Other Fan Fiction ❯ Black Roses ❯ A Dream ( Chapter 10 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

It had been a week of rest in Barrow Fields. Leah knew she wouldn’t be able to afford to stay in Oakvale since she was broke. So, Leah had pleaded for some of the resident traders to house at least Caden. The traders agreed, happy to help, and drop the bill on the two afterwards.
Leah had left Caden to a potion trader, knowing he would be able to help the mercenary more than she could. So, the girl had taken to the river. She had been in it constantly, annoying the occasional fisherman, by scaring away the fish. Still, it was something to do while she waited.
As for Evange, he stayed away from the trader’s tents. He spent his days dozing at Grey House, his nights talking to the Demon Doors in Barrow Fields and Grey House. He preferred the one in Barrow Fields, the other one seemed to be in love with the Grey family. Which happened to include Evange.
At least the Barrow Fields Demon Door didn’t constantly compliment Evange or sound respectably perverted while giving said compliments.
Evange had planned his schedule so that he was awake when Leah would be most helpless, and asleep when she could cry out for help. It was unlikely Evange would be unable to protect the girl, now.
At the moment, he was walking out of the Grey House’s gates, putting his bow away.
The undead are active tonight.
Evange walked to the cullis gate, looking down at the dark tents of the traders’. Fires were lit and a few people were still awake, drinking, no doubt. Was one of those people his-
“Eh? Who’s there?”
A guard walked up the path, looking around but shrugging as he saw nothing. He saw that Grey House’s gates had been left open and quickly closed them, trembling as he did so. The Grey House had always frightened people, it stood for something sinister. Looming at the edge of a peaceful world.
“The Lady may ‘ave come from there, but it’s much scarier than ‘er.”
So you think.
The guard went back to patrol between the tents, allowing Evange to emerge from the shadows and take a seat on the drop off by the cullis gate. He kept his feet well away from the edge, uneasy at the sight of the dark waters below.
“I’ll kill you.”
The water didn’t seem to care about Evange’s threat. The boy glared at it for a few moments before he turned away, disturbed by the water. His breathing grew rapid as he imagined the depths swallowing him, taking away his breath, and he would have no way to survive.
Damn it.
Evange pushed away from the edge, clenching his hands as he forced away his fear. He walked to the Demon Door, immediately starting a conversation about the people that had passed by here.
The rippling sound of water in the background continued to trouble Evange. But he managed to keep his dark thoughts of drowning away.

~~~

Leah sighed in pleasure as she let her feet hang into the river. She had gone to a secluded spot, not wanting to be disturbed by the guard or anyone taking care of business during the night. As precaution, she had brought along a stick. She wasn’t completely trusting of the guard’s ability to protect her.
It’s nice... to feel the water.
Leah relaxed, lying on her back as her feet drifted in the water. She closed her eyes briefly, wondering if she had ever relaxed this much in one week. She didn’t realize she had been so tired, Leah’s breath gently stirred the hair that had fallen on her face.
The moon reached its climax before slowly descending, throwing shadows over the girl. A dark hand brushed the hair from Leah’s face, lingering on her cheek.
Even when she forgets about me, I won’t forget this.
Evange grimaced as he saw the river, intruding upon his scene. He didn’t like the way it taunted him by claiming possession of even a part of Leah when he, Evange, couldn’t.
The boy tried to ignore the river, but nearly let out a cry of frustration when he just couldn’t. Evange hurriedly went through his options and decided he would only be satisfied with one thing. He slipped his arms around the girl, lifting her feet clear of the rushing waters and carrying her farther onto land, behind a stand of trees. Through her sleep, Leah had managed to keep a hold of her stick.
However, instead of quickly setting Leah down, Evange sat, resting Leah in his lap. He smirked at his triumph over the water that he could no longer hear. Evange allowed himself to stare at Leah’s sleeping face, noticing the frown curving her lips.
The boy leaned down, unable to resist.
“Shall I take one last favor?”
As Evange prepared to steal a kiss, Leah muttered something, awakening from a dream. With half lidded eyes, Leah saw someone looming over her, and did the first thing that came to her mind. She swung the stick at Evange’s head, woken up fully as the boy pushed her off of him and a loud crack indicated that stick had met skull.
I should’ve paid more attention...
Evange covered his face with an arm, backing away from Leah, hoping she wouldn’t recognize him. He needn’t have worried, though, Leah was still getting over her nap.
“Who are you?”
Leah got up, holding her stick out in front of her, edging to the side, hoping she’d be able to shout for a guard.
“Well? Say something before I call the guard!”
Leah waited, but silence was her only answer. She opened her mouth to scream but Evange had ran to her, clapping a hand over Leah’s mouth. In the same moment, a ray of moonlight breached the trees, casting light on Evange’s face. Leah’s eyes widened in shock.
Evange?
The boy realized she had recognized him, cursing his carelessness. Evange scowled as he realized he had very few options, now.
It’ll seem like a dream in the morning, won’t it?
It seemed like the best option, and Evange gladly grasped it. But he needed to make this seem more like a dream than it was. And he knew he’d enjoy this.
Leah prepared her mouth for firing off questions when Evange took his hand off of it, but was cut off. She squeaked in surprise as Evange caught her lips with his, crushing her mouth. The girl tried to push away, but gave up as Evange’s hands refused to let her go.
I... can’t breathe.
Evange ended the kiss as he felt Leah sag in his arms. The girl had fainted, whether from lack of air or just his expert kissing technique, Evange didn’t want to know. Now, he just had to do a bit of clean up.
The boy carried Leah back to her spot by the water, glaring at the river as he placed Leah’s feet back into it.
There. She’ll think it was a dream. Hopefully, she won’t think of me because of it. Though I could understand how she wouldn’t be able to forget how amazing the-
Evange stopped his train of thought, rubbing the spot where Leah had hit him. He could already feel the dark bruise forming under his fingers. The boy frowned as he slipped into the dark silk of the night, avoiding both Demon Doors.
In the morning, Leah would think Evange had been a dream. But that didn’t mean she’d forget the dream.

