Discoveries

16

 What the fuck?

I wasn't much of a swearer, but those words rang in my head.

My first impulse was to pull away, but then I thought, Why not? and leaned in.

It was a sweet first kiss, but without love, only a hint of passion. I didn't even know that was possible.

He left me standing there, quite confused. I shook my head a few times as he glided away without a sound.

I was quite sure he didn't like me, but why would he kiss me then? Maybe he thought... that I looked good or something? Nobody had ever said that to me, really meaning it. Parents always thought their child is beautiful, and who is so stupid to tell a crown princess that she's not the prettiest girl around?

Or maybe he was testing me? Trying to use me in some way?

Well, whatever his reasons, it had happened.

I loosened a few more arrows. His technique really worked.

The slightest wisp of stew-scent entered my nostrils. Dinner must be getting ready. I pulled the arrows from the trees carefully and placed them back in my quiver. It wasn't difficult to find the camp, but still I hesitated. This could be awkward.

I took a deep breath and entered the ring. Sabrina seemed to be explaining something to Flynn whilst stirring the contents of a cooking pot, the Rose was still sitting in the chestnut and Draven was fletching a few arrows. He gave me another smile. I flushed red. Nobody seemed to know, or they pretended not to.

"You shouldn't hurt the trees," Sabrina said out of nowhere.

"What?"

"The trees. Don't fire arrows at them, they did nothing wrong. Until you know how to heal them, you must limit practice to when you have proper targets."

Uhm, ok.

How did she know that? I directed the thought at Jasmin, and jumped when another answered in her place.

That, you will learn, the Rose said in my head, crystal clear.

I looked at her in dismay. Can you read my thoughts, too, and dig in my memories?

She chuckled. No, not you, not now. She hesitated, as if not sure to add a bit more. But it is–

"Food's ready folks."

Flynn interrupted our little conversation, and we all gathered around the fire. There was a wooden bowl and spoon for each of us, in which Sabrina poured a steaming substance. It smelled delicious.

Sabrina was a surprisingly good cook, as she didn't really seem like the cooking kind of type. The stew was thick and creamy, well spiced, with bits of mushroom and some kind of root. A good bellyful, with a chunk of bread to mop the bowl.

Darkness was settling so I nestled between the roots of that great tree and wrapped myself in my cloak. The others found a spot, Draven high in the crown. He must've been very confident of not falling.

After a while sleep guided me to it's dreams.

#

"...Lyss, Lyss, it's ok. Wake up Lyss, it's just a bad dream. Everything's alr–"

I gulped in air as I shot up and banged my head straight into Fly's. But I didn't feel it. Just tears running down my cheeks, and a deep sensation of fear, pain, dread, pain, hate, pain.