The Princess of Light and The Knight of Shadow

Year 1: Eight Month, Part 2

"What am I thinking?"

"The fact that you don't know if this will work. Now what am I thinking?"

"About..." Estella frowned, sending her mind reaching out like grasping fingers. But Nox's thoughts were always shielded as if within a smooth glass; she couldn't find any entrance, and they slipped from her grasp like water. Futile as it was, she could just get a glimpse of his emotions on the surface.

"You're... thinking that I should... put more effort into this?" She glared at him. "I'm trying my best, Nox. No need to state the obvious."

"Yes, yes. I know you are doing your best, Ella." He raised his hands in a placating manner, but his lips were twitching—whether in amusement or mockery, Estella didn't know.

And that was the heart of the problem. She had done her research, and Resonating, especially the art of knowing your bonded's thoughts, seemed to be stronger the more you know about them. But she wasn't certain if she really knew Nox.

He always seemed a mystery to her, even now that they were together. She may have been training him for seven months now, and they had exchanged stories whenever time allowed them, but there was something missing. A piece of puzzle that she couldn't find.

She glanced toward Nox and found him staring back at her with unwavering gaze. "You want to know more about me?"

There was sorrow in his eyes, and maybe even fear—Estella could sense that much, at least. In fact, she realized belatedly, she could always sense Nox's emotions even if she couldn't always read his thoughts. Perhaps she should start from there.

Estella shrugged. "It's fine if you don't want to speak about your past. But..."

"You want to know how I got Erebos?" His voice was wary, and she could sense hesitation. But Nox didn't seem against discussing about it if his resigned expression was anything to judge by.

She nodded, not daring to speak lest it changed Nox's mind. He shifted on the couch, finding a more comfortable position, and Estella leaned into him expectantly, drawn by his warmth.

With a sigh, he said, "Either I talk about my past or we do something entirely different. You choose."

He wasn't even hiding his thoughts, and Estella smirked at what she briefly saw in her mind. Their bodies were merely inches apart, so she wasn't surprised that Nox thought of it. "Tempting," Estella said, "but no, there will be time for that some day. I'm more interested in your story."

Nox raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? It won't be a pleasant one."

"Life is not often pleasant."

"True enough."

He was silent for a moment, chin tucked near his chest as he thought. Estella leaned back, giving him space while folding her hands across her lap. She would wait for as long as needed.

When Nox finally spoke, his voice was soft and somber. "It was a year after I became a town guard. Winter had arrived early, and a few of us were ordered to patrol the farmlands. There had been rumors of a great wolf terrorizing the cattle and sheep.

"Four of us set out to hunt it that night. Myself, Caiz, Jerod... and my friend, Ria." He stopped momentarily, his voice faltering. Then he continued, "The hunt was supposed to be easy. It wasn't the first time we've had to deal with great wolves, and all four of us had killed at least one. We thought the hunt would go just as planned.

"The first night was uneventful, but by the second, we found the great wolf stalking a farm house. It wasn't too big. Maybe the size of a pony. Ria was our sharpshooter, so we distracted it until she found the right moment to shoot. But the wolf ran away before the arrow hit. We chased it in the forest where we finally cornered it. That's when..."