Chapter 16
Gajeel and Levy traveled through the morning mists until the moisture evaporated under the heated sunshine. Not a single cloud was to be seen, leaving an open blue sky that Gajeel found himself frequently comparing to Levy's blue curls. The latter of which was much preferred.
They roamed the hills in an easterly direction until they happened across a shallow stream.
Levy leaned back along the length of her mare, balancing as she stretched her legs and arms while the horse drank. She didn't bother to dismount as it was a lot of trouble just to get back on, and she wouldn't ask for his help.
"Where are we going?"
Her voice broke the comfortable silence between them. He looked at her as the sunlight filtered through the new leaves of the trees surrounding them, casting an ethereal air around her.
Her bound hair splayed across the hide of the animal under her in an attractive, yet unruly fashion. While the dew on the grass enhanced the color of the greenery, so too did the dew on her rosy cheeks. She blinked up at the sky with such bright hazel eyes, he couldn't tell if the light came from her or from the sun. She was beautiful.
"North," he answered, swallowing the hard lump that formed in his throat.
He rested his hands against the pommel of the saddle, realizing he still wore his steel gauntlets. He shucked them, stuffing them back into his saddle pack. He rethread the reins between the fingers of his right hand, a habit to stay ready.
"How far North?" she asked.
When Pantherlily's thirst was quenched, Gajeel lead them into the stream to walk in the water for a distance.
Behind him, her horse splashed underfoot to keep up with him. She eventually caught up until they walked side by side.
Her body rocked with the motions of the animal, her hips mesmerizing. She wore the same linen shirt that hung off her shoulders, the rolled sleeves dangling at her wrists. His eyes trailed hungrily across the exposed skin until he paused at the base of her naked throat.
He recalled the necklace and charm she had given him in exchange for the scant amount of coin. It was the only thing she had, as far as possessions, and guilt swelled in his chest. He wondered for a moment of its origin and if she came from a wealthy family. If so, she didn't act very privileged, but that could be attributed to growing up in the cloister.
"Hello?"
He snapped out of his thoughts when he felt her fingers curl around his arm.
"What?" he barked.
"You didn't answer me. And you were staring," she pulled her hand back, her expression registering hurt.
"What'd y'ask?" he put more gently.
"How far North are we going?"
He chewed on his words a moment too long before finally answering, "Until they lose our trail. The water'll cover our tracks fer now."
And lose our scent, he added in his mind.
He knew of a woman who lived in the foothills of the mountains. She would be quite old by now, possibly dead, but they could use her home as refuge for awhile.
"You say 'Until they lose our trail.' How many people are following us?"
He could tell she had grown bored with their silence. She lodged the reins under her saddle to keep from dropping them as she proceeded to comb her finger through her horse's mane. The activity appearing difficult due to the horse's bobbing head.
"I don't know," he answered honestly.
The awkward silence grew between them as he watched her braid the long strands of horse hair together. At least, up until a point where she couldn't reach . An interesting, yet safe, thought popped into his head.
"What's her name?"
She looked at him, surprised he had initiated a new conversation.
"Um...well, I really like Aurai, but she—?"
She paused mid-sentence when she heard snickering.
"What?" she glared, not sure if she should be offended.
"What kinda name is that?! Ore-eye."
Offended, she lashed out at him, "Well, what kind of a name is Pantherlily?!"
He choked on his mirth and coughed before he reseated himself.
"If you ask me, it's a name better suited for a cat. At least Aurai means something," she straightened, feeling victorious in her defense.
The horse in black snorted, clearly insulted.
"She doesn't mean it, Lil'," he patted his friend's neck, attempting to soothe his ruffled temperament.
Levy rolled her eyes at their show.
"What're yer other options?"
She cut her eyes at him, judging his sincerity.
"Terra, Aura, Gaia, Maia, Theia...," she trailed off with a lengthy list of names that had Gajeel's mind reeling, "Freya, Kore, Sita—"
"Whoa! Hang on, shorty. What're those?"
