"Ettinsmoor? Is that what we're calling it now?" Imira asked.
"Better than 'the northern lands the Ettins inhabit' don't you think?" Peter asked in return.
"I suppose it's catchy," she agreed. "So what do we do now?"
Peter looked around the room...
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October1002
They arrived at Lycia late at night, guided by the lighthouse. The lights of the citadel could be seen from miles away. The narrow windows of Lycia stood out from the skyline and the torches on the roof looked like flickering stars. For Hayley, it was home sweet home. There were several ships at the docks, as usual, so since their visit was unexpected they got a rather lousy spot.
"So, uh, I'll see you in a few weeks?" James said to her as the bridge was drawn.
"You're not coming?" She asked surprised. Had it been her imagination or had they not agreed to go together?
"You want me to go with you?" James thought she'd be wanting some space, after all, that time they'd spend together.
"...Yes," Hayley thought they had been getting along much better and she would've hated for things to go back to usual if they spent some time separated.
"I thought you wanted to be alone," James said. It wasn't that he didn't want to spend some more time with her, he had enjoyed being able to have a normal conversation with her for these last weeks, and their experience in Calormen had actually brought them closer, given them a common foe to be wary of and critique.
"I was thinking you might come with me," Hayley explained, and as she said so she realized she didn't want their venture to end. She hadn't spent so much time with James since that trip to Ardenton and she was getting fond of him. Last time had gone great, but when they returned to Datram it was fighting all over again. She didn't want things to go back to that, she wanted things to remain as they were. She had seen another side of James, a side she liked. Attentive and caring and concerned for her, she liked that. A lot. She liked him. "But if you don't want to you don't have to,"
"No, I'll go with you," James said with a pleased smile. A smile Hayley mirrored.
"So is there anything you'd rather I not mention?" James asked her as they were making their way to the imposing castle.
"You mean like the business with the pirates?" Hayley replied.
"Precisely,"
"No, I think that was brave of you," Hayley told him.
James couldn't help but smile and feel good. "You do know it wasn't a grand fight, right? Just five minutes or exchanging blows,"
"I know that," Hayley said, fighting the impulse to roll her eyes at him, "but it was still dangerous. I think you were brave," Hayley replied, giving him a soft smile.
James tried to hide his smile, but those words just made him feel so good about himself he couldn't help himself. "Thanks,"
The streets were pretty much empty, so they arrived at the castle relatively fast and immediately headed in. The King and Queen had been alerted of their daughter's arrival, but it was Hayley's mother, Queen Valeris, who went down to greet them. Her hair was brown, just like Hayley's, and it cascaded down her back as she descended the stairs.
