Truth of the Whisper

Chapter Fourteen.

My pulse immediately quickened upon his words, but when I glanced up at Nyshard, his expression was calm.

"What's going on?", I demanded to know, but he didn't answer for a moment. Then, his eyes met mine, a little smirk around his lips. "It just seems his soldiers and he got attacked by a pack of wolves."

"He... what? How do you know?", and the moment I said it, a name crossed my mind. "Brayhd?"

Nyshard nodded. "He's my backup."

"But isn't that dangerous? What if he gets injured?"

"He won't. In fact, he's already out of the fight again, he's heading towards the border now, too. He just enraged a wolf pack and made them come with him."

"You just spoke with him, didn't you? With the help of his shard?"

Nyshard nodded.

"You're always plotting, aren't you?", I said and pressed my face deeper into his chest, trying to keep the cold wind out of my face.

"I just like to be prepared.", Nyshard murmured. "Remove your arms from my neck."

I hesitated.

"You don't have to be afraid that I'll drop you.", he added, and I put my arms inside my blanket. They'd already been numb from the cold and could use some warmth. Much to my surprise, Nyshard tightened his hold on me and shifted me a bit in his hold, so that my face was now next to his neck. He didn't say anything when I leaned my face closer against his neck, thankful for the extra protection of the biting, cold wind.

Subconsciously, I pressed my cold nose against his warm skin and inhaled deeply, deciding I was going to enjoy that feeling just a tiny bit longer, even though I shouldn't.

He wanted to stay away from me.

Maybe I should do so, too.

If it had only been his first Whisper, then there would be the possibility of something beyond friendship. There could have been.

But his second Whisper...

Losing to another what the shard deems most precious,

His mistakes seem so much more delicious,

The shard's caught in his own suffer and regrets

Because she may be the one that he will forever possess.

That part... it bothered me.

"That last part of your Whisper-...", I began.

"... is what cannot happen. Never. Forget the first Whisper Adriyele, there's no worth to hold onto something that will never be. Don't do that. Because I won't.", he immediately cut in, and I felt my tears dwelling up. I fought against them. I hadn't wanted to ask about his first Whisper at all, only about his second. But his words cut right into my heart. Deeply. And it bled.

"I... know.", I whispered against his neck. "I just... the last part of your second Whisper..."

"Might not be about you at all.", I heard him say.

Losing to another what the shard deems most precious...

"Okay.", I whispered. He didn't want to talk about it. But I wanted to – because if it was about me... then according to the Whisper, he would possess me. Forever.

Maybe. He may possess me.

And that bothered me deeply.

For a while, we flew in silence. I was cold despite the blankets and I wasn't able to imagine how Nyshard didn't freeze to death and just fall right off the night sky. But somehow... there was nothing more to be said. Nyshard didn't want to talk, no, instead, he wanted to bring me away. If it was only because of his promise of because he simply didn't want me nearby was nothing I knew for sure.