A Dash of Poison

Chapter Three: Things are happening too fast

They lined up next to each other, each in front of their respective masters. She met Wolf's eyes. His eyes again weren't focused, they kept moving around. it was slight, but she was almost convinced he was blind. Her attention was drawn back to the ceremony when Markel, Hemlocks shadow did his spell. Turning his plain robes into robes of beautiful green.

 It continued. Robes turned into beautiful shades of blue, reds, yellow. Roena stepped forward and turned her robes into a beautiful shade of purple. It suited her nicely, and nightshade seemed to agree. He stared a Roena, taking in her as she was. 

She was last. She could hear her heart in her ears and feel it in her stomach. She took a step forward, closing her eyes. "Chargos," she whispered. She pictured the mirror in the library, the black robes that had surrounded her. When she opened her eyes and looked down her robes were black. She bowed her heard to her master, eyes on the ground and stepped back in line. 

The rest of the ceremony was uneventful. All that was left was to pack. She made her way back to her room, Wolf close behind her. When they got to her room he shut the door. 

"Vixen?" he asked. She was too shocked to speak. "Don't worry, I'm an operative too," he whispered. 

"Umm yeah." She took a step back, just in case she had been caught by a double agent. "But you're blind," she blurted out. "I mean, they have very strict rules. I know someone who didn't get in because his left leg was slightly shorter than the other, and one person who didn't get in because of their lazy eye. Then there was- " He cut her off with a wave of his hand. 

"Being a king's Mage has its advantages." he flopped down onto her bed and closed his eyes.

"I wasn't notified of another operative." She wanted to yell at him to get off her bed, to leave her alone. She didn't like working with other operatives, especially men. Instead, she just let out a huff of air.

"You weren't supposed to be with me, I found out this morning." 

"But you said-" he put his hand up to cut her off again.

"I did request you, but it was denied," he growled. "If you would let me finish, I can explain everything." She let out another huff of air. She was annoyed, but she would hear him out. " "They know me as the Ghost, I was supposed to have the girl your always with. It was a last minute switch. Don't ask me why. Maybe it was the argument I gave the Snake. I don't know, but you're stuck with me." 

"What argument?" Why did he want her? She scrunched up her face in confusion. He lied back on her bed, sinking into it. 

"That I wanted someone familiar for this mission. Someone I can trust. Your face is scrunched up, isn't it? You tend to do that when you're confused." Now she was starting to panic. He was supposed to be blind, so how did he know; and how was he familiar with her. It was weird. 

"This is really rushed, and weird. Maybe you should leave. I don't know you, I don't associate myself with men unless I have to. This is making me very uncomfortable." She said. He didn't move. 

"Look Apples-" Her eyes widened, and she started to shake.

"Don't call me that. Don't." No one called her that after Julian died. No one. It narrowed it down to someone from her old village, but only she and Julian had the trait for the golden eyes. He was also blind, and he had black hair like Wolf. She shook her head. He was dead. They had gotten official notice of his execution. 

"It's starting to click isn't it." He whispered. "I'm fully blind now. I have been for about five years. I wish I could see you. The last image I have of you....I wish I could see how you've grown. You were always-"

"Nope. No. Julian is dead. We got official notice of execution. Nope." She just broke down. He got up of the bed and looked at her. He pulled down his mask, revealing his face. She just shook her head. He proceeded to take off his shirt. "What are you-stop. Put that back on." He turned around. His back towards her. A long scar started at his shoulder and continued down to past his pants line. 

"I got this when we decided to make a raft and take on the river. It goes down to my thigh. We hit the rapids, and I cut my body on the rock when I fell off the raft. It was a brillant plan, but poor execution. This," he turned and pointed to his right hand. A bunch of scars ran across it. "I got when I climbed up the apple tree to get you down, and you pushed me and I grabbed onto the neighboring orange tree's branch to catch myself. That's why I called you apples." She looked at the scars, tears brimmed in her eyes. What got her though was the silver chain that sat upon his neck. 

"The locket?" He smiled at her. He slipped it off and handed it to her. In his half, he had a picture of her. It was faded, but it was of her. "Julian?" He nodded, his grin getting bigger. She gave it back to him. "I-I think I need time to think. This is too much to fast. Too rushed." She started to sway, steadying herself on the wall. 

"Please tell me you haven't become a fainter," he joked. "I'll leave you to pack and process. Tonight we set out on our mission; both for the King and for the Rebellion." He turned to leave. 

"Wolf, I mean Julian, uhh-" she didn't know what to call him, it was too weird to call him Wolf, and too weird to call him Julian. "You can't leave without your shirt." She picked it up and turned it right side out before handing it back to him. 

"Thanks, Apples." He smiled at her and left. He closed the door and left her there. She sat on her bed and let the tears fall. She had dreamt of this so many times, what was the chance that this was another dream? He was alive.