All Things Wild and Beautiful

15. Accusing Advice

The artwork above is not mine.

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    Nascha blocked a punch from Aeron and twisted around him. She landed a few sharp jabs in between and beneath his shoulder blades. Aeron yelped, flipping away from her. He clenched his fists, ready to catch her next blow. Nascha gave a heavy sigh as she lowered her own. Aeron straightened and cocked his head.

    "Come on." He draped an arm over her shoulder. "We'll let some of these other whelps use the ring."

    Nascha nodded and they stepped out, letting a group of four take their place. Nascha sat on the rail of the fence. She longed to shift into her owl and fly away from the Bane's camp, but she knew she wouldn't get very far. Not with Elgan, Aedion, and Vaughan monitoring her every move.

    "You've been unusually quiet today," Aeron said, joining her on the fence. He slouched, letting his elbows rest on his knees while his hands dangled between his legs. "Is everything all right?"

    Nascha unbound her loose braid and combed her fingers through her hair, thinking of a response. She separated her crimson locks into three strands and rebraided them as she replied. "Fenrys and I got into an argument last night."

    "You argue all the time."

    "This was different."

    "What do you mean?"

    Nascha sighed, flipping her braid over her shoulder. She couldn't explain what the argument was about without telling Aeron who she really was. All he knew so far was her first name and that she'd originally come from Terrasen, but had spent the past several years traveling to avoid Adarlanian capture. He knew nothing of Arcelia and her role as its Lady.

    "He's trying to change my mind about something, even though I've told him repeatedly that I won't be swayed," she said at last. "It's a sensitive subject so I don't want to say much."

    "I see." Aeron pursed his lips. "Why won't you be swayed?"

    "Because I'll be forced to do something that I don't want to do. Something I was never meant to do. It will hurt too much."

    "Maybe you should tell him that. I think he'd understand, given what he's been through." Nascha knit her brows. "You...don't know?" Aeron glanced at her in surprise.

    Nascha shook her head. "I know he was one of Maeve's blood-sworn, and I've heard stories about what he's done in battle, but I don't know anything more than that. I suppose the finer details didn't reach me in the Southern Continent."

    "I guess not." Aeron rested his chin in his palm. "He's the one who drove Goldryn through Maeve's heart. Those scars on his face were given to him during the battle."

    "What did he do for Maeve?" Nascha asked.

    Aeron's mouth quirked sideways. "People say he was her whore, but it was unwilling on his part. She used the blood oath to compel him to...serve her."

    "That's..." Nascha swallowed, her mouth running dry. "That's awful. Do you know how he came to be blood-sworn to her?"

    Aeron shook his head. "I haven't heard anything about that. I suppose you could ask him yourself."

    "I don't think he'd be willing to tell me anything about his past, especially if I won't tell him about my own."

    "Maybe you should. You might get along if you understood each other better, and knowing one another's past could help."