Perplexed, she looked at him, "Those were the other names I picked out."
"They don't sound Fiorian," he estimated.
"That's because they're Greek. Well, some are. Freya is Nordic. Sita is Hindu."
"Greek? Never heard of it," he deadpanned.
Levy felt her cheeks pool with color, suddenly embarrassed by her choice in name.
"I–I read a lot. And I liked them. That's all."
She couldn't seem to recover from the fact that he disapproved of her choice. She had spent a long time trying to come up with it. Never having owned a horse before, she felt her name had to be special. Of course, her past owner probably gave her a name, but she wasn't exactly inclined to seek him out.
She really liked Aurai. It was short, but held a regality that Levy felt suited the animal. She was a proud horse. She didn't think Gajeel's opinion actually mattered in the decision, but she felt silly now, repulsed even by the sound of it.
Gajeel could see the turmoil that plagued her features. Her eyes were downcast and her shoulders slumped. All she needed was her lower lip to be pushed a little farther out to complete her look as a pouting child. Was it something he said?
Her mouth twitched, lips coming together in a hard line, possibly resisting the urge to pucker like he suspected.
His fingers tingled with the desire to touch her face and smooth the worrying lines; a desire he battled to stay in the dark.
"Oi," his bark startled her, "what does Aurai mean?"
His molten red eyes shifted in her direction, causing Levy's heart to resuscitate.
"A nymph of the breeze," she defined, doing her best not to look at him for too long.
He snorted, "Still stupid."
Another arrow to her heart, but she wasn't going to take this insult lying down. Her cheeks puffed, unable to restrain the words that tumbled from her mouth.
"You know what? You're an ass! A complete neanderthal that has no respect for other people and their opinions or decisions."
"So I'm a neanderthal?" he smirked, goading her.
Her anger made her strong and his cool expression made the venom in her voice palpable, "I volunteered to come with you, to help you. I can rescind that offer at any time. Face it, you need me."
She huffed indignantly and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from laughing at her. So much anger from someone so small; it was comical. Like a little bluebird ruffling her feathers for a fight.
Confusion riddled Levy's mental image of the studded giant, astride not three feet from her. He was strong, relatively quiet, and not at all what she imagined she would like in a man. But he had intentionally hurt her and she couldn't bring herself to forgive his insensitivity.
She thought she liked him. She thought he liked her. Which was why he kissed her, right? People don't randomly kiss strangers unless they liked each other.
She shook her head, dismissing her last thought. They were technically strangers and she had kissed him, already proving herself wrong.
She recalled her conversation with Juvia some nights ago regarding the dark man. She knew him, sure, but she knew nothing personal about him. No family, no likes or dislikes. He had kissed her back, but that could have been out of lust. Who was to say he even liked her? A scrawny little bookworm like herself did not fit in with the lifestyle of a raider. They would never work.
But knowing more about him would help her solve the riddle. The quicker she did so, the faster she could go back home. To her boring, domestic life and tiny library.
Levy's stomach growled in that moment, making her muffle the noises with her hand.
Gajeel's mouth curved into a wicked grin; he had heard the rumbling noise. He dug into the saddle bag with his plated armor, retrieving a large apple. He bit into the red peel with a loud crunch, thoroughly chewing the sweet morsel before swallowing.
Look at my apple! It's very good, too bad you don't have your own. I would share, but you called me a caveman.
She stared at his meal, practically drooling as the juicy fruit was ravaged by pointed teeth. She could ask for her own, or even a bite, but that would suggest she needed him and not the other way around, as she previously stated.
Her stomach protested against her dilemma. What was more important? Nourishment or pride?
She searched the foliage around them, hoping another option would come along soon.
Another crunch drew her attention to the half finished delicacy. His sly, ruby eyes cut at her. He tossed the half-eaten orb in the air and to his other hand, eyeing her with thoughtfulness.