~~~

Mathiues rested his head on his hand, looking out the window at the white expanse of sky. He had an exam the next day on Hero History, but the boy couldn’t stop thinking about the recent events in Hook Coast. Especially not the abduction of the girl he had met only recently.
It had taken Mathiues so much courage to even talk to her, and he hadn’t even been able to get her name! And now, she had been kidnaped by that- that evil monster. Mathiues felt useless.
What if she’s chained up in some cave, waiting for someone to save her?
Mathiues started up in shock as a new thought came to him.
What if she’s waiting for me to save her?
The boy hurriedly got up, not bothering to put away his books, and rushed out of the library. He grabbed his weapons and nearly ran to the cullis gate. He hadn’t yet graduated from the Guild, so he hadn’t been granted a guild seal.
So, with little thought, and no word to anyone else in the Guild, Mathiues went to ‘rescue’ Leah.

~~~
“Do you want to rest?”
Caden looked at Leah, nodding his head, and plopping down on the ground. Leah followed suit, bringing out an apple to eat. Caden brought out a flask of beer, drinking the substance greedily.
There was a few minutes of silence before either of them spoke. In that time, a few traders passed by, various goods in their arms. Caden took a break from his beer long enough to pose a question to Leah.
“Do we check Darkwood, again?”
Leah shuddered, shaking her head.
“Then, it’s either Hook Coast or Knothole Glade.”
“Knothole Glade.”
Caden threw back another gulp of beer, eyeing Leah strangely.
“I’ve been wondering why you seem to think Hook Coast has no clues to offer... Or are you just avoiding it?”
Leah hung her head down, fingering the apple, trying to decide if she could confide in Caden.
He saved my life... He deserves something from me.
“Both, I guess. I already know what’s happening in Hook Coast... I just came from over there. And I saw first hand what happened between Gladiator and Evange.”
“Evange? The next Hero and mayor of Bowerstone?”
“Yea... Him and Gladiator had a fight. Gladiator is out to kill Evange, now.”
The mercenary looked down in dismay as he finished off his beer. He sighed before putting the flask away and turning to Leah, his long hair flopping over his face and ruining any chance of Caden looking serious.
“So, how does that connect to you? You were just a looker on, weren’t you? Why are you avoiding the place?”
“Because I sided with Evange.”
Leah wasn’t surprised with the ease the answer came to her. She knew that if she hadn’t sided with Evange, she would’ve gone and told Gladiator where Evange was. But, the boy had given his life to her along with the guild seal.
Caden didn’t press Leah anymore. He got up and reached down to help the girl up.
“We’re off to Knothole Glade, then?”
Leah nodded, but stopped.
“If... If I meet up someone else, you’re free to go. I don’t want you to die because I hired you.”
“You just don’t want to be blamed for me dying.” Caden laughed, “Don’t worry, people don’t care much for mercenaries. And we don’t have long lives.”
The girl was puzzled by Caden’s light hearted attitude towards death, obviously showing her confusion on her face. Caden’s laugh had grown when he’d looked at her.
“Don’t tell me it’s that surprising! Plenty of people die, it’s not a big deal. It’s alright.”
Caden had turned away, walking and smiling as he thought about his strange employer. Leah followed, silently. The mercenary’s words had struck some half forgotten chord, causing the girl to try and recall where she had heard the same words.
A dream, maybe?
A foggy memory of lips pressed to hers caused Leah to violently shake her head. She made fists and tried to concentrate on something other than her ‘dream’.
I hate when stupid people constantly repeat themselves...
Leah glared at the ground, Caden safely staying away. A smirk lifted Evange’s mouth as he watched from the shadows.

~~~