✓ | Hushed Whispers ⋆ Will Herondale [2]

CHAPTER ONE: PECULIAR

◤I wouldn't call it rubbish, darling. It's your fingers that are desperately struggling while doing something as simple as unbuttoning a man's shirt, after all.◢

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CHAPTER ONE: PECULIAR

IT was a rather quiet afternoon when Marie passed Oxford with Gabriel Lightwood at her side. The two had travelled for over six hours and despite resting their horses every now and then, the animals grew tired rather quickly. It had only made it worse that they were choosing to purposefully avoid the city roads and crowds and stick to the narrow, unpaved forest paths.

Marie Wayland wasn't afraid of living her life under the lingering gazes of Shadowhunters and mundanes who couldn't pass on whispering lies about her life. She was used to it by now, years of experience made her immune to the unpleasant habits. The girl didn't pay much attention to the unrealistic pictures everyone had been creating about her, but that particular day, the pair couldn't afford being seen by anyone. They were aware that it was only a matter of time before they had their families tracing every footstep, diligent and persistent in their search. This time, they preferred being left alone.

"Do you think we should rest here for the night?" The Lightwood boy asked as his feet met the wet grass. "Horses need to regain their strength and so do we. We've been travelling ever since the first rays of sun lighted up the sky. Besides, I believe the rain will fall down upon us soon."

Marie mirrored Gabriel's mounting off technique, landing with a thud. The brunette glanced up at the cloudy sky before meeting Gabriel's gaze. "That would be alright. We are far away from London and even if others knew where we were headed, they wouldn't be able to catch up with us that fast. We can proceed our travels tomorrow, bright and early."

"That's what I thought as well. Let's set up our place," Gabriel gave Marie a signal to set all their things down; weapons, food and several pieces of thicker fabric they've managed to grab from their homes.

"I think we can use these trees to shelter ourselves from the rain," Marie pointed to the thickly planted trees that surrounded them.

Underneath the sunless sky, the woods gained gray tones, resembling some of the most beautiful photographs Marie had ever seen. The trunks of the fallen trees formed a unique playground, more enchanting than any piece of man-made art. Every broken twig and fallen leaf added to the nature's canvas, perfecting the scenery effortlessly.

However, what distinguished the pictures Marie had seen and what she was witnessing now was that sound came along with the second one. While pictures were silent, nature abounded in birds' singing and twigs' twitching underneath their feet. The forest awoke their senses, calling them to explore, luring them to surrender under its beauty.

"Are you up for a sparring session?" Gabriel's question brought Marie out of her daze. The girl had only finished laying out larger piece of terry cloth on the ground and setting aside her bow and arrows. "Just because we are on the road, doesn't mean we should let our skills become rusty. After all, we need to be prepared for what we might find in Birmingham."

"Are you asking me to kick your arse?" Marie crossed her arms over her chest, a smirk widening as she took in Gabriel's offer.

"Oh," the brunette boy laughed. "That's not what I meant at all, but I like your confidence. However, lesson number one that I am going to teach you this fine evening is that you shouldn't ever underestimate your opponent. More moves and less announcements, darling."