Goodbye to the Knight✔️

51. Butterflies

It is on the morning of the fifth day that we hear the faint roaring of the Kairos River and then, after about an hour or so of walking, we clear the final peak of our journey and there before us lies the long snaking body of water, stretching out for miles in both direction.

"I'm not sure that I could have climbed up any more peaks," Sage says, flopping himself onto a flat-ish looking rock and taking up all the space. He pulls out his waterskin and takes a large sip, pouring at least a third of it onto himself instead.

One of the benefits of walking in the snow is that our water is always fresh and cool unlike on hot days where it is often warm and brings no comfort to parched mouths.

Sage's intake of water is making myself want some and so I look around for a rock to place my bag on, not wanting it to get damp from the snow on the ground. There is none and I sigh, looks like I will be doing this the harder away. As I am stepping one foot out to use as a bag perch, Killian comes up behind me and says, "Hold still, I can grab your water out,"

"You lifesaver, I'm sorry though, I think I jammed it down the side." I explain.

"You have do what you have to for things to fit." He says before opening up the top and start rummaging around, "Here we go," his arm emerges and he passes me my waterskin, our fingers meeting for a brief moment.

"Thank you,"

He nods and then comes and stands beside me, "You can see Merewyck from here," Killian tells me, unhooking his waterskin from his belt and taking a drink too.

"That's Merewyck?" I exclaim, spotting the miniature buildings in the distance.

"Yes, and our last stop before Sanlowe," he adds.

My eyes widen, "We are that close?"

"Lassy, we almost made it!" Sage whoops.

I smile but the joy does not reach my eyes, for some reason the idea of finally being there does not bring as much excitement as before.

As we descend from the mountains it begins to get warmer and the steady soft crunch of our boots hitting the snow vanishes as we reach stones and then finally grass, the ground levelling out.

I let the two men lead the way, laughing and making conversation. Over this journey an unlikely friendship has blossomed between the two of them and although they have their differences they get along like two peas in a pod.

What a journey it has been.

I let my mind wander back to the beginning days of meeting both the men and smile, they have both changed my life. With a sudden realisation it strikes me, I do not want to say goodbye to either of them and yet, I will have to, one of them more permanently than the other.

Sage has become one of my best friends, his laughter one of my favourite things to hear, and Killian... I now trust him with my life, in his presence I feel safe and protected and as I think about him further I begin to get a fluttering in my stomach.

Butterflies.

It is a foreign feeling, similar to anticipation and yet slightly different too. Anne's words echo in my memory, "When I fancy someone my stomach starts doing cartwheels, rather exciting if you ask me." I frown, this cannot be, I cannot be falling for Killian.

My eyes wander to his strong form walking beside Sage, a knight and a very dangerous one at that no matter how friendly he has now got with us, one who is loyal to the earl and his knighthood, one who I have been lying to this entire time.

I sigh, even if I do have small feelings for him, nothing can come from the situation, for even if he liked me, I must stay out of view from the Golding's and their knights until their son is married to another poor women who will be forced into that family or else risk being taken back to them. I shudder at the though, very thankful and relieved to have so far successfully evaded their grasp.