Chapter 012
1142 Words
Once we are outside the tavern, I slow down. Aaron walks to the horse and prepares a small seat beside the driver. Like the last time I’ve seen him, he is wearing a white shirt. This time though, he’s wearing pants and a straw hat, probably because it’s already night.
“Here,” he says, patting the seat next to him.
I look up at the sky. “What did I get myself into?”
“Holly?” he calls.
So he already knows my name, probably because of Master Orson. I sit down next to him and wrap myself in my robe. He notices my movement, and he reaches from behind me and takes a blanket.
“I have a blanket somewhere here, I’m sure,” he whispers. When he finds it, he proceeds to wrap it around me.
I stop him. “I can do it.”
He smiles but then continues to tie it around me. “Where to?” he asks.
“Anywhere,” I answer. “I just want to escape this place.”
“How about our inn? It’s relatively quiet.”
“Sure.” I giggle. “But are you trying to get me as a customer like Master Orson?”
“Master Orson is not a customer,” he says before he lets the horse sprint and adds,” But a family,” as if he’s implying something.
So I say, “What were you doing in the tavern?”
“Errands,” he glances at me and asks, “and you?”
“Just celebrating our win against the wakwak.”
He scrunches his brows, his focus not leaving the road. “The Academy have that on the grounds? Ain’t that dangerous?”
“Aside from the course teacher, Master Orson is also there to facilitate.”
“How many are wounded?”
I smile. As if Aaron is certain there will be wounded amongst the mages who are supposed to be a protector. But well, I am a mage. If not for Cara and Ethan, I could’ve been one of those wounded.
“More than half of the class,” I answer as I watch the places we pass.
“That’s a lot.”
“True.”
If I go to their inn, it will take time before I can return to the Academy. Maybe, we can stay someplace closer?
“There!” I exclaim when I see a clearing. “We can stargaze there.”
“I thought we were going to our inn?”
“I can’t. We still have class tomorrow and your place is too far from the Academy.”
Aaron obeys and shifts the direction of the horse towards the right. The side of the road is bumpy, but it will be worth it. Hopefully, though, the cart won’t be damaged.
When we reach the clearing, I go to the very center of it. I press my palm on the grass-riddled ground and use my blessing to siphon the dew on it.
“Now, your blanket won’t get wet.” I say and take the blanket that he’s holding.
“I don’t mind though, that can easily be washed.”
I lay the blanket on the ground and sit down on it. The night sky is not as clear, but I can see some stars, which is alright. I raise my hand on it and wonder if there are mages outside the residential zones who’re also looking at the same sky.
Since my parents are traveling mages, does that mean they’ve been used to seeing the night sky where there are monsters that might pounce on them without warning? How skilled are they anyway?
“Can I do that?” I whisper.
“Do what?” Aaron asks.
I smile at him and pats the place next to me, like what he’d done earlier.
“Do what?” he asks again.
“I’m just thinking out loud.”
“Before you said it out loud, what were you thinking?”
I look at the lamp he’s holding and say, “You’re prepared.”
“I am always bringing a lot of things. Since I live far from the center, who knows when I’ll need it.”
“Survival stuff? No swords, I hope?”
He laughs. “Of course. No weapons. I don’t even know how to use one.”
I look at him. He’s closer this time compared to the first few times I’ve met him. Now, under the moonlit sky, I can see the genuine smile and the shyness behind it. He’s got short, black hair and a gritty stubble, which, somehow, makes me want to touch. He’s got a celestial nose and a defined jaw on an oval-shaped face. He’s not wearing perfume, but I like the earthy smell emanating from him. He’s not as attractive as other men I’ve met, but his looks can get customers for their inn.
“You’re staring.”
I also like his deep voice.
“How old are you?” I ask.
“Eighteen.”
Damn, just as I thought, I am older. I may look sixteen, but inside I am already twenty-two years old.
“You’re sixteen right? Is being older a problem with you?”
“Problem with what?” I ask. “You have a good build. You can be a warrior if you like. Or even a Sword.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“I hate the Quads.”
I stop appreciating how he looks and shift my attention to his eyes. If I become a Quad, will he hate me too? But forget about that; I will never be one anyway.
“Master Orson is the current Scepter, a Quad.”
“He’s different. He also says you’re different since you don’t want to be one. He mentions you like to become a traveling mage?”
I nod. “What else did he tell you about me?”
“That you’re a great kid.”
I laugh. “You think I am a kid?”
Silence.
“I think you’re great,” he whispers.
I snort. “Sorry, it’s just that, you’re the first one who told me that,” I say and laugh out loud.
Damn. Being with Aaron is a wise choice. Being called great? What I know is that I’ve been called a lot by the opposite of that word. What was it again? Mediocre? No talent? Unskilled? A disappointment.
“Thank you.” I say and lie down on the blanket.
“For what? I am not saying that just so you’ll like me.”
“There’s no greatness in me. So thank you for thinking otherwise.”
Before he can respond, I turn my back to him and say, “Let’s sleep.”
To be continued…
- Writer
