The Scarlet Huntress

Chapter 25: The End of an Era...

I woke to near total silence, the only sound was another person's breathing. Normally I would've investigated, but all I really wanted to do was sleep some more, I was deliciously warm and for the first time in years I felt completely safe. However, my body had other plans, my mouth was dry as a bone and I had a slight headache. The second I moved to try and find some water the person who was in the room with me, and had been draped over my legs asleep, shot awake.

"Good to finally see you up and awake, Lillian, you really gave me a scare," said a familiar voice.

My first reaction was to check and make sure I was hearing and seeing things clearly, just to make sure my mind wasn't playing tricks on me. Back when Luka had first disappeared, when I had been in denial and I was in the space between waking and dreaming, I had often thought I had heard his lovely tenor voice only to be disappointed. I wanted to make sure that that wasn't happening again, so I did the only logical thing. I reached out and poked him right on the end of his nose, half expecting him to disappear. When that didn't happen I internally debated about whether or not I should call for Selena, assuming she was here, to verify what I was seeing.

"Relax Lillian, I'm real," Luka reassured me. Before he had even finished his sentence I had launched myself off the bed with a happy little shriek, hugging him.

Sadly, Luka had not been expecting that reaction and between that and the fact he was sitting on a stool of all things we wound up in a pile on the floor. He, however, did not complain about that little detail and hugged me back tightly, placing kisses on the top of my head. It wasn't until several minutes had passed and we were getting up that I realized the top of my head and my cheeks were damp, we were both crying.

"Hey, Luka, why are you crying?" I wondered aloud.

"Goodness, I'm sorry you have to see me like this, especially since it's been a year," he said, attempting to dodge the question.

"Luka, tears are fine. Remember our promise? We agreed to always be honest with each other about our emotions, if you need to cry, that's fine, just let it all out. Now, why are you crying?"

"I guess you could call a mixture of relief and joy. I'm relieved that you're here, awake, and that I never have to worry about that horrible old witch again. I'm glad to be home and myself again, and that you're safe and healing. Honestly I'm feeling too much to even begin to explain, but that about sums it up. What about you, why are you crying?" Luka asked teasingly, he knows that I don't really like talking about my emotions.

"Mainly, for the same reasons you are. Although I will also add that part of the reason is because my mind isn't playing tricks on me again."

"By the way, and yes I'm changing the subject since I know how you are, when did you become so close with the blacksmith's girl?"

"Oh, you mean Selena? Since about two weeks after you disappeared. She realized I was in a rut and hadn't been to town in almost a week. She came to the house and wouldn't quit banging on my window until I let her in. Then she insisted on getting me cleaned up and coming to her house for dinner, since she could tell I hadn't been eating well. Things kind of took off from there, she actually considers herself my best friend now."

"Really? It looks like I have competition then," Luka laughed.

"No, you don't. You're my best friend and you know it," I stated.

"So I'm not your best friend?" Selena gasped, her voice filled with false hurt. "Then I guess I'll have to tell Mom to cut off your cookie supply won't I?" she teased.

"Nooooo! Anything but that!" I wailed, my hands clasped in pleading.

"So I see you've figured out her fondness for sweets. How long did that take you?" Luka asked Selena.