Dark Forest (Watty's 2017)

Part 15

Zara had always relied on the sharpness of her mind when she found herself in danger. For some people, danger had the opposite effect and instead made their thoughts muddled, and any reasonable train of thought was shut down. Not her, though. She thrived on it. The thrill made her mind feel incredibly clear and lucid, anything irrelevant to survival temporarily halted. It was had made her such an excellent scout during her time with the Red Capes. She moved fluidly through the forest back then, quiet as a whisper and focused on the mission at hand. Always focused on the mission.

Where was that clarity now though? She couldn't help but wonder, as she and Ronan crept back out into the darkened entrance hall with the thieves' wick in hand. He had his arm around her shoulder, leaning into her for extra support. They were stealthily climbing a steep flight of crumbling steps that led to one of the castle's towers and all she could think about were his lips. Her cheeks grew warm, and she hastily tried to change the direction of her thoughts yet again. Perhaps there was something wrong with her. Why else would she kiss a man she'd barely just met? She wasn't someone who was easily swept off her feet. In fact, she'd found him more irritating than charming. He had a way of wheedling his way beneath her skin. And yet there was no denying it, his kiss had not been unwanted. She groaned internally. This was exactly the kind of distraction neither of them needed. A ghoul in the dungeon, and who knew what else lurked in the darkness.

The steps continued up, leading them in dizzying circles. Several times she slowed her pace to allow Ronan to catch his breath. She casted him yet another worried expression as he leaned momentarily against the wall. Worry creased her forehead. Maybe he didn't need to worry about blood loss, but infection was still a very real possibility. Especially considering the culprit behind his injury.

"Ronan," Zara insisted, but he was already shaking his head. "I can manage the rest of the way on my own. You should stay here. No offense, but I don't know how useful you'd be in a battle right now."

"You're wasting your breath. Let's just keep moving," he grunted and pushed himself off the wall.

Zara tugged her lip in-between her teeth. "Fine, but if you collapse on me I'm not carrying you the rest of the way."

He managed a dry chuckle. "Only if that happens do you have my permission to go on ahead without me. As long as I'm standing, though, I'm coming the rest of the way. You don't need to do this alone. It's my mission after all."

Zara didn't say anything, slinging his arm once again around her shoulders. She didn't remind him that she'd been doing things alone for a long time, and though she and Ronan had been traveling together for a little while, she still hadn't considered them two parts of a single whole. The second that happened, she became in danger of losing that part. Yet even as the words left his mouth she knew, it was too late to worry about that. They had become a whole the second they stepped into the forest together.

As they finally neared the top of the tower, wind whistled eerily through the cracks in the stone. The tower seemed to sway ever so slightly, as if just waiting for the right moment to topple over. As she had expected, there was a single wooden door. It stood just sightly ajar, the darkness inside anything but inviting. She cast Ronan a wary look before reaching out a hand and pushing the door open. She untangled herself from him, making certain he was steady on his feet before unsheathing her sword. It was still slick with the ghoul's dark, wet blood.

She shouldered her way in front of Ronan, leading the way into the room. This too had its own peculiar scent. Like ash, or sulfur. Her fingers tightened around her weapon. Goosebumps appeared on her flesh, her body already sensing that they weren't alone. She lifted the lantern and scanned the room before her arm halted, a sharp exhale of breath leaving her lips.