The Ancients

Chapter 18

The elves didn't come back until nearly sunset. Vipin was still asleep on the ground next to Liam when they approached. He had finished skinning the animals and had carefully laid them on the ground, unwilling to move from his position next to Vipin in case she was to wake.

"You should be sleeping too," Ajlen commented, pulling sticks together to start a fire.

"I'm keeping watch," Liam whispered looking down at Vipin whose ears were starting to twitch.

"I could stay up so you can sleep," Ajlen offered.

"No," Liam answered, more harshly than he intended. "No, I'll wake her up when I need sleep," he started over, eyeing Ryland carefully.

"But you both need sleep," Ajlen protested.

"We do," Liam agreed nodding his head. "So, I'll wake her up when I need sleep and she'll wake me when she needs it. We've been doing this long enough with just the two of us we know what we're doing."

"It's not just the two of you anymore," Ajlen countered.

"Might as well be," Liam mumbled, his glare settling squarely on Ryland.

"And how long are you two going to keep this up?" Ryland scoffed.

"Until she's ready," Liam shrugged.

"Ready for what?" Ajlen asked.

"To trust you."

"And how long is that going to take?" Ryland mocked.

"I don't know," Liam admitted. "Forever, probably, if you keep threatening her life."

Ryland's eyes fell to the ground, "Right," he mumbled.

Vipin stirred next to Liam. He was sure that she was awake, but pretending to sleep was a much easier solution than trying to enter their conversation. Ryland's eyes froze on her, his entire body going rigid only loosening when he realized that she wouldn't wake.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, so quietly Liam almost didn't hear him. He had a snarky remark on the tip of his tongue, waiting to lash out. This pale elf who had been the sole reason this entire trip had gone to the hells, who had put a sleeping spell on his best friend, who had gotten her locked up for weeks and now Liam found had threatened her as well. But he caught Ajlen's weary eyes, and his hatred died down.

When he had first met Rylandrian, he was reserved sure, but he wasn't spiteful. He was actually more intrigued by Liam than anything. He'd just made it into the Nix Elf's border, he knew he wasn't supposed to be there, but he was hungry and spiteful that he wasn't home. Ryland found him, malnourished and exhausted, and brought him to Rheagon. They spent almost every day of the next few years together. Hunting, tracking, training. It was relatively easy for the princes to sneak away from Brailynd's court; Caspian had never been an attentive parent and Emirla could never find it in herself to try to press the boys to stay.

Ryland was the one to teach Liam how to shoot, to track, to trap. Up until recently he held him in a very high regard. Something about Vipin, brought out a darkness in him. Something that Liam hadn't known resided in him.

"Why?"

The elf's eyes flicked up to meet his for just a moment. "Why what?"

"Why did you turn her in?"

His face yielded nothing, his hand floating up to his chest and itching it softly. "I had to."

"Why?"