Trust Me, I Dare You

Chapter 5

Nara swam towards the shore, her thoughts jumbled and stressed. This 'man' was proving to be bothersome; perhaps she should knock him out again and take him to the local village. After all he knew virtually nothing except it was a cave ... and her normal hunting grounds. She sighed wishing for a way to erase his memory.

Lucas studied her face; her words about men had changed how he viewed her. He wanted to know the wound beneath the snarling exterior that kept others out. Her face was troubled and the air around her seemed to pulse with stress. He felt bad for a moment for actually scaring her even if she would never admit that he did. He knew she was attracted to him because her hair was longer but her trust would definitely be slow in coming if ever.

He sighed as she neared the shore and turned his back to her. "I won't look. I apologize if I made you nervous, I would never... do that." He spit the last part out like rot.

Nara blinked and edged on the shore keeping an eye on him the entire time. His back remained turned. She dressed quickly trying to figure him out. She sighed, "My name is Nara. You can stay the night. We can talk more about being..." she struggled to find the word.

"You mean a friend?" Lucas supplied helpfully still turned around.

"Yes... I suppose that’s the word for it. You may turn now." Nara swept her hair back in a quick braid tying it with a leather strap.

Lucas turned and studied her, "Ok. I'll leave in the morning but you have to come and see me every two days in town, if I do. "

Nara opened her mouth to protest.

"Then you can explain the type information that I'll be helping you find." Lucas looked at her raising an eyebrow as if to say don't even try it.

She sighed and said "Fine." It was the only way she was going to get rid of him anyway.

Lucas smiled, "Oh yeah, I kinda found this place by pure chance so... how do I get out and where are we?"

Nara sighed and indicated towards a tunnel on the left. She started walking through it with Lucas trailing behind and said "Where we are, isn't part of your concern at the moment. I am pushing my trust limits in telling you my name; most simply know me as Blue."

"Why is that?"

She stopped but didn't turn, "Because, I am a Blue moon."

Lucas inhaled quickly in disbelief.

She turned to face him and cocked her head at him studying him gauging his reaction. "What's wrong? Wind caught your tongue?" she sighed, perhaps she shouldn't have told him, people always treated her differently after they found out.

Sometimes she liked the fear and healthy dose of respect that they had towards her afterwards, as it kept them from being able to hurt her but sometimes... she was lonely.

She had few people she considered friends but she didn't seem them very often for fear of exposure. Also in fear of being captured and partnered against her will, she had seen it happen before.

Lucas shook his head, no wonder she had been trying to push him away, as a Blue moon, and she was considered good... well... for... breeding. Lucas said, "No the wind doesn't have my tongue, you just took me by surprise that’s all, and I am glad that you told me. I realize it may not have been the easiest thing for you to do."

Nara swallowed against the lump in her throat at his sincere expression of empathy. Doing her best to keep her voice unaffected, "Yes, well you would have found out soon enough anyway."

She couldn't get attached, she wouldn't. She was pleasantly surprised that he didn't treat her any differently but it also scared her. Other people's disdain and fear of her was her shield against emotional attachment and pain. What was she going to use as protection when he didn't seem bothered in the least. She had never needed that shield more yet it was taken away.