5

#

Another few hours passed; the sky so dark he wondered how the horses could find their way. He was dozing off after hours of gazing at their backs. After hours of holding up the flame, he started dozing off. That was until he heard a short scream. He shot up, the carriage stood still, and he flew out the carriage, flames ready at his fingertips. He flew out the carriage so fast, he nearly slipped on the ice. But nothing or no one was out there. Just snow, mountains and the dark sky. He turned to find Walt kneeling in front of Terrin, pushing up her sleeve. He climbed up the carriage.

"What happened?" He reached for her arm, but she pulled back.

"You burned her."

"I - what?"

"You must've fallen asleep." She said, hissing when Walt touched her arm. She avoided his gaze when she added. "It's happened before." Before he could utter a single word, she said. "I have healing paste in my bag. It can hold up until we reach the Dawn Court."

"There are healers in the Winter Court, miss Terrin. They can fix you up."

She frowned but didn't say anything. Eris went to get the paste from her bag. He saw something silver in her bag but grabbed the paste and climbed back up the carriage. He handed over the paste to Walt as he watched her. She had her head tilted to the sky, squinting her eyes shut from the pain. He glanced down at her arm. The flame. The flame he had produced had burned through her cloak, through her sleeve, right on her skin. A nasty burn grazed her lower arm. She hissed through her teeth as Walt put the paste on it.

I'm sorry. "I shouldn't have fallen asleep." He said instead.

"I've been through worse." She said, her eyes open but still fixed on the dark sky. He hated that he believed her. "We should get some rest. We're at the border anyway."

Eris glanced around. "How do you know? It's pitch black out."

Despite the wound he afflicted on her, the corner of her lips twitched up. "It's in the stars." Her voice was wistful. He glanced at the sky again, not a star in sight. "There is a clearing just behind that tree line, we should go there. There is a cave where the horses can get shelter."

"Alright, go sit in the carriage. I'll take us there." Walt said.

"No." She took the reins from him. "I know where to go."

Eris was still kneeling next to her when the horses started moving. He grabbed the bench before he would fall to the ground. It took just about two minutes before they reached the clearing. Eris could see the cave she had talked about. She stopped the horses right in front of it. Walt started to unbuckle the first horse when Terrin made a move to jump off and help.

He grabbed her upper arm. "No." She looked down at him. "You're hurt. I'll do it."

She snorted and pulled her arm out of his grip and jumped off the carriage. He sat there, still kneeling as he watched her unbuckle the horse before guiding him to the cave. Once the two horses were tied, watered and fed, they came over.

"Do we have tents?"

"No." She said and walked past him. "Get off."

"Please, would be nice." He said but jumped off anyway.

He watched as Terrin and Walt started to pull at the riding bench, one on each side. They pulled it forward until it clicked, then pressed it down. When they climbed up the enlarged platform, they reached above their heads to pull out another wooden board. Terrin opened the enlarged riding bench and took out several soft furs and a thick, heavy blanket. She closed the latch and placed the furs on it first before the blanket. Then they grabbed the red handles on the side of the carriage and pulled. Thick white drapes closed around the two boards, all the way to the front. Closing it off completely.

"Why don't you take the carriage. I'll take the front."

"Absolutely not, miss Terrin." The elder Fae said strongly. "You always ask me that, and I always say no." He glanced at Eris. "Even after all those years, she still asks. Doesn't know when to give up. Stubborn woman." He grumbled. Eris couldn't help but smile at that.

Terrin just adjusted her burned coat and sighed. "Fine. Get in and get some sleep, Walt. It's late."

"What about-"

"I can make up the carriage myself." She offered him a smile. "Goodnight, old man."

"Goodnight, stubborn woman."

Walt opened the drape on his side and climbed in. Eris let his fingers graze over the fabric. It was thick and leathery. He looked over his shoulder and saw Terrin with her head in the carriage. He heard something scrape, then a click. Another scrape, another click. He came closer and peered over her shoulder. The benches on either side were gone, it was now an open space. She pulled on a handle, opening a latch. And began pulling out furs.