He was taunting her and her pride gained the upper hand.
Up ahead, she made out a somewhat clear path in the trees and she steered her mare towards the opening. The new direction lead her out of the water, hooves clicking against smooth river stones on the bank.
"Shrimp," he called around a mouthful of crunchy apple, stopping Pantherlily.
She disappeared behind a mound of bracken as she followed the rabbit path deeper into the trees. He grumbled to himself.
"Oi!" he yelled.
No answer.
They didn't have time for this. He scanned the river behind him and the trees to his right. There was no sign of anyone following, but that didn't mean danger wasn't nearby.
He tried once more, raising his volume, "Levy!"
A stray breeze rustled the treetops, but beyond the trickle of water and occasional disturbance in the grass, there was nothing.
Nothing, save for the short, shrill scream of a blunette. He rolled his eyes and Pantherlily trotted in her direction, not needing his command.
The farther inward they traveled, the clearer her voice became. He could see the berry bushes dotted with bright red and orange fruit of the spicy sort. He turned the corner to reveal the blue haired watchman with her right foot caught in an animal trap; her hands pulling at the jaws to release herself.
She looked up at him first with hope and then with distaste. She wrinkled her nose at him.
"Where's your horse?" he mused, searching the area around them.
"She has a name," she spoke through gritted teeth, focusing her efforts on freedom.
He cursed under his breath, "Where's Aurai?"
"I s-scared her," she struggled, jerking her chin in her the correct direction.
She was hunched over the contraption, fighting with the rusty spring-loaded bars and judging by how much wiggle room she actually gained through her efforts, she was losing the battle.
It was a small trap, most likely for fox or deer. The metal was quite old and corroded, which meant whomever left it had forgotten about it. The build-up of corrosion also made it impossible for her to remove alone. Still, she tried.
He hopped down, mumbling for Lily to fetch her horse, and knelt in front of her.
He examined it first. No barbs, which was quite lucky, as she might get out of it with only bruising. He placed the heels of his hands on either rung, grunting as he forced the metal apart. The second he opened enough space, she was free, and he released the metal jaws, snapping them shut with a loud clamp. She moved quickly, scooting out of reach of its painful grasp.
He left the trap be and turned his attention to his female companion. She held her leg aloft, bent at the knee, unwilling to let it touch the ground.
He groaned internally. He hoped she didn't break something. She weighed so little, she must have the bones of a little bird.
He approached her side, reaching for her leg which she intentionally moved away. Leaves and dirt crackled under her as she protected the injured ankle.
"Don't touch it!" she yelled, panic coloring her tone.
"I ain't gonna touch, I just wanna look," he insisted.
He took hold of her boot heel, tugging the hard leather and slipping it off in an arc to keep her foot from flexing.
She hissed when he rolled the leg of her pants up, revealing the deep purple and blue of developing bruises encircling the thin joint. He tsk'd when he turned her leg to a new angle.
"Gonna have to cut it off," he remarked with nonchalance.
She punched his shoulder with her fist, eliciting a teasing grin from him.
"Not funny," she huffed.
"I don't think it's broken. Just bruised," he wiggled her toes individually and Levy had to bite her lip hard to hold back a fit of slap-happy giggles. She almost missed the way he probed the bones across the top of her foot. He was so tender, it surprised her. He was checking for other breaks, but luckily the leather protected her from the full extent of the damage.
He pressed his palm into the sole, applying pressure to flex.
She gasped and jerked away, shocking pain shooting up her limb.
Gajeel hummed with disapproval, "Either I'm wrong, or yer a baby."
She didn't know there were tears in her eyes until the droplets fell to her knees, leaving behind dark water marks.
Her leg hurt, it was true, but her tears stemmed from a deep rift in her heart that was repeatedly cracked wide open every time he seemed to open his mouth.
Pantherlily chose that time to pad through the semi-clearing with a less-than-happy roan mare at his side.
