Steel and Silk

Breaking Through

Althea's eyes fluttered open, her senses coming alive to the feeling of warmth and steady motion. It took her a moment to realize she was on Catria's stallion, nestled securely in front of her, Catria's arm wrapped protectively around her waist. The realization sent a thrill through her, a feeling both comforting and startling in its intimacy.

She shifted slightly, leaning back against Catria, testing the boundary, wondering if the knight would pull away. The knight's grip around her waist was firm, protective, and strangely comforting. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had held her with such care, and the sensation unsettled her, awakening an unfamiliar longing. Was it simply her own vulnerability, this strange new world of danger that made her want to know Catria more deeply? Or was it something else—a fascination with this woman who wielded her strength with such restraint?

They rode in silence, the forest quiet around them, with only the soft rustle of leaves and the distant call of birds to punctuate the stillness. Althea could feel Catria's calm, steady breathing against her back, each breath mirroring the quiet control the knight embodied. But there was something more to this silence—a depth, a gentleness that she hadn't expected from the woman who had so ruthlessly cut down a band of attackers the day before.

Althea's hand shifted, resting lightly on Catria's arm as if anchoring herself to the moment. "I didn't think you'd stay with me," she said softly, her voice barely more than a murmur.

Catria's gaze didn't shift, but her hold around Althea's waist tightened subtly. "You're under my protection," she replied, her voice low and steady, but there was a warmth there, a softness that surprised Althea.

"Is that all?" Althea's tone was teasing, but there was a genuine curiosity beneath it, a need to understand this complex figure who kept her guarded yet held her with such care.

For a moment, Catria didn't respond. Althea could feel the tension in her posture, the careful deliberation in the silence that followed. And then, just as Althea thought the knight might ignore her question, she felt Catria's breath close to her ear.

"Duty binds us, but..."The words were barely above a whisper, almost as if Catria hadn't meant to let them slip. Althea felt a flicker of something deep and unspoken pass between them, something she couldn't quite name but was drawn to all the same.

The quietness lingered, a delicate thing they shared, vulnerable and charged, as the day broke around them. Althea settled back, letting herself savor the feeling of Catria's arm around her, of the strength and warmth that grounded her in a way she hadn't realized she craved.

They rode on in silence, but it was no longer an emptiness. It was a promise, something fragile yet enduring, like the first light of dawn pushing through the shadows.

That evening, as they made camp, the intimacy of the day's earlier moments lingered in Althea's mind, casting a soft glow over the shadows that gathered around them. The fire crackled between them, its light dancing across Catria's face as she sat sharpening her sword, each movement deliberate, steady. Althea watched her from across the fire, her thoughts tangled in the quiet warmth she had felt while riding together, a closeness that lingered unspoken between them.

As she watched Catria sharpen her sword, Althea couldn't help but think of the battle, the ruthless efficiency with which Catria had cut down those men. There had been no hesitation, only deadly precision. It was as though she had become someone else entirely in those moments—a part of herself Althea couldn't yet see but was driven to understand.

Why did Catria guard that side of herself so closely? Was it a mask, or a wall?

As the firelight flickered, Althea found herself unwilling to let the silence take hold. She leaned forward, her gaze steady on Catria's, a spark of curiosity in her eyes. "You didn't have to carry me all day, you know," she said, letting her voice carry a hint of the teasing warmth she felt, unwilling to let their connection slip into formality.