old leather gloves. A pair of sunglasses rested on the top of her head. Amon openly smiled for the first time. That year of separation seemed to have never happened. He put the kitten into her arms, and led her out the door to his car.
I promise it's not done yet. In fact, you still have another chapter and the epilogue yet.
Over her breakfast, she couldn't take the suspense any longer. "Amon, how did you find me? What happened? What's going on these days?"
He swallowed, took a sip of coffee, then answered,
"I was found in a small air pocket after the roof collapsed inward. I survived and spent the last year in the hospital recovering from burns, and returned to work a couple of days ago. I was assigned to find the young fire-craft user in a small town in the Midwestern US."
Her eyes widened at the implication that she had been tracked so easily to the other side of the world by the STN-J, simply by using her gift to light a candle once in a while. He continued,
"I went to the theater last night when I felt you use your craft. You perform well. I followed you home, and entered last night after you had gone to bed. Your pet led me rather unerringly to your side."
"Some watch cat you are, Eve." She muttered, tipping a bit of her egg into the cat bowl by her chair.
"Our friends are all right. As to what seems to be going on in the organization, Solomon has ordered that the Factory be rebuilt, there is a man hunt for you, and I will soon join that list."
"Why would you?"
For the briefest moment, Robin felt the stir of a breeze near her ear, and would have sworn that the whisper came from Amon, had she seen that his lips hadn't moved.
"I am a wind-craft."
Robin stared at him in amazement, and then finding nothing else to say, murmured,
"I never knew."
"I hate witches: I was abandoned by one. My power has never done me any good, only brought me trouble. It didn't help me when I needed it most."
"To save yourself in the Factory?"
"No. To save you, Robin."
Her eyes registered wonder at what seemed to be implied in that simple statement. He took that as his cue to continue, and said very simply,
"When I thought you were dead, I realized that my life wasn't worth anything without you."
Robin stared at him in shock. Before either of them realized they had moved, they stood and wrapped their arms around each other. "You can't stay here. You're in danger, and I'm a hunter. Leave. I'll report a failure." He told her.
"Amon, don't leave me like this..."
"I can't support you. The organization would find you."
"I'm fire craft. You're wind craft. Fire puts out a heat wind, and wind fuels fire. Our abilities complement each other. We were a good partnership."
He looked down at her, and then made up his mind. "You always did want to travel." He told her. Amon pulled back, picked up the kitten, and slipped it into his pocket.
"Dress fast."
A few moments later, Robin was back at his side, hair up, dress on, and she was pulling on her black trench coat. The only thing missing were the old leather gloves. A pair of sunglasses rested on the top of her head. Amon openly smiled for the first time. That year of separation seemed to have never happened. He put the kitten into her arms, and led her out the door to his car.
I promise it's not done yet. In fact, you still have another chapter and the epilogue yet.