"The drapes." He said as she placed the furs on the carriage floor. "What are they made of?"

"They are called Orodvo." She said, her voice detached. Was she mad at him? "They are wind and rain proof and keep in the warmth. The whole carriage is lined with it. Walt won't feel a bit of frost in there."

"I've never heard of it."

"It's -" She halted, spreading a large blanket of the furs. "It's not from around here." She turned, crossing her arms over her chest. He could see the burn on her arm, barely healed. "I hope you brought a tent."

"I did." He lied. With packing so quickly, he didn't think to bring anything for shelter. "I'm going to set up against the cave for extra shelter."

"Alright. Just don't make a fire, it would attract the white bears." She said with a smirk, not a teasing one but an evil one before she slipped in the carriage and closed the door. He glanced around the open space, the dark trees, the mountains. A shiver that had nothing to do with the cold spread through his spine.

#

He made his way to the cave, letting his hands warm to warm up the horses as he petted them. He grabbed the hay that Walt left there and made him a little nest. Gods, if his father saw this, or one of his brothers... He wasn't even sure why he was doing this, why he was here curled up in a ball on a fucking small pile of hay. Because his mother told him to go? Because she said, if he would remember her, he would do anything to get her back? Or was it because of the way his mother lighted up when she saw Terrin. Saw the spark return in her eyes after centuries of it being vacant.

But no, when the mystery woman popped her head out the window of the carriage, he knew it was because of her. Even though he couldn't remember her or her name, there was a pull towards her. A pull he couldn't ignore. Her dark auburn hair was loose, swaying in the icy breeze. Even in the dark he could see her bright green eyes, wholly fixed on him.

"I knew you didn't bring a tent." Her tone was teasing and knowing. "Come on." She nudged her head, beckoning him over. He never crossed a space so quickly as then. He wasn't cold, couldn't freeze to death due to the fire in his veins, but anything was better than sleeping so close to a horse's ass.

When he opened the door, Terrin was already back under the blanket. Her back to him. He toed of his boots and laid down beside her, looking at her long dark hair. He placed his arm under his head just as she tossed the other part of the blanket over him.

"What did I do?"

She turned, facing him. Those eyes really did seem to give light in the dark. "It's what you didn't do."

He frowned. "I don't follow."

She sighed, looking disappointed, averting her eyes. "Of course, you don't."

"Just tell me." She shook her head, not answering him. He stared at her for a while as much as he could in the dark carriage. She winced when the blanket rubbed over her bare arm, over the burn. He glanced around the carriage until he spotted Terrin's bag and took out the healing paste. "Give me your arm."

She frowned until she spotted the paste. She pushed herself up until she sat in front of him. Even though it was freezing outside, she only wore a thin white nightgown. Leaving nothing to his imagination, again. He quickly averted his eyes and took her elbow in his hand. Her skin was soft but on the inside of her arm were several scars he didn't notice before. He put a thick drop of paste on his fingers before letting it graze over her skin. She glanced down at her arm, at his fingers. She hissed through her teeth but stayed perfectly still. Two fingers smeared the paste out on her arm, in soft and slow circles.

"You -" He took in a deep breath when her green eyes focussed on him. "You said it happened before." He didn't stop his ministrations on her arm, keeping his eyes fixed on the burn he conflicted instead of meeting her eye.

"Twice." His fingers stilled at her quiet voice. But still, he couldn't meet her eyes. "The first time was when you had a fight with your brothers. At the end it was just you and Tark. Vasily and Duran had Lucien pinned to the ground while Micah and Pax cheered. It was just some dumb fight about a girl Tark liked but was into you. When you fired a shot, Tark stepped away. Knowing I was standing behind him. Your flame hit me -" She lifted her free arm and tugged down her nightgown, showing her bare shoulder. The burn wasn't completely healed, still a red mark scarred her shoulder.

