Starlight (Book 1)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Ro awoke to see Annika's beaming smile.

"You are awake!"

Annika spoke in German, but Ro could understand every word and knew what to tell her in return. "Yes I am. How long was I asleep?"

Annika's eyes were wide, "Ro! You can speak to me?"

Ro smiled, "I can now."

Annika hugged Ro when she sat up. Ro returned the hug and looked at their surroundings as she let her go. It was nearing dusk. There was a small fire in the middle of what seemed to be thick bushes that were surrounding them. There wouldn't be a cave tonight. Ro looked around for Arik, but did not see him or the horses. When she asked Annika about their whereabouts she told her that he had gone to hide the horses and that he would be back soon. Apparently he had woken up several hours before Ro had. It made sense. Ro's life had been short compared to Arik's. He was nearly one hundred years old and Ro had experience so many of his memories. It was no surprise to her that it had taken so long.

"Do you know where we are?" Ro asked Annika.

"Arik said that we are half a day away from the Tempest Court."

Ro shook her head, "Why didn't we just travel through the night then?"

Annika cocked her head, "He said that it wouldn't be safe to travel at night."

Ro nodded in understanding.

Annika reached behind and grabbed several pieces of small fruits that Ro had never seen before. "Arik thought that you might wake soon." The girl handed the fruit to Ro, "Please eat. He said that it would make you feel better."

Ro did feel hungry and was thankful for the fruit. As she began to eat and taste the sweetness of the berries and melons she couldn't stop eating until they were nearly gone. Annika finished off the rest of the fruit and Ro felt glad that the good food didn't go to waste. It was nice to be able to have that time with Annika. Ro could finally talk to the little girl. She enjoyed hearing Annika talk about her love of flowers and butterflies, but when Annika spoke of her mother it made Ro want to cry because all she could think about was the way Arik had felt when his mother passed.

Ro felt a tightness in her stomach and she knew that it was because Arik was approaching. She did not hear his boots as the leaves crunched underneath them or the sighs of breath he released as he walked toward the campsite. Ro just knew that he was near. She knew it with every part of her body. When she finally heard the Halfling approach she turned toward him. Arik emerged from the forest and immediately locked eyes with Ro. There weren't words spoken between them.

"Arik, Ro can talk to me now! She knows my language!" Annika's voice was bright and happy.

Ark's gaze shifted to the little girl, "Wonderful. Now you can entertain her with your stories."

Annika giggled.

Arik met eyes with Ro through the fire as he took a seat across from her, "Are you well?" Arik spoke to her in English. She knew that he did not want Annika to know what had happened between them.

Ro nodded in response afraid of what she might say. There were so many things that she witnessed and they were all that she could think about. The Halfling across from her now was not the same one that she started the journey with. There was a newfound respect there. Ro fought the urge to walk over and wrap her arms around him. She wanted to comfort him. She wanted to apologize for every horrible thing that she had said to him.