Risk

Chapter XXXIII

Eventually, they broke through the edge of the snagging, grasping undergrowth and onto the road, and going was much easier. Rowan was holding up surprisingly well, and she wondered how he'd avoided getting badly hurt in the fight. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, making sure to also watch the road also so neither of them tripped on some obstruction or other. He seemed to be in pain, but nothing too bad. One arm was held closer to himself than the other, a sign that it was hurt.

After a while of walking, she heard the sound of rushing water, and her heart leaped into her throat. It might be the same stream that she grew up a stone's throw away from her whole life! It put new energy into her feet, and they soon reached a small stone bridge, covered thickly in emerald moss wherever the water could reach. She rushed forward and immediately knelt down to drink, as she was nearly parched, and then she plunged in, not caring a mite that her clothes were getting wet. They could use a good washing as much as she could use a drink.

A moment later, Rowan arrived, sat gingerly at the edge of the stream and watched her. She smiled lightly at him. He had no idea why she was so excited, surely, but he most definitely knew that she was.

"I think we're getting close." She explained, standing up and allowing most of the water to flow off of her before she climbed out again to sit on the pebbly bank near Rowan.

"That's good." He smiled, but something about the smile seemed sad. Why would he be sad?

"Are you alright? Do you need to rest?" Jasta asked, concerned that maybe it was weariness instead of sadness that she saw and that she had been pushing him too hard.

"I'm fine." He turned from looking at her to study the little ripples and eddies in the crystal-watered stream. The same strange smile stayed faintly on his lips.

She couldn't help feeling that the words weren't true, because something seemed to be troubling him, but she had no idea what. Was he afraid that she was mad at him because he'd kissed her? But that couldn't be it, because she had shown no out of the ordinary coldness towards him since then. Or had she?

"Are you sure that nothing is wrong?" she asked, scooting a bit closer, but not so close that she got him wet. She hated how stupid she felt.

He looked over at her but then his gaze strayed once again to the stream. "When we get to Yarul, I'll have to leave you." He spoke so quietly that she almost didn't catch the words.

He had to be thinking the same sorts of thoughts that she had been the past few days, of where he'd go and what he'd do after delivering her safely home.

"Why? Why can't you stay with me?" the words tumbled out before she even really thought them up, and she could hardly believe she'd said them once she realized they were said.

He glanced at her, clearly surprised. He sighed. "I wish I could." He looked back at the stream once more, obviously unhappy.

She knew that it would be nearly impossible for him to do what she had so suddenly suggested, but now she knew that she didn't want him to leave. She wanted him to stay with her for as long as he could. Or maybe she could stay with him?

He looked over at her again, once more looking shocked, and she guessed he'd sensed what she was feeling again. It still seemed odd that he could do that. She reached over to take his hand in her own. She still didn't know anything about what she was doing, but she knew she liked Rowan and that he had to like her back.

"If you can't stay with me, then..." she could hardly bring herself to say it. She felt as if she was tearing herself apart inside and there were so many conflicting feelings in her heart that was going to explode before any of them would leave or be explained. Was she really willing to leave her beloved village so soon after getting back to it? She didn't know. She couldn't know. None of this made sense, but there was just one thing that was clear at the moment, and that was Rowan. "Then maybe I could go with you. Wherever you go..."