Heir of Obsidian (A Throne of Glass Fanfic)

10 - Berry Interesting

Luka groaned loudly, a tanned hand resting on his aching stomach. He lazily gazed towards the fiery-haired female who was similarly splayed on the leather couch beside him, stomach groaning beneath her black tunic. Quinn smiled contentedly at him, her teeth tinged purple from the basket of appleberries they'd picked that morning from the bushes surrounding their hideout. Being spring, the brush had been brimming with the sweet, violet berries. His stomach gurgled noisily, its sound echoing off the stone walls.

He redirected his eyes to the cave wall before him, sighing as the morning sun danced idly over the worn stone. This - this - was truly living. It was certainly a well-deserved break from his usual, grueling morning routine. His eyes shone as he recalled what his siblings were currently doing, all the way back in Perranth: running and bounding through mud and slop to retrieve chicken eggs. A chuckle emerged from his lips. Chicken eggs. In his dazed state, everything seemed absurdly silly. Another thought floated towards him, like a cloud crossing the endless abyss of his sluggish mind. A scarlet fox, bounding nimbly through Terresan's grass-laden fields, its tale ruffling in the spring breeze...

"Hey, Quinn," Luka said giddily, tilting his body towards her, "you know what I just realised?" Quinn fixated one, soft grey eye on him, awakening from her lazy slumber.

"Mmmh, what?"

Luka giggled again. "You know, when you're in fox form - " He burst into a fit of giggles and clenched his full stomach, tears steadily streaming from his eyes. Quinn sat up, looking at him in alarm. She reached a hand out to steady him, to check if he was okay... Luka's laughing intensified.

"What is it?" Quinn asked, shaking his shoulder, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. Oh, she had no idea what he was getting at. He couldn't believe he'd never noticed it before.

"I'VE SEEN YOU NAKED," Luka blurted out. He immediately palmed his mouth, leaning his face into the leather to cover his howls of laughter. For a moment, Quinn stared mindlessly at him, her mouth frowned. Then, rage - along with barely suppressed horror - contorted her features. Luka emerged from the firm cushions to witness, what he was sure, would be a truly hilarious react -

"You hellion!" she shouted, " Are you telling me, are you really telling me, that you've been prying...you pervert!" She stared at him, her face reddening beneath her multitude of freckles. "I never, never expected this from you - "

"Quinn," Luka interrupted, alarm clouding his features. This was not what he had expected. He thought that she'd stumble a bit, and then come to the logical solution. He did not expect this. "I meant when you're in fox form. You're not wearing any clothes, so, technically, I've seen you naked..." He gave her a small smile, as if to lighten the mood. Gods forbid, she thought he'd been spying on her. Quinn stared at him, her cheeks reddening once again, this time from embarrassment. She turned her head downwards, and took a long, deep breath. Silence filled the cave, interrupted only by the soft baying of the horses in the antechamber and the occasional singsong of the bluebirds outside.

Finally, Quinn shook her head, the light bouncing off her crimson curls. "You're an idiot, you know that?" Luka smiled meekly. He reached out to the woven basket resting between them, carefully selecting the greatest violet berry. Her keen eyes watched his movements like a hawk.

"Another appleber - "

A bang echoed throughout the cave, bouncing off the stone walls like a grand theatre symphony. The chamber filled with bright, morning light, and Quinn hissed as her vision was temporarily blinded. Luka looked to the entrance of the cave. Persevering through the blinding light, the vines were draped aside and a familiar form was spot lit by the sun, like the Gods themselves would have marked her worthy. Asterin. A swirling wind ruffled her loose hair, shadowed with golden streaks in the sun. She slowly stepped into the cave, Benji holding the ferns aside, followed close behind. Her face was set with a serious expression but her entire body sang with unbound energy. She was clad in black, red and gold witch leathers, a reminder of her heritage. A warrior, but still a girl. After a quick glance back at Benji, he noticed that he was similarly layered, thick, black fighting leathers; Terresan's signature armour. By the Wryd, his heartbeat quickened as his mind wandered through all the possible reasoning as to why they were wearing fighting armour. And this early in the morning. Maybe they'd come back from training?