Breath of Mist

T W E N T Y E I G H T - Erik

It pleased Kole to learn that he did not need to ride back to the Lysian lands with Edda. Given the state Ariana was in, I insisted she ride with one of us, for she was in no condition to keep herself upright on a horse. Thankfully, she must have gathered the same thoughts, for she did not fight me on it.

With an easy agreement, Ariana rode with me while Edda took her horse, Rain.

Despite the occasional jostle of the horse, Ariana quickly fell asleep when we began our trip back home. Her body leaned into mine, so small and delicate. Now and then, her head would roll to the side across my chest. Every breeze would blow the scent of wildflowers from her hair and skin around me, encasing me in her. I kept my arms firmly positioned around her to keep her from sliding off the horse.

Even unconscious, she was distracting, taking up room in my mind, and drawing my attention. Wind blew an unbound piece of her hair wildly around her neck, pulling my eye to her throat. Strange how most went about life with their necks exposed and it did nothing, yet in that moment it felt somehow intimate. The way my gaze drifted over her skin, across her jaw, the corner of her lips.

I forced my eyes up, refocusing on the land surrounding us.

Despite my attention remaining on everything but her, my mind could not escape the strange pull she had on my thoughts.

Thankfully, even sleeping, Ariana appeared better than before. Her body no longer shivered; her gaze focused whenever her eyes were open. However, despite the improvements, she was still frail, unable to effectively walk on her own. Whatever that concoction was that supposedly brought her to the spirit left her vulnerable.

She seemed so small for someone who now carried so much weight on her shoulders. The responsibility of all her people fell to her just as mine did for me. We shared that in common. I had been bred for it, trained throughout my entire life to take my father's place, for I was his first-born child. Ariana did not know whether the Bavadrin crown would fall to her after her father's death. She did not have time to prepare as I had.

It was unfortunate for her to have such a burden fall on her in the middle of something like this. I took her from her home and tried to force her to side with us. Trying to convince her to give us her men to use to confront the Sidhe. This was likely not the future she had seen for herself and her people whenever she allowed herself to dream of such a thing. There was no doubt that she would feel unsteady with her transition into power during such turmoil. However, that unsteadiness would work towards my advantage, for I could give her the stability she likely longed for. Siding with us would be the easiest choice for a smooth progression in the days ahead.

Yet, what if she did not need stability, as I assumed? Ever since I met her, she had the strange ability to stand on her own in a way she should have never had the power to. Every step of the way, no matter how much I challenged her, she did not bow. Yet she remained flexible enough to keep the pressure from snapping her. She could move with the change while somehow keeping her head above the water and facing the uncertainty with calm clarity.

Perhaps this new role would not make it easier to sway to our cause, and if that were the case, what then? From the long night I spent outside the Bavadrin temple, I had plenty of time to consider the options. However, every thought led me to the same realization that I could not bring myself to take her life.

I looked at her face as she leaned against me. The slight wrinkle in her brow, the way her lips were slightly parted, all of her was captivating. She was so small, vulnerable seeming, and I longed to shelter her from the world.

Ariana dozed off again, but that time dreams accompanied her sleep. She mumbled something incoherent, even for my keen hearing. The sound of her heartbeat climbed. A moment later, she flinched, and then a small moan escaped from her. And though she did not appear to be in any blatant distress, I couldn't help but feel as though the dream was unpleasant.

I moved my hand to her thigh, jostling her gently in an attempt to wake her before the dream had a chance to turn into an all-out nightmare.

"Ariana," I said her name.

She woke, though it was not gentle.

Her heart rate spiked, and she leaned over, nearly falling from the horse. Caught off guard myself, I almost missed grabbing her. She was practically falling off the horse before my hand captured her waist and yanked her back. Her hands flung to my arm, holding it as if startled by my presence.

Quick breaths rattled from her. "Sorry, I'm fine," she said, and the pressure of her shoulders lightened as she tried to lean forward, but my arm prevented her from it. "I just need a second. Will you release me?" she asked, her voice unsteady.

I slowly let her go, afraid that she may lose her stability and fall. Instead, Ariana leaned forward while keeping her balance, and I realized she was trying to touch me as little as possible.

My stomach sank at the thought that she was having a nightmare that had anything to do with me, but with the way her heart raced and her leaning away from my touch, that was the only thing it could have been. Suddenly I felt guilt for her having such a dream, though it was something I had no control over.

After a few seconds, she seemed able to finally catch her breath, her heart rate slowing.

Then I asked her what I already knew. "What was your nightmare of?"

Me. It was of me.

* * *

Yes, this chapter is short. But, It lets us know more of Erik's thoughts. The next chapter will be longer and a bit more exciting... what was Ariana's nightmare of?