Brelai sprinted down the trailhead towards to the hollowed oak tree. Empty. She noticed Seid wasn't following. He was waiting a few meters back, motioning for her to follow with cock of his head.
Puzzled, she ran to follow him down an obscure, faint trail. It weaved in and around rocks, bushes, and at some points disappeared completely from the entrails of the underbrush. It obviously had been meant to not appear as if it was a trail at all.
Moments after the gurgling of water reached her ears, a riverbed came into sight. Brelai frantically searched for a continuation of the trail, or at least somewhere else to go. Her panic was heightened more by the hallucinations of Vampire capes weaving menacingly through the trees. Turning round about her once more, she saw Seid reach underneath a small rock overhang, pulling one edge of a wooden canoe full of a jumble of supplies. Hurrying over, she lifted the other side into the water and jumped inside. Leaping in behind her Seid set them coasting downstream. Grabbing a set of wooden paddles for himself he began to paddle to increase their pace. Brelai soon followed suit.
-X-X-X-X-
Hours went by in silene as the pair paddled forward with all their might. At times when the river split Seid would offer a direction after consulting a weathered map, but the main goal seemed to be to get as far away from the Vampire colony as possible.
Night began to fall once again. Brelai stiffled a yawn knowing they couldn't stop, although they had been on the run for more than 12 hours. Looking over her shoulder she saw Seid looked haggard too. She listlessly returned his weak smile.
Reaching out to her, Seid brushed back a strand of her dark hair behind her ear, then moved to rub her shoulder for a moment before returning his hand to the paddle. Brelai felt a strong tingling sensation rise in the pit of her stomach. A little flustered, she turned back around, lost in the buzzing feelings and thoughts she couldn't quite grasp.
In her ear, she heard Seid whisper, "almost there." Not knowing where "there" was, she became more concerned with the heat flushing acrss her face as he pressed his lips softly to a spot behind her ear. He stayed close behind her for a minute, taking in her heat as his breath danced across her skin, making it shiver and prickle with goosebumps.
Seid chuckled huskily and returned to his former position. Alas, they continued rowing.
YOU ARE READING
Solar Flame
FantasyThe first book in the Eclipse Series. When the Gods of the Universe's fate depends on human and monsters, three couples of different mystical backgrounds must find their significant other, and unite against both mortal and immortal evils. This firs...
