Blue

A Night Out With A Friend

It was so very wrong to be here.

It was loud and she was uncomfortable.

Idiots, the lot of them, I cannot believe they let new recruits take up the entire city for the night. They have assessments on the morrow.

Tallulah knew that thought wasn't her own and she had to do a double take and shake her head clear.

She and her companions had settled into the inn called The Raven. It was a boisterous place, many of the new recruits had come here as well. She could easily pick out the swordsmen and the bowmen and so on and so forth. Music played in the background of the place. Jovial music, the kind someone could dance to.

Mykel grabbed two pints from a passing barmaid, one for him and another for Ander. She declined his offer for one. She was certain they were hellbent on her drinking tonight. If she did she'd end up embarrassing herself greatly.

The thought of drinking didn't sit well with her either, too many nights had the drink been her downfall. She rubbed her arm to get the memories out of her head.

My men are out for the night. I could sleep, or I too could go out for the night.

She had to shake her head at the intrusive thought. Go away.

They found a table to sit at. She would have preferred a corner table, tucked away, over this one in the middle of everything.

It didn't take long for Ander to join in the dancing. Mykel stayed at the table with her.

"You two are so different, do you ever think about that? " she asked.

"All the time, but it works. Most mated pairs you meet will be the same way. Your personality will complement Atlas' and his yours. From what I have already witnessed you two are already in tune with each other. It's our basic instinct to connect with our mates even before we realize who they are to us," Tallulah thought back to her instant attraction to Atlas, could that have been why?

"How long did it take for you to know what Ander was to you?"

"A long time," he didn't elaborate further, but she noticed the flash of emotion in his eyes.

They had discussed her life before, Ander had shared to Mykel what she had shared on the road. Mykel had shown more outrage over her life and situations than Ander had, which she found odd. But she found this whole predicament odd.

"Talon! Let loose tonight!" Ander came up to their table and grabbed her. She stumbled over to the dancing party. She had only been out like this twice before. Her stepfather had never allowed her out of the house and neither did her husband.

"I can't dance!" She had to holler over the music, Ander just laughed. A woman linked arms with her as she spun around, taking Tallulah with her. She decided this was fun and was able to easily pick up the movements. She almost forgot she was parading as a man and had to stop herself from joining hands with another man, opting for the first woman she danced with.

It is loud here tonight. I thought they'd allow the recruits elsewhere. This was not a good idea.

The passing thought interrupted the woman she was talking to, whom she was almost certain fancied her, or him, because she was supposed to be a man.

"Please, excuse me," she gave a gentle nod to the woman, Rosemarie was her name, before leaving her presence. She almost felt bad, but couldn't. She decided to take leap of faith and grabbed a pint, offering coins in return. She was sure she would regret it in the long run. Maybe with this drink she'd be free of the intrusive thoughts that had made themselves known for the night.

Her first sip caught her by surprise, it was sweet, but also had a bite that hit the back of her throat violently. She made he ready back to her table. Mykel raised his brow at her drink.

"I decided to give in, it's not too bad, but would never be my preferred drink," she reasoned. Moreso with herself than with him.

"Are all women so forward?" She asked.

"Were you not?" She gave him a pointed look. "Fair enough, but yes, especially in the city, and especially for soldiers," if it wasn't her mother's overprotective nature she could have had some of the experience of a young girl. But coupled with her stepfather's loathsome nature for her it simply hadn't been an option for Tallulah

Ander came to he table once more, this time insisting that Mykel join him in the revelry. She laughed at Mykel's attempt to dance, Rosemarie was the one dancing with him.

Tallulah had another drink, feeling light and loose from the first.

It wasn't so bad.

Thank those above I decided to dress in my travel clothes, I'd rather people not gawk at me all night.

She was going crazy. This other voice was not hers and those thoughts were not welcome. She didn't care that the voice was wearing travel clothes. Could she suddenly hear other people's thoughts? Shit. She downed the rest of her drink and went for a third but accidentally bumped into someone.

"Sorry, my mistake," she spoke to the man she had bumped into.

Clumsy b-oh it's Talon!

"Talon! How good to see you!" She nearly fell over. It was Atlas. Then everything made sense. Oh shit...

Could he hear her thoughts? She didn't want to test that theory, she really didn't.

"You're out tonight?" He thoughts were absolutely muddled by her drink. Her face was red, she was sure of it.

"Yes, I had nothing better to do with my time," he replied.

"Ander has forced Mykel to join in the dancing, I did for a bit, but I'd prefer to stay away from the women who think I may be available," that last part she had not meant to say aloud. Damn the drink.

Atlas didn't say anything to that.

"Come, sit with us, or me, as they dance," she said. Instinct was to grab his hand to guide him but she had to remember she was a man tonight, not his mate.

"Thank you for that," he said. They sat in silence for a bit, she just looked around the tavern, too awkward to make further conversation for fear she'd embarrass herself.

Then Atlas said,  "I wanted to apologize for keeping my true identity from you while we traveled. I had no true reason other than being selfish. You were the only person I'd met that had been nothing but truthful with me, and correct me if I'm wrong, but if you had known who I really was you probably would have treated me otherwise,"

She didn't know what to say. He was right. Had she known who he was she probably would have unassociated herself with him or been less forward with her thinking.

"No, you're right, and it did hurt, but I understand why you did it and I forgive you," she said.

"Friends?" He asked. She was taken aback. How could someone so lowly be friends with the next king?

"Yes?" She wasn't sure how else to respond. She revised her statement, "yes, I accept your friendship,"

What a relief.

She couldn't help but smile a little with that thought.

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I couldn't think of how else to continue this chapter, so I think I'll cut it off here and continue to the next chapter. I will potentially go back and add more, but for now I'm leaving it as is.