The Obsidian Arrow

The Obsidian Arrow: Chapter 23

            “It’s not like that Anaela. I am just curious as to where she went and why she barely bid farewell.”

            “Yes… I am as well.”

            She still would not put her arms back around his waist and it tugged frustration at him. Before he hadn’t given the comfort of her arms a second thought but now that they were missing he couldn’t get the comfort out of his head. When he observed her face he noticed how she blushed and avoided his gaze. It seemed there was some discomfort when he had noticed her friend’s name. Had she wanted the words from his mouth to be about her in some selfish manner? He did not think elves were selfish in any way but perhaps they were when it came to those they cared about. However, that would mean that she really did care about him.

            He looked closer at her face and noticed how radiant she looked. She was more beautiful than ever and something about her appeared different. He could not place what it was and he fought hard to bring clarity to his eyes. Finally he gasped as he noticed the long braid of green and white beads that stretched down a strand of her hair on the left of her face. The colors brought out her eyes incredibly and now he understood why they shone so bright. Even though the eyes were electrifying they still seemed sad and he silently cursed himself at his foolishness. He had not spoken a word that afternoon about her beauty or the marvelous design of beads draping down her cheek, but instead spoken aloud admitting his missing Starlyn. It was a wonder she hadn’t slapped him.

            “Anaela. I am sorry for not speaking during our journey. There is a lot on my mind. Do not think I have forgotten you. You are still as beautiful as ever, and that braid that dangles next to your face makes your eyes light up brighter than the moon.”

            She blushed slightly but did not say a word. Searon sighed and continued his stallion forward at a slightly faster pace. After a few minutes he felt the graze of her hands sliding back around his waist and he smiled. The comfort overwhelmed him and his saddened mood was shattered to be replaced with overjoyed. He urged his horse on at a faster pace and soon she clutched at him tight until her head was rested gently on his back.

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[Anaela’s POV]

            Warmth and comfort spread through Anaela’s veins like never before and she had no idea how to control them. She felt it would be even less in her control if she were in his embrace instead of her arms clutched tightly around his waist. His horse trotted even faster now and she suspected it was an effort to get her to clutch even tighter at his waist to keep from falling off. The simple truth was she did not have to hold onto him to keep her balance on the horse. Elves held more balance than any other race on the land of Calthoria. Yet, she did not have to divulge that information to Searon. There was no need to admit to him that she held him for her comfort alone.

            She still could not believe what the fool of a man had blurted earlier. There she had been hoping that she had been in his thoughts as he was in hers. In fact he had not left her thoughts since she awoke to him staring at her from the healing bed. The spark in his eyes that craved for her sank deep into her mind and she had to hold the urge to not kiss him right then. If she would have she knew it would have gone much further than a kiss and she hardly had the mind to stop it. Then the fool of a man went out and blurted that he had been thinking of Starlyn! After leaving the sick room she had changed back into her armor and robes and decided to add a braid to her hair. The moment she saw Searon again she had hoped to hear a comment on it but was only met with silence. He still had not even noticed it until he had realized he upset her. Men, even human men are no different than elves. They were as oblivious as a mule.

             She was reluctant to go to the faeries but there seemed little choice for their situation. There were many stories that circulated about the creatures but Anaela had only met them once. At the time she was a young girl still in the company of her parents. She could not deny that seeking an alliance with the faeries that she could learn of where she came from. Perhaps the faeries knew where the other wood elves were. Why they had abandoned her. It filled her heart with guilt to think of such things. There had to be a reason for the departure, surely she was capable of being wanted. Searon had proven that to her if he hadn’t anything else. She just wished she knew why her heart went out to a human. It cannot be a human who would wither and die in a mere hundred years. Love would be unbearable with such knowledge that everything rested on a time limit.

            Still, she could not deny her attraction for the man. She clutched him harder as the horse met a full gallop, feeling his ripened muscles through the armor. Allowing her fingers to travel, they searched and found an opening between the pants of the shirt of his plating. He shivered slightly as he felt her cold hands rest on his bare abs. A smirk marked Anaela’s lips as she moved her hands up to his chest before swiftly brushing them back down to his abs. Suddenly a cold sweat brushed across Searon’s body and she grinned satisfied before biting her lips and removing her hands to rest around his waist once more. Men were so fun to tease.

            She tried her best to keep her thoughts to Searon as they had been entwined with all day. Yet something that he had said tugged at her. The words came rushing at her with a pound that nearly smacked her in the face. She cursed herself for nothing catching the words earlier. It was almost as if she had as little sense as a man to not notice the form in which his words set. Gritting her teeth her fingers found their way back to his bare stomach where they clawed at him. Her nails dug deep almost drawing blood and she felt him flinch at her efforts.

            “Ow!” He barked.

            “You saw Starlyn before she left.”

            “What? Of course, I was staying at her cabin.” He asked hoarsely.

            “No. You knew she was leaving.”

            “What makes yo-”

            “I am not a fool Searon! I am not as dim witted as you would believe! You said she left with barely bidding a farewell. Yet, nobody knew she was leaving. Therefore who did she bid farewell if not you! You will tell me what is going on Searon, and you will do it now!”

            Her sharpened nails did draw blood now and he croaked before shifting his stallion to a stop. When he looked into her eyes all that he saw was cold fury. He did not understand why she was so upset. It almost seemed as if he was in a relationship with her the way she demanded such knowledge. Besides, there wasn’t much information to give.

            “Yes… I did see her as she left.” He admitted.

            “Why did she leave?” She demanded.

            “She would not tell me.”

            “Where did she go?”

            “She would not tell me.”

            “What would she tell you?”

            “That she must go far away and be gone for a time, but she hopes to cross paths again, when she is able.”

            “What is that supposed to mean?”

            “I do not know.”

            “Gah… men… oblivious as mules!” She spat dryly barely audible for his ears.

            He shook his head at the last of that and urged his horse forward. Stripes had been with him for years now, ever since he had saved the wild horse. He put more faith in the horse than he had anyone else and so far the animal had not let him astray. Perhaps Starlyn and Anaela were right… Stripes was too plain a name. It was an obvious to any man but held little personality beyond that of the uniqueness of its appearance. Still, Searon felt it suited the stallion. He gently brushed the horse’s mane and urged him forward. There were still weeks to reach the faeries. Anaela had told him that they lied to the furthest south of Calthoria near the ocean. She only hoped that the creatures would listen to reason ally themselves.