Chapter 4 - Deeper into the forest
Talon closed his eyes. As there was little light, he would have to rely on his hearing to ambush his next victim. The slow, deliberate shuffle of footsteps indicated that the intruder was trying to remain undetected. Easy target. Patiently, he waited. Three… two… one… DIVE!
With a calculated leap from the tree, Talon landed on top of a warm body. The two tussled in the dense foliage, branches tearing at their clothing and thorns inflicting small cuts wherever skin made contact. Talon managed to wrangle the struggling body until it was underneath him and readied his blade. He wasn't sure if he had hit its throat, but a pained rasping sound that emitted from the form beneath him confirmed his kill.
Talon rose from his position and dragged the body into what he could make out to be was a hedge. He then proceeded to return to camp. His bladed coat was bloodied and so were his daggers. I wonder how she'll react when she wakes up in the morning... hmph.
A sunbeam that happened to be aimed directly at Selene's face woke her up. The brightness made her wince in discomfort until she was forced to fully awaken. Her first instinct was to search for Talon's whereabouts. She found him in the exact same position as yesterday, only… his clothes were bloodied. The abrupt discovery that something had occurred while she was asleep made her restless with worry, but also gave her a newfound hope. What if someone came for me? Maybe my family knows that I'm missing! But… all this blood… whose is it?!
She decided to examine Talon while he was still unconcious. Is he injured? His complexion looks fine to me… but… maybe I should check on him. It's only to see how bad his injuries are, right? maybe I can escape if he's wounded badly.
Mustering her courage, she quietly approached Talon's resting figure. With a shaking hand, she gently rolled up his sleeves. Only minor cuts were visible. Wow… he's muscular. She blushed at the untimely thought. Selene quickly rolled his sleeves back down and moved onto his torso. The results were the same, except her cheeks grew even redder. He had a well-defined chest, which was marred by scars. No longer was she completely focused on examining his wounds.
Too late did Selene realize that Talon had awoken. The moment she lifted her head up, she was met by a pair of unreadable and dark eyes. Before she could pull away from the awkward situation, Talon firmly grabbed her arms. Selene was trembling in fear. He's not going to kill me. Just say that you thought he was injured, and you wanted to make sure he was fine.
"Uh… I was just... checking you for-"
"Do you truly care for me, or were you going to run off in the case that I was grievously wounded?" interuppted Talon.
"I would never do such a thing! Demacians don't leave people to die!" Selene protested weakly.
"Yes, but I'm not your typical person, nor are you the typical Demacian citizen."
The two fell silent after the exchange. They stared into each other's eyes for what felt like an eternity, each trying to understand the other's thoughts. Slowly, Talon released Selene's wrists from his grasp. He rose to a standing position and began moving deeper into the forest.
"Let's go," gruffly commanded Talon. "Follow me."
Selene turned around to take one last look at the camp they were leaving behind. He's unharmed. That means... what if he killed him? I'm sorry… whoever you were.
The trek was mostly silent except for the directional commands Talon gave. Talon had no reason to speak with Selene, and Selene was unsure how he would respond if she was to approach him. As dusk descended upon them, the duo made their way into a small inn concealed deep within the forest.
On the outside, the inn appeared normal except for its location. A few horses had been led to a small but sturdy stable attached to the building. Talon made his way inside the rural establishment. The wooden door creaked as he pushed it open. The two were greeted by a rush of warmth and the aroma of pig roasting on a spit. The hush of the atmosphere was occasionally interrupted by harsh laughter or agitated yelling. The lobby of the inn had curtained booths mostly full of whispering occupants. The rest hid scantily-dressed women giggling seductively into their patrons' ears.
Selene ducked her head down to avoid drawing attention to herself. This isn't an inn! It's a brothel! She clutched her sides out of nervousness, and her cheeks were burning with shame from being present at an indecent business.
"Room for two," Talon said to the manager of the cathouse. He tossed five silver pieces onto the counter and was given a key with a room number tag attached to it in exchange.
The manager glanced at Selene, then asked of Talon, "I assume you won't be seeing Eva tonight?" Eva?! Selene's eyes grew dangerously wide. Don't tell me he was…
"You know, she's looks awfully young to be in a place like this."
"It's none of your business. Stay out of this if you value your life." Talon spoke curtly. Without sparing the occupants of the lobby a second glance, Talon moved up the stairs and headed towards their room.
Wait... please tell me there are two beds...