"A rather obscure spot." Riven chimed in, sauntering out from behind a nearby tree. Scaring Marlene out of her skin she hadn't even heard him coming. "Someone might think you wished to be left alone." He smirked.
"Jesus! Riven you scared me." Marlene said, looking up at her friend, who rested against the tree beside hers.
"Not my fault you're jumpy." He mumbled, and she noticed his attire. Still wearing his green jumper, black trousers, and leather armor, her gaze trailed up to his face and noticed a slight glint of sweat on his features.
"Have you just come from training?" She asked, closing her book, the same one he was reading, the same one she had found in his room, and lowered it to her lap.
"What gave me away?" he gestured to his clothes and she rolled her eyes.
"Riven, did you follow me out here?" Her voice turned up a little at the end, a teasing manner. Riven scoffed and folded his arms.
"You wish."
"Oh my god you did- Riv, I didn't know you cared." Marlene teased and Riven kicked off from the tree and sat beside her on the forest floor.
"Are you ready for our training session later tonight?" He asked.
"You're changing the subject," Marlene observed and Riven rolled his eyes, again. "And yes, I'm ready. I hope you're ready to have your arse handed to you." Marlene pulled her sleeve up to her mouth and yawned, she wiped her now watery eyes.
"Sorry Sparky, am I boring you?" He moved his head into her line of vision and Marlene rested her head back on the trunk, closing them ever so slightly.
"No- sorry, I just came from training with Dowling," Marlene explained and pried her eyes open. "She's trying to get me to control the weather again but I just don't have the emotions for it. I think the only reason I did it the first time was because Bloom, Sky, and all the others were there and in danger. I can't do it on command yet."
"So you're drained? In a way?" He asked and she nodded lightly.
"Exactly like that."
"Maybe we should wait to train then, just until you're ready again." She opened her eyes wide at his words.
"What? No, no Riven I want to do this. I'm fine, it's a short-term thing. A very short-term thing." She said all at once.
"Okay, one thing I never asked you though." He met her eyes. "Why do you want to train anyway? Why bother learning how to fight? You have magic to defend yourself, why not rely on that?"
It was a reasonable question and yet Marlene felt her breath hitch in her throat.
"What if one day it doesn't work?" Her response caught him off guard, Riven sat up a little straighter, looking at her, "What if at the time when I need it the most- I can't get it to work? I still want to defend myself in that case." Riven hadn't expected that answer, Marlene edged a little closer to him, their arms now touching. He looked back at her face her eyes were shut again. "What if I can't control it one day?"
Marlene tilted her head ever so slightly and her head met the worn edges of Riven's jumper. Her eyes felt increasingly heavy, the weight from using her magic taking its toll on her physically. Riven didn't respond, he only simply looked down at her and he watched her eyes close and her breaths even out.
He understood her better now. Understood why bothering to train at all, she didn't want to depend on it as some fairies do. Marlene doesn't want her magic to define her, he thought. She wants to defend herself in other ways if she needs to.
But if it were up to Riven... She would never have to because he would be there as well. Making sure she never had to.
--------------------
so glad Riven was there looking out for her xx
YOU ARE READING
S P A R K Y • riven
FanfictionBOOK ONE Running away was never the plan, but Marlene couldn't stay after what had happened. After what she had done. A year later, she is going into her second year at Alfea where she is just trying to get by as a normal teenager but she's not norm...
