Embracing Love and Power

Chapter 20 - An evening walk

Tillie and Timber had sneaked around like lovesick teenagers, hiding their true feelings from the rest of the camp. The only one who knew about them was Althea, and that was because she had accidentally walked in while they were kissing.

For the past few weeks, Althea had spent most of her time close to Tillie's side watching her and her squad train. When Tillie took a break she often talked to Althea, she still needed to figure out why she had appeared in her vision.

"Talk to me Althea, I can see something is bothering you." Tillie said while taking a break. "Promise you won't tell Timber?" Althea asked. "You know I can't promise that." "You must. Promise me." Tillie felt intrigued, if Althea wanted to confide in her, it must be important. "Okay, I promise." She agreed. "Meet me at the wall, just behind the well when the sun goes down." Althea replied. "Althea, it is way too risky. I won't put you in danger." "Relax, no one will follow us." She answered.

But Tillie wasn't sure about that, she expected the beginning of her so-called vision any day now. "What about the guards? Or the one who poisoned our soup?" she asked. "Don't worry about it, I took care of it." Althea replied. Tillie rolled her eyes at Althea. "You mean you let your brother take care of it. You are going to be the death of me." She sighed.

Tillie did as she had discussed with Althea, she was dressed in all black wearing a tick sweater, a bonnie and her combat boots, while she waited for her at the wall. Althea approached her in silence, Tillie looked around the field, but there wasn't a single guard insight.

She followed Althea until she reached a pile of rocks next to the wall. Althea climbed on it and Tillie followed her lead. In one swift movement she jumped over the wall, it took Althea a little longer to come down. "Show off." Althea said with raised eyebrows. "If you trained with us, you would be able to do that too." Tillie replied. "You know how hard it would be." "In the beginning it would be, but then at least the men would respect you." Tillie answered. "Now to them you are just a spoiled little princess. Do you have any idea what kind of liability you would be if war started again?" Althea was silent for a moment at Tillie's words. "I know Tillie, but Timber refuses to let me go home alone." She finally answered. "What is he so afraid of?" Tillie asked.

Althea looked out over the field ignoring Tillie's question. She started to walk. "Has something bad happened to you?" Tillie asked. Althea nodded her head in denial. "It's nothing like that. He is just afraid he'll lose me." She replied. Tillie knew that wasn't the truth. But she felt that Althea just wasn't ready to share her story.

They walked in silence towards a beautiful lake. It shivered under the moonlight, showing a beautiful reflection of the sky within. Tillie had never seen anything so beautiful. Althea stopped at the edge of the water and sat down, she waited for Tillie to join her. "It's a shame it's so cold, otherwise I would suggest we go for a swim." Althea said. "Seriously, this is cold for you?" She answered with a smile. "I am glad you decided to stay with us. The men have really accepted you." Tillie smiled as she looked over the river. "Aren't you tired of always standing on the sidelines? Always being called a spoiled princess?" Tillie asked her. "Yes I am. But I can't do anything about that." "Don't give me that crap Althea, I have seen you with your brother you would be able to convince him." Althea bit her lip, Tillie could clearly see that she was debating whether to confide in Tillie.

Tillie looked up at the sky and smiled at the beautiful night. She sighed loudly. "Oh fuck this." She said as she began to take off her clothes. "What are you doing?" Althea said shocked. "What does it look like I am doing? I am going to enjoy that water." A smile played on her lips as she jumped into the water in nothing but her black sports bra and hot pants.

Althea looked at her while shaking her head. "Don't be a chicken and come in, it's lovely." Tillie yelled from in the water. "No" Althea answered sternly. "Please?" Tillie begged. "Pretty please princess?" "Fine but you owe me one." Althea removed her clothes and jumped in together with Tillie.

Laughter filled the air as the two girls splashed around in the water. And then Tillie spotted something, Althea had a set of henna tattoo's on her ribs, it wasn't a big tattoo like hers but a small one. "Nice tattoo" Tillie commented and smiled at Althea. "May I have a look at it?" she asked. "Sure" Althea replied. A blush formed on Althea's cheek as Tillie bend closer to look at the symbols. And then what she had not expected at all happened, the symbols moved. Tillie cursed when she realized that Althea was a mage as well.

"Are you okay, you look a little pale?" Althea asked. "Yeah, just tired." She lied. "We should go back, Timber will most likely look for you, to tire you out even more." Althea wiggled her eyebrows seductively, Tillie just rolled her eyes.

"About that favor" Althea started. "I am so not going to like this." Tillie answered. "Can't you convince him to let me join your squad?" she asked. "You want me to ask your brother that?" Tillie looked shocked at Althea. "Yeah, he will listen to you, you have more leverage over him." She replied with a grin. "What?" Tillie looked confused. "Something along the lines of you are letting your sister join my squad or your new favorite color will be blue." Tillie blinked her eyes at Althea. "He won't get any action until he allows me to join." A wicked grin filled her face. "You seriously want me to blackmail your brother with sex?" "Maybe" Althea grinned. "You know that's exactly what he used to accuse me of. And have you considered that we may not have done the deed already?" Tillie asked. "I am sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. Could you maybe just talk to him?" Althea tried to correct the mistake she made. "Let me work my magic" Tillie winked at Althea, hiding her true feelings behind the double meaning of those words.