SIX DAYS LATER I WAS UP AND WALKING AROUND. I'd been given some different types of antidotes for my concussion and ribs that actually healed a lot quicker than the Healers and Nurses had been expecting. They hadn't been sure a few days ago if I'd be able to go back to training for an extra week and then two days later my ribs had been completely healed and I was ready to train again, although Genya had suggested I rest for a couple more day I'd refused. I'd been locked up in that room for too long that I was actually desperate to socialize with the outside world.
The doors to my room opened the next morning and Genya had come in with a pair of boots in hand. "Good morning sleeping beauty," She sang out waking up to the bed and putting the boots down as I stretched my limbs out.
"What's with the boots?" I asked. Genya's lips turned up into a smirk, "General Kirigan wants you to join him this morning on a morning ride around the landscape of the palace grounds,"
"He's also wanting to take you to Baghra," I blinked up at her. "Who's Baghra?" I asked. Genya's smirk only grew.
"She's a real peach if you ask me." Genya mumbled, about twenty minutes later, Genya was leading me out of the little palace, surprisingly beating the darkling out because he had been nowhere in sight but the same two black stallions where out and awaiting our company. I walked up to the horse as Genya departed away from me and back into the palace. My Kefta clinging to me tightly and, the paddock boots weren't as comfortable as my combat boots, but I pushed the thought aside knowing it was only for the morning ride. I didn't know how long it had been before I heard footsteps from behind me.
I turned and smiled lightly when I was met with the Darkling's eyes. "You're here early." He said keeping his eyes locked with mine as he rounded to his horse.
"Genya suggested it would be good for my mental health," I shrugged my shoulders. He hummed mounting his horse. I followed swiftly as we shortly began to ride off down the paved road. We didn't exchange any words for a while; but the silence was comfortable other than awkward. We went down a mudded road sometime later when he broke the silence. "I'm glad to see you up and moving." He said.
"Thank you, I honestly thought I'd be stuck in that room for an extra week due to Genya's worries that I might injure myself further." The Darkling laughed, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. "I don't blame her," he said. "I was worried about you too," He whispered. I felt a blush creep up my cheeks. He didn't say anything for the remaining few minutes afterwards; I didn't mind the silence the air was fresh and not to cold. We departed from the mud trails until it was all just leaf from the fall and, broken twigs crunching beneath. The tree's leaf's where a vibrant green, the bark firm and bulky; the ground was extra moist due to the rain from the previous night. We walked a little deeper into the forest silently until a well was up ahead I, rose a brow at the General as we both came to a halt.
"Where are we?" I asked curiously; The Darkling turned to me and said, "I wanted to show you this place, to tell you more about myself." I searched his eyes trying to find something, anything, wanting to think this was some kind of joke but I found nothing but genuineness. He dismounted his horse and walked over to me stretching his arms out to help me dismount mine.
Something I noticed was that his hands where calloused, soft but firm and warm. His arms went to my waist as he lifted me with little effort and put me back on my feet. My breath hitched when I realized how close we were standing to each other, once I had fixed my Kefta, our bodies almost touching. I lifted my eyes to his and the only thing I could do was stare up at him and admire his eyes. Dark but shiny in the daylight, mesmerizing and scary at the same time. Something inside me felt drawn to him, I didn't know why but my skin almost burned under the touch, I gulped and coughed; he sensed my discomfort and removed his hands from my waist stepping back to give me space and I sighed silently releasing the breath I had been holding.
He left my side a second later and began removing some tree roots that had begun to grow over it. "I used to come here as a kid," He started. "The little palace was still being built at the time but...... when my grandfather created the fold—" he stopped and looked down at the ground, "People turned against my family which included the only friends I had.... They hated my family after and.... They blamed my father since my grandfather was killed while creating the fold sooooo......They killed him and made me watch." I had heard many stories of the Darkling's ancestry, but never had I known or heard anyone tell exactly what happened to the Darkling's father. "Ever since then my bloodline has only ever been known as monsters." His first clenched at his side, "I've only ever been looked at as a monster up to this day, but I don't just want to be known as a monster, it didn't bother me then, but it does now. I want to be looked at as a person, I want people to look at me like a human being. I want them to see me as a person, a general, but not a monster." He turned to me. "But you're different."
"You actually look at me like I'm human, like I finally have a chance at proving myself to someone that I'm more than just a monster." He stepped closer, but this time I didn't step back only just stared up at him. I reached forward and took touched his arm in my hand, blinked up at him with pity filled eyes. "You make me feel less alone."
"You're not alone," I whispered.
His body relaxed with his eyes, and a deep wave of sympathy washed over his face, "You'll never be." I added, "You're the only one who's ever said that to me." He whispered.
I smiled turning my gaze to the ground. We stood in silence for a few long seconds before he turned and walked back to his horse. "We should go." He said all sadness now washed away from his expression. "Baghra is waiting for us," I nodded walking up to my horse and mounted it and quickly followed after him down a mudded road that led to a small rusty wooden hut.
The smell of smoke surrounded the area along with a line of chopped up trees settling along the side of the door; dead animals hung up by rope by the fires pit outside. I scrunched my nose up when crows where swarming and feasting on them. Our horses halted again, and the Darkling stopped me as I went to dismount. "Wait I need to make sure she's here. Baghra has a tendency to not follow through with the Etheralki." I nodded, watching as he retreated to the door. He didn't even knock just walked on through, I felt nerves making its way to the pit of my stomach. A minute or so later he was back with an irritated expression that he tried to hide.
"She's waiting," he said politely, I dismounted my horse and walked up to him as we descended down a flight a wooden stair that where not well stabled.
To be continued......
1,515 words written.
I'm sorry it's been a bit I was struggling with this chapter: still don't know how I feel about it but I'll leave it unedited.
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𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃, aleksander morozova 1
Fanfiction- Maira Costov had only ever known one life. A life where she was nothing more than a cartographer in the first army and second army. But what happens when she unleashes a power the whole world knew about? A power that was written in Sankt Ilya's pr...
