𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑎 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑒𝑓 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 | 𝐆𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐍 𝐃𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐒𝐎𝐍

15 ⋆✶⋆The Words Left Unsaid

He spinned me around crashed his lips onto mine. His hands were resting on my hips, but the more heated the kiss got, the tighter the grip got on them. I put my arms around his neck and savored the feeling of his warm lips on mine. His hands were slowly going lower, until he was full-on grabbing my behind. A small moan escaped my lips, something that only encouraged Gilan more. As much as we both wanted to, now was not the time to go further. And that was most definitely where it had been going, so I broke off the kiss and buried my face into his neck.

"When we're home I'll let you do anything you want to me."

He squeezed one last time and growled. "Does it really have to wait that long?"

"If you're going to whine anymore I'll make you wait until you've wed me, to bed me," I teased, which earned me another pinch, but this time in my side.

"I love you." He mumbled.

My heart dropped into a black abyss. I turned away and started walking towards where we had left Blaze and Vacker. "We should go back to Horace and Will. They're probably wondering where we are."

I did not have to turn around to know I really hurt him, but I couldn't say it back. My throat was dry and my heart was racing.

Then a memory itched in the back of my head, begging to resurface for me to give attention to it. I repressed it, wiped my sweaty hands dry with my cloak and waited for Gilan to arrive.

⋆✶⋆

How we found them was not what we expected, they were training and we could hear them from miles away.

I shook my head in disapprovement and nodded towards the bushes.

"These two idiots haven't even noticed these burglars sneaking up on them."

With a plain face, Gilan turned around a bit in his saddle and said to me: "Well I remember one time I was able to sneak up on you, because you were blaring some song. While we were on a mission and I had specifically asked you to be on guard."

"That was one time! And I was still young!" I protested, while throwing my hands in the air.

"Well they're still young too, so don't be too hard on them."

He was right of course. I of all people shouldn't judge, I had made many mistakes in my years of apprenticeship. Of course there was the time I had tried to run away my first night and the time I accidentally almost lit the cabin on fire.

"Come on, we're going to them." Gilan said coldly. It was like a knife in my stomach.

We left the horses behind and made our way to the camp, silently. When we got there Will hadn't even noticed us, despite Tug alerting him several times.

Horace had gotten into a skirmish with one of the robbers, who wasn't paying attention to his surroundings very well anymore. Else he'd maybe noticed two more people spectating the show.

Will got an arrow and was ready to shoot at him when Gilan said to him: "Don't shoot, yet. I'm curious to see how this ends."

With big eyes Will turned around, to see Gilan nonchalantly leaning on his bow.

"Gilan!" Will started, but then Gilan admonished him to silence.

"Let him have a go at it," he said softly, "He'll do alright if we don't distract him."

"But..." started Will, now seeming desperate. He looked at Horace and the frown on his face became deeper, then he looked back at Gilan.

"Horace can take him" he said, putting a hand on the young Apprentice's shoulder.

The fight took a bit longer than expected, but it didn't take away from my newfound respect toward my new, younger, travel companion. Even though I was sure I could take Horace on in a fight, I would prefer to keep him on my side.

Then it was time for Gilan to scold the both boys for completely being reckless.

"Apparently you were surprised by these two losers?" Gilan asked Will and Horace, but directed his question towards the smaller one directly, who nodded yes with his head hung low.

"When did you get here exactly?" his eyes wandering from the older Ranger to me.

"We got here at the same time as these men," answered Gilan, "we weren't far away when we saw them sneaking through the bushes."

"Now-" Will straightend his back and continued- "why were you guys gone for so long?"

I shifted my position on the rock I was sitting on with an uncomfortable cough. Thankfully, Gilan responded.

"We decided to check the city a bit more thoroughly than before." And with that, the subject was closed off. He continued to scold them a little bit more until he was sure they had learned their lesson. He had just started his interrogation when someone walked into our camp.

I turned my head to look at them and saw a young girl with short, blonde hair, a small figure and dressed in a ripped tunic, pants and soft leather knee high boots. A dirty and sleeveless sheepskin was draped around her, which didn't seem very warm. She reminded me of me, before I became Gilan's apprentice. A shudder went through my spine.

The girl spoke up and said: "O, they're still alive," everyone else turned to look at her. "They've fled for Morgarath - for as far he hasn't caputered them."