Through The Storm

t w o

Amongst the dark fingers of the shadows and the whispers of the sleeping village, I walked through with an Elf by my side.

The warm yellow lights of my hut flickered in the distance, and an unease in my chest that I hadn't noticed prior to this moment suddenly disappeared. Blake would be waiting for me. I had missed him so. I usually did, during my hunting trips. Leaving him behind was far too strong a cause of anxiety- but I could not even stomach thinking of the risk associated with taking him along. The forest was not a friend to most. 

Kaya smiled at me. "What do you imagine Blake would have to say about me?" she asked, assessing my face with an inquisitive gaze.

"There's really nothing to worry about," I said with a hard shrug. It still deeply irked me that my head was not private any longer. "Blake trusts me."

She nodded in acknowledgment. "But that is not what I asked," she pressed after a brief moment of silence. 

I shrugged again. "He might just be excited, really. I'll tell him you're a long-lost friend, he'd love to get to know you better." In a gruff voice, I added begrudgingly, "I'm sure you would have lots to teach him. You're wise beyond your years." I clearly am not too good at expressing emotions. 

Shyly, I peeked at Kaya, curious to see her reaction. She had a slight smirk on her face, but I saw that her cheeks had been tinted with a deep rosy pink. "I should hope so," she said humbly. "I am making you tell untruths to the most precious person in your life- I do not know how best to repay you."

Once again, I just shrugged and shook my head. Great, I thought to myself wryly, like she didn't already think you were daft enough. Now she knows you're incapable of putting words together too.

If Kaya heard that, she said nothing. I suppose she felt my irritation relating to the fact that my thoughts were all hers to read.

"What were you doing in the forest, before I stumbled across you, Callisto?" she asked after another too-short silence. 

It dawned on me that silence made her uncomfortable, and her unease was beginning to rub off me. I did not like it in the least, because I found words best used minimally. Too many words meant that their value decreased too. Far too many people that I knew indulged in unrewarding conversations, and I just could not understand it. 

I answered her question a beat too late. "I have to hunt for Blake and I. I cannot afford to purchase much, so I hunt for fresh game every few days." It was then that I realised that I had not been able to hunt today. Kaya had sidetracked me, and it completely slipped my mind. I scowled in annoyance. I would have to leave him soon once more... 

It was quite a relief when my hut was finally a mere few steps away. Stopping outside the door, I turned to talk to Kaya firmly. "I don't use the name 'Callisto' here, Kaya, for reasons I'd rather not mention. Although-," I rolled my eyes, "-you probably already know them by now. But in this village, I am known as Ashryn."

She nodded earnestly. "I understand." She took a deep breath and said softly, "I cannot thank you enough, Ashryn. You cannot begin to fathom how deep my gratitude runs. You have given me shelter and companionship in the time I needed it most. That is no small feat, I must tell you."

I could feel heat rising to my cheeks. I lowered my head and mumbled, "I appreciate that, Kaya. But please, don't keep thanking me. It isn't right."

I had no wish to prolong the much-too-emotional moment, so I rapped my knuckles on the shabby wooden door sharply. Before I could even pull my hand away, the door swung open, creaking on its hinges.