Breath of Mist

F O U R T Y - Ariana

I sat in a field on the edge of our borders, waiting while Rain indulged herself on the grass several yards away. The night did not seem so dark under the light of the white moon. The night when the Lysians were told to truly be more animal, fueled by their instincts. I wondered what Erik would be like under such power. He was someone who always seemed in control, even when he was furious. Each of his movements, each of his actions intentional. Would he become more free-spirited?

That was if he actually showed.

Since the treaty guarding against border crossing was no longer in effect, there was a possibility that he may no longer protect the boundary. I sighed while searching for a sign of any movement ahead.

Minutes passed, bleeding into an hour, and then another. The morning sun was likely to rise sometime soon, and I was losing faith that he would ever appear. I couldn't help but feel saddened.

Was all of this just a waste of time?

There was a movement at the edge of the woods, and I jumped to my feet. Someone or something stirred amongst the trees, close enough for me to notice but not for me to make out what it was. A breeze blew from my back, carrying my scent in their direction. If they had not heard or seen me yet, they undoubtedly smelled me now if they were Lysian. Whatever it was seemed to have stopped moving, and the night turned incredibly still. I took a tentative step back, away from the forest, wondering if I made a mistake in coming there.

I was prepared to bolt in Rain's direction and ride away when another movement drew my attention. A Lysian stepped out into the clearing, dark midnight eyes focused on me.

Erik.

I nearly sighed in relief.

He stood there for what felt like a long time before he slowly began closing the distance between us, though there was nothing casual in his movements. I was used to him being quick when he was so alert. This was almost worse. It gave me time to watch him as he slowly drew near, a predator taking its time, closing in on its prey. It certainly felt more threatening than I could have ever imagined.

I took a small step back in apprehension, and it was an effort not to take more to keep the distance between us from shrinking further. I had come to see him. He would not harm me, I told myself. Edda would not have allowed me to go if she saw it as dangerous. I said these things to myself to calm my growing nerves.

Erik slowly stalked over. His focus remained entirely on me. When I stepped back, his gaze silently tracked my movement before finding my eyes once more, pinning me with his stare.

"Hi," I managed to say, though my voice sounded small against the weight of his gaze.

His feet stilled at the sound of my voice. Standing under a beam of moonlight, as if the spirit itself had blessed him with eternal light, he watched me.