The Twelfth Moon || ✔️

51. Swift Moon pt. 4

I raised my eyebrow as I explained, "How cruel would our Moons have to be, to mate me to someone from Death Moon? Or worse, someone from Fire Moon?"

"Ah," he exhaled. "So you think your mate is in another pack?"

"Probably," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "And then, even if I do find him, I'm not allowed to switch packs. So will I then have to live my entire life in this doom, knowing my mate, but not being able to be with him, to start a family, or even just a simple life together?"

"I guess that would be a cruel life," Jerr agreed.

"Yeah," I sighed. "My parents were lucky. They met when my mother moved to town. They always told me they instantly knew when they saw each other - and they loved each other deeply ever since."

"That sounds lovely," he said, a soft smile gracing his tired face.

"It is. It was. I always hoped I would find a love like that someday."

Jerr hunched his eyebrows. "Don't you think that kind of love is reserved for mates?"

"I don't think so," I pondered. "I think my parents would have loved each other like that either way. I think our Moon made them mates because she saw that, too."

"That's a beautiful way to look at it," he commented.

"What about you?" I asked, grabbing my flask of water.

"I'm still unmated," Jerr said, and I couldn't help but notice the subtle flutter my heart made. By the Moons, I cursed myself.

But as my eyes wandered over Jerr, who had stacked a few hay bales together to make his bed, he didn't seem to have noticed. Or he pretended he didn't, but that would be unlike him, that bloody Wise Moon.

"Do you think you'll meet her in Rahas?" I asked.

"Who knows," he shrugged. "But I think Aven would need to bring home some more new blood. I don't think a trueborn Death Moon is in the cards for me, either."

"Why would you think that?"

He shrugged his shoulders, his posture was lazily relaxed. "Wise Moon and Death Moon aren't exactly on the best terms either. It is rumored that Kavitvana and Sariranyasa always fought the most out of all the sisters, so it would seem unlikely they'd pair their descendants."

"Is that so?" I asked, a laugh escaping my lungs. "I've never heard anyone say that."

"Maybe it is only a tale that goes around in Wise Moon, excusing our terrible attitude towards Death Moon," he answered dramatically.

"Even so, they must have loved each other as well. They were sisters, after all."

"The love-hate relationship between siblings is one only someone with siblings can understand," he said.

The reminder of my loneliness stung a little, even if I knew he hadn't meant it in that way.

"Why didn't you say goodbye to your sister?" I asked.

Jerr's body stiffened at my question, subtly, as if he was trying to hide it. As soon as his biceps and jaw had clenched, they relaxed again, rebirthing his calm, relaxed stance, as he leaned back in his hay bed.

I did the same with mine, laying on my side, facing him. The hay provided enough warmth for us to be able to sleep separately, something I was glad for.

My body seemed to disagree, as a shiver crossed my spine at the touch of a slight, cold breeze of the night.

"Bad timing," he explained. "I left too early."

That answer didn't really clarify anything. But in the time I had gotten to know Jerr, I had learned he was very closed off. He barely ever shared anything about his past or his feelings. But he was always aware of those around him, experiencing whatever they felt, or thought.

I still took my chances with tonight. Sensing somehow, he would someday allow me to get closer to him. "Why did you leave, if you didn't want to switch packs?"

Jerr turned his head towards me, the green of his eyes was soft and striking. His mouth, carved with full lips of a reddish-brown color, was trying to move, but he didn't seem to find the words to answer my question.

I gave him an encouraging smile.

After pondering for a bit, he said, while looking back at the wooden ceiling, "It was the best option I had."

Every answer Jerr ever gave me about his past, only raised more questions. They were... wordy enough to satisfy as an answer, but not nearly deep enough to be seen as an explanation of any kind.

I wondered why he avoided that depth - if there was anyone he let see that side of him. I mostly saw him in Aven's presence, but Aven didn't seem like the type to be willing to listen to these stories.

Feytan and Jerr got along well, but I had never gotten the impression that they were friends. Their connection didn't go deep enough.

Would Amelia know anything about him? About who he was before he came to Rahas?

As my thoughts slipped away from me, my eyes followed what he did, peeping at the stars shining through the cracks in between the wooden planks. The sounds of crickets engulfed us, along with some other creatures of the night that were doing whatever they were doing. Hunting, scavenging for food, hiding. It all sounded like a beautiful symphony of the night.

The deep, soothing rhythm of Jerr's breathing soon added to that music. I looked over at him, his eyes closed as he had seemingly fallen asleep.

One last sigh escaped my lungs, before today's exhaustion caught up to me, and my eyes fluttered shut, allowing me to fall into the darkness of slumber.