Know Who to Count On

Chapter 16: An Enchanted Evening

They pulled into the clearing where they would be spending the night and Melody looked around at the beautiful trees surrounding them. She'd seen more trees on this journey than in all the rest of her life, but the ones closer to Hillbranch had been few and far between. Even the large ones closer to her former home paled in comparison to the ones sheltering them now. She wondered what kind they were and was about to ask Alexis, figuring he would know, when she heard him start talking to one of the soldiers.

"Secure the perimeter and the waterfall. I want to take Melody there before the sun sets."

"Yes, Sir!" came the reply and Melody wondered if it was Conner he'd spoken to. She turned back to the window, watching as the soldiers dismounted and the horses were given over to a few of the men so the others could scout around the area. She saw Liara talking to a tall, thin member of the convoy and wondered if it was Felix. According to Alexis, before Liara came along Felix was one of their best infiltrators/stealth operators. He had initially been annoyed when Liara joined them and seemed to have instantly gained such high favor with Alexis, but had to admit she was better than him after Liara broke into his own home.

"Melody," Alexis called to her. She turned away from the window and saw he was standing by the door. "We should be safe to go out now." She nodded and followed him, taking his hand as he helped her step down. Smiling at her, he kept hold of her hand and began walking to the far side of the clearing from where they'd entered, a small part in the trees growing larger as they approached.

They followed the path, dimly lit as the sun filtered down through the trees and soon Melody could hear the sound of running water. As suddenly as the trees began, they almost seemed to vanish as they stepped out and found themselves on a small outcropping, a large pool of water below and the aforementioned waterfall opposite them. It was, as he'd said, a small waterfall, only falling a dozen feet or so. The size of it meant little to Melody though who was enchanted by the beautiful lushness of the grove around them as well as the way the sun was reflecting off of the cascading water, creating rainbow fragments in the air.

"It's amazing!" she said breathlessly.

"This is one of my favorite places in the world," Alexis said, his voice wistful. "I first saw this place when I was about twelve and it was just like this with the sun setting in the background. I knew that moment was special and I have always wanted to share it with someone."

Melody looked up at him, her instinct having been to blush and look away, but something in his voice made her want to see his face. He sounded so peaceful and serene. He looked down to meet her gaze and moved closer to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "It's hard to think about all the bad stuff in the world while looking at a sight so lovely, isn't it?"

"Yes," Melody agreed. There was actually another thought crossing through her mind as she looked at the picturesque scene. Especially now as the sun began to sink below the horizon and bathe the sky in shades of orange and violet, she couldn't help but think that this felt like a moment in a book, straight out of a fairy tale. "I can't help but feel like..." she stopped, it was too bold to say, too embarrassing to voice what had come to her mind."

Alexis turned to her, putting his hands on her shoulders and rotating her so she was facing him. "The moment feels like it's not real, right? Like we're in a dream?"

She looked up into his eyes, and felt as if the words were drawn out of her. "It feels like the part in a story where the hero would kiss the girl," she said softly, her legs practically trembling. I shouldn't have said it, she thought, looking down at the ground.

"I can see that," he said gently, putting a hand under her chin and lifting her face back up. "But I can see something else more. I think it's the perfect spot for two heroes to kiss each other." Melody could feel her heart practically beating out of her chest. She wanted to correct him, to say that she wasn't a hero. Had he already forgotten he'd been the one to save her? She wanted to say it, but his gaze was too strong, too convincing in that moment. "Melody," he said, "would you like me to kiss you?"