Darkness carved in bone

Chapter 21

Helen

Ten had wakened her when the sun was touching the horizon and darkness was more dominant than the light the sun could provide the world through the thick layer of clouds. Helen had felt that the part of her that belonged to the sun wanted to stay asleep now that darkness was approaching. But that other part of her, that dark side of her, felt surprisingly alert as she inhaled the crisp cold winter's night air. A light drizzle of snow fell from the sky, the crystals falling downwards in a light trickling.

After they broke camp, they found the road that led to the village and was riding Shiny together. Helen sitting between his legs, his coat wrapped around them both. Ten had one hand on the reins, and another around her waist. The last time they had been sitting like this, Ten had bound her with a rope to him. But now his arm around her was not a constraint, but a caress. She could feel his hard and muscled body against her back, and it strangely brought her thoughts to work.

She turned her face up at him, took in his sharp features that made his face look so handsome. His expression was more carefree then she had seen it before. It was as if a weight or burden had been taken away from him, a burden she had not seen before, but now that it was gone, its absence became painfully evident in his carefree and light expression. As if a shadow had vanished from his features. She couldn't help but think that perhaps light had suppressed his shadows. But Helen also knew that wherever there was light, there would also be shadows and darkness.

She gave him a smile as she brushed the thoughts of light and shadow away, and brought her thoughts back to why she had originally turned towards him; "What do you do for a living?" She asked curios.

Ten's brows furrowed and he didn't answer her immediately, so she added; "I just guess that "prophecy-ender" isn't such a great source of income." There was a hint of amusement in her voice.

She hadn't really thought about what he did before, she had just assumed he was a soldier of some kind when she had first met him. He certainly had the body and demeanor of a soldier. But there were things about him and his character that had made her doubt that he was one to.

"And I figured if you were a soldier you would just have gagged and bound me from the first time you met me, dragged me north, and ended everything. But you think for yourself..." she suddenly felt very lost for words. What had it been that made her so certain that he just wasn't any common soldier? "You are noble, kind and caring." She added with sincerity in her voice.

Ten's face got a painful look, but his eyes shone with proudness. The look in his eyes warmed Helen and made a smile spread across her lips.

"I was trained as a soldier, but I..." now it was his time to be lost for words. He gazed out in the horizon and searched for whatever he was looking for there. "I got a position that made it possible for me to take this mission."

She could hear the cover up; he wasn't really telling her anything. But she let it pass, knowing that he would tell her when the time was right, so she didn't push him.

"What is it like there? In the dark territories?"

He sighed heavily and looked at her for a moment. "I have lived my entire life in Njordsaltvy, our city. So, I can tell you about that if you want to?" He asked with a lightness in his voice as he seemed to remember some fond memories from his home.

Helen nodded eagerly and gave him a full smile.

"Well Njordsaltvy is a rather large city. Most of us live there, which makes people live everywhere, in small houses on the streets, or in towers against the city walls. It gets a bit overcrowded," he said with a slight chuckle, as he nodded slightly and looked at the horizon. He looked down at her, enthusiasm evident in his eyes as he began speaking again; "and you can buy anything at the markets, the smell alone is worth the visit. Cooking meats, spices, and fruits make up the most wonderful smell. Filling the entire city"