He swallowed. "It hasn't healed fully."

"Beron..." He grasped her elbow harder, but she didn't flinch. "He came out just as it happened. Even though he was mostly unusually kind to me, he ordered the healers not to fully heal me. To remind you and your brothers of the consequences of your actions."

That fucking bastard! He tried not to show any emotions on his face, letting his fingers relax on her elbow and started rubbing the burn again. Guilt crept up at him even though he couldn't remember. His voice was surprisingly steady when he asked. "And the second time?"

She took in a deep breath, like she was preparing herself for whatever she was going to say. From the corner of his eye, he saw her look down at her arm. But his eyes stayed on the burn on her shoulder, again from him.

"The second time was a week before... before I left." She began to pull her arm out of his grip. But Eris held on.

"Tell me." He hated that it sounded like an order. Especially when he saw something flicker in her eyes, something like hurt. Not at the order but the memory. "Terrin, I -"

A ghost of a smile graced her face. "Terrin, huh? You're going to stick with that?"

"I think so. It's the only name we know of you." He tilted his head a little. "I could change it to Terri?"

"Gods, no." She huffed. "Terrin is fine." He felt her arm relax in his hand as he let his thumb stroke her inner arm, just around the burn. "It was just like many of the previous nights, where we snuck out at night to escape Ellopé's clutches. We went to the old treehouse to watch The Dance of Trees."

The Dance of Trees only comes around every hundred years, to have witnessed it with her. Something so magical and special. Even now after over five hundred years of existence, he never shared that night with anyone. The night where every coloured leaf in the Autumn Court dances of its branch and into the night air. The starlight flickering over the yellow, orange, red and purple leaves as they weaved and danced in the night air. It was one of the most beautiful nights anyone could witness.

"It was a cold night and since I don't have fire in my veins to keep me warm, you conjured a flame for me. We lay on our backs in the treehouse gazing up at the leaf filled sky. The flame hovering between us. As the night got late and the leaves started to descend back to their trees, you fell asleep. Your head lolled to the side, resting on my shoulder just before the flame dropped on my thigh." She pushed back the blanket, revealing her bare legs. She inched up her nightgown a bit and revealed a thin white mark.

"I'm surprised you didn't leave before the curse." He dropped his hand from her elbow. "How many times have I hurt you?"

"Eris." Her voice was soft, velvety smooth. She reached over and tugged on his shirt, revealing the scar on his collarbone. "Do you know how you got this one?"

No, he didn't. He had several scars on his body he didn't know where they came from. But that happens, either too young to remember or during a battle where you don't pay attention to such details. He shook his head. Her index finger swiped over the four-inch scar, a shiver shot through his spine.

She chuckled softly. "I pushed you out of a tree and you got caught on a tree branch."

"Why would you push me out of a tree? I am the -"

"Yes, yes." She waved him off. "Poor little High Lord." He snorted, pushing back a smile. "It was your own fault." She continued, pulling back her hand. "You hurt Lucien."

"He probably deserved it."

"No, you deserved it. I was growing so tired of your rivalry."

"Did we argue about you?"

Her lips curled up in a small smile. "In what way are you asking?" She raised an eyebrow. But before he could say anything, she traced her fingers over the back of his right hand. Another scar, two white dots. He stilled at her touch. "You got this one because you wanted to steal my dessert. So, I stabbed you with my fork."

"You-" He gaped at her. Gods, this woman. She was going to be the death of him.

"Close your mouth, little Lord." She let go off his hand and laid back down, pulling the blanket on top of her. He watched her as she rolled to her side, her hair falling over the shoulder he had burned so long ago. "You have a few more marks as a reminder of me. But just so you know, I think we're equal in the hurting part."

"Except for me forgetting you."

"That wasn't your fault." He opened his mouth to object, to reply, anything but she closed her eyes and said, "Go to sleep, Vanserra. It's late."