Gajeel's hand snapped forward, clearing away the tear stains left on her cheek with the pad of his thumb. Her eyes whipped to his to catch a glimpse of the motive that would cause such an act of kindness. When his crimson orbs met her face, she noticed a softness around his eyes. She could clearly see the remorse that could not be put into words.
She offered him an apologetic smile to which he accepted with a curt nod. In a matter of seconds, the uncertainty and pain she felt that had driven a stake into her heart had vanished.
Perhaps she shouldn't think so much into a fleeting kiss. He clearly didn't feel the same about her, but that didn't mean they couldn't be friends.
He set her boot in her lap, shuffling close and positioning his arms under her knees and around her back, but not touching her.
"Arms. Your...arms...," he began, a bit flustered, "put your arms up."
She complied, but he avoided making direct eye contact as he lifted her in his arms. He didn't take her to Pantherlily, or Aurai, as she expected. Instead, he followed the rabbit path back the way they had traveled.
His steps were smoother than that of a horse's gait. If she had ridden, it would have caused her unnecessary pain and possible complications if she moved. This way was much easier. Gajeel nodded to himself. It was a winning argument. One he planned for on the likely chance she questioned him.
Sadly, she didn't. But that didn't stop him from enjoying his task. Her round hip pressed into his abdomen with every step, and her fingers linked together, resting against his neck. Everywhere she touched him, he felt like he was on fire.
A quick peek out of the corner of his eye told him that she was at the perfect angle if he wanted to kiss her. His conscience screamed at him that that would be taking advantage of her injured state. She would not be able to get away if she wanted to. And that was what kept him from doing so.
But just one kiss. All he had to do was turn. One sharp forty-five degree angle and he could re-obtain his little piece of heaven. There was always the chance she would like it and kiss him back. Hadn't she done so already?
They were halfway back to the river when she rested her head against his shoulder. The swaying tendrils of blue hair tickled the skin of his neck, but he didn't care.
He was glowing.
It was not the same as her kiss, but she had forgiven him enough to relax. It was a small action with powerful meaning. In this moment, this treasured moment, he realized she would need him. More so than before.
His hold on her tightened ever so slightly. He could help her. It wouldn't kill him.
"Gajeel."
The tone of her voice drew his attention away and he stopped mid-stride.
They had not yet broken the line of trees which kept them well hidden. Up ahead, he could see the stream and the rocky shore. Past the water and into the trees much farther ahead was a platoon of purple-clad soldiers bearing the emblem of Fiore's steward, Phantom Lord.
Reacting quickly, he ducked behind the trees, signaling his horse to do the same. He sent a silent thank you to the gods for his horse to have the good sense to take Levy's horse with him. Though the black animal knelt into the ground amidst the bushes, Gajeel felt certain Levy's mare wouldn't be spotted thanks to its current obsession with its meal underfoot.
He crouched low, still holding his watchmen to his chest. They hadn't been seen.
"Why're we hiding?" she whispered against his neck.
Her breath triggered his skin to blush, spreading up to his ears.
"They're looking for us," he explained. He leaned around the tree trunk, gaining a good view of the passing soldiers headed South.
"I thought you were with the king?"
At the mention of José, Gajeel groaned. He hadn't meant to let her in on it.
He clenched his jaw, peeking around the trunk once more.
A pair of soldiers had crossed the river, taking their same path.
"Shit," he cursed.
His mind flashed through a series of scenarios expected to play out. There was no reason for them to deviate from their group. So why did they?
Their men will notice they are gone, so they had to return at some point, but if he was discovered, there was no way they could return alive.
He ran his hand along her calf, and then the opposite leg, unsheathing her knife.
He could hear the heavy footfalls of armor almost upon them. With the hand that held the knife, he looked at her and placed one finger to his lips. A reminder to be silent.
What was to come wasn't exactly what he expected to happen.
Aha! Gotcha Minions.
=)
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~All my Love~
Peach