A Forest of Secrets

Chapter 21

They sat by the pond for a while after that, holding hands in silence and staring into the water. Jo didn't want to ruin the moment by talking about the thing she didn't even want to think about. Things... like Alaric and the future they were, probably, never going to have; she felt like she had to drink the moment in, savor every second. She forced herself to stop her gloomy thoughts and focus on Alaric's warm hand holding hers, the somewhat rugged texture of his palm. And of course, the scenery around them: she could've never imagined a better setting, not even in her wildest dreams. She got startled as she slipped off Alaric's shoulder, she had been starting to doze off. She wondered what time it was. She felt like she hadn't slept in weeks, even after the nap she took in the afternoon. Maybe her body was telling her that, at last, it was feeling safe and ready to get some real rest.

They made their way back to the hanging village arm in arm. Jo told herself she needed to lean on him to avoid tripping and falling, but deep down she knew it wasn't the case. She tried to quiet that annoying little voice in her head telling her she'd have to deal with what happened that night in the morning; she made a fist with her free hand, almost piercing her palms with her nails in the hopes of redirecting her thoughts towards enjoying their stroll. She needed to tell Alaric she was probably going to die. She couldn't keep it from him anymore, it wasn't fair.

The party was almost over when they arrived. There were some people sitting by the fires, sharing stories, others-- golems, it seemed-- were picking up the tables and cleaning up the mess. Laurentius and Wyn were nowhere to be seen, maybe they'd gone back to their rooms already.

When they got to the pod, they found themselves with Wyn fast asleep over a fluffy fur on the floor, snoring, her limbs twisted in impossible angles and drool covering her rosy cheeks. Jo smiled tenderly, the girl looked adorable, so peaceful. It looked like she'd just dropped there, too tired to make it to her bed.

"We should put her to bed," Jo whispered, "do you know which room she claimed?"

"The one right next to yours," he whispered back, threading carefully towards the sleeping child. "She beat me to it," he smirked at her, then crouched to pick the girl up. She tossed and groaned a little, without waking up.

"What? were you planning to set up a peeping hole between our rooms?" Jo teased.

"Careful there-- not in front of the kids," Alaric whispered back. Jo noticed he was now carrying himself differently, he looked less scared and more confident. She liked that. Something told her that was the way he was, normally, when he wasn't feeling self-conscious; now that he survived opening up to her about his feelings, there was nothing to be embarrassed about.

Jo opened the door to Wyn's room, making way for Alaric to get in and put the child to bed. Jo took off the girl's sandals carefully, then tucked her in under a pile of furs and soft covers. When the girl was all set, Alaric held Jo's hand tight, then led her out of the room. Jo's heart fluttered.

They sat by the magical fire in the middle of the common room, holding hands, not saying a word. Jo leaned on him to kiss his cheek, then brushed her lips softly on his, teasing. Looking into his sweet amber eyes in the light of the fire, that enthusiastic puppy face, she decided she was ready to tell him the truth: that she was probably going to die soon. She couldn't lead him on, knowing there might not be a future for them at all: if he took his vows and became an Onturian Knight,  they could've been able to make it work, but none of that was possible if she died, obviously. He needed to know what he was getting into before... things escalated. If, they escalated. Jo held Alaric's hands, cupping them; they almost doubled hers in size, but she held as much of them as she could.

"Alaric, there's something I need to --" Jo started, but was interrupted by the door of the pod banging open. She rolled her eyes, annoyed.

"Oh, there you are! Am I interrupting?" Laurentius was leaning on the doorframe, looking positively inebriated. Wyn had found something for him to drink, after all. "Good for you, Alaric-- you finally had the courage to court the girl, well done," he slurred. Jo rolled her eyes, letting go of Alaric's hands.