Denial of the Whisper

Chapter Twenty-Three.

A/N: I included a digitally drawn map in this chapter, it's also on pinterest (@jamaramay), please take a look at it there and download it, because the quality on Wattpad is not that good :)

Chapter Twenty-Three.

When Nissy woke me up the next day, I felt as if I could have slept for many more hours.

But, other than the day before, I felt better. Sure, I still didn't feel that little healing power inside of me, but... for now, I just had to hope that it would come back.

Fully.

After getting ready, I headed to the dining room. Because Caaln was still injured, my training was postponed, but I had planned to pay him a visit nonetheless, and then to go to Srandi earlier than planned. She surely had something to do for me.

"You're in a better mood today.", Dylana smiled at me when I entered the bright room and sat down at the table, immediately serving myself some food.

I nodded, but shared her smile for a short moment, then started to eat.

When I noticed her still looking at me, I raised an eyebrow.

"You really don't have to be afraid of my brother.", she started.

"Somehow I knew, that Brayhd would tell you", I said and she shrugged her shoulders, a bit helpless.

I sighed "I'm not exactly afraid. I just..."
"You fear that one word from him is enough to seal your fate.", Dylana stated and pretty much hit the sore point.

"Well, it's like that, isn't it?"

"You really should start to believe him.", Dylana sighed.

I stared at my dish for a while, then I murmured "If I do that... and if everything turns out to be a lie somehow, or if... if his intentions prove to be not what he had made me believe... what will happen then? I am alone in this, I truly am. If I believe you, any of you, and in the end, it turns out as a lie... I don't know what it will do to me. I already told your brother... I want to believe it, I want to believe that you, a bunch of strangers, somehow made a promise to my parents to look after me. I want to believe that life has more in store for me, I want to believe that I can have a place in this world."

"Let us proof this to you.", she silently begged "Adri, let us show you that we care about you. You are here for a reason, and even though we can't tell you why right now, one day, Nyshard can tell you. And you'll understand why he kept it a secret from you for that long. Just pleas try to believe us, try to take the friendship we offer. We're honest about it. Just give us that chance. Please."

When Srin brought me to the castle, I still thought about Dylana's words. Until now, I had blocked pretty much most of their attempts to get closer to me, to befriend me. Caaln had been the only one I had talked with a bit.

Should I give them a chance to prove their good-will? What did I had to lose?

If everything they told me were lies, I thing I might be devastated either way, because... if I was truly honest to myself... I already liked Caaln. And I also liked Dylana, I even began to like Brayhd, simply, because his presence was somewhat calming. Only Nyshard, he was still the one I couldn't place.

Still pondering about it, I walked through the gate and headed to Caaln's room. I briefly knocked at the door, but when I opened it, I halted for a moment.
He wasn't alone.

"I can come back later.", I said, to none of them directly, and was already halfway in the corridor again. "No, stay.", Nyshard's voice stopped me, and I immediately halted, looking back over my shoulder. He nodded, and I took it as an invitation.