Runes and Royalty

Apologize

Ryn woke up with a throbbing head and an aching body. She was on her hammock, with pillows and her blanket on her. A small candle shone above her, it's wax collecting on the shelf. Where was Eli anyway? she thought. She tried to sit up, but her back ached. She grit her teeth, and slid out of her hammock. Swaying unsteadily and having to lean on the wall for support, she opened her door, and saw Ven sitting quietly on a branch beside it. His head had a small bandage, his hands too, and his lips had three more strips of bandages, but above that, he looked like he was fine. 

He climbed off the branch and smiled at Ryn. "Hey." 

Hearing his voice made Ryn almost smile, but instead, she tried to blow her nose. "Hey," she replied. "Where's Eli?"

"Down stairs. She went a while ago to get us something. I guess she knew you wanted to eat up here not there, since it's a long way down. How. . ." he looked at her awkwardly and cleared his throat. "How are you?"

"Fine. . .I guess. . .but I am still a bit wobbly. . ." Ryn said and sat down a branch overlooking the activities below them, but near inside her nest. Ven sat down too, but a little way off. Ven looked at her, her brunette hair flowing in the breeze.

To him, he was the only girl who made his heart beat loud and fast, though he admitted that she was good enough to be a boy. He still remembered when they were still little, and they went fishing in the Whispering River, and he had fallen in the water. Oh, how he cried and screamed. But Ryn had jumped right in the deep river, and pulled him back on shore. There were many times when she had saved him, and this time, she almost died from what happened earlier. 

"Uh. . .Ryn. . ." the words were so hard to get out of his mouth.

"Yeah?" Her gaze was so beautiful.

"I. . .uh" For a moment, they just stared at each other, caught up in the moment.

"Ryn!" The sound of Eli's voice brought both of them back to reality. Ryn blushed a bit and looked at Eli.

"Yes?" 

"Ahem, well I'll be leaving now. I uh, I'll see you later Ryn. Good-bye Eli." Ven said, hurrying to get out of the nest. Eli stared suspiciously at him.

When he was out of earshot, Eli said,  "What's up with him?" 

"I-I don't know. So! You have the food ready?" 

Eli nodded and handed her the bowl and sat beside her. She took a sip and smiled. The soup was bursting with flavors, erupting bittersweet tastes in her mouth. She was so weak and fragile. One of the effects of using Rune Magic too much. Eli suddenly balled her hands into a fist, her eyebrows scrunched up together and her face became so red. The veins shown on her temples, and this, Ryn can not help but notice.

"Eli? What's wrong?" her voice was full of concern.

"You should have just let me kill him. You didn't have to use Rune Magic. Because of me, you're in this state. I hate seeing you so fragile..."

"Eli, I know you hate killing people. And we've killed many today. You think I won't know?" Silence fell in the room.

"I'm so weak." With that, she leaped out of the nest, taking her bow and arrow with her. "I'm going out hunting."

"Eli! Ugh...." Ryn placed her head on her hands and sighed heavily. 

She finished off her soup, but instead of the different flavors bursting in her mouth, it tasted bland. As if her taste buds gave up on doing their job. She suddenly lost her appetite and set down the bowl. She lay down on her hammock and decided to doze off. She had barely closed her eyes when she heard a faint creaking sound. She instantly bolted up, grabbed her sword and pointed it at the throat of the intruder.

"Woah! Careful with that! Sheesh." It was Ven. What's he doing here? She wondered. She lowered the sword and put it back where she got it. 

"Next time, please do try not to creep up on someone." she sighed and began picking up her fallen pillows. 

"I wasn't creeping up on you! I was. . ." he trailed off. Ryn frowned and looked at him. His face was totally red as a beet. 

"Anyway, aren't you needed down there with the gathering of wood?" she asked and began pushing him out of the door. 

"W-wait!" Ven retorted and wrapped his fingers on her door frame. Idiot, she thought.

"Do you know what time it is?" she sighed. "And I'm tired too, you know. And I need to sleep."

"Okay, I understand, but please. . .give me a minute to speak," Ven pestered. Ryn gritted her teeth, but she removed her hands and sat back down on her hammock.

"Talk now before I run you with my sword after all. . ." Ryn began to close her eyes, when something soft pressed against her cheek. "What the--?!" she started and saw Ven closing her door.

"Good night, Ryn." he called back with a smile. Then he was gone, leaving Ryn's own face as red as his. She slumped back onto her hammock. What the hell did he just do?

                                                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ven got down the tree quietly and took his place by the fire. He wasn't going to sleep anyway. Eli was nowhere to be seen. He turned to Rina.

"Rina, where's Eli?" he asked her.

"As you know, child, she went out to cool her head. Children these days. . ." She handed him a bowl of soup and meat they've got a while ago. He ate it, and stared at the fire. That was his first time to kiss her. It was exhilarating. Did he somehow make her happy too? He buried his head in his knees. 

Then someone tapped him gently. He looked up and saw Eli, her clothing bloody and carrying bloodied meat of some animal. 

"Hey," she said coolly, then handed the meat to one of their men. "So, how's Ryn? Sleeping?" 

"Yeah," he said and then stood up. "I'm going up. Look out for uh. . .some people or something. . ." He grabbed the rope leading up the home tree and pulled himself up. Eli looked at him, her eyebrows furrowing. What was up with him? She shrugged it off and decided to go hunting again.