Shadow In The Woods

11-A Monster with a Name

🥀Ayla's POV🥀

I was seated on Willow's back atop a hill staring at the bustling Grisha camp below. Willow gently nuzzled my hand, searching for any treat she may have missed. I closed my eyes to savour the sound of the leaves bristling in the afternoon breeze and the feel of the wind dancing over my neck.

If only it were possible to remain forever frozen in a blissful moment in time.

I couldn't believe that we were departing early tomorrow morning.

This had been the most hectic, chaotic, tiring and, in some ways, wonderful week of my life.

Every day the Darkling would push me to my absolute physical limits during training. I had lost count of the amount of times I had performed the cut.

Yesterday he had released a mouse into the forest. Blindfolded and using only the small science to "feel" the crushing of leaves and grass, I had to catch the little mouse again.

5 hours later, I had collapsed into a tired, sweaty heap, the Darkling smirking down at me and the mouse in approval.

At night we would sit in the Darkling's tent reading by the warm glow of the flickering candlelight. The comfortable silence would intermittently be broken by the turning of pages. Every so often I would catch the Darkling staring at me. I would of course notice his gawking when I tried to catch a glimpse of his gorgeous face.

As our eyes met, we would both squirm in discomfort before intensifying our study efforts. The embarrassment was however short lived and before I could help myself, I would realise my eyes had again wandered off the printed page in search of stormy eyes.

Most nights I would fall asleep before him. At some stage during the long and strange darkness, he would pull me closer muttering expressions of contentment in his sleep.

Every morning I would awake to find his serene face sleeping next to me. In the morning light he looked more human than I had ever seen him. It was in these quite morning hours that I would wonder if I could possibly spend all my mornings in his company.

To be completely honest the thought of love had always scared me. The thought of loving someone hopelessly and madly and hoping for the same in return, only to have them crush your soul had always prevented me from falling in love. I did not believe myself capable of such vulnerability. That was partly why I couldn't commit to Mikhail the way he wanted after we had kissed.

He had always been a sweet enough guy and we got along well. But when I thought of giving someone the power to break me, I could barely breathe.

Somehow with the Darkling it seemed worth the risk...

"You look absolutely breathtaking." The Darkling said riding up next to me.

"Thank you." I smiled up at him. I would argue, but I had seen myself in the mirror when I had tried on the kefta. Tanja couldn't stop babbling about how well black suited me. I hadn't recognized the girl in the black kefta staring back at me. She looked like the picture of health, power and grace. The green embroidery picked up the green waves in her eyes, that shined brighter than ever before.

"Race you to the treeline." I grinned already making Willow break into a trot.

I looked over my shoulder to see the Darkling racing after me.

The wind whipped around Willow and I. I had to slightly squint my eyes as the wind danced over my face. I felt happiness rush through my veins as I speeded toward the treeline.

I peeked over my shoulder to see the Darkling gaining on me. Damn, he was a good rider.

I threw out my hand to make a shrub pop up a few feet in front of his horse, forcing him to slow down and dodge the shrub.