FAEGAR'S HAND

Chapter 2

Miri sat up in her bed and looked to the doorway. Standing at the door watching her was an old man with a hat on his head and a sword clutched to his hip. His garb was unfamiliar, and he wore a sneer on his face she could just make out in the dim light.

The door closed with a creak and she heard someone enter into the room. She didn't have her usual blade with her in here.

She had other means of defending herself.

"If you're quiet, this will be quick," the man whispered with a strange accent. A highlander, she thought. Why here? What are they doing here?

The man unsheathed a different blade and she reached forward with a powerful forward lunge and grabbed his neck with both her hands. The little light that entered into the room fell across her right eye, the green of it focused intently on the man's face.

"If you make another move I'll turn you into goo," Miri hissed threateningly.

"By Grek's third leg, you'll do what?" the man hissed in reply. "Do you take me for a buffoon?"

"If the boot fits," she hissed in reply.

"I don't even wear boots," the man replied with so much incredulity that it made her hesitate.

"...Ean?"

"Miri?"

"What, by Faegar's hand, are you doing in my room!?"

Ean made shushing motions with his hand. "Quiet! I'm here to talk to you, you cumberworld!"

Miri laughed and released his neck. He fell onto the bed beside her, and in the tiny ray of light from the window, she could see the mahogany skin of his cheek. Of course it was Ean. Who else would it have been?

"So you were going to turn me into goo, huh?" Ean snorted and folded his arms up behind his head. "What a threat that was. Can't believe you're our top assassin."

"It's because I'm cute," Miri smashed her elbow vindictively into his side and he grunted. "You're not supposed to be in my room, remember? We're not even roommates!"

"No, but we're bedmates!"

"We are not!"

"Going to turn me into goo! What a relief. Then I wouldn't have to deal with you and your cumberworldly brain."

Miri considered elbowing him again, but it took a lot of energy from her to do so.

Instead, she wrapped an arm around him and pulled herself closer. He rolled to face her and she adjusted so her arm draped over his chest.

"I might've missed you if you took a bath more often." Miri stuck her tongue out at him.

In the darkness of the room, he didn't know her tongue was out, and he leaned in for a kiss and instead her tongue touched his nostril.

"OH—" Ean jerked away violently. "Goss, what was that?"

"My tongue! I stuck my tongue out at you!"

"Why?!"

"Because! Oh either bed me or get out of here!"

Ean popped up from the side of the bed. "I think I, personally, find myself very amicable toward the first option, and not at all a fan of the second option."

"Get your ass over here and kiss me already!"

Ean's retreating form made her frown. The worst part was always leaving, regardless of how long they'd be able to spend together.