Perilous Flames [clifford a.u]

chapter forty three - like fire and frost

CHAPTER FORTY THREE - LIKE FIRE AND FROST

The next two days, the cabin was more eerily quiet than usual. 

Even the impending doom that was to be set upon us at any moment had not done anything to cause chaos and panic in the cabin. Instead, it was as if all the people under this roof had become scarily silent. As if they were waiting. 

Ashton had been known to disappear for the majority of the day, usually holed up in his study or down in the training room when everyone else wasn't there. He never showed up to lunch or breakfast, and the few times that he had actually appeared at dinner, he had taken his plate back up to his study with the excuse that he needed to find out more information. Very few words were exchanged between Ashton and the others, and sadly, very few questions were asked.

In everyone else's daily routine, Ashton was absent. Fortunately for me, though, he had taken the initiative in the next two days to give me one-on-one training early in the morning. An hour and a half of defense, combat, and weapon wielding, and then he was gone. Quickly disappearing as if he was never there after all.

In that short hour and a half of training though, he was serious and nothing else. No jokes, not a crack of a smile, no ease in his gaze. Apparently if he was going to train with me, it will be set in atmosphere that's fit for only training and nothing else. As much as the seriousness and broodingness annoyed me, I was wholly grateful for the fact that he had taken time up from his schedule just to help me out nonetheless. 

As for the others, I felt as if I had seen them more than usual, and mostly all at the same time. Wendy did her regular rounds and duties, making sure to dress and clean Luke's injuries and from time to time, mine as well. Luke was healing miraculously, already reaching the beneficial point of standing and walking. Just very slowly. He spent most of his time lounging around, watching us train or trying to start up a bickering argument with everyone, but mostly Michael. 

Seraphine, on the other hand of things, had eased up with us. She no longer watched us with careful eyes, but in fact, had taken the opportunity to bond with us through simple activities. Activities like training with Michael, Calum, and I every chance she had. And those times were when she wasn't nursing Luke back to health. 

Michael and Calum, though--I saw nearly all the time. And it was always together. It seemed that recently, Calum would not leave Michael's side no matter the situation, and Michael never wanted to leave me out of his sight. So we became the infamous trio, always training, eating, and hanging out with one another, never apart until after dinner. 

And except for the next day. 

For the next day, it was Thursday afternoon, and the brittle fall weather was slowly reaching its end and transforming into a freezing winter. The trees were practically bare, their fallen leaves faded of their color and crushed on the earth. The mornings were much colder and it took more than an hour after dawn for the sunlight to melt the freshly dewed grass. 

For the next day, the others had been busy doing outside training, using the obstacle field much more diligently considering that everything began to freeze over once the sun disappeared. And in this beginning winter, the sun was gone quickly. 

So naturally, everyone was outside, basking in the warmth of the sunlight. Everyone except for me and Seraphine. We were the only two who decided to stay in the training room for the rest of the afternoon, but for different reasons. Unlike me who needed more training in weapons and combat than working in the obstacle fields, Seraphine had preferred using the training room when it was minimum to one or none. 

At first, I had thought the rest of the day's training session would be well spent alone, but instead, Seraphine had made the surprising suggestion of training together. It was startling to hear since she had preferred the solitary training, but I could not refuse. I had yet to fight against her the curiosity to do so grew by the minute.